Capers' Accountability

[pbmax]

It isnt Ted fault for measels, its polio.
Take it you don't agree with Eastbrook? I have always enjoyed reading his article, but more for amusement than analysis. I don't thin khe played football so misses many of the concepts. One thing I do give him lots of credit for is that he pays attention to the oline, which I think is under appreciated in todays media coverage.

Easterbrook makes a half-hearted attempt at thinking about football. He does mention interesting material elsewhere. He is mostly a media critic, and when he is debunking announcers and writer's tropes about football, he does a fine job, culling material from many good sources. Easterbrook is one of the first writers on a major media website to write that the establish the run trope might be a tad overstated and self defeating for some teams.

But when he attempts to analyze the game himself, he ties himself in knots by making everything a simplistic one dimensional choice. He used to trot out down and distance average of an offense, then when the opposing defense blitzed and failed, he would state that is they simply played standard defense, the odds would have been in their favor. Easterbrook is enough of a scientist to know that data is riddled with complicating factors (such as the offense having an average gain of so many yards while facing a substantial percentage of blitzes, etc.). And he never analyzed the defense's performance, only critiqued the coordinator as a Big Blitz guy.

The column is not his main job and it is interesting and different from most other football writers. But the licenses he takes with his points is tiring after a while.

[KalamazooPackerFan]

For my money, I saw the D winning early downs consistantly sunday. 3rd and longs all day were picked up, because they play 8 man coverage with 3 man rush. Only superb rushers are going to get any pressure with a 3 man rush. Later in the game they started bringing pressure and it worked for awhile, enough to keep the pathetic offense in the game. Like anything though when the Offense gives the ball away, we kick an onside kick early in the game the D just wore down.....to blame this game on the D is ludicrous.

I wouldn't go so far as to blame this loss on the defense. They played better run D than they had all year except for the first Bear game. I just don't think they were good enough to overcome a bad day for the offense. And teams where one side of the ball can't step up when the other side is having a bad day inevitably lose at some point.

[wist43]

Capers was trying to create something out of nothing sometimes. If we were in our base 3-4, Wilson & Wynn were horrible, and the OLB on their side either Walden, Zombo, or Jones were horrible, so there is a weakness. Tramon was not the 2010 Tramon, Woodson was trying to do more than he is able to, Burnett was essentially having his rookie season, and Peprah is a joke. If we were in any other defense, the 2-4-5, we then lacked run support, and if Bush was in he's just as bad as Peprah, so there are more weaknesses. If we truly want our defense to improve, we need to replace the a DE, OLB, and S to start with unless Collins is able to come back. Then we need to hope that Shields continues to develop, but we need another DB caues Bush, Lee, Peprah should all be gone.

I agree... and would argue that the results from this years defensive unit are more in line with the lack of talent we have in our front 7.

We have Raji, Pickett, and Matthews... the other 4 starting spots are empty, and there is exactly zero depth. Last year we got lucky, and Capers was masterful at using smoke and mirrors... but our lack of front 7 talent showed up in all its horror this year.

The blame for this years defensive shortcomings is more accurately laid on TT. What does anyone want to bet our 1st 3 picks this spring will all be offensive players??

[Cheesehead Craig]

Easterbrook makes a half-hearted attempt at thinking about football. He does mention interesting material elsewhere. He is mostly a media critic, and when he is debunking announcers and writer's tropes about football, he does a fine job, culling material from many good sources. Easterbrook is one of the first writers on a major media website to write that the establish the run trope might be a tad overstated and self defeating for some teams.

But when he attempts to analyze the game himself, he ties himself in knots by making everything a simplistic one dimensional choice. He used to trot out down and distance average of an offense, then when the opposing defense blitzed and failed, he would state that is they simply played standard defense, the odds would have been in their favor. Easterbrook is enough of a scientist to know that data is riddled with complicating factors (such as the offense having an average gain of so many yards while facing a substantial percentage of blitzes, etc.). And he never analyzed the defense's performance, only critiqued the coordinator as a Big Blitz guy.

The column is not his main job and it is interesting and different from most other football writers. But the licenses he takes with his points is tiring after a while.

To me, he dislikes the blitz and thus will only use examples that will prove his point that it's no good. I used to read him for entertainment but it got to the point where he's simply too long winded and frankly, he wasn't all that entertaining any longer. He tries to hard to be witty and clever.

[woodbuck27]

The Defense plays the way it does because MM wants to play that way! Another poster mentioned priority of turnovers over tackling and that is what I see week after week after week. MM is the head coach- he tells Dom what he wants and that's it unless he can't see what EVERYONE with a pair of eyes sees. MM is responsible plain and simple for the BS way they play defense! Can't be consistent with that and consistency is what matters- Run what You 'Brung and hope you 'Brung Enough! (I do recall MM describing the way he wants defense played and it was exactly how this bs crap of defense looked all year!)

I think your saying that MM wants to see aggressive on both sides of the ball. He want points going up on the board when our 'D' is on the field and if that is the plan. MM will lose in terms related to the BIG picture. We must see our team play some decent defense not be last in the NFL. A Green BaY Packer defense RANKED LAST in the NFL. Would any Packer fan believed that was even a possibility with Dom Capers as OUR DC? We need to see basic defense the is based in fundamentals and assignment sure attitudes from the players on 'D'. Where did tackling go! Wev need fast athletic CB's and Charles Woodson is slowing down. We need solid coaching for OUR defensive backs and decent to superior talent on 'D' overall. Ted thompson has to clean house on 'D'. He needs to start anew. Go on a 3-5 year plan or just hope that Aaron Rodgers can carry his team.

Ted Thompson has to make cuts in our secondary and at LBer and move forward. He has to accept taking a step back to do that. We need two more strong to relaiable defenders on our DL. Cut the deadwood there and on our OL as well.

We are not close to returning to the Super Bowl. Any Packer fan that imagined we would get back there moreso win another this season was incredibly optimistic. Winning last season was very fortunate IMO. We did it because we came on like the team that just dumped us on our ass's. We turned the same trick last season that the GIANTS might very well turn this. How in blue blazes could we have won the Super Bowl last season? We did it because Aaron Rodgers would not be denied and so many Packer players were on the same page. The team was into the groove from top to bottom. That result with two - three games remaining in the season was unlikely to one of extreme delusion. Well we have basically that same team roster.That same roster with rust, with serious playing ability because of deterioration, decline and extinction.

Looking honestly at OUR defense we have loads of liability and need in certain positions. We should be considering that Nick Collins is gone to simplify analysis. If he comes back that's great but the blue print should now omit Nick Collins.Ted thompson has to cut the deadwood and make some hard decisions concerning players like Donald Driver,Charles Woodson (see Nick Collins),Chad Clifton, Scott Wells, Jermichael Finley and what does Ryan Pickett want. What is AJ Hawk's real value to the Packers. What is his emotional commitment to playing as we believed he would? Where is his consistency and value to us? He gets a lot of money.

How much are Ryan Pickett and Scott Wells worth in terms of their value to the team? Weigh that against keeping Jermichael Finley. Charles Woodson and what? $11 million$ ...good grief. I wouldn"t want to be Ted thompson as he has top clean up a real mess.

How much is Donald Driver Worth? Consider his play and leadership. Is a $2 million$ BONUS going to factor into a decision RE: DD? You've got to be kidding me if you want to consider it is. Donald Driver has pride in his game. He wants to play football. See Brett Favre....not retire or be a coach or special assistant. He had six TD's in a very limited role. He has it. That's the reason we saw his disgust on Sunday. He wants the same thing Favre wanted. Loyalty returned or he's out as a Green Bay Packer not put out to pasture.

We need a pass rush. We please..need a running game to control the clock and take pressure off Aaronn Rodgers. There are interesting prospects at RB available possibly in FA.

Good Luck Ted Thompson.

[mraynrand]

I agree... and would argue that the results from this years defensive unit are more in line with the lack of talent we have in our front 7.

We have Raji, Pickett, and Matthews... the other 4 starting spots are empty, and there is exactly zero depth. Last year we got lucky, and Capers was masterful at using smoke and mirrors... but our lack of front 7 talent showed up in all its horror this year.

The blame for this years defensive shortcomings is more accurately laid on TT. What does anyone want to bet our 1st 3 picks this spring will all be offensive players??

TT is to blame of course, but he always is. That's not very insightful. The question is what really happened? Last year, TT was able to find some raw young guys that could come in and contribute - but all the raw young guys this year had none of the OTAs to prepare. So when Collins goes out, when Burnett breaks his hand, Shields gets a concussion, Williams separates his shoulder, and Neal is lost for almost the entire season with an injury, there's no rookie FA to step in and save the defenses' collective ass. Still, you did have Francois and Smith come in when Hawk and Bishop were out, so it wasn't a complete failure. I suspect next year there will be a lot more quality, young depth, and it will be more prepared.

But look at the defense: It dealt with a lot of injuries this year. That's just the reality. Even if 'only' Collins and Jenkins were missing come playoffs, the collective result of having ever critical player but Woodson and Raji miss time due to injury was significant. (even Matthews was playing with a pretty bad quad all year).

The offense covered up a lot of malaise in the defense, and failed to carry the team when it mattered most.

[Smeefers]

I honestly am not that impressed with Capers. We've sandwiched one good defensive season between two horrible ones and called him a genius. More like Mangenius.

I'm not saying that the talent is really there to be a top ten defense but I'm surprised as hell that we're the worst one in the league. The buck has to stop somewhere and I think it stops with Capers. I'm not saying fire him. I'm not saying we need to revamp the system or anything like that, but the blame should be placed somewhere. And it's Mad's job to do it.

Hmm.. I'm waiting.

[denverYooper]

To me, he dislikes the blitz and thus will only use examples that will prove his point that it's no good. I used to read him for entertainment but it got to the point where he's simply too long winded and frankly, he wasn't all that entertaining any longer. He tries to hard to be witty and clever.

I'm the same. I'll still look at them from time to time if I'm bored but I have to skip over large swaths of his articles.

[hoosier]

I honestly am not that impressed with Capers. We've sandwiched one good defensive season between two horrible ones and called him a genius. More like Mangenius.

I'm not saying that the talent is really there to be a top ten defense but I'm surprised as hell that we're the worst one in the league. The buck has to stop somewhere and I think it stops with Capers. I'm not saying fire him. I'm not saying we need to revamp the system or anything like that, but the blame should be placed somewhere. And it's Mad's job to do it.

Hmm.. I'm waiting.

I lost you at the start of your second sentence.

[Smeefers]

I lost you at the start of your second sentence.

You know what, I was totally wrong on that. 2009 we were top 5, 2010 we were #1 and this year we were 32. It was 2008 where we had that horrible D. We dropped Sanders and picked up Capers. Man. What happened this year?

[ZachMN]

I never said anyone should be fired but MM should have enough brains to realize you have to flexible with what you want to do! Sometimes you can be aggressive but when the CB's are trying harder to intercept balls ALL THE TIME vs. playing sound fundamental football it can have devastating effects like losing when it really matters! Let's try something simple like wrapping up! And for the comment that TMQ oversimplifies things?!?! Try to address what was said rather than who said it-

"A common practice of adversaries is to disrupt important discussions by attacking the messenger and diverting these discussions into off-topic argumentation"!

Proof is in the pudding- schemes that usurp fundamentals are doomed to fail.

[Bretsky]

Capers was trying to create something out of nothing sometimes. If we were in our base 3-4, Wilson & Wynn were horrible, and the OLB on their side either Walden, Zombo, or Jones were horrible, so there is a weakness. Tramon was not the 2010 Tramon, Woodson was trying to do more than he is able to, Burnett was essentially having his rookie season, and Peprah is a joke. If we were in any other defense, the 2-4-5, we then lacked run support, and if Bush was in he's just as bad as Peprah, so there are more weaknesses. If we truly want our defense to improve, we need to replace the a DE, OLB, and S to start with unless Collins is able to come back. Then we need to hope that Shields continues to develop, but we need another DB caues Bush, Lee, Peprah should all be gone.

FIVE CLAP POST

[Bretsky]

I agree... and would argue that the results from this years defensive unit are more in line with the lack of talent we have in our front 7.

We have Raji, Pickett, and Matthews... the other 4 starting spots are empty, and there is exactly zero depth. Last year we got lucky, and Capers was masterful at using smoke and mirrors... but our lack of front 7 talent showed up in all its horror this year.

The blame for this years defensive shortcomings is more accurately laid on TT. What does anyone want to bet our 1st 3 picks this spring will all be offensive players??

I'll take you up on that bet !!!

Welcome back Wist !!! You need to stick around the Packer forum more often. I've missed your posts in here