More Banjo: Week 4 vs. New Orleans

[bobblehead]

This is an 8-8 team at the end of the season (at best) if Hundley progresses. Before that, the offense is below average so your looking at 4-12 to 6-10.

That would be solid for a first year starter. ARod was 6-10 his first year starting off of a 13-3 season. I hope he progresses and we finish 4-4 with him as starter. That would be a win and a feather in MMs cap in my book.

[bobblehead]

The Saints offense was very mediocre today and still gained 485 yards.

Correct. That happens when your own offense has a lot of 3 and outs and gives a TON of time to the other team.

[pbmax]

I'll have to look again too. Seems like your mixing together two types of options. The QB/RB option actually worked a little - probably would work even better with Kaepernick in there at QB, but maybe Hundley is faster at this point.

What I was taking about is play action passing from under center. I know the Packers run play action off pistol as well, but they were running off single running back look and Hundley under center. Seems like play action would work there and open things up a bit, in the passing game, especially if they aren't going to be able to run the Rodgers offense - especially extended plays and looking for receivers to come open after running primary pattern.

I get it. He wasn't under center much at all.

But I think had they stuck with that QB/RB mesh run option, they would have been better than dropping back out of the gun like they did in the second half. Even faking that mesh was sucking linebackers up. The problem was that New Orleans began to stuff that run. They faked the offense's left DE out of his shoes and Jones/Monty lost a yard because the dual double teams got buried on the right.

If you could block the optioned defender, I think passing out of it could have helped more.

[pbmax]

Apropos of nothing, this story about Steve Spurrier at Duke explains a lot about his college and pro career.

[mraynrand]

[Joemailman]

Randall Cobb:

“It’s going to be important for us to continue to build confidence in him to throw it to us in different situations. There were opportunities. Jordy and Davante got on top all day. There were a few inside as well with myself. We just have to continue to build that chemistry with Brett.”

Mike McCarthy:

“It was a challenge that I didn’t meet today,” McCarthy said. “He didn’t get comfortable in the pocket, and that’s my responsibility. So I did a poor job coaching.’

So was this the case of Hundley not seeing guys downfield because he was worried about the pressure? Do the Packers need to go with more protection?

[Cheesehead Craig]

My thoughts from being at Lambeau on Sunday:

- Crowd was real loud when Hundley was introduced before the game.
- Jones is fantastic. He really sees the field.
- On the Saints first TD run, the crowd knew that the Packers only had 10 players on the field.
- The Packers defense subbed players rather late and there seemed to be a lot of confusion rather often.
- Brees had all day to throw and the Packers played very soft off the LOS. They are just so afraid of being beat deep. The pass rush was brutal.
- Something is very wrong with Ha-Ha, there were several times he just held up from contact.
- Everybody loves Martinez
- On the play or two before the Pack settled for that awful 59 yd FG try, Cobb had his man beat by 3-4 yds on a post route for an easy TD, but the pressure didn't allow Hundley to see him.
- Quite often the WRs were blanketed. Nobody plays off of them at the LOS. Need to be a lot more picks and double moves.
- Hundley was late on a couple of throws where guys were open but he held the ball too long.
- Rain stopped mid way through the first quarter and there was some drizzle right before half.
- I'm now 0-3 at Lambeau. Someday I'll see that W.

[pbmax]

Randall Cobb:



Mike McCarthy:



So was this the case of Hundley not seeing guys downfield because he was worried about the pressure? Do the Packers need to go with more protection?

Someone wrote that Hundley is likely more familiar with Davis, Allison (not a coincidence he went in and got targeted twice quickly) and Janis.

Its going to take a little time to learn what is going to be open with each guy. But M3 can send one of Hundley's guys out there to help. Then call Adams/Jordy/Cobb's number.

[pbmax]

Heard this on radio about Defense:

26 points on 11 Saints possessions. It sounds reasonable. But its pretty poor. If you were to average this over the year, you would be in bottom sixth of League at 2.36 points per drive.

The data here isn't clean, so its an approximation. Things like end of half and kneel downs affect the numbers and when we get year end stats, all this gets sorted.

Its not a tire fire, but its flammable.

[call_me_ishmael]

The Packers will be looking better when they have Brooks, Matthews and Perry all rushing the passer on 3rd down. It's pretty clear pass rusher is the #1 need of this team in my opinion. I would not object to spending a #1 and a #2 on a pass rusher in the 2018 draft and shoe horning them in to fit on the rest of the plays.

[mraynrand]

- I'm now 0-3 at Lambeau. Someday I'll see that W.

You drew the wrong conclusion. You don't get to go to any more games.

[Pugger]

You drew the wrong conclusion. You don't get to go to any more games.

GMTA

[MadScientist]

Do we really want to end up 8-8? If we aren't gonna go deep into the playoffs what good is 8-8? I'm not saying let's tank but it wouldn't be the worst thing to have highish draft pick for a change to inject more talent in this team for when Rodgers returns in 2018.

The NO game made the Packers look like they would struggle to win any more games this season. The one reason going 8-8 or 9-7 would be good for the Packers even if they don't make the playoffs is that it would mean that Hundley starts playing at a high level. If he finishes the season hot, he will be very hot property during the off season. If a crappy team in need of a QB gets shut out of the top college QB's, the Packers may be able to turn Hundley into a very high pick and fill one the big holes they have.

[denverYooper]

Someone wrote that Hundley is likely more familiar with Davis, Allison (not a coincidence he went in and got targeted twice quickly) and Janis.

Its going to take a little time to learn what is going to be open with each guy. But M3 can send one of Hundley's guys out there to help. Then call Adams/Jordy/Cobb's number.

IIRC, Rodgers had chemistry with Jennings and James Jones from playing with them on the scout team when he stepped into that Cowboys game in 2007. I thought he mentioned at the time that he had spent a lot of time working with those guys and was comfortable throwing to them.

[denverYooper]

I thought the backbreaker yesterday was the holding call that negated Davis's 45 yard return. After that, the offense got backed up and then the Saints got the ball at midfield to set up the winning score. There's still a good chance they would have lost at the end, but the game likely would have remained close until then.

The penalty to take them out of FG range at the end of the 2nd half didn't help either.

All of these little things get magnified without Rodgers to make up for them.