Josh Sitton captured the Packers issue perfectly.

It's crazy how no one ever thought of this strategy to beat GB until the Broncos did it this year. Wade Phillips is the genius that laid out the blueprint. Why isn't that guy a HC leading a team to championship glory with impenetrable defenses!

Chiefs, Seahawks, Bears, Rams, Niners & Chargers are so stupid.

Man, how could we.get SO LUCKY those first 6 games?!??!

And the seahawks clearly didn't have the D the lions had sunday.  I mean SEA's D is historically bad.

Word

I'm leaning toward the Ditka sweater jinx myself.

I say Bert put a curse on the team when he came back to have his number retired. 

No. Team. Speed. As we saw on Sunday, a bunch of 10 yard hooks. Safety's can cheat the LOS because who's going to run past the DBs, James Jones? Amazing how losing one guy that can stretch the field affects the other receivers. It would also help if they had some speed in the backfield. Nada. Maybe they should bring the fullback back and try to pound the ball. Maybe two TE's. I caught as many passes as Jones did last week and that was on 63 pass attempts. Basically playing 10 on 11.

I believe when we were 6-0 we were rushing somewhere around 30 attempts per game. On our 3 game slide, I believe we rushed 15-18 times per game.

 

Run and win. Really simple. Even when it doesn't work, keep running the rock.

Run and win, it's not that simple.

 

VS DET they came out throwing and drove down for the FG, then they went on 9 drives with 9 punts were the run game flat out sucked. They made the comeback by throwing. Similarly in the game @CAR.

 

 

 

Wouldn't have had to try for a comeback had they rushed all day... Really simple.

I knew GB was in for a long day when after matriculating the ball down the field with short passes on that first drive Rodgers got impatient on 3rd down and threw that long ball to Davante, who ain't now and who'll never be Randy Moss. Should've just kept doing the short stuff.

I'd agree if the running game was working the past 4+ games. This offense throws to set up the run, even with Feast Mode. 

Hank Stram...is that you?  Please send Otis Taylor and Ed Podolak. 

 

Agreed cuqui, but as always I wonder when that is all AR's decision or the overall play call/scheme that dictates the throw? Certainly he reads what the D gives them and should be going with the best match-up. I don't have the all-22 to look at but are the other routes on that play also long developing and/or deeper? Cobb is quick but not fast, and is not the kind of guy who is going to win the physical battles a the LOS, so if he is running the underneath on a play like that he likely isn't open. Also, Jones seems to have lost whatever he had to start the season.

 

How bad is it that many fans are putting their Packers playoff hopes on guys like Quarless and Montgomery to kick-start the offense?

 

 

Everything is the problem right now.  Jordy being out has affected the deep pass; the other WRs are playing like crap, especially Cobb; the RBs have taken a huge step back this year; the TEs, although never great, are playing at a below average level; the offensive line, a strength of this team last year, is now a huge weakness; the playcalling, while never imaginative, is becoming way too predictable; and yes, QB play is worse than we're used to.  Literally everything needs to improve on offense.  We can debate the order of the issues but fact is, they all need to get fixed if this team wants to win a championship.  

This team cannot make in game adjustments, there is nothing more to say here, they lack creativity.  Where is the damn wrap around play that used to get us 2 or 3 yards?

Started following this guy on twitter last week. Good stuff. Like this.

 

#Packers 28th in 1st down efficiency.. And of course, that leads to 3 & outs. Currently leading NFL with highest 3 & out percentage (27.9%)

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 17, 2015

IF you remove the Cobb 53yd TD v CAR... Over the last 3 weeks, #Packers Rodgers targeting Cobb OUTSIDE THE NUMBERS is 4/16 for 11yds.. Yep.

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 17, 2015

Seeing over & over, Rodgers miss Cobb on passes outside numbers.. Timing/rhythm off. Routes look poor. Low percentage throw to WR that size

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 17, 2015

So important for GB to get TE's going over the middle..Perillo/R.Richards. Seams/overs/skinnys/stick nods... Most QBs love/need these throws

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 17, 2015

Love this formation/personnel group from GB. Janis/Perillo in. Cobb in backfield. Incredible ball from AR to Perillo pic.twitter.com/iBf6g3D6i8

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 17, 2015

...Janis' only offensive snap of the game.

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 17, 2015

Interesting thing in last frame is AR already has his arm cocked before Perillo flashes open.  He was anticipating and trusting that Perillo was going to be open at a spot and hit him there with the throw.

Great find!

Sure did, DH.

 

The problem is that the lack of a run game is linked to the inability to stretch the field deep. If the defense walks a safety into the box you have to be able to beat that with the pass. The fact that Richard Rodgers can't beat anyone down the seam means the safeties can play a couple of steps closer which makes it tougher to run. The lack of a credible deep threat means the safeties and CBs can move even closer to LOS as they feel that even if they get beat they'll be able to recover.

 

Right now, this offense is a bunch of possession/slot receivers who struggle getting off the LOS and, other than Cobb, don't change direction on patterns that well. These receivers are very different from the ones that the offense was built around - Jennings, Driver, Nelson - who were guys who could change direction quickly and get open on slants and out patterns. If you have one of two of those types (or a threat at TE) then slower possession-type guys like Jones, Adams, etc. fill a nice role. When all you have is guys like Jones and Adams (other than Cobb), you'll get problems.

Interesting how in the GIF you have what the effect of having a TE who can stretch the defense has on all the routes. Perillo caught a beautiful throw that was fit into a small window because he forced the LB to take a deeper drop. Check out Adams on this play, He's wide open for a minimum 5 yard gain and can score if he makes one guy miss. All because the LB has taken a deep drop.

For those wondering what Josh exactly said:

 

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Josh Sitton gave a blunt assessment of what is ailing what is usually a potent Packers offensive attack.

 

A guest on Gannett's weekly Packers show, Clubhouse Live, hosted by fellow offensive lineman David Bakhtiari, Sitton responded to a question about the offense by saying: 

I think that our offense has become too predictable. Teams know exactly what we're going to do every week. We need to show them some different things. We're not intimidating the defense right now. We're not making them think, so they can just play really fast. And obviously, we've just got to execute better. We're way too talented to not be playing at a high level right now. We need to execute what we do, and then do it better.

Pretty telling answer from the veteran offensive lineman there, especially when you consider that only an hour or so earlier, his head coach was saying this:

"I think we've got to trust the plan, and I think our players need to trust the plan."

Great insight. Lacy feasted off defenses that only had 6 in the box because they were selling out to limit our big plays in the passing game. Like your observations on the type of receivers that the passing game was built on, our oline was made with pass protection in mind. We've never run effectively vs. a defense that is playing "run".

Continuation of that same article. Hmm..why does this sound familiar?:

 

Look, it's no mystery that the Packers are in an offensive funk and they need to do anything and everything to get themselves out of it. And both these quotes are pretty much standard fare for an offensive lineman who just got done pass protecting over 60 times in a single game and a head coach who has supreme confidence in his abilities to steer his team's ship out of treacherous waters. 

 

However, it also speaks to a very real possibility that Sitton, and possibly one or more of his teammates, are not only getting frustrated with the offense they are being asked to run but they might, just might, be starting to tune McCarthy out. 

 

Far fetched? Maybe. But McCarthy has been in his current position a long time. And it's only natural to think that, after so many years and so many times hearing the "We need to get back to fundamentals" message that players are starting to grow weary of being told what they need to do when they see a coaching staff doing precious little to alter its own approach after the team's first three game losing streak with Aaron Rodgers as a full time starter. 

 

Things have gotten very comfortable around 1265 Lombardi. Maybe too comfortable. And maybe this loss to the Lions is a huge turning point.

The only question is if the turn is up or down.

Link?

That stat on Cobb and outside the #s... yeesh.

 

The TD to Perillo, AR looks enough to the right to freeze the safety while JP beats the LB with the underneath coverage.

 

 

 

Sitton: We've become too predictable. McCarthy: Trust Me

I knew GB was in for a long day when after matriculating the ball down the field with short passes on that first drive Rodgers got impatient on 3rd down and threw that long ball to Davante...

I ain't gonna fault AR on that - Adams was open, AR missed him.

Good read Packerboi as it really brings home, at least to me, is the finger pointing that's going on - Coaching vs Execution. I think both have sucked.  But my thinking is leaning more towards coaching, where they are so- F'in- predictable, as the bigger contributor to this funk the Packers are in.  And now Aaron is acting like he has PTSD, because defenses are getting to him. What really is comical is how arrogant MM is.  The coaching has to evolve and I ain't seeing that - just same old, same old.  

 

 

       
       


I know what you are saying, but I respectfully disagree. I think in CAR Starks was busting at an 8 yds per carry clip, and they quit.

If you look back at our stats through the first 6 games, I bet we were over 25 carries in every game. It is tough to say if the pass sets up the run, or the run sets up the pass, but my money is on the later. Our wins may in fact point to that.

All I know is we have looked the opposite of our first 5 games. I believe McCarthy has to maintain an aire of confidence in his system and his players. We should be OK. Nothing to go on based on what they've shown of late, but faith.

Funny, I recall my wife and I looking at each other in shock, saying "we're done," after losing to DET in the 2010 season. Snuck in the back door, got hot, and won it all. If we are going to peak, I'd rather it be the end of the season and throughout the playoffs.

The thing that makes the run/pass ratio a tough thing to get a hold of is the amount of 8 in the box they're facing that Rodgers is most likely checking out of.     

8? We can't run vs. 7 in the box. Lacy racked up a lot of yards over the past 2 years vs. 6 in the box as a result of teams selling out to stop our big plays in the passing game. They can stop us both run & pass now in their base personnel. 

VS CAR

Starks was 6 for 29 w/ a long of 15 in the 1st half. Take away the long of 15 for Starks and he was 5 for 14, just under 3ypc. Don't see the 8 per...

Lacy was 4 for 3 w/ a long of 3 in the 1st half

 

At the half they were down 27-7... so they had to pass to come back.

 

 

 

Yes, over 25 /game average. But when look at the runs by half they ran slightly more in the 2nd half, when they had the lead... built by passing. But in reality they were fairly balanced 1st/vs/2nd half, due to production.

Opp - 1st / 2nd  --  ttl yards

CHI - 10 / 20  --  133  

SEA - 14 / 15  --  127

KAN - 19 / 13  --  123

SFO - 15 / 18  --  162

STL - 15 / 12  --  86

SDG - 8 / 9  --  133

 

DEN - 12 / 9  --  90

CAR - 12 / 7  --  71

DET - 12 / 6  --  47

 

They gave up on the run in these last 3 games due to production, or the lack thereof would be more accurate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't buy into the 'we can't run the ball because of the box being stacked' nor the 'passing game sucks because our WRs can't get seperation' theories.

There are 15 other teams better at rushing the ball than we are. Does anybody really believe that NFL defenses are scared of the Eagles, Jets, or the Cowboys passing game prowess and won't stack the box against them?

There are 21 other teams better at passing, including the likes of Jacksonville, Cleveland, and Baltimore. Again, does anybody really believe they have better QBs and WRs? Ditto for their powerhouse rushing attacks that force opposing defenses to stack the box that opens up their passing game?

 

 

The point that you missed is that our offense is built on the pass. Dallas' offensive line can run the ball even when the opponent is playing "run"....we can not (see last two possessions of NFC championship game). If we continue to struggle in the passing game I don't really see us able to run the ball effectively.

 

It's real hard to give up 500 against the Lions.  They did play a bit better tho except when it mattered most, the last 5 minutes.