Favre Regresses to Bonehead Passes Again

[HarveyWallbangers]

I wouldn't even remotely suggest playing Rodgers over Favre. Favre has been average in one game, solid in one game, exceptional in three games, and horrible in one game. That's better than most QBs. Heck, Tony Romo is probably a top 5 QB, and he's had a similar amount of good, bad, average games.

[run pMc]

IF throwing in the backup for 2-3 series is such a good idea, wehy hasn't one coach in the histroy of the NFL ever done that?

Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals.
Warner-Leinart (pre-injury)

Didn't some teams in the 60's & 70's pull that stunt? Somebody like Earl Morrell or Don Strock or some nonsense like that? Did I just invent that and it stands as proof that I need more coffee this morning?

Having said that, I think A-Rod would benefit from the snaps, but I don't know that the team would benefit(this season). I can't imagine A-Rod would have done much better than Favre yesterday. Interesting idea, though. Favre is the clearly better QB, so you gotta play him. I am concerned about the # of attempts Favre has thus far...I don't want his arm to go dead and fall off in week 15. Heaven forbid that happen, but if it did maybe they play A-Rod.

[Carolina_Packer]

Righto. They shouldn't consider it. They'd be tripping over themselves. What they NEED to do is figure out how to successfully run the ball to get defenses out of playing back all the time. We have smart football folks at the controls. I think they will figure something out.

[Merlin]

From what I could tell it looked like the ball was sailing on Favre all day. There were a few of those deep balls that if he fired a rocket it would have been completed. I am not sure why he threw the way he did, but he definitely had an off game. The past few games McCarthy has worked in the play action and that only works if you can run the ball. There is no reason to take that time to make the fake because the defense isn't buying it. The whole idea of draw, run, draw fake dump pass isn't resulting in first downs for us. In some cases they are making two fakes before throwing it. I think that has thrown all of the timing off. When you can sit there in your QB chair at home and know what play is coming, you can sure bet the defense knows it. The play calling over the past 1.5 halves has been predictable and poor.

[The Leaper]

In some cases they are making two fakes before throwing it. I think that has thrown all of the timing off. When you can sit there in your QB chair at home and know what play is coming, you can sure bet the defense knows it. The play calling over the past 1.5 halves has been predictable and poor.

I agree. Stop with the fakes. Just put Favre in the shotgun and give him 4 targets to throw to. Someone will get open if you use creative routes and Favre utilizes pump fakes effectively to take advantage of defenses that are keying on the slants.

[Merlin]

It's apparent that teams know we are dangerous with the slants. Yesterday I noticed that all of the slants (the few that were thrown) were all late. The first 4.5 games Favre would hit the slant at about 2-3 yards and it would go for a 7 yard gain giving us a short 2nd down. Then we could run the draw or screen or dump off. It's like we have abandoned what was working for us. Against Chicago, the middle was wide open for slants the entire game. Against Washington, they blitzed enough that it would have worked as well. I just don't understand the play calling.

[fan4life]

Favre rolled his ankle and had trouble planting... hence the poor push on his long balls.

But once the ball is in the air, the WR has to get it or to defend it. The WRs have to do better.... go back to the ball or fight for it; that's what separates good receivers from bad ones. Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, Plaxico Buress, TO, JWalk and even our own Donald Driver may not catch those balls, but they don't watch defenders intercept them, either.

James Jones runs good routes and he's got good hands, but he's a rookie. Getting stripped last week and beat out for jump balls are things that he probably didn't have to face much at San Jose State. He'll get better as he plays more.

Having Koren Robinson as a target for those long balls will help Favre and the offense, too.

[Patler]

It's apparent that teams know we are dangerous with the slants. Yesterday I noticed that all of the slants (the few that were thrown) were all late. The first 4.5 games Favre would hit the slant at about 2-3 yards and it would go for a 7 yard gain giving us a short 2nd down. Then we could run the draw or screen or dump off. It's like we have abandoned what was working for us. Against Chicago, the middle was wide open for slants the entire game. Against Washington, they blitzed enough that it would have worked as well. I just don't understand the play calling.

I think you have to give Washington some credit for taking away the inside routes, which is why we saw more throws on outside routes. Now it will be up to GB to make some of the outside routes work as effective as the slants have, if the DBs continue to play as the Redskins did.

It's not so much the call, as the route adjustments made by the WRs and Favre depending on how the DBs play the coverage.

[PackerBlues]

The further we get into the season, the more opposing teams will be able to game plan against the Packers. By now, most opposing teams realize that the Packers do not run the ball well, and that the Packers do a lot of dink and dunk passes combined with slants. The scoring is going to get harder, and it is up to M3 to change-up the game plan each week to play against opposing teams weaknesses.


As for Favre and his two interceptions.... probably the same as Crosby and his two missed field goals, slick field and rain. Anyone know what the wind conditions were like during the game? Favre's intercepted passes just seemed to hang. The defenders reacted to the ball a hell of a lot better than our rookie recievers did.

[Bossman641]

The reason we're not seeing as many slants is that for the past 6 quarters they have been taken away. The Bears and Redskins played basically Cover 2, and then pinched their safeties further into the middle of the field. This closes the gap where the slant is normally thrown.

Our next adjustment is to throw more routes up the sidelines. With the safeties closer to the middle of the field, the outside routes are open. MM definitely had what he wanted yeserday on the outside a few times. Favre just threw horrible balls that hung in the air too long and were throw way too late.

I don't buy blaming the WR's on those interceptions. They were terrible passes. It's not like on a go route where the QB purposely throws the ball to the back shoulder and the WR has the advantage. Those balls just floated in the air, and with the inside angle and being able to track it in the air the whole time they were easy picks for Taylor.

[The Leaper]

Having Koren Robinson as a target for those long balls will help Favre and the offense, too.

I think Martin is helpful in this regard as well because of his size. His play on the sidelines is clearly better than Jennings or Jones at this point in time. Too bad he hasn't put much else together yet.

[The Leaper]

Our next adjustment is to throw more routes up the sidelines. With the safeties closer to the middle of the field, the outside routes are open. MM definitely had what he wanted yeserday on the outside a few times. Favre just threw horrible balls that hung in the air too long and were throw way too late.

There are there...but those are tight throws, and Jennings and Jones don't have the size/speed to run the sideline stuff as effectively as other WRs.

That has always been my problem with those guys. They seem to be good receivers...guys you need on your team to win. Teams are still focusing on taking Driver away. We need Jennings and Jones to step up for this offense to continue being successful enough to win consistently.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Jones has plenty of size on those routes. In fact, that's one of his strengths. Jennings usually does a good job of knocking balls down, but he seemed to be off this game. Perhaps because the throws were so horrible that he had a hard time adjusting. If you'll notice on one of the interceptions, Jones did in fact go up to get the ball at it's highest point and made a tremendous effort to get the ball, but Taylor did the same and he's just a little bigger. Good play by Taylor.

[Patler]

Having Koren Robinson as a target for those long balls will help Favre and the offense, too.

I think Martin is helpful in this regard as well because of his size. His play on the sidelines is clearly better than Jennings or Jones at this point in time. Too bad he hasn't put much else together yet.

That does seem to be the one area he can get open in, doesn't it?. With more experience Jones should be able to, too, I hope. Drive the DB back, and use his bigger body to screen the DB from the ball.

If KR is reinstated, I wonder if Martin might not be the odd man out. Bodiford gives them more on ST I think than Martin does.

[Patler]

I should clarify my last post.
Not that I think Martin would be released, but if all WRs are healthy he could very well be a game day inactive, with Bodiford playing instead.