McCarthy Admits Mistake

Sep, my best guess is the injuries forced the Packers hand, so to speak.

As the changes unfolded, it was clear to see who was a player and wasn't. Hyde's talent stood out immediately, as an example. He was one of the 11 best on defense, but wasn't utilized as he should have been because of 'the scheme'.

I made a mistake once

Or something.

Yeah, we know.  Your developing that relentless hate for Hawk.  LOL!

A few years ago, MM openly proclaimed during the offseason that STs would be better the following season.  They were by a large margin.  Last year, he said flat-out that the running game would be better.  It obviously was.

 

Now he's saying the same thing about the defense.  Based on his track record, I'm pretty confident things are going to be better.

 

Much improved.  Noticeably so.  Intangibles.  Simplicity.  Sound fundamentals.  Athleticism.  

“We’ve learned some hard lessons here of late, the last couple years of maybe playing some players that probably weren’t quite ready because of the scheme we’re playing (instead) of utilizing your best players, and that’s a trap you just don’t want to fall into as a coach.”

Nick Perry fits that quote pretty well.  Not quite ready and really didn't fit the scheme.              

Oh Oh, Ty is. at it again

 

Check out. this paragraph. from recent article. On Julius. Pep.per.s.

 

 

"Age is the obvious concern. Peppers might be on the decline. He has logged 196 career games. In 2013, there were red flags. The Chicago Bears were gashed for a league-high 5.3 yards per carry. Peppers' 7.5 sacks were his lowest since 2007. Scouts say he took plays off. " 

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports...414z1-261196701.html

 

Could this be MM's way of saying "I let what Dom was doing on defense get away from me". We have speculated many times over the years that at times the defense appeared too complex for the players, especially the DB's. MANY missed assignments (some guys playing zone / others playing man), etc. many times our defense looked tentative & were thinking too much rather than just playing. Sounds like MM is going back to an old coaching axiom KISS -- "keep it simple, stupid"

Ty is tweeting. In his articles. It seems.

 

 

Injuries have had a lot to do with not utilizing your best players the past few years. When Perry has been healthy he's shown ability. When I read that MM quote I immediately think of MD Jennings, Jerron McMillian, and Erik Walden. 

Silverstein wrote a good piece in January about the complexity of the defense and the problems that created when using young players. Would have hoped MM had reached that conclusion a bit sooner, but better late than never I guess.

I understand the point Silverstein is trying to make. But the veterans in Pittsburgh that LeBeau has historically leaned on because of the complexity of his defense have looked, well, like old veterans the last two years and were a big reason they finished 8-8 both years and missed the playoffs.

 

I think you could look at Pitt and GB and poke holes in both philosophies. I'm sure Capers wishes his defense didn't have to rely on so many rookies. I'm sure LeBeau looks back and wishes he'd have infused more youth a few years back. I think both have had to deal with excessive injuries as well. 

 

Capers takes a lot of heat for the playoff meltdowns since 2011. Maybe some of that is deserved. Although I still feel the defense held their own last year minus Clay, Neal, Shields, and Hayward. I pretty much know for certain the temperature of this board would be running hot if GB finished 8-8 the last two years and missed the playoffs though. 

 

The bottom line is it's a real bitch to build a 53 man roster each year that gives a team the best possible opportunity to make the playoffs. 

It's a young man's league.

 

More players, less plays. If they stick to this I could see it making a difference. They have a lot of players that can contribute, but very few that need to be out there every snap. 

 

Mix and match, utilize strengths and have more guys ready when they inevitably have to play more due to injury. And fewer snaps per man can only help with player health, right?

And yet I seem to recall Woodson complaining at one point that Capers was calling vanilla schemes because he didn't trust that the DBs could handle more complex assignments.  The reduced offseason accessibility to players has made it that much harder to get players trained up. 

So what I hear is that there is a fine line between, the blend of youth and seasoned veterans, scheme complexity, and level of injuries that can be tolerated for this defense to work as it should.  Sounds about right.  If you increase the number of inexperienced players, the complexity should be reduced.  

 

The same can be said for the other defensive schemes. 

quote:

So what I hear is that there is a fine line between,

quote:

Sounds about right.

Posted this before. I'll post it again. Here's the article trumping youth vs experience.

 

I don't think there is one magic formula. Yes experience is key. But speed kills as does youth, drive, and hunger. This 2014 defense IMO will have a very good mix of both. Capers should have plenty to be excited about.

 

Here is Cliff Cristl making the opposite argument. From 2012:

 

More than 25 years ago, George Young, one of pro football’s true sages and architect of the New York Giants teams that won Super Bowls under Bill Parcells, gave this brief discourse on the key to building a pro football team.

 

"We're a 20-year-old business and not a 30-year-old business. Twenty-year-olds make better soldiers than 30-year-olds. It's the same thing that the Marine Corps learned a long time ago. The best soldier is between 18 and 26 -- except for quarterback where maturity is important. This is a physical game and a Spartan-like game, and it also has to do with economics. People who are hungrier make better soldiers than people who aren't."

 

This year, on defense at least, the Packers have learned their lesson and are reaping the benefits of youth. Once again Sunday against Detroit, their young defenders allowed them to pull out a tough-fought victory despite another sluggish performance by the offense.

 

Granted, Calvin Johnson caught five passes for a 28.6-yard average and would have done more damage if not for Matthew Stafford’s mystifying tendency this season to miss the strike zone. And, sure, it’s more comforting for coaches to play rookies after being handed a boat-full of high draft picks.

 

But, then again, the Packers challenged Johnson enough that he wasn’t able to win the game by himself, and not all of those youngsters on defense started their NFL careers on second base. Dezman Moses and M.D. Jennings made two of the biggest plays of the game and entered the league as undrafted free agents.

 

Great players are rare. Good young players are there to be found if teams are willing to leave their comfort zones. Young players, while they might make more mental mistakes, can rejuvenate an entire unit and allow it to improve over the course of a season

Different season different lede.

It's dangerous to start believing reporters have any clue about the things they write about. They go with the wind. 

 

I'm just looking forward to the new PRODUCT the NFL will provide us with this season. 

Especially when the reporter in question is Cliff Christl.