McCarthy's Playcalling

[Scott Campbell]

Play calling can typically summed up like this:

All the ones that worked were great.
All the ones that didn't were sucky.

[HarveyWallbangers]

People bitch about the play calling too much.

[channtheman]

People bitch about the play calling too much.

In last weeks game against the Bears from the one yard line, I loved the play calling. I wouldn't have called a play action pass like the one that worked later in that game. I would have done all the stupid cute plays MM did. I especially liked the fake QB sneak lateral/pass to Jackson.

[vince]

I thought it was a great called game too.

So did Matt Bowen.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Game-notes-PackersEagles.html

McCarthy’s game plan: In my opinion, his best game plan of the season. Green Bay got back to balanced football and we saw some examples of a team that could line up in their Tank personnel (1 WR, 2 TE, 2 RB) and play physical at the line of scrimmage. This allows the Packers to take some stress off of QB Aaron Rodgers (3 TD passes), use their play action route schemes and put together long, time consuming drives that wear down defenses. The running game was the big concern I had for Green Bay heading into the playoffs, but with a game plan like this they can beat anyone in the NFC.

[packrulz]

M3 saw that Starks was in a groove so he kept feeding him the ball, I loved it, that wears down the D and keeps them off balance. I'm pretty sure Jennings, Jones, and DD all dropped passes, if they would've caught those, it would've been a blowout. Packers played fast and inspired, although the "prevent" defense at the end nearly cost them the game. The officiating was the worst I've seen all year, the holding call on Colledge was bogus, a Packer was speared in the head (no flag), and I don't know how the 2 pt conversion wasn't incomplete, even if they were correct they only marked the Eagles back 5 yards instead of 10?

[Fritz]

The dropped passes are a concern.

[wist43]

I agree that play calling overall was good, but this is the NFL... games are going to be tight, and mismanagement at the end of a game can cost you the game, and it nearly did this time.

Everybody gets caught up in the clock... forget the clock - to win the game you need to produce at least 3 1st downs. I don't mind running on 1st down, especially if the running game has been going well, but on 2nd and 3rd down, I'm putting that responsibility in the hands of my pro bowl QB. McCarthy got away with it on the 1st set of downs, but then basically punted on 2nd down after we picked up the initial 1st down.

He only gave his QB one shot at it, when the defense was expecting pass, and of course Rodgers was sacked... would much rather have seen a pass on 2nd down, when Philly was stacked for the run. If we go 2 incompletes, so what??? we're still handing them the same scenario regardless, i.e. the ball, and plenty of time on the clock. So the smart play is go for the 1st down thru the air on 2nd down - I would have spread the field and put the pressure on the defense; the conservative, play not to lose strategy is exactly what McCarthy did and it almost cost us the game.

[Tarlam!]

Excellent post, Wisty, IMO.

I didn't watch the game (fell asleep after the 1st 2 Packer possessions - oh, the shame of it), but yours is the first out of a couple of dozen posts I've read that chastize M3's 4th quarter calling and substantiates what was wrong. Thanks, mate!

[Pugger]

So if MM goes for some passes late in the game and they fall incomplete and clock is stopped, giving Vick more time, then he's criticized for not being smart enough to run the ball when Starks was having such a good game. I don't get you guys sometimes.

This.

[Pugger]

I thought it was a great called game too. I loved AR's game too. He's never been a game manager really but today he managed the game masterfully. It will open other things up too. ATL is setting up nicely I think.

What impressed me about Aaron yesterday was after his fumble and giving Philly a short field Rodgers orchestrated a wonderful 80 yard drive culminating with a TD to take the wind out of the Iggles' sails.

[Pugger]

I agree that play calling overall was good, but this is the NFL... games are going to be tight, and mismanagement at the end of a game can cost you the game, and it nearly did this time.

Everybody gets caught up in the clock... forget the clock - to win the game you need to produce at least 3 1st downs. I don't mind running on 1st down, especially if the running game has been going well, but on 2nd and 3rd down, I'm putting that responsibility in the hands of my pro bowl QB. McCarthy got away with it on the 1st set of downs, but then basically punted on 2nd down after we picked up the initial 1st down.

He only gave his QB one shot at it, when the defense was expecting pass, and of course Rodgers was sacked... would much rather have seen a pass on 2nd down, when Philly was stacked for the run. If we go 2 incompletes, so what??? we're still handing them the same scenario regardless, i.e. the ball, and plenty of time on the clock. So the smart play is go for the 1st down thru the air on 2nd down - I would have spread the field and put the pressure on the defense; the conservative, play not to lose strategy is exactly what McCarthy did and it almost cost us the game.

I agree, trying to run the ball on 2nd down with @4 minutes to go wasn't MM's finest hour yesterday. Then on 3rd down everyone knew we had to pass and Rodgers got sacked. Oh well, we won and that is ALL that really matters.

[Scott Campbell]

So if MM goes for some passes late in the game and they fall incomplete and clock is stopped, giving Vick more time, then he's criticized for not being smart enough to run the ball when Starks was having such a good game. I don't get you guys sometimes.

Play calling was fine in the 4th. They protected a lead, ran clock, and won the game.

I did not like not going all out to end the first half. We took one shot down field with the drop to Jones, but otherwise squandered a possession.

[Fritz]

I also have expressed my wish that on second and nine, MM would've gone play action and gotten a first down. However, I do understand that running the clock was important, too, and that throwing a pass is a risk in terms of giving the timeoutless Iggles a free timeout if the pass is incomplete.

Outside of that one specific situation, I think this was MM's finest hour as a playcaller.

[vince]

Play calling was fine in the 4th. They protected a lead, ran clock, and won the game.

I did not like not going all out to end the first half. We took one shot down field with the drop to Jones, but otherwise squandered a possession.

Agree. The defense was stellar all game. You run the clock and win the game in that circumstance. Another first down would have been great had the team executed better.

[mraynrand]

M3 saw that Starks was in a groove so he kept feeding him the ball, I loved it, that wears down the D and keeps them off balance. I'm pretty sure Jennings, Jones, and DD all dropped passes, if they would've caught those, it would've been a blowout. Packers played fast and inspired, although the "prevent" defense at the end nearly cost them the game. The officiating was the worst I've seen all year, the holding call on Colledge was bogus, a Packer was speared in the head (no flag), and I don't know how the 2 pt conversion wasn't incomplete, even if they were correct they only marked the Eagles back 5 yards instead of 10?

Playcalling was excellent. Gameplan couldn't have been better. Ran the ball at a defensive front that was protecting against the big pass. Ran the clock on long sustained drives and kept the ball away from Vick and the explosive Philly offense. good special teams (Deep kicks by both kickers, good coverage, one mistake)

Refs? They were OK. If you look closely, you will see they swallowed their flag on the Jackson TD, when Jones could have been called for holding, and they could have called something on Collins for the hit on MagnumPI. McCarthy was mostly flawless in this one, I thought. Capers was impressive too - 16 points - even giving them the ball on the 20? damn good D