Defense/Offense

[BallHawk]

Yeah Van, welcome aboard.

We know you are a Canuck, you spell "offense" & "defense" funny.

It's what, at least in the UK, is called the "Queen's English." That's the "correct" spelling. America just likes to take things and be different.

[superfan]

With this team, I would have been more concerned with a high score. I expect the offense to struggle but have at least a couple good/breakout games. Considering the expectations for the defense, giving up 34 points would have been a huge letdown.

[Maxie the Taxi]

This year's situation is far superior to last year's. A stronger defense means less points by the opposition. Theoretically this should take some "pressure to score in a hurry" off our offense. Theoretically a strong defense should allow the Packers to play a field position ball game. Good special teams also encourages this.

This means Favre shouldn't feel like he must engineer a score on every series. It also means that McCarthy can call the game more conservatively, i.e., work the ball downfield angling for field position with runs and dinks and dunks, rather than two or three deep throws every series.

I didn't get to see the game, but examining the play-by-play stats at NFL.com I get the sense that McCarthy's play calling (except for a sustained, short drive or two) isn't in the field position mode yet. He's got to call more quick, short, high percentage, ball control-type passes and, yes, call more running plays at the start of the game -- even if it means just pounding it in there for a yard or two consistently. In my opinion, he's got to better setup the downfield plays in this way.

[Noodle]

Like everyone else, I'm hoping this was an unusually ineffective day at the office for the O. I also favor strong D, ok to above average O. But the one thing we'll absolutely need is the ability to get a late drive for a FG. We failed miserably at that.

In the 4th quarter, when all we need was a FG to win, the D was huge and gave the O plenty of chances to drive 55 yards or less and take the 3 and a W. Here are the 5 4th quarter drives:

12:23 1:52 GB 18 3 1 Punt
07:36 1:02 GB 20 3 9 Punt
05:08 0:50 GB 49 3 -11 Fumble
02:32 1:33 GB 22 5 18 Punt
00:59 0:57 PHI 31 4 6 Field Goal

Except for the game winner (thank you Special Teams), the record of failure is down-right bumming. I'm not looking for TDs every drive, just FGs every once and a while, fer cripes sake.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Luckily, Philly did nothing in the 4th quarter. They even got the ball at Green Bay's 38 on one drive.

[Iron Mike]

It's what, at least in the UK, is called the "Queen's English." That's the "correct" spelling. America just likes to take things and be different.

I thought that the "Queen's English" was somebody from Red Wing saying "Ya, how 'bout dem Vikings, dere, hey?"

[4and12to12and4]

Am I the only one on this forum in utter disbelief that we even won this game? I don't give a shit if our mascot helped us. That defense we went against is about as good as any in the NFL. Of course we weren't gonna score, but, you know what? They were one of the best offenses last year, remember when they threw up 31 on us monday night last year? I am still in denial that we are 1-0. I couldn't care less how it happened.

[b bulldog]

Well we got a bit of carma after the 4th and 26 game in the playoffs.

[4and12to12and4]

That's funny, cuz there were two third and twenty plus plays for the Eagles in last Sunday's game, and there was a lump in my throat. Thank god they didn't convert!!

[b bulldog]

I was thinking the same before those plays.