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Mike Vandermause column: Green Bay Packers' good intentions don't put W's in win column
By Mike Vandermause • mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com • October 10, 2009
If only the Green Bay Packers would have followed through on their good intentions, they might not be languishing in third place in the NFC North.
It’s one thing to talk the talk, but in many key areas the Packers have failed to walk the walk.
Is it any wonder the Packers are struggling, when you consider how many times they have broken their resolutions this year?
Let’s look at several examples that help explain their plight:
The run game
Coach Mike McCarthy has steadfastly said he’s committed to running the football. Yet there always seems to be an excuse why it doesn’t happen.
Maybe it’s unfavorable down-and-distance situations, or the flow of the game, or any number of other reasons. In reality, McCarthy doesn’t have much confidence in his run game.
The Packers rank 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game and 28th in attempts per game, but even those below-average figures are deceptively high because quarterback Aaron Rodgers has rushed 17 times for 104 yards. Take away Rodgers’ scrambles and the Packers would rank No. 30 in rushing yards and No. 31 in attempts.
Those are terrible numbers for a team that supposedly wants to pound the ball on the ground late in the season when the weather turns nasty. It stems from a combination of factors: The offensive line is failing to open holes, Ryan Grant isn’t taking full advantage of his opportunities and there isn’t a credible change-of-pace back on the roster that can keep defenses honest.
It’s hard to blame McCarthy for not running more often when all of those factors are working against him. But the buck stops with him, and his insistence on sticking with the zone-blocking scheme must be scrutinized. In McCarthy’s four seasons, the Packers have ranked 23rd, 21st, 17th and 22nd in rushing yards. Whatever excuse is offered, the fact remains those numbers aren’t good enough.
Penalties
How often have we heard McCarthy talk about cleaning things up regarding the Packers’ penchant for penalties? Yet the trend of the past four years shows no signs of letting up this season. The Packers rank 12th in penalties and are on pace to finish with close to the second-highest single-season total since McCarthy arrived.
This category alone won’t kill a team, as evidenced by the Packers leading the league in penalties in 2007 yet finishing 13-3. But when combined with several other problem areas, it can take a serious toll.
You have to wonder if there’s a proper level of accountability when someone like Jarrett Bush, who has a penalty-prone reputation on special teams, was rewarded with a hefty raise after last season.
The offensive line
The Packers were bound and determined to stop shuffling their offensive linemen to provide more stability. Yet as soon as left tackle Chad Clifton went down with an injury, the game of musical chairs began with Daryn Colledge shifting to left tackle and Jason Spitz to left guard. It put the Packers in the precarious position of having two players lined up away from their best positions, and two players on the right side (Allen Barbre and Josh Sitton) with a combined two career starts.
The results have been disastrous. The Packers lead the NFL in sacks allowed by a wide margin with 20. Just five other teams have given up more than 11 sacks this season, a stunning indication of how bad things are. At this rate, the Packers will shatter the single-season record for sacks, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers will suffer a serious injury.
The blame rests squarely on General Manager Ted Thompson’s shoulders, and the Clifton injury is no good excuse. Thompson has been given five years to construct an offensive line, but his inability to provide the Packers with an adequate backup at one of the most important positions was inexcusable. An injury to a 33-year-old tackle shouldn’t send the entire house of cards tumbling, but that is what happened.
Signing of free agents
Thompson’s offseason decision to sign free agent safety Anthony Smith, who played three years in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 3-4 defense and had 14 career starts to his credit, spoke volumes about the need for a veteran backup in the secondary. But when injury-prone Atari Bigby went down early, Smith was nowhere to be found. Thompson cut him coming out of training camp.
That proved costly in a pair of losses. Third-year player Aaron Rouse was so bad in his start against the Cincinnati Bengals that the Packers cut him. Derrick Martin, with a mere three career starts, was exposed by Brett Favre as an impostor in the Packers’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Martin wasn’t ready for a starting role and played badly enough to get yanked from the lineup.
Thompson knew his team needed depth at safety, yet he inexplicably put the Packers in a vulnerable position. Veteran cornerback Charles Woodson was so frustrated that he publicly pointed to Smith’s absence as a factor in the loss to the Vikings. It’s never good when the general manager is correctly called out by one of his players.
The basics
The Packers have blamed some of their struggles on a breakdown in fundamentals. After months of practice that included organized team activities, minicamp, training camp, the preseason and a month’s worth of regular-season games, you would think the fundamentals wouldn’t be an issue. Yet that’s what we keep hearing.
So either the coaches aren’t effectively imparting their message, the players aren’t taking that information and applying it, or it’s a combination of both. Or, perhaps “flawed fundamentals” is code for not being as good as your opponent.
The new 3-4 defense
When it was repeatedly suggested there might be growing pains adapting to the 3-4 defense, Thompson and the Packers coaches generally downplayed the notion. One month into the season, lo and behold, the new scheme is suffering through its share of ups and downs.
The defense can’t seem to put together a game in which it stops both the run and pass. It’s been an either/or proposition.
The Packers’ belief that they could successfully switch to a new scheme without upgrading the talent looks like flawed thinking at this point. Last year under Bob Sanders, the Packers’ defense ranked a subpar No. 22 in points allowed. After four games under new coordinator Dom Capers, the Packers rank exactly the same.
Most alarming has been a lack of pressure on the quarterback. The Packers ranked a lowly 25th in defensive sacks last year with 27, or an average of 1.7 per game. So far this year, the Packers have dropped to 26th in sacks at 1.25 per game.
It’s one thing to talk about upgrading the defense, but like so many other areas on this team, it’s another to carry it out.
Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.
By Mike Vandermause • mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com • October 10, 2009
If only the Green Bay Packers would have followed through on their good intentions, they might not be languishing in third place in the NFC North.
It’s one thing to talk the talk, but in many key areas the Packers have failed to walk the walk.
Is it any wonder the Packers are struggling, when you consider how many times they have broken their resolutions this year?
Let’s look at several examples that help explain their plight:
The run game
Coach Mike McCarthy has steadfastly said he’s committed to running the football. Yet there always seems to be an excuse why it doesn’t happen.
Maybe it’s unfavorable down-and-distance situations, or the flow of the game, or any number of other reasons. In reality, McCarthy doesn’t have much confidence in his run game.
The Packers rank 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game and 28th in attempts per game, but even those below-average figures are deceptively high because quarterback Aaron Rodgers has rushed 17 times for 104 yards. Take away Rodgers’ scrambles and the Packers would rank No. 30 in rushing yards and No. 31 in attempts.
Those are terrible numbers for a team that supposedly wants to pound the ball on the ground late in the season when the weather turns nasty. It stems from a combination of factors: The offensive line is failing to open holes, Ryan Grant isn’t taking full advantage of his opportunities and there isn’t a credible change-of-pace back on the roster that can keep defenses honest.
It’s hard to blame McCarthy for not running more often when all of those factors are working against him. But the buck stops with him, and his insistence on sticking with the zone-blocking scheme must be scrutinized. In McCarthy’s four seasons, the Packers have ranked 23rd, 21st, 17th and 22nd in rushing yards. Whatever excuse is offered, the fact remains those numbers aren’t good enough.
Penalties
How often have we heard McCarthy talk about cleaning things up regarding the Packers’ penchant for penalties? Yet the trend of the past four years shows no signs of letting up this season. The Packers rank 12th in penalties and are on pace to finish with close to the second-highest single-season total since McCarthy arrived.
This category alone won’t kill a team, as evidenced by the Packers leading the league in penalties in 2007 yet finishing 13-3. But when combined with several other problem areas, it can take a serious toll.
You have to wonder if there’s a proper level of accountability when someone like Jarrett Bush, who has a penalty-prone reputation on special teams, was rewarded with a hefty raise after last season.
The offensive line
The Packers were bound and determined to stop shuffling their offensive linemen to provide more stability. Yet as soon as left tackle Chad Clifton went down with an injury, the game of musical chairs began with Daryn Colledge shifting to left tackle and Jason Spitz to left guard. It put the Packers in the precarious position of having two players lined up away from their best positions, and two players on the right side (Allen Barbre and Josh Sitton) with a combined two career starts.
The results have been disastrous. The Packers lead the NFL in sacks allowed by a wide margin with 20. Just five other teams have given up more than 11 sacks this season, a stunning indication of how bad things are. At this rate, the Packers will shatter the single-season record for sacks, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers will suffer a serious injury.
The blame rests squarely on General Manager Ted Thompson’s shoulders, and the Clifton injury is no good excuse. Thompson has been given five years to construct an offensive line, but his inability to provide the Packers with an adequate backup at one of the most important positions was inexcusable. An injury to a 33-year-old tackle shouldn’t send the entire house of cards tumbling, but that is what happened.
Signing of free agents
Thompson’s offseason decision to sign free agent safety Anthony Smith, who played three years in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 3-4 defense and had 14 career starts to his credit, spoke volumes about the need for a veteran backup in the secondary. But when injury-prone Atari Bigby went down early, Smith was nowhere to be found. Thompson cut him coming out of training camp.
That proved costly in a pair of losses. Third-year player Aaron Rouse was so bad in his start against the Cincinnati Bengals that the Packers cut him. Derrick Martin, with a mere three career starts, was exposed by Brett Favre as an impostor in the Packers’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Martin wasn’t ready for a starting role and played badly enough to get yanked from the lineup.
Thompson knew his team needed depth at safety, yet he inexplicably put the Packers in a vulnerable position. Veteran cornerback Charles Woodson was so frustrated that he publicly pointed to Smith’s absence as a factor in the loss to the Vikings. It’s never good when the general manager is correctly called out by one of his players.
The basics
The Packers have blamed some of their struggles on a breakdown in fundamentals. After months of practice that included organized team activities, minicamp, training camp, the preseason and a month’s worth of regular-season games, you would think the fundamentals wouldn’t be an issue. Yet that’s what we keep hearing.
So either the coaches aren’t effectively imparting their message, the players aren’t taking that information and applying it, or it’s a combination of both. Or, perhaps “flawed fundamentals” is code for not being as good as your opponent.
The new 3-4 defense
When it was repeatedly suggested there might be growing pains adapting to the 3-4 defense, Thompson and the Packers coaches generally downplayed the notion. One month into the season, lo and behold, the new scheme is suffering through its share of ups and downs.
The defense can’t seem to put together a game in which it stops both the run and pass. It’s been an either/or proposition.
The Packers’ belief that they could successfully switch to a new scheme without upgrading the talent looks like flawed thinking at this point. Last year under Bob Sanders, the Packers’ defense ranked a subpar No. 22 in points allowed. After four games under new coordinator Dom Capers, the Packers rank exactly the same.
Most alarming has been a lack of pressure on the quarterback. The Packers ranked a lowly 25th in defensive sacks last year with 27, or an average of 1.7 per game. So far this year, the Packers have dropped to 26th in sacks at 1.25 per game.
It’s one thing to talk about upgrading the defense, but like so many other areas on this team, it’s another to carry it out.
Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.
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