Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

The Key Questions For This Season's Success

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    Re: Favre

    Originally posted by Packnut

    As I've stated here several times before, Favre is Favre. He makes throws he should'nt attempt and he does complete throws that no one else could. You take the good with the bad. Also if you really examine his picks, as the article I posted says, most came when trailing.

    My point which the article backs up is that there are several things that were out of Favre's hands like the dropped passes and limiting his passing options. Therefore, it's my contention that judging Favre and blaming him for mistakes is the easy way out. Yes, of course sometimes Favre made the wrong decision like all QB's do. Yes he takes chances that he should'nt. But good Lord, that is Brett Favre! That same competitveness that makes him able to throw a laser in a small window, or play hurt when no one else would is also the same competitiveness that makes him try to make a play that he should'nt. You can't take that away from him and expect positive results.

    Now as far as your comments about my blaming TT for everything. I'm sure you would not like it if I put words in your mouth so don't do it to me. I have never blamed Thompson for everything. I am on record here stating he has done some good things and made some positive moves. I'm just not a blind follower who takes Teddy's word that all is well. I was a blind follower for a long time-2 decades as a matter of fact in the 70's and 80's and I learned the hard way that following blindly ends in utter disappointment.

    For what I hope is the last time I will state my position. I believe Teddy should have made a much more consertive effort to give Favre more weapons. I believe Teddy made a major blunder with Walker that set this team back. I believe Teddy could have made a few FA signings that would have given us a better shot this season and I've already stated for the record that Eric Johnson will have a great season with the Saints. That was the move Teddy blew and we'll see how Johnson does this season compared to our TE's. I'm on record BEFORE MM was hired when I voiced my preference for the Saint's HC. Since he was voted coach of the year, I'd say my opinion on that has been proven correct.

    With all that said, I also Believe Teddy did a good job getting us in healthy cap space even if he does'nt use it. I believe he's done a good job of building some depth. He's making a good effort to get better talent in order to improve our pathetic special teams coverage. His FA signing of Woodson was brilliant. Exept for our first pick, I thought he did a good job with the draft this season, and I don't fault the Harrell pick as far as need goes, but rather his extensive injury history.

    I am not a Thomspon basher as you have gone out of your way to insinuate, but neither am I blind to the mistakes I believe Teddy has made. I also am not just gonna sit back and watch the Thompson crowd shift the blame this season on #04 when virtually EVERY analyst and media person agree that at this point on paper, Favre does'nt have a whole lot to work with. Of course that can change. May-be the O line is stronger, may-be the new WR's will help. May-be Jennings takes the next step. May-be the running game improves. If these things happen, I'll be the first one to slap Teddy on the back and say I was wrong, but I can't help but wonder if we see the same offense from last season, how many Thompson followers will also step up and admit being wrong?

    From what I've seen the excuses are already being planted by a few here. Either it's Favre needing to play smarter, or the schedule is to tough.
    WOW! Talk about being overly sensitive and reading more into a few casual statements!

    Where did I suggest that you are a Thompson basher? (However, derogatorily referring to him as "Teddy" might lead one to presume that you are.) I did write:

    So Favre is to shoulder none of the blame? Its all TT?
    Not the coaches?
    not the players?
    Not the future Hall of Famer?

    I suppose even if Favre were to fall off the ledge and be absolutely horrible you could blame that on TT, because TT is responsible for not having replaced him on the roster.
    but after all your previous posts, and even the one quoted above seem to imply that Favre is to be absolved of responsibilty, unless his protection is great, his receivers drop few balls and the running game is strong. I would point out your "squarely on TT's shoulders" comment.

    I'm sorry, "Favre will be Favre" is really not a suitable analysis. Unfortunately, he is no longer the quarterback he was. So in that regard "Favre can't be Favre", at least not the same one that he used to be.

    The simple fact is he, just like all aging athletes, has to adapt his game to is declining performance abilities. He can no longer carry this team. That does not mean he cannot help it or be an important part of that, but there was a time when most would have agreed that a .500 record was almost guaranteed just because he was the QB. He is more dependent on those around him now than he was in the past, and his play should recognize that.

    Yes, many of his interceptions came when they were behind. However, too many of them came on first or second down. Even if you are trailing, that is not necessarily the time to take a risk. You have other downs. I'm not going to go back and rehash it, I did that once before, so if you don't want to believe this don't. However, a lot of his interceptions came after the team had driven slowly to a couple first downs, and he seemed to become impatient. I can see calling a play to take a shot, but if its not there, why not make a more cautious decision and wait to play another down? Those are the times that I would like to see him be more cautious.

    As I said, his risk-taking no longer yields the benefits it used to. He no longer makes the plays as frequently as he used to. Because of that, he needs to reduce the number of chances that he takes. Again, that's not a criticism of Favre, it's merely recognition of the fact that he is much older than he was at his best. He no longer makes plays as often as he did in the past, nor should he be expected to.

    It's interesting because even the article you quoted clearly has MM suggesting that Favre has to make better decisions. That was the whole gist of the article. Did you overlook that in your zeal to point out the writer's comment about the frequency of max protection in the passing game?

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: Max protect

      Originally posted by HarveyWallbangers

      Personally, I thought the drops were as big of a detriment to the offense last year as the OL. I also thought you could fault Favre in some games. This team needs improvement in the OL to have a better offense, but it also needs fewer drops and it needs Favre not to fade in the second half of the season again--like he has the last couple of years.
      I think that sums it up very well. The drops tend to be momentum busters, and this team can't afford that.

      Favre's second halves of the last two season are a concern. In his defense, 2005 was the only time in his career that he had attempted more than 600 passes in a season, and then he topped it in 2006. That can't be a good thing. Maybe if they can balance things out a bit more, and he has fewer attempts, he won't fade later in the season. Ideally a player will get less work in their last few years, not more.

      Comment


      • #33
        It is so clear to me.

        Unless our OL plays alot better this season and promotes a ground game; we are going to see our QB placed in a situation where his arm will have to bail us out.

        That means we are going to see a lot of third and longs with max protect that will afford little room for him making an error. The blame for failure in the pass will fall all over Brett Favre.

        He would be the first one to absorb that blame. He always has in the past.

        So realistically, it's going to fall on the HC and his staff to step up and prepare that OL, and re-build confidence in our RB's and TE's with a little help fr. the FB.

        How much help did TT afford that HC and his staff? Forget about jumping the gun and blaming, what essentially must befall Brett Favre, if the offense sputters.

        Rather PLEASE. Lay blame where it's deserved.

        Clearly on the man that supplies the talent and annoits the coaching staff and it's program (schemes).

        Too many people here that understand the game, the real situation the Packers are in, and it's obvious consequences want to elect Brett Favre as the scapegoat and that is clearly stupid.

        The blame for the failure we will endure in 2007 falls clearly on one man.

        Our GM Ted Thompson.

        He is so, and all wrapped up in his agenda to acquire more CAP space and a higher draft pick that he has sacrificed the team and it's fans. The blame for that failure must fall clearly on TT and he alone has to be dealt with for his non chalence or disregard for obvious need on our team.

        That need is clearly more talent on offense. Rather he allows our team to sink deeper in the hole with it's talent base on offense and relies on proclamations that all will be just swell in his eyes.

        His arrogance, or is it just plain incompetence is overwhelming and not forgivable.
        ** Since 2006 3 X Pro Pickem' Champion; 4 X Runner-Up and 3 X 3rd place.
        ** To download Jesus Loves Me ring tones, you'll need a cell phone mame
        ** If God doesn't fish, play poker or pull for " the Packers ", exactly what does HE do with his buds?
        ** Rather than love, money or fame - give me TRUTH: Henry D. Thoreau

        Comment


        • #34
          I don't know how you guys can judge Favre guilty of anything given the junk around him.

          Guys running wrong routes, dropped passes, pathetic protection, no running game, questionable coaching... It's a miracle they ever scored, or that Favre is still alive.

          TT is the one who dismantled the OL; TT is the one who punted Walker out of town; TT is the one who showed Green the door; TT is the one who brought in the ZBS; TT is the one who said we don't need any upgrades on offense - the upgrades will "come from within". Seems to me, if you're going to point fingers...

          I'm not a habitual Favre defender... but, given that he's trying to get the job done with a bunch of kids in front of him, and questionable talent everywhere else... don't see how anyone can point a finger at Favre.
          wist

          Comment


          • #35
            Originally posted by wist43
            I don't know how you guys can judge Favre guilty of anything given the junk around him.

            Guys running wrong routes, dropped passes, pathetic protection, no running game, questionable coaching... It's a miracle they ever scored, or that Favre is still alive.

            TT is the one who dismantled the OL; TT is the one who punted Walker out of town; TT is the one who showed Green the door; TT is the one who brought in the ZBS; TT is the one who said we don't need any upgrades on offense - the upgrades will "come from within". Seems to me, if you're going to point fingers...

            I'm not a habitual Favre defender... but, given that he's trying to get the job done with a bunch of kids in front of him, and questionable talent everywhere else... don't see how anyone can point a finger at Favre.
            Yes. That is just plainly sick.

            To already lay a fondation of blame of failure on Brett Favre, when realistically that should be the only result in this season.

            Unless everything goes very well for us, and all manner of adversity strikes our opponents.
            ** Since 2006 3 X Pro Pickem' Champion; 4 X Runner-Up and 3 X 3rd place.
            ** To download Jesus Loves Me ring tones, you'll need a cell phone mame
            ** If God doesn't fish, play poker or pull for " the Packers ", exactly what does HE do with his buds?
            ** Rather than love, money or fame - give me TRUTH: Henry D. Thoreau

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: Favre

              Originally posted by Packnut
              Originally posted by The Shadow
              ".....All of these things will contribute to Favre playing "smarter" football."

              Receivers drop passes; that's part of the game. But Favre needs to work on playing smarter - consistently -in order for the team to win.

              Well, according to that logic, so are picks. Your views on Favre and the QB position in general are way off. It's a TEAM game. Even Manning has 2 outstanding WR's and a very good run game. You wanna put all the responsibility on Favre which is a load of BS.

              It's pretty easy to see what's coming from you in the future. If there is no improvment in the offense and we struggle in the RZ again, your gonna use Favre as the scape-goat instead of putting the blame where it really belongs which is squarely on the GM's shoulders.

              Then again, if blaming Favre for the offense floats your boat, by all means go ahead. However, not taking into account things like leading the league in dropped passes or no TE production, using max protect schemes and lack of any consistent running game make your "Favre needing to play smarter" opinion look very foolish.
              What I find interesting is McCarthy telling Favre last year that he wouldn't have to carry the team, and he was called upon to do so. This year it looks like more of the same. It is a team game and at this point in Favre's career, you don't ask him to carry the team, you take the load off of him so he can make those good decisions.
              "Once the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the Republic.”
              – Benjamin Franklin

              Comment


              • #37
                Originally posted by wist43

                TT is the one who dismantled the OL;
                Saying TT "dismantled" the line is simply inaccurate. It was dismantling itself for the most part, as it naturally would with as old as some of them were.

                Green Bay got all they could out of Rivera and Flanagan. Rivera was no where near the Rivera of old even in his last year in GB, let alone the two he has played in Dallas. Now it looks like he is done. Flanagan has been injured the last three season, and is probably close to finished, too. He has played only 26 of 48 games in the last three years, including only 9 last year, his first away from GB.

                The only one who left that would have been nice to keep was Wahle, and I'm not convinced that was even possible, at the time. Losing one desireable player as a FA because of an unmanageable contract clause hardly constitutes a "dismantling".

                Comment


                • #38
                  Oh great. A TT hate fest. Glad you guys have a thread to converge on. I never regarded Woody or Merlin as experts, but you Wisty?

                  Enjoy your party.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    OK, Patler... how does this sound - he pulled the feeding tube, and let the line starve to death - does that sound more accurate???

                    Then, when he decided that starving the OL to death was, in retrospect, a bad idea, he brought in a bunch of children, to expedite the killing of Favre - all the while, proclaiming that his goal was not to kill Favre, but to let the kids learn and grow... using Favre as a practice cadaver.

                    How's that???
                    wist

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Favre got killed with the children at guard? I missed that...
                      "Greatness is not an act... but a habit.Greatness is not an act... but a habit." -Greg Jennings

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by wist43
                        OK, Patler... how does this sound - he pulled the feeding tube, and let the line starve to death - does that sound more accurate???

                        Then, when he decided that starving the OL to death was, in retrospect, a bad idea, he brought in a bunch of children, to expedite the killing of Favre - all the while, proclaiming that his goal was not to kill Favre, but to let the kids learn and grow... using Favre as a practice cadaver.

                        How's that???
                        Well, not very accurate either. There was no feeding tube. The feeding tube for the line SHOULD have been players brought in by Sherman to mature and handle eventual retirements and departures.

                        People seem to want to forget that the Wahle, Rivera and Sharper situations were the cards TT had waiting for him when he came. Sherman put them there. TT came in January. Wahle, Rivera and Sharper left within what, 6-8 weeks? These situations need to be planned for in advance. Dealing with them retroactively is nearly impossible. They were stuck with what they could get in one off season.

                        A GM can't make players materialize out of thin air. The O-line was on the verge of collapsing when he got here, with one decent replacement on hand in Wells. IF the line begins to recover with the 2006 rookie group, TT will have done a pretty decent job of avoiding a longterm disaster that was waiting to happen.

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Had no problem letting Rivera and Sharper walk... had a big problem with Wahle though. We've fought this fight 10 billion times.

                          Bottom line on everything is - the Packers are more than 10 years removed from winning the SB, with no realistic hope that they can get back any time soon.

                          Where anybody wants to lay the blame... throw a dart - there's plenty of blame to go around... most of it lying with Sherman, and a good chunk of it lying with Wolfe.

                          That said, I agree that TT inherited a mess, and the odds that they could have made any sort of run while Favre was still here were long indeed. One thing I'm sure of, however, is that after Favre is gone, so is any chance at winning it all.

                          Aaron Rodgers??? He's got Superbowl MVP written all over him!!!

                          Love the emoticons... trying to be judicious.
                          wist

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Originally posted by wist43
                            One thing I'm sure of, however, is that after Favre is gone, so is any chance at winning it all.

                            Aaron Rodgers??? He's got Superbowl MVP written all over him!!!

                            Love the emoticons... trying to be judicious.
                            The interesting thing to me is you never know for sure where a QB might come from. So from that perspective, they could end up with a Brunnell or a Hasselbeck next year or the year after, assuming Rodgers is as big of a flop as you seem to know for sure that he will be. With the right team around them, a Brunnell or Hasselbeck (obviously) can get you to the Super Bowl. It certainly doesn't have to be 10 years.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: Favre

                              Originally posted by Packnut
                              Originally posted by The Shadow
                              ".....All of these things will contribute to Favre playing "smarter" football."

                              Receivers drop passes; that's part of the game. But Favre needs to work on playing smarter - consistently -in order for the team to win.

                              Well, according to that logic, so are picks. Your views on Favre and the QB position in general are way off. It's a TEAM game. Even Manning has 2 outstanding WR's and a very good run game. You wanna put all the responsibility on Favre which is a load of BS.

                              [i]It's pretty easy to see what's coming from you in the future. If there is no improvment in the offense and we struggle in the RZ again, your gonna use Favre as the scape-goat instead of putting the blame where it really belongs which is squarely on the GM's shoulders.[/i]

                              [b]Then again, if blaming Favre for the offense floats your boat, by all means go ahead. However, not taking into account things like leading the league in dropped passes or no TE production, using max protect schemes and lack of any consistent running game make your "Favre needing to play smarter" opinion look very foolish.
                              [/b]

                              [b]What's 'coming from me in the future' is exactly what came from me in the past : as honest an analysis of the team as I can provide. If the problems lie with the offensive line, that will gladly be noted. If it's poor receiver play, blame should be assigned there.
                              But if it's dumb quarterback play, Favre has no free pass here; that too will be correctly noted. Sorry, no idol worship here. Favre, although a future Hall of Fame player, still must produce - just like every other player.

                              The blame always lies with the GMin your world. I think I've got it!

                              "Favre needing to play smarter" is a foolish opinion????
                              According to that wondrous logic, Favre ALWAYS is perfect, right? Got it!
                              And every interception and poor judgment is strictly the fault of Ted Thompson. Correct?
                              What on earth on you going to do when #4 finally retires? Become a Bears fan?
                              Who Knows? The Shadow knows!

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Patler
                                Originally posted by wist43
                                One thing I'm sure of, however, is that after Favre is gone, so is any chance at winning it all.

                                Aaron Rodgers??? He's got Superbowl MVP written all over him!!!

                                Love the emoticons... trying to be judicious.
                                The interesting thing to me is you never know for sure where a QB might come from. So from that perspective, they could end up with a Brunnell or a Hasselbeck next year or the year after, assuming Rodgers is as big of a flop as you seem to know for sure that he will be. With the right team around them, a Brunnell or Hasselbeck (obviously) can get you to the Super Bowl. It certainly doesn't have to be 10 years.

                                EXACTLY what I was thinking as TT drafted him
                                TERD Buckley over Troy Vincent, Robert Ferguson over Chris Chambers, Kevn King instead of TJ Watt, and now, RICH GANNON, over JIMMY JIMMY JIMMY LEONARD. Thank you FLOWER

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X