Posted August 18, 2006
Mike Vandermause column:
When Favre gets hit, blame Thompson
By Mike Vandermause
The sight of Brett Favre getting pounded into the turf Saturday night against the San Diego Chargers obviously was unnerving for the Packers' coaching staff.
Favre endured two sacks and at least three other knockdowns in less than two quarters during the preseason opener. At this rate, Favre's incredible durability streak of 221 consecutive regular-season starts will end quickly and painfully this season.
What do you expect when the Packers' starting offensive line includes two rookie guards?
Out of necessity, the Packers have nowhere to turn for help. Following Saturday's debacle, the coaching staff shook things up, but it merely involved substituting one rookie guard for another.
That leaves the Packers in the unenviable position of starting fifth-round draft choice Tony Moll at right guard in their preseason home game against Atlanta on Saturday. Moll never played guard before this week, and as recently as two years ago was a tight end at the University of Nevada.
Third-round draft pick Jason Spitz was shuffled from right guard to left guard to fill the spot vacated by demoted rookie Daryn Colledge.
How did it come to this? Two of the five linemen entrusted with protecting Favre have no NFL experience and will be learning on the job.
Don't blame the rookies, who have the potential to become solid starters. It's only natural they will experience growing pains.
Don't blame the coaches, who can't turn first-year talent into Pro Bowl players overnight.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, to his credit, announced this week that inexperience would not be used as an excuse.
Favre also took the high road when he refused to throw any of the rookie linemen under the bus, even though the quarterback must have felt like he got hit by a bus Saturday night.
The man most responsible for the Packers' predicament is General Manager Ted Thompson, who allowed starting guards Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera to get away during the 2005 offseason.
Thompson faced a difficult salary cap situation a year ago, and there's no way the Packers could have kept both starting guards. But some how, some way, Thompson should have found a way to re-sign Wahle.
Losing one starting guard can be overcome, but leaving two gaping holes in the offensive line is an overwhelming obstacle.
"You know, losing Mike Wahle, Marco, (center Mike Flanagan)  from a veteran quarterback's point of view  doesn't help, it really doesn't," Favre said.
"And I think any quarterback who has played for any period of time would love to have a veteran line. But, the nature of the game today is that you lose guys."
When that happens, there must be adequate replacements. But Thompson compounded the problem last year when he attempted to fill in the blanks with stopgap veterans Adrian Klemm and Matt O'Dwyer. Neither player panned out, and the Packers have been scrambling since.
To suggest Wahle is the missing piece to the Packers' Super Bowl puzzle would be silly, and in the long run, Thompson's approach of rebuilding the guard position through the draft might make the most sense.
But in the short run, Favre and the Packers' offense will suffer.
Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette. Contact him via e-mail at mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Comment: woodbuck27
This should prompt a lively debate.