Someone made the point that defenses seem to be better at diagnosing our plays and sniffing out run plays. I have to agree with that. Maybe it is the quality of the defenses we have played this year or maybe the team has let their tendencies become too predictable. Or, maybe the Packers do not have a QB that audibles enough into or out of run plays depending on how the defense lines up. It seems to me that Rodgers doesn’t audible as much as Favre and maybe that contributes to D’s having a better guess on what is coming. ??

But I find it amusing that some people thought it was too early to sign Grant to a long-term deal after his extraordinary ten-game stretch last year, but now seem ready to declare him “average” after six games this year. Maybe I’m wrong, but that feels a lot more like someone trying validate their previous skepticism than giving us dispassionate analysis.

Responding to this post, PackerAaron wrote: “So when McCarthy was talking up Jackson, it was obvious coach speak. But when he’s supporting your argument, he’s telling it like it is? Please.”

Umm, yes. That’s exactly what it was because the situation are completely different. Before the season, McCarthy and Ted Thompson were trying to get Grant into camp and, in my view, using Jackson as a threat. It was smart. That doesn’t mean Jackson wasn’t playing better, it just means that they were touting him publicly in order to pressure Grant (and his agent) into signing. It’s a tactic that teams use every year. It’s hard to believe that anyone would doubt that that’s what was happening.

Now, McCarthy is grading his players and, most important, he is calling them out when they don’t grade out well. He’s done that this year with Clifton and Rodgers, and if memory serves, even blamed Greg Jennings one time for running the wrong route on a Rodgers pick. So McCarthy isn’t afraid to tell us when his players — even his stars — are not playing well.

I went back and watched most of the Grant carries. I suppose if some of you Grant skeptics are watching coach’s film you saw holes that I did not. But watching it on TV, there were very few. The worst came on a handoff to the left in the third quarter, when he missed a cutback that would have gone for huge yards — maybe a touchdown — if he had beaten their corner (who was coming on a delayed blitz).

As McCarthy explained this morning on Sirius NFL Radio, after explaining exactly how the grading system works, Grant graded out well. The line simply didn’t create holes.

If any of the Grant skeptics have the game DVR’d and can point to specific plays, I’ll be happy to take another look.

Sorry, I just had to vent on this one.

we’ve also scored 18 more points through 6 games this season, but allowed 38 more – which explains the most relevant stat – 5 and 1 vs. 3 and 3.

conclusion — our biggest problem is by far the defensive line. then offensive line, then the mysterious shoddy play of our great linebacker core. that’s how i see it anyhow.

One other thing I thought I would throw out there, he doesn’t have Favre with him. I believe Favre scared defenses with his play action pass ability. I don’t think defenses respect the passing game as much with Rodgers as our QB. When this happens, I believe the running game will hugely benefit. Last year we were dominating teams with the passing game. Later down the season, teams had to focus more on the passing game then anything else. Also, I think Favre was a great motivator too. I haven’t notice Rodgers motivating Grant.

So ask yourself, what is the difference in the offense between last season and now. A QB does a lot more then just throw the ball…

is it simply the tackles getting 5 knee-years older in 1 real year? i feel like we’re in 2nd preseason game form, and at this rate, we’ll hit mid-season form (which is apparently the best players get???) sometime in … December/January? fantastic. by then, Grant will have racked up a good 600/700 yards.

i do think it was heartening to see mccarthy stick with the run sunday. i know it’s easier when we’re ahead, but even with 2-4 yard gains, it really kept seattle honest, and the game didn’t get away from us in the 2nd half. one of my fondest memories of the superbowl years was watching levens carry the ball 15-20 times in the last third or so of the game and just wear the opposing defense down. even if it wasn’t 14 yard gains, it was enough to piss them off. yes, we had more to work with then, i know.

i’ve been back and forth on the whole ‘run to set up the pass’ or ‘pass to set up the run’ thing. i think i’ve settled on a simple strategery that shouldn’t be misunderestimated just because i’m a dude in an office — pass-to-set-up-the-run-to-stick-with-the-run-to-allow-for-the-pass. if, by midway through the fourth quarter, you aren’t down by 14, the run should be your 1st option. i think often, (and sometimes i’ve praised his non-traditional stubbornness abou this) mccarthy has played pass-to-set-up-the-run-to-try-the-run-to-give-up-on-the-run-when-it-doesn’t-work-right-away-to-just-keep-passing. like i said, it’s worked sometimes, but it shouldn’t be a regular strategy… or is it a tactic?