M3 Outcoached

[BF4MVP]

Random question: Why do we call him M3? It can't be his initials, as his name is Michael John McCarthy..Where did the whole "M3" thing come from?

Anyway, he didn't coach particularly well, but the team played like absolute garbage today..Fumbled snaps, blocked punts, dropped passes, interceptions..Those are execution problems, not coaching problems..Other than 2 runs, Grant couldn't run worth a shit either..Just a terrible game.

[cpk1994]

Random question: Why do we call him M3? It can't be his initials, as his name is Michael John McCarthy..Where did the whole "M3" thing come from?

Anyway, he didn't coach particularly well, but the team played like absolute garbage today..Fumbled snaps, blocked punts, dropped passes, interceptions..Those are execution problems, not coaching problems..Other than 2 runs, Grant couldn't run worth a shit either..Just a terrible game.

McCarthy is M3 becuase he is the third Mike to be a head coach for Favre. Mike Holomgren, Mike Sherman, and now Mike McCarthy.

[BF4MVP]

Ah, I get it now, thanks.

[FritzDontBlitz]

I don't think there is much MM can do. YOu have to have the horses if you want to win the race.

1. Pickett is the only good run stopping DT we have playing in the playoffs. Williams is average and Harrell is a notch below Williams.

2. The Oline is small and finesse. The only reason the run is effective is because the pass is such a big threat that teams rarely put 8 in the box.



This team is just not built to win bad weather games. Everything about their personal says finesse. When Jolly and Pickett were in the middle teams did not run. One guy goes down and we went from good run stopping to very mediocre. I don't think anything can be done to make this team better in cold weather. They are what they are IMO. Pickett would make a slight difference and the ST's could be better than terrible but other than that, I don't see this team every being better than average and most playoff teams are better than average so odds are we'd lose in this situation next time it arises.

The Packers need to realize that the days of the wide open passing attack may be over for this season, at least outdoors in winter conditions.

A short passing game that utilizes the tight end and fullback more would work in these conditions as it worked for Bill Walsh's 49ers many times in similar weather. There was too much reliance on 4 and 5 receiver sets and hardly any emphasis on the running game. If you are going to spread the field then use a single back deep with QB under center to minimize poor exchanges between the two. Single back sets help open up the running lanes and limit the defense's ability to blitz. M3 outclevered himself today, but he has 3 weeks to adjust and do better. Bubba is back, so that helps the short passing game. I would sneak the U-71 package in as well, in some form. You can still pass from it, it just gives you another power formation that the players should still be familiar with.

[rdanomly]

As far as having no real power run formation, I thought the dual FB formation was taking that role. With one of the FB's hurt, so goes that formation & part of the power run.

[FritzDontBlitz]

As far as having no real power run formation, I thought the dual FB formation was taking that role. With one of the FB's hurt, so goes that formation & part of the power run.

Good point, I forgot about that.

[The Leaper]

What we learned today is that they are not ready to compete in poor weather conditions.

I think they are OK in everything other than strong winds. If it is 10 degrees with no wind, our passing offense will be fine.

[FritzDontBlitz]

I hope McCarthy installs some sort of gutcheck rushing offense soon: no zoning, minimal pulling by the linemen, just line up and knock people off the ball to grind out the yards 3 or 4 at a time. It would help their woeful 3rd and 1 conversion ratio for sure. Offensive linemen tend to love that macho style of play, unless they are able to pull it off . Its also the best offense suited for the cold winter conditions. As the weather gets worse you have to learn to simplify things. I hope M3 learned that lesson today.

[Deputy Nutz]

If you can't consistently gain 3.5 yards per carry, you don't have a running game worth a damn. I am not talking about averaging 3,5 yards, I mean consistently gaining 3.5 yards a carry and keeping drives alive by being able to gain first downs when it is third and short rushing the football.

[Scott Campbell]

Their short passing game sucked today too. The Bears were running terrific screen plays, and we couldn't catch a screen pass to save our lives. It was pretty ugly out there, but I feel pretty confident this team will shake it off.

[Partial]

If you can't consistently gain 3.5 yards per carry, you don't have a running game worth a damn. I am not talking about averaging 3,5 yards, I mean consistently gaining 3.5 yards a carry and keeping drives alive by being able to gain first downs when it is third and short rushing the football.

Today is seemed like Grant had a big gain, 4 yards, or no yards. So far he has shown he can be counted on to get some tough yards. It is impossible to predict what would have happened today because they completely went away from him.

I don't really understand why. The game was getting out of hand I realize but if you can't throw the ball into the wind you've got to try something else.

Several times during the game I mentioned to my dad that MM was practicing insanity. He kept trying the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

[Tarlam!]

Random question: Why do we call him M3? It can't be his initials, as his name is Michael John McCarthy..Where did the whole "M3" thing come from?

It dates back to the debate we had on JSO on what his nickname should be. MM was negatively stained by that CB that held out and now plays for a team based in Louisiana, that shall not be named.

So, not being able to call him MM, we called him the 3rd Mike, after Holmgren and Shermie were 1 and 2. Thus, he was dubbed M3.

[Partial]

One thing that was interesting to me was McCarthey's refusal to adapt today and change the teams style of play. Where were the true tight end sets with a fullback and pounding the ball. Why was there a single shotgun play until they got down big? No way Grant and co shouldn't have had 30 carries combined today.

Normally he strikes me as a very dynamic coach who will adjust to play with what he has and what is given to him by the opposition. Today that was definitely not the case imo.

[Partial]

In addition to that, why didn't we stack the box against the run or try some run blitzes? We have two of the best corners in the league. Why not let them go mono-a-mono and completely suffocate the run against the bears? It's not like Orton was going to beat them deep with that nasty wind.

[Fritz]

Coupla things. First, those of you clamoring for M3 to install some kind of new power running game surely realize that you can't do that after you've played fifteen games. It would fail miserably, and beyond the physical impossibility of getting eleven guys to learn a whole new style and execute it - in one or two or three weeks - there is the psychological message it sends: panic. What we've been doing all year isn't going to work now! Oh no!

I'm not against change or adjustment. But what it sounds like people are asking for is an entirely different blocking scheme and offensive approach altogether. And this brings me to the second point: what is disturbing to me is Bob Sanders' own lack of adjustment. Why keep sitting back with your safeties when you know that, first, the Bears are going to run, run, run, and second, when the wind conditions and the opponent's QB (lack of ability) dictate that you ought to force them to beat you with the pass? Why not take away the run by jamming the box with eight or nine, and dare Orton to be the game-winner?