Offense Versus 49ers

[pbmax]

Can't sleep until get this thought out of my head.

McCarthy got the matchup he wanted in the first half. He spread out the 49ers with Harris in a one back setup and got the 49ers in nickel and dime. This is the D that killed them in Game 1 of the season. This time they ran well against it, including the one marvelous drive. Got 21 points, though the last TD was mainly on Rodgers arm plus Shields INT.

Second half as he probably hoped, he got the Niner base D to counter the surprising run game and saw Cover 2. They then could not block Willis on blitzes and could not complete passes against the vanilla coverage.

What the hell is wrong with this offense against that D? And when the same problems cropped up, why didn't Harris come back in?

Finally a game where the run game should have setup the passing game and the doors fell off. For all the problems the D had, their offense did them few favors.

[packers11]

Not going to hijack your thread... But I at first too was going to nit pick the offense, but I realized... The last 4 years (besides Superbowl)... Does Rodgers need to put up 50 every game to win??? We are almost too spoiled offensivley because of how accustomed we are to a bad defense...

See the 2010 Giants... Or 2007 Giants... They held the Patriots to 17 and 14 pts (the greatest offense ever)...

/rant off

[pbmax]

Not going to hijack your thread... But I at first too was going to nit pick the offense, but I realized... The last 4 years (besides Superbowl)... Does Rodgers need to put up 50 every game to win??? We are almost too spoiled offensivley because of how accustomed we are to a bad defense...

See the 2010 Giants... Or 2007 Giants... They held the Patriots to 17 and 14 pts (the greatest offense ever)...

/rant off

The bulk of the money and talent on this team are on the offense. So yes, they will need to put up more than 14 meaningful points in playoff games versus a good D. The last TD shouldn't count and Shields gifted them with the rest.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

They came out in the second half with Cobb in the back field. It got a field goal and a decent drive. Right after that the 49ers scored in seconds. Another punt and they score fast again. I agree with packers11, to win to game they had to score 45+ points. The defense and the turnovers did them in.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Also, Rodgers missed some throws and didn't play his best game. I still don't understand the pick.

[Pugger]

I don't understand why we stopped running the ball with Harris in the second half. Our D was getting gassed chasing their QB all over the field.

[woodbuck27]

I don't understand why we stopped running the ball with Harris in the second half. Our D was getting gassed chasing their QB all over the field.

How many times do you need to see it?

Mike McCarthy! Brain freeze.

[pbmax]

I don't understand why we stopped running the ball with Harris in the second half. Our D was getting gassed chasing their QB all over the field.

I understand schematically why they changed. They had success in dictating to the Niners that they could not play nickel or dime and live with the result of the run defense.

But when that stopped happening (even Packfan_in_Maryland's TD was very close to garbage time) it was time to revert.

I can't help but still think Rodgers still isn't comfortable in front of that line and that his line of vision comes down too fast. To some degree this is reasonable given the flux and injuries on the O line. But except for Willis, the O line pass blocked very well.

They did seem to slide protection right toward Barclay and then loop a LB (often Willis) as the fifth rusher, free and clear, around Newhouse, who was sliding away from that edge.

[PackerBlues]

I really didn't think that the GB offense played that badly (in the first half anyway). We all knew that San Francisco had a tough Defense to score points against. What suprised me, was how the 49'ers Offense managed to make the Packers Defense look like a bunch of freshman high school players.
I do think that the Packers offense should have played better in the second half though. In years past, it almost seemed like a given, that the Offense would make adjustments and come out even stronger in the second half of a game. I just have not seen much of that from the Mike McCarthy coaching staff though.

[mraynrand]

How many of Willis' rushes came with an empty backfield? That gives the niners an edge that, if they disguise the LB pass rush, they can force a very quick throw. I have to conclude that Rodgers did not figure out the SF LBs, underestimated their speed (both Willis getting to him or another LB getting into double coverage on Finley). The lack of time prevented him from being able to go to the uncovered WR. He got fooled in game one by the LB coverage, and he got fooled again. Also, I don't know if he got fooled by Brown on the INT, didn't see him, or whether he didn't care and just too a shot. recall that Jones caught his deep pass in double coverage. What looked like single coverage turned into double coverage pretty suddenly. The Niners knew what the Packers were trying to do, and had the personnel to mostly stop it.

[George Cumby]

How many times do you need to see it?

Mike McCarthy! Brain freeze.

I find myself agreeing with crazy old Canuck.

[LEWCWA]

Not going to hijack your thread... But I at first too was going to nit pick the offense, but I realized... The last 4 years (besides Superbowl)... Does Rodgers need to put up 50 every game to win??? We are almost too spoiled offensivley because of how accustomed we are to a bad defense...

See the 2010 Giants... Or 2007 Giants... They held the Patriots to 17 and 14 pts (the greatest offense ever)...

/rant off

As bad as the D was, the O wasn't all that good last night either....They only really put up 17 points. That isn't enough...They did very little to help turn TOP in the first half and that killed the D going foward! This isn't any excuse for the D getting their ass handed to them all night, but lets not act like the O played well.

[LEWCWA]

We are seeing how parity works in the NFL....we may never see another true dynasty! Each decade from the 60's through the 90's had a true dynasty type team. They lined up and did what they do, because they were just better than you! 60's Packers didn't do anything special, but win! They lined up and beat you. You knew what they were doing and it wasn't complicated they were just better than you! 70's Steelers same way, our D is going to dominate you. 80's niners tricked up offense a little, but they were just better than their opponents! 90's cowboys--same thing, just better than the competition! Since then any given sunday rings true! You just can't pose your will on the opponent anymore in the NFL. You better be able to adjust what you do, or somebody will make you pay for it.

[woodbuck27]

We are seeing how parity works in the NFL....we may never see another true dynasty! Each decade from the 60's through the 90's had a true dynasty type team. They lined up and did what they do, because they were just better than you! 60's Packers didn't do anything special, but win! They lined up and beat you. You knew what they were doing and it wasn't complicated they were just better than you! 70's Steelers same way, our D is going to dominate you. 80's niners tricked up offense a little, but they were just better than their opponents! 90's cowboys--same thing, just better than the competition! Since then any given sunday rings true! You just can't pose your will on the opponent anymore in the NFL. You better be able to adjust what you do, or somebody will make you pay for it.

In the last decade or so I'd add the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have made a solid connection for 'the PAT's'. It will be interesting to see what they do late this afternoon.

[gbgary]

we need o-line help, another wr, and we need to get back to west coast offense fundamentals. ball control passing, moving the chains. 1st downs before touchdowns.