More Banjo - Packers At Bears Wildcard Thread

[pbmax]

Someone pointed out that McCarthy early in his tenure had some pretty established coaches on his staff. Not so much early LaFleur. I remember when he put together his first staff thinking some of the resumes seemed a bit thin. Makes me wonder if Murphy significantly restricted how much LaFleur could spend on coaching help. If needed changes to the coaching staff are what is holding up LaFleur's extension, which way does that go? Does Policy and/or Gutekunst want LaFleur to make changes, and LaFleur is resistant? Or does LaFleur want to make changes and Policy won't provide the money at attract established coaches?

And again, we can't hire Evero or Fanzio to be DC. They have DC jobs. We can ONLY give guys a promotion or grab from college. No DB coach in the NFL is going to say "nope, don't want that DC job in GB cuz they won't pay me as much as the DB coach in Carolina makes".

Its frankly maddening that the beat guys save Mosqueda, who does not have the platform to push on this, don't get into this more often.

But I think the trend has changed a bit. They hired a HC to be coordinator, Hafley, they hired two former coordinators to be line coach and DBs/passing game assistants and Campenile was a highly sought after LB hire. The question is whether they will keep it up tighten the purse strings again.

If I was La Fleur, that might be my #1 demand. I doubt its his top line number they are worried about. They still haven't spent on the offensive side of the ball and more than any other position, the O line needs coaching help given recent trends.

[Fritz]

It screams POOR COACHING. I may be off on my timeline, but since Stenavich to OC duties and they hired BUTKUS as the Oline coach, the line has always looked shaky and unprepared at times.

It became clear early on in the second half that the offensive line didn't know what the hell to do with the Bears' blitzes.

So why not put a Malik Willis package in for a couple of series, as he's far more mobile? You give him, say, two possessions to move the team and give the offensive coaches a minute to figure out what the Bears were doing. Then go back to Love.

Willis single-handedly took the team downfield the last game he played. Maybe Love is better, but in a playoff game with all on the line, why not put Willis in for a couple of series?

It's maddening.

[ThunderDan]

It became clear early on in the second half that the offensive line didn't know what the hell to do with the Bears' blitzes.

So why not put a Malik Willis package in for a couple of series, as he's far more mobile? You give him, say, two possessions to move the team and give the offensive coaches a minute to figure out what the Bears were doing. Then go back to Love.

Willis single-handedly took the team downfield the last game he played. Maybe Love is better, but in a playoff game with all on the line, why not put Willis in for a couple of series?

It's maddening.

Can't get on board with this. Love gives us the best chance of winning.

I can get on board with, its the fucking playoffs and you still don't know how to pickup blitzes!

To me that points to two things:
1. Your OL Coach sucks
2. You have a new C who isn't able to get the protection calls right so your OL coach needs to dumby down the calls. Protect from the inside to out and let the QB know he is responsible for the outside rusher if he comes.

[pbmax]

It became clear early on in the second half that the offensive line didn't know what the hell to do with the Bears' blitzes.

So why not put a Malik Willis package in for a couple of series, as he's far more mobile? You give him, say, two possessions to move the team and give the offensive coaches a minute to figure out what the Bears were doing. Then go back to Love.

Willis single-handedly took the team downfield the last game he played. Maybe Love is better, but in a playoff game with all on the line, why not put Willis in for a couple of series?

It's maddening.

See, I can completely understand a new blitz look confusion an offense for 2-3 drives. Indiana had 3 drives in the second half of the Championship Game and 11 plays total for like 20 yards. It happens, especially after team's adjust. But La Fleur seemed stunned they were confused by the look. As in, there are 5 rushers, 5 O lineman. Just go man and block it. The kept sliding or doubling and it was obvious La Fleur thought that was nuts.

They need to identify where that breakdown occurred. Its OK to be confused by the new. Its not OK to be confused by the known.

[Vincenzo]

It screams POOR COACHING. I may be off on my timeline, but since Stenavich to OC duties and they hired BUTKUS as the Oline coach, the line has always looked shaky and unprepared at times.

No shit to this: “It screams BAD COACHING.”

Now what do you say about the Lafleur multiyear extension, and forgive me for repeating it, and this after a 5 game losing streak to end the season - and a choke that was worst than a blowout in the playoffs.

[Bretsky]

Everyone on this board wanted Leonhard as our DC at one point. Rumor was that he was offered it but stayed at WI for a shot at the top job later. Its not like they weren't willing to pay him.

I'm too lazy to look it up but I thought I really thought he received a cheap offer from GB that was about what he was paid in Wisconsin. Jimmy really thought he would be the Badgers next head coach. I think he'd have needed a very strong offer to make that jump

[Bretsky]

And I am way on board with the group think that our OC and OL coaches suck

Unfortunately, we "had" a very good OL coach and promoted him OC

And honestly, they both, along with the ST coach, should be sent packing.

However, the Flower is the Flower and he doens't like letting go of his buddies

[Fritz]

See, I can completely understand a new blitz look confusion an offense for 2-3 drives. Indiana had 3 drives in the second half of the Championship Game and 11 plays total for like 20 yards. It happens, especially after team's adjust. But La Fleur seemed stunned they were confused by the look. As in, there are 5 rushers, 5 O lineman. Just go man and block it. The kept sliding or doubling and it was obvious La Fleur thought that was nuts.

They need to identify where that breakdown occurred. Its OK to be confused by the new. Its not OK to be confused by the known.

I've known you for a while PB, but I'm confused.

Are you saying The Flower thought the blocking scheme was nuts? As the head coach who runs the offense, couldn't he have fixed that pretty quickly with your solution?

[pbmax]

I've known you for a while PB, but I'm confused.

Are you saying The Flower thought the blocking scheme was nuts? As the head coach who runs the offense, couldn't he have fixed that pretty quickly with your solution?

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2026/01/12/one-play-shows-why-packers-offense-struggled-in-second-half-vs-bears/88142776007/

LaFleur refers to protection busts in this writeup. Specifically about leaving a free rusher.

That can happen purposefully at times, think young Aaron Rodgers dodging a free CB blitz off the edge just so he could rollout to that edge. In this case, given LaFleur's comments, it seems like that wasn't what he expected.

[Fritz]

I wonder how much money Rasheed Walker cost himself with that game against da Bears. He really was awful. And the lower his new payday, the lower the compensation pick.

But is Luke Butkus at fault here too for Walker just blowing assignments? Man, I hope Butkus is not the offensive line coach next year. That poor offensive line play really screwed up the Packers a lot this year. I suppose you can blame injuries if you want to, but Rasheed Walker wasn't injured, Jordan Morgan didn't develop, and Elgton Jenkins was not good at center - and he was a center in college. That smells of poor coaching.

[Joemailman]

I wonder how much money Rasheed Walker cost himself with that game against da Bears. He really was awful. And the lower his new payday, the lower the compensation pick.

But is Luke Butkus at fault here too for Walker just blowing assignments? Man, I hope Butkus is not the offensive line coach next year. That poor offensive line play really screwed up the Packers a lot this year. I suppose you can blame injuries if you want to, but Rasheed Walker wasn't injured, Jordan Morgan didn't develop, and Elgton Jenkins was not good at center - and he was a center in college. That smells of poor coaching.

Packers took too long to figure out that Morgan is a Tackle, not a Guard, and that Belton can play Guard. But who knows if most of the blame should go to LaFleur, Stenavich, or Butkus? We're not privy to the conversations they had.

[bobblehead]

Packers took too long to figure out that Morgan is a Tackle, not a Guard, and that Belton can play Guard. But who knows if most of the blame should go to LaFleur, Stenavich, or Butkus? We're not privy to the conversations they had.

Blame them all because I wanted to trade Walker and put Morgan at Tackle and have Belton at guard the day camp opened. I'd like to think I'm just that brilliant, but it was kinda obvious.

[Bretsky]

Packers took too long to figure out that Morgan is a Tackle, not a Guard, and that Belton can play Guard. But who knows if most of the blame should go to LaFleur, Stenavich, or Butkus? We're not privy to the conversations they had.

OK let's call a spade a spade.

GUTEBAG drafts OL who he believes have the ability to play multiple positions. That is part of the reason he f'cked up in drafting Morgan.

If the bottom line is he's shitty at everywhere else than LT, Gutebag would not have drafted him.

Our whole forum wanted Cooper DeJean.

Turns out our forum was right

[Bretsky]

I wonder how much money Rasheed Walker cost himself with that game against da Bears. He really was awful. And the lower his new payday, the lower the compensation pick.

But is Luke Butkus at fault here too for Walker just blowing assignments? Man, I hope Butkus is not the offensive line coach next year. That poor offensive line play really screwed up the Packers a lot this year. I suppose you can blame injuries if you want to, but Rasheed Walker wasn't injured, Jordan Morgan didn't develop, and Elgton Jenkins was not good at center - and he was a center in college. That smells of poor coaching.

Guys like Tauscher, Bulaga, just glorify how great Campen was. They just list OL after OL drafted md to late rounds who did so well Add Backtiari

Let's give the Flower's Butkiss , our current OL coach a one way ticket out of here

[call_me_ishmael]

I don't know if that says more about Teddy T or Campen, though. Ted was an OL guru clearly. That 2014 line may be the best line in NFL history. If not the best, certainly in the conversation. 3 all-pros (maybe not that year, but in that window of time), and TJ Lang and Bulaga were both very, very, very good at their spots.