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How the hell did this thread get thrown off? There was a reason why it was decided to put the Favre talk into one thread as I recall... something about contentiousness and other threads getting derailed...
Anyway, here's an article from Bleacher Report, a site that (not unlike a few others that shall remain nameless) requires you to search through the garbage to find some decent content. The article puts forth a good argument that I'm wrong about the pass rush being the biggest problem.
I'm not convinced that some pressure on the QB in those games the defense was shredded wouldn't have made a big difference, but a defensive backfield that included 5th, 6th and 7th options at CB and safeties off the street also played a big role.
Anyway, here's an article from Bleacher Report, a site that (not unlike a few others that shall remain nameless) requires you to search through the garbage to find some decent content. The article puts forth a good argument that I'm wrong about the pass rush being the biggest problem.
Green Bay Packers Needn't Worry About Getting a New Pass Rusher
Clay Matthews III stepped into the season expected by most to be just a good, solid pick for the Green Bay Packers in 2009. But a candidate for the defensive rookie of the year award? Who would have thought that?
Ten sacks and multiple forced fumble recoveries seem to indicate that this is more than just good player. He's the real deal, a future Hall of Famer, and a damn good player.
Packer Nation was so thrilled by this player that they couldn't resist thought of adding a second player like Matthews to increase pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The possibilities would seem limitless.
Jerry Hughes and Sergio Kindle became favorites for the 23rd pick in the 2010 NFL draft. They got Bulaga instead. Although most Packers fans feel he was wonderful pick, he certainly was not what Packer nation was expecting.
There were still seven more picks to go, Thompson will pick up a pass rusher later or trade up to get one. Neither happened.
So why shouldn't Packer nation be nervous about facing Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Romo, or Matt Schaub? Because, it's not the pass rushers fault, it's the secondary.
The Unseen Pass Rushing Ability
The Packers produced a measly 13 sacks in their first eight games. Not nearly enough to pressure anyone.
But after the Tampa Bay game, two things happened. One was the fact that Packers knew that they were better than this, and had to step it up a notch. So they did.
Second, Aaron Kampman was injured, and sat out during the Cowboy game. He tore a ligament in his leg against the 49ers and was gone for the season.
Why is Kampman's injury important? It gave way for Brad Jones to show what he's made of.
Brad Jones is by no means a Clay Matthews. That's for certain.
But I think that Packer nation has salivated so much at the thought of getting another Clay that they've forgotten that they don't need another Clay Matthews, just another good player. And Brad Jones probably fits that ticket perfectly.
Plus, Brad Jones might get more help on his part now. Ryan Pickett has been moved to defensive end. Theoretically, Jones will be given a lot more room to get to the quarterback with Pickett now drawing double and even triple teams on his side.
Pickett is a big guy who weighs 340 pounds in case you didn't know!
From Romo to Hasselbeck (a seven-game period), the Packers produced an astonishing 24 sacks. That would equate to about 55 sacks in a season.
I don't know how many of my Packer friends have noticed this fact. But I'm assuming that it wasn't very many. Mostly because of the fact Jerry Hughes was so demanded, and because I don't think I've heard from anyone else that they saw Packers producing so many sacks in the second half of the season. And I mean nobody .
The Seen Depleted Secondary
Most cite Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre as the three main culprits who exposed the Packers inability to properly rush the quarterback. Personally, I think Smith belongs in that category as well. If you don't think so, then watch the second half of the 49er's game.
But Warner, Burger King, and Smith all had something that Favre didn't have. And that was a depleted Packers secondary to pick apart.
It was the fact that the Packers were, at the time, unable to sack the quarterback as to why Favre was able to pass so many touchdowns.
Warner had more touchdowns than incompletions. He was only sacked once, but some argue that the Cards have the best offensive line in the NFC. That is evident with the fact that Warner was sacked only 26 times in the regular season.
And Warner had a receiver corps that had three 1,000 yard receivers in 2008. That is sheer evidence of a depleted secondary, not a poor sacking ability.
Favre's passing stats in the two games against the Packers were 271 yards, and 244 yards. In fact, 14-time sacked Aaron Rodgers was able to get 287 yards, and a career high 384 yards in those games.
Compare that to Burger King's 503 yards and Warner's 373 yards. And even Alex Smith was able to get more than 200 yards in the second half the game where Al Harris was injured for the rest of the season.
Favre wasn't exposing a terrible secondary, he was exposing a poor pass rushing ability. Anyone who doubts this needs to just watch the highlight in which Favre had over seven seconds to find a receiver.That's right, seven seconds.
And we all know that even the greatest corner backs can't cover forever.
So what exactly am I trying to say?
There Was A Switcheroo
The Packers didn't have a bad secondary and a bad pass rushing ability at the same time. The fact is that one was bad for the first half of the season, and the other was bad for the second half of the season.
They just happened to switch so quickly that I don't think anyone noticed.
The only time the Packers had both a good pass rushing ability and a complete secondary was against the Cowboys, and the first half against the 49ers.
In that period, a total of 10 points were scored by the opponents, and the opponents quarterback was sacked eight times.
Aaron Kampman's injury allowed Brad Jones to come in, just around the time that Harris was injured.
I think Packer Nation just doesn't realize that you don't need someone like Clay Matthews to create enough pressure on quarterbacks. It's almost as though we think there is no such thing as anything in between an elite sacker and someone who can't sack at all.
The Packers may not have the best pass rushing ability in the league, maybe not even an elite pass rushing ability. But I certainly think they have enough now to get the job done.
By the start of next season, Jones and Matthews will have a year under their belt, and Harris will be healthy. Harris is making a remarkable recovery.
This should be enough for the Packers defense to perform like they did in those two games.
Clay Matthews III stepped into the season expected by most to be just a good, solid pick for the Green Bay Packers in 2009. But a candidate for the defensive rookie of the year award? Who would have thought that?
Ten sacks and multiple forced fumble recoveries seem to indicate that this is more than just good player. He's the real deal, a future Hall of Famer, and a damn good player.
Packer Nation was so thrilled by this player that they couldn't resist thought of adding a second player like Matthews to increase pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The possibilities would seem limitless.
Jerry Hughes and Sergio Kindle became favorites for the 23rd pick in the 2010 NFL draft. They got Bulaga instead. Although most Packers fans feel he was wonderful pick, he certainly was not what Packer nation was expecting.
There were still seven more picks to go, Thompson will pick up a pass rusher later or trade up to get one. Neither happened.
So why shouldn't Packer nation be nervous about facing Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Romo, or Matt Schaub? Because, it's not the pass rushers fault, it's the secondary.
The Unseen Pass Rushing Ability
The Packers produced a measly 13 sacks in their first eight games. Not nearly enough to pressure anyone.
But after the Tampa Bay game, two things happened. One was the fact that Packers knew that they were better than this, and had to step it up a notch. So they did.
Second, Aaron Kampman was injured, and sat out during the Cowboy game. He tore a ligament in his leg against the 49ers and was gone for the season.
Why is Kampman's injury important? It gave way for Brad Jones to show what he's made of.
Brad Jones is by no means a Clay Matthews. That's for certain.
But I think that Packer nation has salivated so much at the thought of getting another Clay that they've forgotten that they don't need another Clay Matthews, just another good player. And Brad Jones probably fits that ticket perfectly.
Plus, Brad Jones might get more help on his part now. Ryan Pickett has been moved to defensive end. Theoretically, Jones will be given a lot more room to get to the quarterback with Pickett now drawing double and even triple teams on his side.
Pickett is a big guy who weighs 340 pounds in case you didn't know!
From Romo to Hasselbeck (a seven-game period), the Packers produced an astonishing 24 sacks. That would equate to about 55 sacks in a season.
I don't know how many of my Packer friends have noticed this fact. But I'm assuming that it wasn't very many. Mostly because of the fact Jerry Hughes was so demanded, and because I don't think I've heard from anyone else that they saw Packers producing so many sacks in the second half of the season. And I mean nobody .
The Seen Depleted Secondary
Most cite Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre as the three main culprits who exposed the Packers inability to properly rush the quarterback. Personally, I think Smith belongs in that category as well. If you don't think so, then watch the second half of the 49er's game.
But Warner, Burger King, and Smith all had something that Favre didn't have. And that was a depleted Packers secondary to pick apart.
It was the fact that the Packers were, at the time, unable to sack the quarterback as to why Favre was able to pass so many touchdowns.
Warner had more touchdowns than incompletions. He was only sacked once, but some argue that the Cards have the best offensive line in the NFC. That is evident with the fact that Warner was sacked only 26 times in the regular season.
And Warner had a receiver corps that had three 1,000 yard receivers in 2008. That is sheer evidence of a depleted secondary, not a poor sacking ability.
Favre's passing stats in the two games against the Packers were 271 yards, and 244 yards. In fact, 14-time sacked Aaron Rodgers was able to get 287 yards, and a career high 384 yards in those games.
Compare that to Burger King's 503 yards and Warner's 373 yards. And even Alex Smith was able to get more than 200 yards in the second half the game where Al Harris was injured for the rest of the season.
Favre wasn't exposing a terrible secondary, he was exposing a poor pass rushing ability. Anyone who doubts this needs to just watch the highlight in which Favre had over seven seconds to find a receiver.That's right, seven seconds.
And we all know that even the greatest corner backs can't cover forever.
So what exactly am I trying to say?
There Was A Switcheroo
The Packers didn't have a bad secondary and a bad pass rushing ability at the same time. The fact is that one was bad for the first half of the season, and the other was bad for the second half of the season.
They just happened to switch so quickly that I don't think anyone noticed.
The only time the Packers had both a good pass rushing ability and a complete secondary was against the Cowboys, and the first half against the 49ers.
In that period, a total of 10 points were scored by the opponents, and the opponents quarterback was sacked eight times.
Aaron Kampman's injury allowed Brad Jones to come in, just around the time that Harris was injured.
I think Packer Nation just doesn't realize that you don't need someone like Clay Matthews to create enough pressure on quarterbacks. It's almost as though we think there is no such thing as anything in between an elite sacker and someone who can't sack at all.
The Packers may not have the best pass rushing ability in the league, maybe not even an elite pass rushing ability. But I certainly think they have enough now to get the job done.
By the start of next season, Jones and Matthews will have a year under their belt, and Harris will be healthy. Harris is making a remarkable recovery.
This should be enough for the Packers defense to perform like they did in those two games.
Doesn't the Favre talk belong in the Favre thread?
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