Is the current state of the Packers the result of one or more of the off season changes?

[Patler]

I think for McCarthy he fell on his sword from the fallout from the Seattle game. He took the shots and gave up play calling which I think was a total mistake on his part.

I didn't want him to give up play calling, but I also came to the realization that he had to, if he was indeed going to function as an effective HC. When he admitted that he was not aware that/why Matthews had taken himself out of the game for the last two Seattle drives, it became clear his focus was too concentrated in one area. How many other things happened in that game without his knowledge? He has talked about how much in game focus play calling requires. Maybe some others can do it, but I think it consumed MM too much.

[mraynrand]

When he admitted that he was not aware that/why Matthews had taken himself out of the game for the last two Seattle drives, it became clear his focus was too concentrated in one area.

do we know the answer to this yet? Maybe my memory is going, but I cannot recall ever seeing this.

[pbmax]

do we know the answer to this yet? Maybe my memory is going, but I cannot recall ever seeing this.

His knee and another part of his leg (hamstring I think) were giving him problems. He said it was the accumulation of wear and tear over the season more than one injury.

[mraynrand]

I understand that every team is hurt this time of year, but if you look at the injury reports for those teams, there is not nearly as wide spread a problem as there seems to be for this team. I'm also not saying that the injury problems cause every play to fail. What I'm saying is that it's enough of a problem to keep us from stringing 6 first downs in a row. The bad plays kill drives and prevent scoring opportunities.

that's why you play the hungry young men like Perillo and Rip. Ripkowski wants to take it to the defense. He should get 5 touches. He could be Mr. Checkdown - the one guy the defense can't account for. Perillo should get at least 5 targets, right up the middle, splitting that man over WR defense. Abby should get his two passes, before, like a poor man's Terry Glenn, he goes out with his weekly injury.

[mraynrand]

His knee and another part of his leg (hamstring I think) were giving him problems. He said it was the accumulation of wear and tear over the season more than one injury.

[Bossman641]

Not 100% certain, but I think it was in talks with Rodgers. If true, it's bad to have the QB open up about that with Collinsworth and Miracleboy.

Collingsworth brought it up during the Bears game. Rodgers later spoke up and said Collingsworth was wrong in his explanation of it.

However, Rodgers said it has not reached the point at which the team would call a players-only meeting, despite a mention of one during NBC's telecast of the Packers' 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

During the third quarter, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said, "They had a little players-only meeting this past couple weeks ago before that Minnesota game. I don't think Aaron Rodgers was too happy with the preparation schedule of some of the young players on this team. A few too many video games being played and not enough homework."

Coach Mike McCarthy said Sunday that he was unaware of any such meeting, and Rodgers said there was no meeting.

"First of all, it's false," Rodgers said. "It didn't happen in the way that he explained it. I saw something about guys were worried about people playing video games. Sometimes, in those production meetings, obviously, the message doesn't get conveyed the right away or whoever [NBC sideline reporter] Michele [Tafoya] talked to or Cris, I don't know what he was referring to there, but I heard the comments, and it's just not true.

"There wasn't any players-only meeting, no. There's meetings with the offense all the time. We break up offense and defense, we break up into position groups, but there wasn't anything resembling what he talked about, from what I heard. I didn't see the broadcast."

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14255193/aaron-rodgers-green-bay-packers-criticizes-team-preparation-denies-players-only-meeting

[red]

That brings up a question I've been meaning to ask. Where did this video game thing come from? I have seen several writers mention it in articles. Did MM or one of the other coaches or players say something about players and video games?

collinsworth mentioned it during the game that rodgers told him. i don't know if the exact reason was video games, or if a-rod just mentioned the preparation from the young guys was sucked, and collinsworth equated that to be people playing video games or otherwise screwing off. i can't imagine there would be a giant screen TV with a ps4 hooked up in one of the meeting rooms for guys to play all day

pft picked up on it and has been blasting a-rod for publicly throwing his team mates under the bus on national TV. the big question from PFT is whether the young guys will respond by stepping up, or if it will cause a greater rift in the locker room

[Bossman641]

I don't think different offensive playcallers, or WRs and QBs at the same meeting have much to do with the problems the Packers have shown on offense. I also don't think that stale plays or plays that the defense knows what is coming has a lot to do with the problems. Winning football is actually pretty simple. Whether you run the wishbone, regular pro set, or the WCO, it all comes down to executing the play. You beat the man you're supposed to beat, the guy next to you beats his man, etc., you have a successful play. If every wide receiver that's playing is nursing an injury and playing at less than 100%, they're not beating the player across from them. If your QB is nursing a leg injury and a shoulder injury, he might not be able to put the ball exactly where he wants to. He also may not want to run it if there's an opening. If every lineman is on the injury report and they're basically toughing it out to play every week. That doesn't mean they are at 100%. It means that sometimes they can't reach the rusher and they get beat.

I understand that every team is hurt this time of year, but if you look at the injury reports for those teams, there is not nearly as wide spread a problem as there seems to be for this team. I'm also not saying that the injury problems cause every play to fail. What I'm saying is that it's enough of a problem to keep us from stringing 6 first downs in a row. The bad plays kill drives and prevent scoring opportunities. It's not a coincidence that the game our starting field position for each drive was at its best, we scored 30 points. We still couldn't score touchdowns, but we were able to kick long field goals.

I don't think we can "play call" our way out of this slump. Our guys have to beat the man across from them on a consistent basis. That just hasn't been happening.

Ya I really think this is a big portion of it. Obviously everybody is playing through some kind of injury at this point of the season, but the offense has been playing injured since Week 1. It'd be one thing if they were just missing Jordy, but there hasn't been a single game this year where all the WR's were available and relatively healthy. We're left with a collection of 3 WR's playing at probably 75-85%, a guy who gets hurt every 10 plays, and a WR who doesn't have the trust of Rodgers.

[pbmax]

There is nothing that PFT does worse than speculate about players motivations. Unless its Xs and Os/schemes.

From Bossman's quote, its pretty obvious that someone is speculating that WRs are not up to speed on what they are being asked to do in the game plan. Or prepare for the defense they are facing that week.

Hence, they are spending nights with Xbox and not with the film cutups. Given the injuries, they are hard pressed to bench the offenders right now.

[mraynrand]

collinsworth mentioned it during the game that rodgers told him. i don't know if the exact reason was video games, or if a-rod just mentioned the preparation from the young guys was sucked, and collinsworth equated that to be people playing video games or otherwise screwing off. i can't imagine there would be a giant screen TV with a ps4 hooked up in one of the meeting rooms for guys to play all day

pft picked up on it and has been blasting a-rod for publicly throwing his team mates under the bus on national TV. the big question from PFT is whether the young guys will respond by stepping up, or if it will cause a greater rift in the locker room

Well, after the attacks (justified or not) on Guion, the 'intimidation of Rod Davis' and now this supposedly botched story (according to Bossman's cited article), maybe these guys will just be pissed enough to want to go take it out on Detroit. Or, if it's all true, they will suck at Detroit and wait to take it out on Madden 16/PS4 after the game.

[Bossman641]

Well, after the attacks (justified or not) on Guion, the 'intimidation of Rod Davis' and now this supposedly botched story (according to Bossman's cited article), maybe these guys will just be pissed enough to want to go take it out on Detroit. Or, if it's all true, they will suck at Detroit and wait to take it out on Madden 16/PS4 after the game.

I'm guessing Rodgers had a sitdown with the crew before the game and made some comment about the preparation not being up to the standards he'd like to see, and that guys should spend less time on videogames and more time studying. Collingsworth then turned that into a story about their being a team meeting over videogames.

Regarding the bolded, do you think they will play with the Packers to beat Detroit? Or with a better team?

[HowardRoark]

I

JS Comments @JSComments 7m7 minutes ago
The packers literally have no one scouting free agents and other pro teams for potential talent.

This person has it figured out; the pro personnel department is faking its expense reports.

JS Comments @JSComments 14m14 minutes ago
Not having an owner has filled 1265 Lombardi Avenue with a complacency that has no place in pro sports or in any business.

Huge, if true. I would recommend divesting yourself of all public companies as well.

But no voting rights. If owners could vote, Packerrats could start a hedge fund and take over enough stock to demand Aaron throws more to Janis.

#whitereceiversmatter

[pbmax]

I

But no voting rights. If owners could vote, Packerrats could start a hedge fund and take over enough stock to demand Aaron throws more to Janis.

#whitereceiversmatter

I thought the original certificates came with voting rights? Then the later ones did not. The ones sold to the public after both recent Super Bowls were no voting rights AND had their value cut to 1/1000.

Someone has to approve members to the board, don't they? Or is it strictly a self-regenerating entity at this point?