McCarthy's play calling-let's discuss it

[Patler]

I've seen numerous complaints in various threads about MM's play calling against the Bears. To me the second half was derailed more by turnovers and penalties than by play calling.

For those who have complained, I'm curious, what upset you about it? Please, let's talk more specifically than just "too conservative". I don't intend to argue with you about it, but likely I will ask questions to better understand your viewpoint.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Re: McCarthy's play calling-let's discuss it

I will ask questions to better understand your viewpoint.

I smell a trap.

[Brainerd]

On the surface

I'm not sure I would call it conservative. It seemed like MM might have been hoping for lightning to strike twice. IE, the running game to break a few longer ones as it had in the 1st half. MM waited way too long for it to happen.

MM whimped out on ST's. Kicking away from Hester once in awhile is fine in order to confuse Chicago but it looked as though he was giving Chicago field position without a fight.

Between the lines

MM was visibly upset with Favre at the end of the 1st half when Favre challenged his authority on the timeout call. The 2nd half was reflective of a kind of tension between Favre and MM. Did Favre lose faith in MM and decide to go it alone? Did the playcalling of MM in the 2nd half have more to do with showing Favre who was boss or did he really think forcing a run game was the way to win the game? I saw a different Favre and MM as soon as the 2nd half started. A different MM before Favre tossed that little gift to Urlacher. Favre wasn't calling many audibles in the 2nd half and I don't know the reason.

Then again it may have just been the Packers were unable to beat Cover 2.

[Bretsky]

Re: McCarthy's play calling-let's discuss it

I've seen numerous complaints in various threads about MM's play calling against the Bears. To me the second half was derailed more by turnovers and penalties than by play calling.

For those who have complained, I'm curious, what upset you about it? Please, let's talk more specifically than just "too conservative". I don't intend to argue with you about it, but likely I will ask questions to better understand your viewpoint.

The game was a chess match between the offense and defense

In Half One MM kept the Bears off balance. A lot of the successful runs were fake passes and a few mis directionals. He did a great job mixing those up with effective use of screens.

At Halftime Lovie made adjustments that put Green Bay's offense off balance; MM did not counter those adjustments well, obviously.

I really didn't like the three series of consecutive calls.
Run Run Pass
Run Run Pass
Run Run Run

Very bland playcalling in those three consecutive series. In the first two he left Favre with third and five or longer. Bears had a decent pass rush on those third down plays. The run run run series was truly sickening

In half one we attacked; in half two the playcalling was passive. I've hailed MM for his playcalling; in half two he let us down

[mmmdk]

Re: McCarthy's play calling-let's discuss it

I've seen numerous complaints in various threads about MM's play calling against the Bears. To me the second half was derailed more by turnovers and penalties than by play calling.

For those who have complained, I'm curious, what upset you about it? Please, let's talk more specifically than just "too conservative". I don't intend to argue with you about it, but likely I will ask questions to better understand your viewpoint.

The game was a chess match between the offense and defense

In Half One MM kept the Bears off balance. A lot of the successful runs were fake passes and a few mis directionals. He did a great job mixing those up with effective use of screens.

At Halftime Lovie made adjustments that put Green Bay's offense off balance; MM did not counter those adjustments well, obviously.

I really didn't like the three series of consecutive calls.
Run Run Pass
Run Run Pass
Run Run Run

Very bland playcalling in those three consecutive series. In the first two he left Favre with third and five or longer. Bears had a decent pass rush on those third down plays. The run run run series was truly sickening

In half one we attacked; in half two the playcalling was passive. I've hailed MM for his playcalling; in half two he let us down

Everybody wants the head of JJ for this game - not so. Bretsky brings a very important observation; the playcalling series by McCarthy (see above). Favre can feel those things too; McCarthy was playcalling to preserve a POSSIBLE win and Favre, the gunslinger, tries to make things happen. Favre throws an int. with a 20-10 Packers lead??? But that's Favre yet McCarthy should've been playcalling to CLAIM THE WIN. A 10 point lead is NOTHING in the NFL; it was kinda disrespectful to the winning ways - and how hard it is to win in this league. Bears are NFC champs not the poor 49ers offense.

Favre has been awesome! The dumbass 1st int. is part of Favre and McCarthy really needs to be the smart one here.

Please prove me wrong, Packer Team & coaches, that this team is not just Favre. If Favre has that feeling that he has to "do-it-all" then we won't even make the playoffs. I'm serious.

[Patler]

Re: McCarthy's play calling-let's discuss it

I really didn't like the three series of consecutive calls.
Run Run Pass
Run Run Pass
Run Run Run

Very bland playcalling in those three consecutive series. In the first two he left Favre with third and five or longer. Bears had a decent pass rush on those third down plays. The run run run series was truly sickening

When were those?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Throw the ball downfield on first down.

The Packers should have tried to make it a high scoring game, not a field position struggle where the Bears have a chance.

[Patler]

Throw the ball downfield on first down.

The Packers should have tried to make it a high scoring game, not a field position struggle where the Bears have a chance.

40 passes were too few?
22 rushing attempts were too many?

[mmmdk]

Re: McCarthy's play calling-let's discuss it

I really didn't like the three series of consecutive calls.
Run Run Pass
Run Run Pass
Run Run Run

Very bland playcalling in those three consecutive series. In the first two he left Favre with third and five or longer. Bears had a decent pass rush on those third down plays. The run run run series was truly sickening

When were those?

Actually it was:

Long KO return-Pass-Run-Run-Run-FG

Run-Run-Pass (intercepted)

Run-Run-Run

BEARS BACK IN THE GAME; WHAT WORKED IN FIRST HALF IS ABANDONED



9-R.Gould kicks 68 yards from CHI 30 to GB 2. 38-T.Williams pushed ob at CHI 33 for 65 yards (81-R.Davis).
1-10-CHI 33 (11:53) 4-B.Favre pass short right to 42-D.Wynn to CHI 20 for 13 yards (36-B.McGowan).
1-10-CHI 20 (11:15) 42-D.Wynn up the middle to CHI 14 for 6 yards (92-H.Hillenmeyer).
2-4-CHI 14 (10:42) 42-D.Wynn right end to CHI 11 for 3 yards (95-A.Adams).
3-1-CHI 11 (10:06) 42-D.Wynn right tackle to CHI 14 for -3 yards (55-L.Briggs).

Packers score ONLY A FG.

Packers lead 20-10; the Bears punt on next drive, Pack has the ball again.

1-10-GB 10 (5:58) 42-D.Wynn right tackle to GB 15 for 5 yards (55-L.Briggs).
2-5-GB 15 (5:19) 42-D.Wynn left tackle to GB 15 for no gain (54-B.Urlacher).
3-5-GB 15 (4:35) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass intended for 89-J.Jones INTERCEPTED by 54-B.Urlacher at GB 19. 54-B.Urlacher to GB 19 for no gain (88-B.Franks).

Score now 20-17 Packers lead.

Packers get the ball.

1-10-GB 21 (4:14) 42-D.Wynn right end to GB 22 for 1 yard (55-L.Briggs).
2-9-GB 22 (3:42) 42-D.Wynn left end to GB 25 for 3 yards (55-L.Briggs).
3-6-GB 25 (3:05) 42-D.Wynn left tackle to GB 29 for 4 yards (55-L.Briggs). GB-63-S.Wells was injured during the play.

Bears Get it then 3 and out but Woodson fumbles onpunt return.

Bears score FG; tied at 20-20.

THERE! The Packers are not elite and hence needs to put the dagger in their opponant or they come back. Our D is only average.

[RashanGary]

The only problem I really had was the fake draws in the 2nd half. It's not like our pass protection was getting killed. We didn't even need to neutralize them, but McCarthy was calling plays to neutralize the pass rush.

Favre was screwing around with that fake draw crap when he could have been surveying the field and if anything it gave the defense extra time to get to him. I just thought those were senseless plays.

I would guess he doesn't do that very often just because of how grossly ineffective it was. We'll see though.

[Sparkey]

In my opinion, the change in play calling coincided with Wells leaving the game with an injury.

[Maxie the Taxi]

In my opinion, the change in play calling coincided with Wells leaving the game with an injury.

You may be right. Losing Wells was huge. Whether or not Wells' loss affected MM's playcalling, though, is questionnable.

My impression of MM's playcalling is that he was too "scripted." By this I mean that he went into the game intending to emphasize the run and he never went away from that plan as game conditions changed.

Calling a bunch of runs in the first quarter when your field position is good and momentum is on your side, along with the fact that the Bears were caught by surprise, is one thing. Calling a bunch of runs in the fourth quarter when momentum had switched the other way, field position was atrocious and the Bears were expecting and had adjusted for the run is another.

I thought in the fourth quarter and maybe in the third -- after Favre's bonehead interception -- MM should have done exactly the opposite of what he did, i.e., revert back to the spread formation, forget the run, and go with what got them through the last several games.

[BallHawk]

As long as MM can learn from his playcalling and in future games know how to adjust, then one complete screw-up is OK. We can't have these type of games happen often, however, if we want to be a playoff team.

MM first half gameplan- 8.5

MM second half gameplan- 3.5

[Patler]

They only ran the ball 9 times in the second half.

[BallHawk]

They only passed it 12 times, which is a far cry from the 28 Favre had in the 1st half. We were winning when Favre was throwing the ball. DeShawn Wynn gave us a big boost at the beginning, but Favre was winning the game for us at the beginning. That and the Bears offense.

However, it is not the amount of runs that MM called, but when he called them. As Bretsky pointed out, those 3 drives were just painful to watch. It was so conservative, as pointed out previously, he was playing not to lose.

We had numerous opportunities to get something going, but we'd get nothing on first down and then we'd have 2nd and 10 from our own 20. The reason why we had such a great 3rd conversion rate is because earlier in the game we were giving ourselves manageable 3rd down situations. Later in the game, it was almost always 3rd and 5+. That's going to put you in a position where Favre is going to start and try to force things and when he does that we lose.