Greg Jennings - wasted talent

[Smidgeon]

People are going to think I'm crazy, but I was happy to see Finley leave the game. I didn't want him to be out 3-6 weeks of course, but I was interested to see if he was the reason Jennings wasn't getting catches. Turns out Rodgers just doesn't look for him like he is a number one receiver. I know going into that game he was getting just as many chances as Finley and Driver, but I think we are really using him wrong. This offense has way too much talent not to be moving up and down the field at will.

Did we completely stop running slant plays??? That was BOTH Jennings and Drivers bread and butter. MM is too dumb to see that the Redskins defense was playing the pass all game and the running game was wide open. We need to get back to the offense we ran from 07-09. Quick slants to our great receivers and let them run after the catch. Run the ball more and work the play action and take your shots down field. And in between work the middle with Finley. It seems to me the offense is way too predictable.
Every week we just seem to be doing 3, 4, or 5 WR sets with the receivers running routes that require a lot of time in the pocket. I want this offense to start getting the ball in the hands of our receivers on quick slants (esp. Jennings) and take more shots down field working the play action. We have to stop passing 50 times a game and start running the ball more too. Rodgers needs to shut the hell up and let MM call plays and MM needs to pull his head out his ass and revert back to 07-09.

So how would them running slants not be too predictable? Help me out here.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

People are going to think I'm crazy, but I was happy to see Finley leave the game. I didn't want him to be out 3-6 weeks of course, but I was interested to see if he was the reason Jennings wasn't getting catches. Turns out Rodgers just doesn't look for him like he is a number one receiver. I know going into that game he was getting just as many chances as Finley and Driver, but I think we are really using him wrong. This offense has way too much talent not to be moving up and down the field at will.

Did we completely stop running slant plays??? That was BOTH Jennings and Drivers bread and butter. MM is too dumb to see that the Redskins defense was playing the pass all game and the running game was wide open. We need to get back to the offense we ran from 07-09. Quick slants to our great receivers and let them run after the catch. Run the ball more and work the play action and take your shots down field. And in between work the middle with Finley. It seems to me the offense is way too predictable.
Every week we just seem to be doing 3, 4, or 5 WR sets with the receivers running routes that require a lot of time in the pocket. I want this offense to start getting the ball in the hands of our receivers on quick slants (esp. Jennings) and take more shots down field working the play action. We have to stop passing 50 times a game and start running the ball more too. Rodgers needs to shut the hell up and let MM call plays and MM needs to pull his head out his ass and revert back to 07-09.

So how would them running slants not be too predictable? Help me out here.

LOL maybe you didn't read the whole post. I'm pretty sure I didn't say anywhere is my post run a slant play on every play. I said run the ball, run play action passes, run slant plays, and hit Finley over the middle. Did you completely miss that??? I want to see MORE quick slants, no where did I say run JUST quick slants. The offense is being run different than years past. I want to get back to that type of offense and that includes running more slant routes. Did that help you out?

[Smidgeon]

People are going to think I'm crazy, but I was happy to see Finley leave the game. I didn't want him to be out 3-6 weeks of course, but I was interested to see if he was the reason Jennings wasn't getting catches. Turns out Rodgers just doesn't look for him like he is a number one receiver. I know going into that game he was getting just as many chances as Finley and Driver, but I think we are really using him wrong. This offense has way too much talent not to be moving up and down the field at will.

Did we completely stop running slant plays??? That was BOTH Jennings and Drivers bread and butter. MM is too dumb to see that the Redskins defense was playing the pass all game and the running game was wide open. We need to get back to the offense we ran from 07-09. Quick slants to our great receivers and let them run after the catch. Run the ball more and work the play action and take your shots down field. And in between work the middle with Finley. It seems to me the offense is way too predictable.
Every week we just seem to be doing 3, 4, or 5 WR sets with the receivers running routes that require a lot of time in the pocket. I want this offense to start getting the ball in the hands of our receivers on quick slants (esp. Jennings) and take more shots down field working the play action. We have to stop passing 50 times a game and start running the ball more too. Rodgers needs to shut the hell up and let MM call plays and MM needs to pull his head out his ass and revert back to 07-09.

So how would them running slants not be too predictable? Help me out here.

LOL maybe you didn't read the whole post. I'm pretty sure I didn't say anywhere is my post run a slant play on every play. I said run the ball, run play action passes, run slant plays, and hit Finley over the middle. Did you completely miss that??? I want to see MORE quick slants, no where did I say run JUST quick slants. The offense is being run completely different than years past. I want to get back to that and that includes running more slant routes. Did that help you out?

I read it. I was just giving you a hard time for the way the phrasing came together.

Personally, I think they aren't running the slants because they have been so good at it during the last few years. I'm guessing D-Coordinators are keying in on the inside slants and the deep fly routes, leaving the flats, short hooks, and inside seams more open. The Packers don't have the RBs to really make them pay from the flats (although Jackson is doing his best but can still only get five yards out in space; and Kuhn is strictly a down-the-throat runner...maybe Starks will provide that spark), Jones is doing his best to get the short outside hooks, and Finley is carving teams up in the seams.

But I think Finley's been so good because teams haven't quite focused on just him. They know Jennings is dangerous on the outside. He has been for three years now, whereas Finley's only been dominant for about a year. And Driver's been killing teams for years on the slant.

So I just think that defenses are picking their poison and letting Rodgers and Finley try to beat them. It seems to be working because Finley has one TD so far despite all his yardage.

Thoughts?

[imscott72]

I've been wondering what his problem was. It appears more and more that he was very overrated.

Overrated? He has 3325 yards over the past 3 seasons. You can't be overrated when you have already proven you are very good.

What's clear is that either defenses are paying more attention to him or he has an injury were not hearing about

Didn't realize he had that many yards. I don't see how defenses can be rolling coverage his way with Driver, Jones, Finley,etc. Without seeing film it's hard to figure out whether he's not getting open or Aaron's just not seeing him. What we do know is he's clearly not a prototype #1 WR.

In what way?
Physically he's an inch shorter than Reggie Wayne.
Production wise he's not far off from Fitzgerald the past 2-3 years.

Then you tell me where he's been this year? Wayne consistently produces even when double covered. Why does Jennings keep disappearing when they need him most?

[Cheesehead Craig]

I've been wondering what his problem was. It appears more and more that he was very overrated.

Overrated? He has 3325 yards over the past 3 seasons. You can't be overrated when you have already proven you are very good.

What's clear is that either defenses are paying more attention to him or he has an injury were not hearing about

Didn't realize he had that many yards. I don't see how defenses can be rolling coverage his way with Driver, Jones, Finley,etc. Without seeing film it's hard to figure out whether he's not getting open or Aaron's just not seeing him. What we do know is he's clearly not a prototype #1 WR.

In what way?
Physically he's an inch shorter than Reggie Wayne.
Production wise he's not far off from Fitzgerald the past 2-3 years.

Then you tell me where he's been this year? Wayne consistently produces even when double covered. Why does Jennings keep disappearing when they need him most?

My comment was about that "he's clearly not a prototype #1 WR". I don't understand where that comment comes from.

[mmmdk]

I've been wondering what his problem was. It appears more and more that he was very overrated.

Overrated? He has 3325 yards over the past 3 seasons. You can't be overrated when you have already proven you are very good.

What's clear is that either defenses are paying more attention to him or he has an injury were not hearing about

Didn't realize he had that many yards. I don't see how defenses can be rolling coverage his way with Driver, Jones, Finley,etc. Without seeing film it's hard to figure out whether he's not getting open or Aaron's just not seeing him. What we do know is he's clearly not a prototype #1 WR.

In what way?
Physically he's an inch shorter than Reggie Wayne.
Production wise he's not far off from Fitzgerald the past 2-3 years.

Then you tell me where he's been this year? Wayne consistently produces even when double covered. Why does Jennings keep disappearing when they need him most?

My comment was about that "he's clearly not a prototype #1 WR". I don't understand where that comment comes from.

I got blasted sh!tless last season for saying GJ wasn't a true # 1. He still isn't but GJ hasn't been set up shine either. GJ is a one SLANT PONY & the occational deep ball. GJ must be frustrated.

[Bretsky]

I think a big part of this is in the cover 2 teams are often putting a safety over the top of Jennings and when that occurs Rodgers looks away from Jennings and toward other targets. Teams IMO alternate between doing this to Finley and Jennings. Finley goes out.........guess where all the coverage now rolls. With Driver and Jones dropping balls, no reason to do anything different.

Back to the slant. That is clearly on MM; Jennings role in this offense is way too predictable and it's all on MM to move him around and start working towards Jennings strengths. It's like we have forgotten about the quick hitters and didn't we use to boast about Y.A.C.

[The Leaper]

McCarthy is utterly failing this team right now. He looked like a guy about set to retire in a fishing boat at the last press conference. He's aged 15 years in 5 games. He's in over his head IMO. He has loads of talent on this offense, but can't find any way to find consistency. He's getting outcoached by guys who aren't even elite coaches.

When everything is smooth sailing, he gets along fine. OK...that's nice...but most NFL coaches can get along fine with a talented roster that is getting more good breaks than bad ones. What truly separates the men from the boys is how they respond to adversity. Right now, I think McCarthy is being exposed as a scared little boy. His decision making has been highly questionable the last few weeks. He's pressing...a lot...and it shows.

He's not using any of his offensive weapons very effectively right now...Jennings included. That said, I do think Jennings is slightly overrated. He's not a dominant #1 WR who is automatic for 85 catches and 1200 yards every year IMO. He will put up those numbers from time to time, but not consistently. He just disappears way too often to be an elite WR.

[digitaldean]

Agree, Leaper.

Look at the 4th down and goal call. The call was t Quarless. I understand it's probably one that would've been for Finley, but you don't try a key call like that to a rookie.

[Bossman641]

Agree, Leaper.

Look at the 4th down and goal call. The call was t Quarless. I understand it's probably one that would've been for Finley, but you don't try a key call like that to a rookie.

I really didn't like the 4th down play. I hated going for it in general, but I really didn't like the call. I know the play action is meant to draw the LB's in, but not with our running game. By the time Rodgers turned from the fake he had Chris Wilson right in his face. Even if the play did work correctly, your options to throw to are Quarless and Hall.

[Bossman641]

I haven't been watching Jennings closely enough to see what routes he has been running. It does seem like our YAC is way down this year. Where are the drag routes? All the short stuff seems to be comebacks to Driver.

And it pains me to say it but I do think Rodgers has regressed this year. I don't know if it is MM's pressuring him into forcing the ball into tighter spaces, the pressure of leading a SB contender, or overconfidence in Finley but he has been forcing passes that he didn't even think about making last year.

[packerbacker1234]

Driver had a bad game with the 4 drops. even if one of them was irrelevant (end of half, final play, a really stupid 8 yard bullet that driver had to dive for that is a bad decisio, as it could get tipped and taken to the house (versus just throwing a hail mary).

That drop I don't care much about, and the one dump off to the left I could care less about either. That drop he was about to get LIT UP. So we most likely lose yards on the play.

The other two were just flat out bad. But it's driver - he's always had a game or two like this every season, but overall he is very reliable. I doubt this drop issue is going to linger. I expect him to bounce back next week.

Jennings on the other hand baffles me. He gets the same amount of overall targets as driver, but has SIGNIFICANTLY less catches. Driver now leads the team in receptions and is around 30, GJ... has he even gotten 10 yet? I don't understand how Driver is getting more open then Jennings, who is supposedly a superior talent. Maybe driver just has more savvy and is a better overall route runner?

[pbmax]

The team had seven drops (maybe eight according to McGinn) in the game. How can anyone seriously complain about strategy, tactics and playcalling when the players can't even put the ball away?

How about not fumbling?

How about no false starts?

First things first folks. Fix the easy stuff.

[woodbuck27]

People are going to think I'm crazy, but I was happy to see Finley leave the game. I didn't want him to be out 3-6 weeks of course, but I was interested to see if he was the reason Jennings wasn't getting catches. Turns out Rodgers just doesn't look for him like he is a number one receiver. I know going into that game he was getting just as many chances as Finley and Driver, but I think we are really using him wrong. This offense has way too much talent not to be moving up and down the field at will.

Did we completely stop running slant plays??? That was BOTH Jennings and Drivers bread and butter. MM is too dumb to see that the Redskins defense was playing the pass all game and the running game was wide open. We need to get back to the offense we ran from 07-09. Quick slants to our great receivers and let them run after the catch. Run the ball more and work the play action and take your shots down field. And in between work the middle with Finley. It seems to me the offense is way too predictable.
Every week we just seem to be doing 3, 4, or 5 WR sets with the receivers running routes that require a lot of time in the pocket. I want this offense to start getting the ball in the hands of our receivers on quick slants (esp. Jennings) and take more shots down field working the play action. We have to stop passing 50 times a game and start running the ball more too. Rodgers needs to shut the hell up and let MM call plays and MM needs to pull his head out his ass and revert back to 07-09.

So how would them running slants not be too predictable? Help me out here.

LOL maybe you didn't read the whole post. I'm pretty sure I didn't say anywhere is my post run a slant play on every play. I said run the ball, run play action passes, run slant plays, and hit Finley over the middle. Did you completely miss that??? I want to see MORE quick slants, no where did I say run JUST quick slants. The offense is being run different than years past. I want to get back to that type of offense and that includes running more slant routes. Did that help you out?

Nice post. Good patience Packer fan.

PACKERS!

[mmmdk]

GJ is known to quit on his patterns, not all the time, but look for it in games. Somehow GJ & AR doesn't have a great connection - yet to the defense of GJ; he's actually looked past by AR when actually open. I'm not blasting or giving up on GJ but it's just very strange. But I've always seen GJ as a lower tier # 1 WR. He'd be top 3 as # 2 WR though.