Zone coverage

[red]

missed assignments, wide open TE's and WR's running free all over the place, 4 guys covering a FB while three other guys left alone.

these were some of the horrible plays by the seconday and lb's yesterday

now, before you go saying, well we're young, it'll get better the more the guys play with each other (not in that kind of way, but that might be more productive and fun to watch), you need to realize that this has been a major problem for at least 3 years.

during the super bowl run we had problems with communication and guys running wide open over the middle of the field. it became a bigger problem last season, and now it looks like we failed to fix the problem this year

is it the players fault? well, most of the guys that were starting and playing yesterday were not on the team 2 years ago when we were having the exact same problems. so for me, that kind of rules out it being the players fault. unless we just keep drafting the stupidest players on the planet that are just not capable of learning the basics of the defense they are using, then maybe you could blame the players for being dumb but i think the blame would have to go on TT for drafting the dumb fucks in the first place

Is it the coaching? case in point, anquan bolden yesterday. time after time he ran wide open all over the field. and some point some coach has to tell someone to cover the fucking guy and stay on him, or adjust the scheme

or does the scheme just flat out suck? i can't understand a scheme that is designed to leave both sidelines open at all times and the whole area over the middle and deep open. its like we just focus on covering the hash marks near the LOS. the prevent defense where we are willing to give up 20 yards on 3rd and 21 without a fight is also pretty shitty IMO, this is where field position could be improved

[pbmax]

I will say this in general about this 3-4 defense. Fans in of the Steelers have been screaming for years about completions over the middle. Even with zone more commonplace in Pittsburgh, it is the one area of vulnerability in this defense. Especially true if you, as the Packers did yesterday and the Steelers often do, play a single safety high. The difference is that while in Pittsburgh Ryan Clark will be looking to knock your head off your neck, the Packers have not had a threatening presence since Collins. Even then, the threat was to lose possession rather than your head.

[Joemailman]

missed assignments, wide open TE's and WR's running free all over the place, 4 guys covering a FB while three other guys left alone.

these were some of the horrible plays by the seconday and lb's yesterday

now, before you go saying, well we're young, it'll get better the more the guys play with each other (not in that kind of way, but that might be more productive and fun to watch), you need to realize that this has been a major problem for at least 3 years.

during the super bowl run we had problems with communication and guys running wide open over the middle of the field. it became a bigger problem last season, and now it looks like we failed to fix the problem this year

is it the players fault? well, most of the guys that were starting and playing yesterday were not on the team 2 years ago when we were having the exact same problems. so for me, that kind of rules out it being the players fault. unless we just keep drafting the stupidest players on the planet that are just not capable of learning the basics of the defense they are using, then maybe you could blame the players for being dumb but i think the blame would have to go on TT for drafting the dumb fucks in the first place

Is it the coaching? case in point, anquan bolden yesterday. time after time he ran wide open all over the field. and some point some coach has to tell someone to cover the fucking guy and stay on him, or adjust the scheme

or does the scheme just flat out suck? i can't understand a scheme that is designed to leave both sidelines open at all times and the whole area over the middle and deep open. its like we just focus on covering the hash marks near the LOS. the prevent defense where we are willing to give up 20 yards on 3rd and 21 without a fight is also pretty shitty IMO, this is where field position could be improved

In the Super Bowl run, pass defense was the teams strength. 5th in yards, gave up 16 TD and had 24 INT's. It was bad in 2011, and better but not great in 2012. Bottom line there is a world of difference between Nick Collins running the secondary and Jennings/McMillian running it. I'm hoping and thinking things will get better when Burnett and Hayward are back. I'd also like for Hyde to start getting reps at Safety in practice.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I'd also like for Hyde to start getting reps at Safety in practice.

From what I saw in preseason ...... I doubt he is an upgrade at safety. But I suppose he is no worse than what we saw yesterday.

Hyde is a good tackler. I just saw receivers juke him and run away in the preseason.

I think Hyde should have a modest role this season, use him as a blitzer here and there. With his lack of speed he needs to be near perfect in coverage decisions.

[Teamcheez1]

The 49ers gave up 322 yards passing yesterday. I thought the offense was a little off yesterday. What would you be saying about their defense if Rodgers had thrown for 400+ yards? The 49ers suck?

We have a lot of room for improvement, but we played a good team yesterday with our 2 best players in the secondary out. Makes a big difference.

[red]

The 49ers gave up 322 yards passing yesterday. I thought the offense was a little off yesterday. What would you be saying about their defense if Rodgers had thrown for 400+ yards? The 49ers suck?

We have a lot of room for improvement, but we played a good team yesterday with our 2 best players in the secondary out. Makes a big difference.

yeah, because our defense has never given up huge yardage before, yesterday was just a freak event if you forget about the last 2 years

[red]

In the Super Bowl run, pass defense was the teams strength. 5th in yards, gave up 16 TD and had 24 INT's. It was bad in 2011, and better but not great in 2012. Bottom line there is a world of difference between Nick Collins running the secondary and Jennings/McMillian running it. I'm hoping and thinking things will get better when Burnett and Hayward are back. I'd also like for Hyde to start getting reps at Safety in practice.

its been 4 years since we wond the super bowl? damn, i had my years off.

you are right, i thought the super bowl run was 2 seasons ago, two seasons ago was when i first noticed us giving up a lot over the middle

[pittstang5]

The thing that pisses me off to no end is the fact that the Packers secondary was consistently burned and nothing was changed/fixed to stop it. Same thing happened last year against Reggie Wayne. These coaches are paid big bucks and it seems no one can adjust on the fly. You have to be prepared for A, B or C. Not just A.

[pbmax]

The thing that pisses me off to no end is the fact that the Packers secondary was consistently burned and nothing was changed/fixed to stop it. Same thing happened last year against Reggie Wayne. These coaches are paid big bucks and it seems no one can adjust on the fly. You have to be prepared for A, B or C. Not just A.

They did change up. They played both man and zone, some two deep and a lot of single safety. And they double Boldin, on the 4th and 2 catch and on his touchdown according to McCarthy's press conference.

At some point, a player is going to have to play better coverage no matter the call. Shields did, so did Williams until that 4th down play.

[pittstang5]

They did change up. They played both man and zone, some two deep and a lot of single safety. And they double Boldin, on the 4th and 2 catch and on his touchdown according to McCarthy's press conference.

At some point, a player is going to have to play better coverage no matter the call. Shields did, so did Williams until that 4th down play.

You know, as soon as I posted that, I then read that they did try to to change things up - at least that's what McCarthy said. I knew you'd be on here to correct me. Always have to be right, don't ya.

Whatever they "tried," didn't work. It just seems the coaching staff seems to too little too late when making adjustments. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. In case of the Packers, it's fool me seven or eight times, then shame on me.

[Patler]

I don't think it is possible to overstate how much the backfield misses Nick Collins. He would be at his prime right now, and even with the inevitable aging and departure of Woodson and the too early fade of Tramon Williams, I believe the loss of Collins is the biggest factor leading to the decline in pass defense since 2010. I was hoping to see Burnett start to fill the void this year, but now that is on hold.

I wish we would start to see more consistency out of Shields. I think he is capable of playing like Williams did in 2010, and I believe he did at the end of last season, but he still hasn't reached the same level of consistency and reliability that Williams was at before his injury.

[pbmax]

If I can't be right after the fact, then I am never going to get to be right at all

Seriously though, I am of two minds about their approach. Boldin played the role of Crabtree last year in that he was not simply lined up at X or Y, he moved around, went to the slot and in motion and got coverage from the nickel or dime CB several times. The doubles weren't consistently successful. But this approach will spring someone open a number of times in the game.

So the question is, if coverage can't hold him that long, how do you force Kap into a poorer throw without more pressure? Right now their philosophy is contain and if you sort through the wreckage, you see the signs that it was working. But no turnovers and not much pressure on Kap is too much for the defense to contain if your offense isn't limiting San Fran's possessions.

It was still not a complete game for the team and I think the O let the D down this time.

[Patler]

If I can't be right after the fact, then I am never going to get to be right at all

Seriously though, I am of two minds about their approach. Boldin played the role of Crabtree last year in that he was not simply lined up at X or Y, he moved around, went to the slot and in motion and got coverage from the nickel or dime CB several times. The doubles weren't consistently successful. But this approach will spring someone open a number of times in the game.

So the question is, if coverage can't hold him that long, how do you force Kap into a poorer throw without more pressure? Right now their philosophy is contain and if you sort through the wreckage, you see the signs that it was working. But no turnovers and not much pressure on Kap is too much for the defense to contain if your offense isn't limiting San Fran's possessions.

It was still not a complete game for the team and I think the O let the D down this time.

The damage would have been a heck of a lot less if they had simply tackled. I think they could have survived all the completions to Boldin if they would have put him on the ground when they got there.

[pbmax]

Haven't seen tape or read McGinn's take on the tape yet, but the results sure seem to suggest that the Packers leaned toward playing the run this time around and the pass defensed suffered. Easy conclusion to draw and it may not prove to be right.

However, along those lines, I was disappointed in the use of new OLB Mike Neal on defense. He was in nickel pass rush with Jones and played some OLB but not often with both Matthews and Perry on the field.

I thought Neal's presence on the field would allow them to be big while also playing some kind of nickel or at least keep the safeties back. Perhaps put Matthews deeper or in the middle somewhere. Neal and Perry at OLB is like having twin 4-3 DEs on the field. In a four or five man front, they should be able to hold the fort.

The one positive in pass defense was that unlike last year's run defense, it did not hemorrhage so badly that big plays put the game out of reach. But that is not saying much.

[pbmax]

The damage would have been a heck of a lot less if they had simply tackled. I think they could have survived all the completions to Boldin if they would have put him on the ground when they got there.

Yes. It wasn't quite 2011 bad, but it wasn't enough either.