Things I don't understand following the Buffalo game

[Patler]

The play by play guy was brutal. It was like listening in on a first date. I would have preferred the Boon Go The Dynamite kid.

The funniest one was the play by play guy on the kickoff after the Bills tied it up 10-10:

"This is going to go...OUT of BOUNDS INSIDE THE FOUR.......(long pause as the stadium announcer announces that the ball will be placed at the 40)...."Oh, that's a big, costly mistake......."

[Zool]

The funniest one was the play by play guy on the kickoff after the Bills tied it up 10-10:

"This is going to go...OUT of BOUNDS INSIDE THE FOUR.......(long pause the stadium announcer announces that the ball will be placed at the 40)...."Oh, that's a big, costly mistake......."

Also like during the couple minutes before kick off, they were talking about getting Fred Jackson back saying "that's really going to help".

[KYPack]

The FOX Network covered that game in my area and I agree it was terrible.

The Commentators were Justin Kutcher and David Diehl.


They seem to have a problem just formatting the Score Board to fit inside of the screen.

You want to see a camera angle on an important call and they get the worst angles for a determination.

I've always liked FOX's production value. Much better video and audio than the CBS product.

But those two boobs were the worst announcing team I've run up in years.

FOX has gone big league on graphics and stuff, but these guys were absolutely the pits.

Why the Buffalo orientation, FOX is the network of the NFC?

Read this review of the two stooges from a Ravens paper in October...

"I thought I had punched the wrong buttons and landed on a regional cablecast of a college football game — a Division III college football game between, say, Muhlenberg and Juniata. "

God they sucked, turned out perfect capper for a shit game.

[woodbuck27]

Also like during the couple minutes before kick off, they were talking about getting Fred Jackson back saying "that's really going to help".

FOX Hate on the Green Bay Packers.

Dear Ohh dear.

[woodbuck27]

WOW! 31 members here posting @ 1:52 PM CST on a Monday.

Impressive.

[Fritz]

Oh - and I don't understand how MM could have had an entire package built in for DuJuan Harris last year, or the year before, and now not even have one play for the guy.

Oh, and I don't understand the DeJuan Harris love, either. IF he was that good, wouldn't he be at least a little better on kickoff returns? He's got no shake and less bake.

[Pugger]

Why screw around with Harris when you have a legit back in Lacy? Harris only looked good because of what was on the roster at the time in 2012.

[Deputy Nutz]

The Packers are going to live and die throwing the ball. Aaron Rodgers is their guy, if he fails the Packers are comfortable failing along side of him. It is really that simple.

[Patler]

......you forgot the refs though. It seemed like they let the Bill DBs do what ever they wanted....

I did, and I had one for the refs, too:

I don't understand how the refs call a penalty only on GB in the scrum started after Williams' interception. The whistle had blown long before. Barrington, Guion, Daniels and Mathews all have their backs to the field and are already walking to the sideline. Barrington is on the white boundary marker, back to the field, unstrapping his helmet. Bills' player Eric Pears is jogging toward the Packer sideline, and is still a good four strides away. The Packers are walking. Pears continues and crosses the sideline at about the 50 yardline, where he is confronted by Julius Peppers. Pears gives Peppers a slight helmet to helmet headbutt, and the pushing and shoving commences. Pears is the RG, and was on the Bills' 30 yard line, just outside the hashmark when Orton threw. Whistles blew immediately as Williams fell down making the interception. So pears went from the 30 yardline at the hasmarks to the 50 yardline and crossed into the Packer team area. This had nothing to do with going after Williams on the interception. Williams was no where near. Pears looked to be going after Barrington.

Barrington appeared to block Jackson as Williams continued running up the sideline long after the whistle. But how can you not penalize a player who chases another for 25-30 yards, and crosses the sideline into the other team area? Pears action started the scrum.

[MadScientist]

Things I just don't understand after Sunday's game:

I don't understand why GB had only 22 rushing plays (15 for Lacy, 4 for Starks, 3 for Cobb) and 46 passing plays (42 pass attempts, 1 sack, 3 Rodgers "rushes" that are really passing plays) in a close game, when runners were averaging 6 yards/carry and the running game worked all game long (evidenced by 131 yards gained on just 22 plays while the longest was only 22 yards) and the passing game misfired all game long due to drops, uncharacteristic inaccuracy, poor timing and miscommunication. Seems like a game made for more running.

From a JS article:

He [Jim Swartz] continually had his safeties move up as though they were playing the run and then back off, or vice versa.

They were giving Rodgers run defense looks, so he would check to a pass, which was properly covered. Also the drops led to bad down and distance situations which calls for more passes. Finally they were falling behind and that leads to more passes.

[Patler]

The Packers are going to live and die throwing the ball. Aaron Rodgers is their guy, if he fails the Packers are comfortable failing along side of him. It is really that simple.

You are only restating the obvious. That does not explain why they ignore the run so significantly in a close game on a day when the run game is amazingly productive and the passing game is totally out of whack. Eddie Lacy is "their guy" too, as demonstrated by the limited opportunities all season for Starks, and zero opportunities for Harris.

I question in my mind if it is more the result of the original play call from MM, or because of Rodgers going to the pass option whenever he possibly can at the LOS.

[Striker]

You are only restating the obvious. That does not explain why they ignore the run so significantly in a close game on a day when the run game is amazingly productive and the passing game is totally out of whack. Eddie Lacy is "their guy" too, as demonstrated by the limited opportunities all season for Starks, and zero opportunities for Harris.

I question in my mind if it is more the result of the original play call from MM, or because of Rodgers going to the pass option whenever he possibly can at the LOS.

Somewhere in the JSO they mentioned that they went to the Cobb package yesterday in order to get him freed up in coverage. And maybe it wasn't asked, but that seems to point to them still thinking "pass pass pass" despite them finally having a running back who can carry the load.

[Deputy Nutz]

I coached for a a pass happy offense, and it was unreal the way the offensive coordinator/head coach would call plays. It was like the game was played on the chalk board instead of on the field. This was a team that averaged 8.5 yards a carry, and the coach called 70% pass plays. It was like he got on some kind of high throwing the ball. It could have been he wanted to prove that he was smarter than his foe, and he wanted to demonstrated this by beating the chosen coverage. Maybe it was because the offense was really good at passing the football and it was like driving a Porsche instead of an F250. Strange shit happens in a passing game though, like drops, shit timing, throwing errors, break down in blocking, pressure, shit reads, but damned or high water he was going to throw the football and catch lightening in a bottle. Running the football simply isn't good enough, maybe it is ego.

[Patler]

From a JS article:


They were giving Rodgers run defense looks, so he would check to a pass, which was properly covered. Also the drops led to bad down and distance situations which calls for more passes. Finally they were falling behind and that leads to more passes.

I don't buy much of that, because they saw what was happening and how well the run game was working as a result. Adjust on the fly. Run, and run and run some more until the Schwartz brings the safeties down and keeps them there. When he starts doing that because you are getting 4-10 yards on each run, use play action and hit the single covered WR. If you don't challenge their bluffs, they continue to force you into their game. First objective of offense in any sport is make the defense more consistently honest. We've talked about this for years. Regardless of what defenses "show" against GB, more often they will be playing pass, until you make them stop; and Lacy/Starks can do that if given a chance.

As for falling behind, they had the lead or were tied for the entire first half, except for 2 minutes and 54 seconds after the punt return. Buffalo didn't retake the lead until only half way through the 3rd, and then only by 3 points. The lead wasn't more than 6 until halfway through the 4th, and then was cut back to 6 less than 5 minute later. The Packers were ahead, tied or behind by less than a touch down for all but 4 minutes 55 seconds prior to the safety. That doesn't force you into anything different.

It wasn't just drops that gave poor down and distance situations. It was drops, Rodgers throwing poorly, and the passing game (receivers & QB) not being on the same page. The entire passing game was out of whack. Thinking that you have to pass more because your passing game sucks is sort of like the flippant definition of insanity, expecting a different result when you repeatedly do something to a given result.

[Patler]

I coached for a a pass happy offense, and it was unreal the way the offensive coordinator/head coach would call plays. It was like the game was played on the chalk board instead of on the field. This was a team that averaged 8.5 yards a carry, and the coach called 70% pass plays. It was like he got on some kind of high throwing the ball. It could have been he wanted to prove that he was smarter than his foe, and he wanted to demonstrated this by beating the chosen coverage. Maybe it was because the offense was really good at passing the football and it was like driving a Porsche instead of an F250. Strange shit happens in a passing game though, like drops, shit timing, throwing errors, break down in blocking, pressure, shit reads, but damned or high water he was going to throw the football and catch lightening in a bottle. Running the football simply isn't good enough, maybe it is ego.

Ya, I would just hope that an NFL coach isn't so narrow minded. Passing plays do give more of an adrenalin rush than watching a typical 80 yard drive mostly on the ground. So maybe there is an addiction factor even in the NFL. But yesterday was different. When given the ball, Lacy and Starks were breaking into the open to much excitement time and time again. The "Lacy drive" in the first half, with three consecutive runs for 50 yards or so, was pretty darned exciting. I was hooked fro the day, but MM wouldn't give me my fix!!