Packers-Falcons Game Thread

Not seeing Jones or Hawk this much in 5 games, period. The season was crescendoing ... And then  dweedly Dee and dweedly dum show up.

I didn't think it was a player problem.  You do.

defense came out flat in the second half and Atlanta got huge momentum after the big play by Julio. Packer defense was on its heels the rest of the night. Thank goodness the offense is good enough to compensate for that.

Atlanta ran 42 plays to GBs 26 in the second half. 46 for ATL if you count the drive right before the half. GB was gassed by the middle of the 4th. I think if MM had one offensive series to do over it might be the opening drive of the 3rd after ATL scored. 3 and out with a holding penalty  and only took about 75 seconds off the clock. 

       
       


Why you gotta bring Merton Hanks in on this? Stay on task

"Members of the secondary said they never went to a total double-team on Jones where the objective was to take him out of the game completely. They stayed balanced in their coverage and never sold out to stop him even though no one else was hurting them."

 

"We played a lot of the game single-high. We mixed it up still, but we played a lot of the game where there really wasn't a double on him. He was just finding good holes in the zone. And the holes he was finding, nobody was there. He was able to get the ball and catch and run."

 

 

"They did a great job of isolating him," House said. "But I really don't know what was going on."

 

Players seem to think there should have been a scheme adjustment, but WTF do they know.

The Falcons earned years of respect when they kept not throwing in the towel.

I blame Wayne.  He called the dagger on Jordy's first TD at the end of the first half.

 

Little premature.

So he's doing a good job finding the holes in the zone, but he's also beating 1 on 1 coverage and he's beating them with Safety help. Shields was supposed to have Safety help from Burnett who was late, what's the adjustment for the Safety not being on time? He's beating the Zone, he's beating the Man, and he's beating the Double...enlighten me what the adjustment is for that? Why can't some people accept that the players failed, why does it always have to be scheme?

It was almost like Green Bay was playing a "Jordan" Defense: Let Jones get his yards but take away everything else and they won't have enough to beat us.  

Good post, Brainded. I kept wondering why they didn't double Julio as well. Atl doesn't have anyone else who could have hurt us. I mean, White had 42 yards as the next best receiver. Jones had 259. Why not force Ryan to even try to hit anyone else? 

 

It sounds from the quotes like the players were baffled as well. That's a good way for Capers to lose the confidence they were building. If House doesn't make that highlight tip, we would have been in deep trouble. 

 

Megatron is now counting down the days...

I think it was a bend/don't break situation, but I think the pass rush and secondary had an off night and Jones had an exceptional night. He's a great player. They tried to bend, but because they couldn't match the Falcons effort then they ended up breaking. All schemes look poor when the players aren't executing.

People keep bithcing about the lack of pass rush but Ryan was getting the ball out pretty quickly.  It's not like he had all day to throw.  There was pressure but he usually got rid of it before it got to him.

 

"Members of the secondary said they never went to a total double-team on Jones where the objective was to take him out of the game completely. They stayed balanced in their coverage and never sold out to stop him even though no one else was hurting them."

Capers' strategy reminded me of some basketball coaches': Let so-and-so get his points, but we won't let anyone else beat us. It almost failed last night. Yes, Ryan was getting rid of the ball quickly; it was because Jones was open from the snap and Ryan knew it. He could have thrown it early or late to an open Jones given the way he was being "defended" last night.

That's not the same as "we didn't ever double him", that just means they didn't bracket him the entire game. They gave Safety help on him at times.

Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans are no slouches either.

 

All indications are that are CBs and Safeties as a group are as strong as anyone else's secondary. Williams, Shields, House, and Heyward would all be at least the #2 CB on many teams we've played. Dix, Hyde, and Burnett are at least adequate. While we don't have a #1 shutdown type corner, one would think we'd have the talent to hold up. It's not like we had MD Jennings, Bush, or Joey Thomas back there trying to cover people. Atlanta found something on film they could exploit and we never adjusted. That and Jones is just a beast. He did toast one of the three best CBs in the NFL (Patrick Peterson the game before). The concern is that the Packers had seen that on film and still devised a scheme that had him running wide open in the middle of zones. You expect to give up back shoulder fades and jump balls to physically superior receivers. You even expect a double move to work once in a while if there is minimal pass rush (like the beginning of the second half). However, you don't expect the other teams star receiver to catch balls in the middle of the field against a zone coverage with no one within 5-10 yards.

I can't figure out if Capers is showing confidence in believing the D would ultimately not let 1 man beat them, or stubborn to the point of failure.  

The gameplan Atlanta had also relied heavily on Julio Jones not only making exceptional plays, but also being savvy enough to exploit the zones. Not every receiver we will face can do those things. Calvin Johnson surely can, but I doubt Mike Evans is savvy enough to exploit the zones. They won't play those guys the same as they played Atlanta though, different schemes. Julio Jones had a really fantastic game and I think that's lost on some of you, he did something similar against a very good Cardinals D the week before. It's not often a WR can carry a team. We stuffed their running game for the most part and limited their other options, hard to scheme for a fantastic player having an amazing night.

 

 

for your health. 

 

season's over. 

quote:

It sounds from the quotes like the players were baffled as well.

If the players are so smart, let them design their own schemes for Capers to implement.

Sam Jackson loves the Falcons.  

 

 

If Gruden says the Birds are in trouble, it must be Gospel! P**** Him!! RISE UP!! Remember this Mr Gruden, pic.twitter.com/g9iAslK5Cs

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) December 9, 2014

Our turn Now!! Expose your Packer Cheering Mouth to some of these Mr Gruden! RISE UP!! pic.twitter.com/w0najHe3A2

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) December 9, 2014

Rodgers coulda got away , but Gruden was swingin' on his Nuts!!

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) December 9, 2014

What IS that fool Babbling about?! 4 hitches & nobody hands the ball off better, I think he's sippin' Rodgers' Jockstrap Tea!

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) December 9, 2014

That was some Pop Warner tackling!! No offense to Pop Warner Kids, they prolly woulda hung on...like Gruden on Rodgers ...

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) December 9, 2014

CURTAINS!!! Did Gruden just say " they were lucky to dodge a bullet"? Cliche' spouting!! Goodnight!!

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) December 9, 2014

From McGinn at JSO:

 

"The Packers played some man and they played some zone. The cohesion between the three levels of defense was as bad as it has been all season"

 

Miscommunications likely result from not having AJ on the field.

Maybe we can graft his cranium onto Barrington's body

We saw that same defense when Hawk was wearing the dot as well.  

 

Lets not create a new mythology that the defense was a well oiled machine when Hawk was on the field.  

It was a well-communicated machine, that's the only comment I made

 

PS - I would never pimp AJ Hawk in your presence 

 

 

No it wasn't.  The major problem with the secondary over the past couple years has been blown assignments.   

I swear....I'd sell x4 to Satan if we could have 2010 version of Desmond Bishop

What'dya think shes worth?

Or Nick. **** this team would be a dynasty if those two guys were still around. Tramon and Shields might be gone. But that's a defense and an offense combo for the ages. 

 

With or without Henry's  posts?    

 

I seem to recall a game vs the Lions several years ago (@2010?) where we saw coverage on Calvin J that was very unique, If memory is serving, Tramon played him underneath, and a safety blanketed him over the top. The main point it was unusual, innovative, and effective.

I don't recall seeing us play that since against him or any other 'mega'-WRs. So I never understand why nothing is done to prevent a receiver from being open play after play after play. If we have a big lead, and want to run the clock as much as possible, I can understand the concept of allowing underneath openings to keep them in the middle of the field. But not 259 yards worth, under any circumstance.

 

It also seemed Campen/OC/MM was reluctant to give a struggling tackle help, preferring them to man up and win thier one-on-one. Although they/he seems to have relented somewhat when necessary this year, it could be that Whitt/DC/Capers expects the same from DBs. It just seems strange to not have an effective plan to shut down their primary (and only) weapon with some adjustability to react to any given variable.

Haven't we used a similar "bracketing" on Brandon Marshall? 

I had a couple coeds play that same over/under coverage on me a few decades ago.

Prevented you from scoring?

Shut out!

I used what they gave me playing a short grinding offense to the end zone.

Is short grinding the same as dry humping?

 

 

No, that is what you do when you have a little richard. 

RatPackya went with the West Coast, dink and dunk offense.  Hard to believe.

Goal line stand?