Fire Capers

[wist43]

This is what I wrote last Friday,

Quote:

As our debates in other threads have gone... to me, it's all about pressure. To that end, I would open up the playbook on defense.

If Warner hits on a couple??? So what??? Keep the pressure coming... I'd rather give up a couple of TD's b/c they just happened to hit on one or two, than to sit back and let Warner get into a rhythm, and give up 40+ points, 500 yds, and 38 minutes TOP, 7 to 18 yds at a time.

If Capers gets conservative, I don't like our odds. If Capers does get conservative... I think our only chance is for the offense to score on just about every possession, b/c Arizona will surely be putting pts on the board, only question would be if we could keep pace.

Unquote

Obviously Capers came out conservative, and true to his nature, he didn't adjust.

I knew from the first couple of series the defensive game plan was a disaster. It's hard to lay a lot of blame on the players - Capers game plan, and his in-game play calling were crap... the players really didn't have a chance.

[MOBB DEEP]

Nobody can defend today's performance. The entire unit played like shit.

There can certainly be a case made though that it makes a lot more sense to build off the D's performance this year then to tear it down and start over again.

qft

[pbmax]

From Football Outsiders

Aaron Schatz: Touchdown, Steve Breaston, right up the middle in a huge hole in the zone. Kurt Warner wasn't kidding when he told the FOX people that there were holes in the Packers coverage up the middle. I just checked, and Packers ranked 20th in DVOA on passes marked "deep middle." That's not too bad, but it is their worst ranking against any of the six directions (short/deep and left/middle/right). By the way, Dallas was 20th against passes marked deep middle, New Orleans 24th, and Minnesota 28th. Uh-oh.

He has a ranking wrong, both Dallas and Green Bay can't be twentieth (unless its actually a tie) but it might be something to look at in the next game or two (or three).

[mraynrand]

This is what I wrote last Friday,

Quote:

As our debates in other threads have gone... to me, it's all about pressure. To that end, I would open up the playbook on defense.

If Warner hits on a couple??? So what??? Keep the pressure coming... I'd rather give up a couple of TD's b/c they just happened to hit on one or two, than to sit back and let Warner get into a rhythm, and give up 40+ points, 500 yds, and 38 minutes TOP, 7 to 18 yds at a time.

If Capers gets conservative, I don't like our odds. If Capers does get conservative... I think our only chance is for the offense to score on just about every possession, b/c Arizona will surely be putting pts on the board, only question would be if we could keep pace.

Unquote

Obviously Capers came out conservative, and true to his nature, he didn't adjust.

I knew from the first couple of series the defensive game plan was a disaster. It's hard to lay a lot of blame on the players - Capers game plan, and his in-game play calling were crap... the players really didn't have a chance.

Interesting. Jimmy Johnson said that you have two choices: blitz or play coverage; with an experienced, solid QB you play coverage and with an inexperienced guy you blitz. So he had the opposite view.

Thing is, you can scheme all day, but you have to get it done on the field. It's possible the Packers could have kept blitzing and have finally gotten there and made a difference, but I'm guessing not. One critical item was the running game. The Packers defense has struggled mightily in games where they give up yards rushing on early downs - just like last year. The same thing happened this year. The loss to Cin, the losses to MN, and the loss to the Cards. The Packers gave those teams too many second and third and short downs. It's hard to blitz on third and short, because it's way too easy to throw the hot read. The Packer's failure I think was the inability to make the Cards one-dimensional and not get them into third and long, just like happened in their defensive failures the entire year. Plus, there were some serious coverage f-ups.

[wist43]

Yeah, I saw JJ's comments... I just disagree. Look what Baltimore did to Brady??

As it is - they did, in fact, give up 500+ yds and 40+ pts... and how did Arizona ultimately win the game??? On a Corner blitz that resulted in a sack, fumble, and TD - game over.

As I said, so what if they hit on few... it's better than bleeding to death, and letting Warner sit in the pocket and write his memoirs. Bring the heat from every which angle, show a lot of presnap movement to get the OL thinking and leaning...

I think I have a pretty strong case for saying that the approach they took yesterday certainly wasn't the right one.

[Old School]

I can't believe I hung in through 4 pages of this negativity. I usually enjoy the back and forth and seldom post, but as Popeye said, "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more".

If I understand what I read, the original premise here points to two DC openings any minute now. If I were smarter than Dom Capers, I'd be at 1265 offering to help, not wasting my time here.

[Administrator]

I think I have a pretty strong case for saying that the approach they took yesterday certainly wasn't the right one.

What you may not have though, is support that blitzing would have been the better approach to take. It may have been worse.

I remember several catches by both Doucet and Breaston coming across the middle yesterday. The middle was wide open and a source for many of the Cardinals 1st downs.

Blitzing without plugging that gaping hole may have made it even easier pickings than Warner actually had.

As others have said in this thread and other threads (including KYPack excellent summary), the coverage option may have been the best one of the bunch, and we saw just how ineffective that was.

[Bossman641]

This is what I wrote last Friday,

Quote:

As our debates in other threads have gone... to me, it's all about pressure. To that end, I would open up the playbook on defense.

If Warner hits on a couple??? So what??? Keep the pressure coming... I'd rather give up a couple of TD's b/c they just happened to hit on one or two, than to sit back and let Warner get into a rhythm, and give up 40+ points, 500 yds, and 38 minutes TOP, 7 to 18 yds at a time.

If Capers gets conservative, I don't like our odds. If Capers does get conservative... I think our only chance is for the offense to score on just about every possession, b/c Arizona will surely be putting pts on the board, only question would be if we could keep pace.

Unquote

Obviously Capers came out conservative, and true to his nature, he didn't adjust.

I knew from the first couple of series the defensive game plan was a disaster. It's hard to lay a lot of blame on the players - Capers game plan, and his in-game play calling were crap... the players really didn't have a chance.

Interesting. Jimmy Johnson said that you have two choices: blitz or play coverage; with an experienced, solid QB you play coverage and with an inexperienced guy you blitz. So he had the opposite view.

Thing is, you can scheme all day, but you have to get it done on the field. It's possible the Packers could have kept blitzing and have finally gotten there and made a difference, but I'm guessing not. One critical item was the running game. The Packers defense has struggled mightily in games where they give up yards rushing on early downs - just like last year. The same thing happened this year. The loss to Cin, the losses to MN, and the loss to the Cards. The Packers gave those teams too many second and third and short downs. It's hard to blitz on third and short, because it's way too easy to throw the hot read. The Packer's failure I think was the inability to make the Cards one-dimensional and not get them into third and long, just like happened in their defensive failures the entire year. Plus, there were some serious coverage f-ups.

Ding ding ding. Winner.

The Cards, if I remember right, faced 3 or 4 THIRD downs all game. They were never put in unfavorable situations.

[KYPack]

This was no defensive struggle. There were two punts yesterday. 1 by each team. The '85 Bears weren't present at this game, in body or spirit.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I think I have a pretty strong case for saying that the approach they took yesterday certainly wasn't the right one.

I certainly am not disagreeing with you. The whole defensive plan AND execution by the players was garbage.

Some days you're the dog, others you're the fire hydrant. The defense was the hydrant yesterday and the AZ offense was a whole pack of dogs.

I just don't feel that Capers needs to be fired.

[MichiganPackerFan]

Capers got dealt a bad hand in the secondary.

Bush is worse than Will Blackmon & Patrick Lee. And losing Harris obviously hurt depth, even though Travon William played pretty well.

At safety, fans were happy to see Rouse get the axe, but he is a lot better than Giordino. Rouse played well as a starter for the Giants this year, and the other guy that Thompson cut, Anthony Smith, ended up starting for Jacksonville.

I say blame God for the injuries and, as always, FIRE TED THOMPSON!

YAY!!!! MY BLUE BITCH IS BACK!!!!

[MichiganPackerFan]

Have quite the hangover this am, lol... mostly just venting frustration.

That said, there's no excuse for that nonsense we saw yesterday... 51 pts???

What's equally amazing, is you guys seem to think they played well, and Capers did a great job... wow.

You guys did happen to notice - 51pts!!!!!

Are you even reading the responses you are getting?

Actually, not reading much... last night I was wasted (so my apologies for being overly contentious), and this am I'm hungover

I don't drink much, so my head is hurting quite a bit this am

Seemed a bit out of character in your writing style!! Wist + emotion = scary.

Still (not sure if it was the booze perspective (nothing against having one btw!!!), but) it seems you derive more satisfaction in seeing capers fail than you would have in seeing the packers win.

I read your posts a lot more objectively than I did at JSO, because I think you understand the game. I'm just not sure you how to appreciate and enjoy the triumphs. (adding a question mark to invite a response): ?

[Pugger]

I thought this was a joke...let it die.

Ohferchrissakes people. Now you've got me agreeing with Sheepshead? Knock it off!!

[Pugger]

I saw Rouse make some hard tackles. I actually don't know if he sucked or not, but stop ruining my story.

Do you think the Giants would have used Giordino as a starter for the season?

There you go! We had to trot out the likes of Giordino, Bell and everyone's favorite CB Bush to stop a high powered passing attack like AZ. Honestly, people. Capers had one hand tied behind his back with that disaster called the Packers' secondary. And not getting any pressure on Warner was a recipe for failure. AZ doubled CM3 and Jones didn't get in there. I'm hoping we might keep Kampman and use him like we once used KGB = a situational pass rusher and not put him out in coverage. It will depend, of course, if he can still rush the passer after rehabbing that knee.

[Smidgeon]

I saw Rouse make some hard tackles. I actually don't know if he sucked or not, but stop ruining my story.

Do you think the Giants would have used Giordino as a starter for the season?

There you go! We had to trot out the likes of Giordino, Bell and everyone's favorite CB Bush to stop a high powered passing attack like AZ. Honestly, people. Capers had one hand tied behind his back with that disaster called the Packers' secondary. And not getting any pressure on Warner was a recipe for failure. AZ doubled CM3 and Jones didn't get in there. I'm hoping we might keep Kampman and use him like we once used KGB = a situational pass rusher and not put him out in coverage. It will depend, of course, if he can still rush the passer after rehabbing that knee.

It also depends on if Kampman wants to be back.