Jennings back this week

[woodbuck27]

You know who this team's passing game misses most?

Donald Driver. Driver could beat a CB deep and catch a ball one handed when young and spry, but as an oldster he made his living chewing up yardage after a short throw against a variety of coverages because his QB knew he would at least get his hands on the ball and prevent INTs.

Now Donald might not be the threat he once was (I wonder if we might see him?) so we might need to bring in a player familiar with the system, smart enough to find the holes in a zone and old/wise enough to know there isn't a starting role available and no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

We need to sign one of the following: Don Beebe, maybe Andre Rison, old version Antonio Freeman, maybe Charles Jordan, Ruvell Martin, Terry Glenn, Koren Robinson or Taco Walace.

There it is. A plan. Its bold and its cheap. The best of both worlds.

or ........ we could hope that DD returns ASAP and that MM uses him as a possession receiver. Gives him more than one or two looks a game. If MM favours a spread offense early in a game what's wrong with utilizing the DD option. Damn it MM seems to get the fricken blinders on and if his 'simple plan' doesn't show results he freezes.

We need to see MM make use of 'his team'.

GO PACKERS !

[Pugger]

Good lord, just we get Jennings back and now we have to add Wilson to the list of guys out this week. Damnation, can't we ever get a stinkin' break from all of these injuries???

[pbmax]

And the adjustment begins:

http://www.packersnews.com/article/20121128/PKR01/121128069/Green-Bay-Packers-to-tweak-offensive-strategy-to-protect-QB-Aaron-Rodgers?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Now the article doesn't go into great detail and takes Rodgers comments plus McCarthy's accepting of blame Sunday/Monday to mean that they will react to protection issues as they did once before. There is a lack of specifics here and direct sources, but Dougherty usually doesn't go out on a limb like McGinn.

[sharpe1027]

I wonder what the delay was in making these changes. Was MM reluctant to make the changes because he thought he could exploit the defenses using longer routes or more WRs?

[run pMc]

We need to sign one of the following: Don Beebe, maybe Andre Rison, old version Antonio Freeman, maybe Charles Jordan, Ruvell Martin, Terry Glenn, Koren Robinson or Taco Walace.

There it is. A plan. Its bold and its cheap. The best of both worlds.

Pure genius.

[pbmax]

I wonder what the delay was in making these changes. Was MM reluctant to make the changes because he thought he could exploit the defenses using longer routes or more WRs?

I think its a small window into McCarthy's approach to football. A few bad results or injuries aren't going to knock him off his plan to play football they way he intends.

Faced with multiple terrible results threatening his QB, including one of the worst (Giants) plus season-ending injuries and no help in sight (Sherrod and apparent belief that Barclay/Lang would not be a net gain over Lang/EDS) might eventually move him to alter the approach.

He's clearly stubborn and willing to risk that his asst. coaches can get starter level performances from backups. This has worked a number of times (2007 and Super Bow year) and failed twice (2009 and current). I take it basically as a good sign that there is no panic and the expectation is high. While of course I argue for alterations and changes after every blown play, as a leader of a complex organization, its probably better that he lean to stubborn than go the Andy Reid route in Philly (defensive side anyway).

I always thought the "Pittsburgh tough" adjective Thompson used was a poor choice in introducing or describing his choice for Head Coach. Seemed forced, unfamiliar and not particularly related to being a good football coach. But I think we all know what he meant now. Stubby is kind of doughy on the outside, but he is clearly built from sterner stuff.

I admire that, as much as I want to curse the gameplan for the last two games. My last two cents are that Starks, protection issue or no, should start on 1st and 2nd down and Green can be 3rd down back. That is all.

[pbmax]

wrong thread

[sharpe1027]

Pb, great post. Giving up on your game plan too soon can be as bad a move as refusing to change. Moreover, the reality is that sometimes neither option is going to win the game and the coach will be criticized either way.

I thought Green has some good runs against the Giants, but Starks has been better. I don't mind seeing Green on early downs sometimes as he seems to be slowing improving and it also gives them a better receiving/screen threat, but agree that Starks should be in there most of the time in running situations.