O-Line

[vince]

Here are a few stats to chew on regarding our O-Line...

1. #4 in the league in fewest sacks allowed.
2. #18 in Rushing Yds/Gm
3. #6 in Passing Yds/Gm
4. Green has missed 2 games due to injury.
5. 4 of 6 games we've have had 99+ yd rusher
6. 3 Rookies and 1 3rd Year Man making significant contributions

Those are better than average stats folks - for such a young and inexperienced group. Do they paint an accurate picture or are they misleading? To whom/what do you attribute them? The rooks? The vets? McCarthy's game planning? Jags? Bad defenses? Luck? Will they continue to get better or will these stats go backward?
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I think these young guys are coming along very nicely, and they'll continue to get better as the year goes on. AZ will be a breakout game and the rushing stats will get much better after this week. I also think McCarthy has done an outstanding job protecting Favre and delivering productive passing attack while these guys continue to learn. The vets on the outside help that out.

[Joemailman]

The one stat that might be misleading is the one about sacks allowed. The packers have been keeping tight ends and backs in to block more than in the past, which keeps down sacks, but also makes it harder to find open receivers. This may help explain Brett's low completion percentage this year. Hopefully, as the young guys gain experience, the Packers won't have to go with max protection as much. Overall though, I agree they have played well for such a young unit, and should continue to improve.

[Patler]

Re: O-Line

6. 3 Rookies and 1 2nd Year Man making significant contributions

Not to nit-pick, but to, well, nit pick.....Wells is in his third year, if that is who you meant as a "2nd Year Man". He even started a couple at center 2 years ago, as I recall.

[vince]

Re: O-Line

6. 3 Rookies and 1 2nd Year Man making significant contributions

Not to nit-pick, but to, well, nit pick.....Wells is in his third year, if that is who you meant as a "2nd Year Man". He even started a couple at center 2 years ago, as I recall.

Yes it was. Thanks for the correction. Let's still say he's a "young guy" with a lot of years of production ahead of him - barring something unforseen.

I fixed it in the original post. Thanks Patler.

[run pMc]

I think keeping a TE in helps quite a bit with the sacks. Also, Favre isn't doing many 7 step drops. I think M3, Jags and Philbin have done some good things in terms of coaching and putting together the plays to call. I think the pass-pro adjustments made in the MIA game have been documented. TT also seemed to do well with his draft picks.
In the NFL, good players + good coaching + luck = success.

[Fritz]

Yes, it's true that MM is keeping tight ends and running backs in. He has to, at this point. The rooks are rooks, and Moll seems to miss blocks or not hold them long enough, probably because he's not strong enough. Yet none of the three rooks is of the Whitticker variety. They're all keepers and will only get better if they work hard. I see gradual improvement this year, and a big leap forward that Mao Tse Tsung would be proud of next year.

[Patler]

Yes, it's true that MM is keeping tight ends and running backs in. He has to, at this point. The rooks are rooks, and Moll seems to miss blocks or not hold them long enough, probably because he's not strong enough. Yet none of the three rooks is of the Whitticker variety. They're all keepers and will only get better if they work hard. I see gradual improvement this year, and a big leap forward that Mao Tse Tsung would be proud of next year.

One of the complaints I had last year with Sherman/Rossley was that they didn't change anything to suit the new personel. Not at the start of the year, not as the season progressed and the injuries mounted. No where was this more evident than their unwillingness to try Barry as a starter because of their fascination with a formation that was used about 10-15 times a game (U-71).

I'm not sure things had to be as bad as they were last year. Yes, Sherman kept the attitude very good, and I commend him for that, but what offensive changes did he make to adapt to the situation? I can't think of any. He plugged in a few different players, but ran the same offense he ran two years earlier with Wahle, Rivera and a healthy Green and a healthy Walker. That may have been one of the reasons he was let go.

[vince]

Yes, it's true that MM is keeping tight ends and running backs in. He has to, at this point. The rooks are rooks, and Moll seems to miss blocks or not hold them long enough, probably because he's not strong enough. Yet none of the three rooks is of the Whitticker variety. They're all keepers and will only get better if they work hard. I see gradual improvement this year, and a big leap forward that Mao Tse Tsung would be proud of next year.

One of the complaints I had last year with Sherman/Rossley was that they didn't change anything to suit the new personel. Not at the start of the year, not as the season progressed and the injuries mounted. No where was this more evident than their unwillingness to try Barry as a starter because of their fascination with a formation that was used about 10-15 times a game (U-71).

I'm not sure things had to be as bad as they were last year. Yes, Sherman kept the attitude very good, and I commend him for that, but what offensive changes did he make to adapt to the situation? I can't think of any. He plugged in a few different players, but ran the same offense he ran two years earlier with Wahle, Rivera and a healthy Green and a healthy Walker. That may have been one of the reasons he was let go.

The growing success of this group is yet more concrete evidence of Mike McCarthy's coaching - both from a developmental standpoint and from a game planning/scheming perspective.

These young guys have the attitude and drive to work hard. They'll get stronger, and when they do, they'll be a strong foundation to our success for years to come.