Comments on: Game Thoughts Packers/Broncos

By: 56Coop

56Coop — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:49:01 +0000

Morgan Burnette needs to learn to stay put. A J Hawk needs to cover the middle and forget about blitzing. He’s too slow. Every team we have played has done an excellent job picking up the blitzes, evern when they send the house. I wonder if they are being telegraphed somehow or maybe there’s so much game film available they are becoming too predictable. I am actually kind of glad that Dom has backed off blitzing so much the last two weeks. We were actually quite lucky to get out of Carolina with a win. There’s a lot oif room for improvement on the defense but as Ron says, I’m sure Dom will get it fixed.

If the theory that the offense can score so much that the defense doesn’t have to be great is an actuality then MM can’t be playing to protect a lead any more and will need to keep his foot on the gas like last Sunday.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:26:00 +0000

on that note – Cullen Jenkins has 4 sacks so far this year.

By: ronlc1

ronlc1 — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:44:24 +0000

With ya Dave. With the defense playing the way they are every game is a big Question Mark, every week I say to myself Dom’s too good of a coach to let this continue. He’s working on a solution. And I sincerely believe he is. We will be seeing that change soon. Hopefully Sunday night.

By: Dave in Tucson

Dave in Tucson — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:47:14 +0000

[The Packers] dominated the game.

Offensively? No question. The defense (with the exception of Woodson’s pick-6) looked really bad for the first 2+ quarters.

It’s shocking just how bad the Packers bit on the run when the Broncos ran that flea-flicker. Everybody completely ignored Brandon Lloyd streaking downfield on that play

I like how James Starks runs.

Yes. After the way he got stuffed by the Bears, I was really glad to see him put up some quality carries in this game.

I think the pass defense suffers more than anything from a lack of a pass rush. [...] Clay Matthews has 1 sack this year through 4 games.

These two items are closely related. Matthews just hasn’t been the disruptive presence he was last year; Dom Capers needs to figure out how to fix that, quick.

D∈T

By: Tom Freeman

Tom Freeman — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:52:02 +0000

I agree on the pass rush being the source of the problem. Interestingly, Capers seems to blame it on the DBs (http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-coaches-looking-to-fix-safety-problem-of-leaky-unit-131027253.html) but I agree with you and said so in my own blog (http://wcoffensive.blogspot.com/2011/10/packers-and-lions-both-still-undefeated.html)

By: DaveK

DaveK — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:49:01 +0000

A good pass rush hides a lot of things behind it. Shields isn’t quite the same player as last year because he has to hold coverage for a month and half. It’s also not helping the new safety duo we have on the back end. Same with the ILB’s. If the pass rush doesn’t get better then Shields, Burnett/Peprah, and Hawk all suffer. Get a consistent pass rush like the last six games of last year and it makes their life a bunch easier. So, if the defense is going to get back to last year’s form then Matthews will have re-elevate his game and someone will need to step up on the other side. If that doesn’t then we’ll continue to get a bend and hopefully not break too often defense and it will be up to offense to out-score the other team and control the clock. So far it has been working.

I also heard Mason Crosby is PISSED. No field goal attempts this week and his legs are freaking sore from all the running he does on kick-off coverage units.

By: AZWarrior

AZWarrior — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:46:40 +0000

I suspect that CM-3 is not completely healthy. His quad is probably worse off than has been admitted. Last year, when he was not double teamed, he would, more often than not, just abuse his man. Not this year, however.

By: ronlc1

ronlc1 — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:33:37 +0000

If we’re thinking about improving the very disappointing rush with Johnny Jolly – scrap that idea. The fat man with the runny nose has done it again. Aressted in Houston this weekend for drug possession and tampering with evidence. What an idiot and waste of such mnagnificent talent.

Capers it’s time to change the plan – IT AIN’T WORKING.

Packers #5 in Offenssive Yards
#1 Scoring
#28 Defensive yards
#19 Defensive Scoring
#5 turnover ratio

Turnovers are still good and have probably helped in the wins. D yards are terrible. D scoring unacceptably high. Scoring and Yards for the offense are absolutely great. Thanks o AR and MM for this. I’m happy to see MM deliver some of that killer instinct and not letting up and coasting. The On-side in the first half delivered that blow early. I think at the very least that play made the Broncos wonder just what’s next.

Atlanta with Turner and Ryan could be a test of the defense. I’m worried about Abrams pulling a dirty play on AR. He’s done it once this year and is not above doing it again. Protect AR is a key.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:45:13 +0000

On the defense… They struggled early last year too. Might be wrong, but the defense didn’t dominate a truly good opponent until the Jets sometime around mid-season.

The problem is the pass rush. It’s this simple, Jenkins > Wynn, and Zombo > Walden. The second one might be a stretch, but early I keep getting that feeling. I get the sense that the more time Capers has with the defense the better it will become. We’ll get back Neal and Zombo. I get the feeling Capers is relearning this defense, and once he knows how to best put the pieces together many of the mistakes will be go away.

That said, maybe the 2010 defense played a bit better than they were actually capable of.

By: awhayes

awhayes — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:35:11 +0000

Raymidge – I agree re Cobbs. he is electric. I’m thinking McCarthy is trying to figure out how to work him in. what a luxury for us to have to really think hard about how we’re going to work in all the talent.

Interesting theory re the defense. I’d say it is like the Saints’ philosophy – and also somewhat like the Pats philosophy as well. Statistically, I don’t know that the Pats’ successful teams had great defenses – they have won primarily with offense. It does make sense to some extent. One of the things I think McCarthy has struggled with is how to balance the offense to give the defense enough time to rest. It’s a real dilemma – do you throw all the time and score in 2 minutes like that one drive yesterday or do you run a bit to give your defense a breather. I think you may be right – that he’s starting to conclude scoring should be the priority – essentially accepting the defensive bruises that come with it.