Positives/Negatives, GB/CHI

The offense had 27 points going in to Q4, they should be able to coast on a lead like that. I think they probably should have gone to a gameplan that chewed up more clock with lots of short & intermediate routes and runs with Michael, but they're not the reason the game ended up being close. The Bears targeted Randall hard because they knew he couldn't handle the soft zone coverage they were playing. That's a DC issue IMO, don't put Randall in a position to fail. Cover 3 Man is the late game D that this defense is built for. 

I also think the front 7 is not getting enough criticism for the collapse. The Bears OL was getting downfield and covering up the 2nd and 3rd levels. Howard had open lanes to run in and Barkley had plenty of time. Inexcusable that they couldn't even pressure Barkley. 

Oh put me down for a new DC for Christmas.  I have been wanting that for a few years now.  I used to think that the players weren't right for the system but I don't think that as much anymore.  A good example was in the 4th quarter the Bears are getting hot an moving the ball.  so what does Dom do?  the CB's are giving the Bears receivers so much cushion you could barely see them on the TV.  and he pretty much dials back the blitzes and when he does he blitzes out of the secondary.

I really strongly believe that teams have figured out his schemes and tendencies.  And his defenses are just soft and go in to a shell.  I want a DC that is aggressive and puts his foot on the other teams throats.

I would also go with poor tackling. The D consistently took the wrong angles and whiffed. I thought I was watching Sharper all over again. While it's not specifically the coach's fault on guys whiffing, it seems most of our D is not very good at tackling in space. So, quit with the soft zone that gives WR's space in which to work!

I think we all know this, but the only way the Packers have a new DC in 2017 is if Dom decides to retire.

Unless they have another SEA like collapse that is ALL on the D. Last time McCarthy jettisoned Slocum when he could have just as easily fired Dom too.

The Heckler posted:

+ man was it awesome to get something out the TE position yesterday!  this offense is WAY different when that happens.

Exactly.  Trickle down. Between that and the threat of a running game, receivers are getting open again.  

This offense, as is but especially if the calf heals, can carry this team deep into the playoffs.  The defense is obviously still "finding itself" (or whatever), but if they can keep forcing turnovers, they don't need to be world-beaters.

"I feel like we can run the table."

--Aaron Rodgers QB for the 4-6 Packers, November 24, 2016.

(Sorry H5) 

™

Re: Jared Cook

Green Bay is 6-2 in games Cook has played in this year, 2-4 in games he hasn't.

Many of us (including me) have been very critical of the receivers over the last year and a half, but it turns out if you line up a TE that is a threat vertically that the defensive scheme has to account for, all of sudden your receivers look better. Couple that with Monty's play at RB and you see the 4 game turn-around.

Montgomery's play at RB has been nothing sort of amazing. He wasn't just running through holes (although plays were well blocked). He was making cutbacks and being patient at other times and seemed to have much more of a feel for playing RB than I would have thought to be possible. It would be interesting to interview him after the season to see what types of adjustments in film study and practices he's made to convert  himself to a RB in the middle of a season.

Case for 5-WR (Nelson, Adams, Cobb, Montgomery, Janis or Davis) when the TE was Rodgers.

Have Janis or Davis run deep and let 1 of the other 4 work the middle.

Players not plays...

Aaron Rodgers stats in games with and without Jared Cook available.

With Cook:

168-258, 1988 yards (7.7 YPA), 17 TDs, 1 interception 108.8 QB rating

without Cook:

178-275, 1793 yards (6.5 YPA), 15 TDs, 6 interceptions, 92.2 QB rating

Cook isn't a superstar, but he just makes the matchups more difficult for the defense. I agree with Hungry, though. It's probably not as much Cook as it is not playing RichRod.

Re: Monty, this guy is tooting his own Horn for pegging Monty as a RB coming out of college;

https://www.profootballfocus.c...ery-bigger-workload/ 

Well the internet isn't going to toot your horn for you, so may as well do it yourself when you can.  

The PFF scouts take wasn't that controversial during the 2015 draft.  I remember reading a lot of takes that were similar, that Monty was an incredible athlete but that he wasn't really much of a receiver: poor routes, below average hands, not great when ball is in the air, etc.  I was disappointed in the pick at first, then go aboard when I assumed he'd become a gadget player, a RB/WR hybrid that did all of his work within 5 yards of the LOS while being a top notch return man.  Never going to be a 1 or 2 WR, but could have a huge impact on the offense.  But man he looked really good carrying the rock 16 yesterday.  Lacy was productive in his time but I was never impressed with his patience and decision making (or burst, for that matter).  Monty looked like he knew the RB position better than Starks and Lacy ever did, showing patience and waiting for the right hole to open up, and when it did he burst through it.  Then he did a great job of running to daylight and getting those extra yards, something I rarely saw from Lacy and Starks (Lacy would just run into guys and drag them while Starks just went down).   

2 points. With Monty having Sickle Cell trait they have to manage exertion levels because symptoms become active when the body is oxygen deprived. IDK exactly how they were directed to manage it from medical staff, but it could effect number of carries depending on weather, etc. Regarding Lacy. I think the kid has vision, & great feet, he just got so heavy that his body wouldn't allow him to make the cuts that his feet were telling him to. 

Sounds like maybe he didn't stay/play within the scheme?

McCarthy on Randall: There’s things he’ll learn from. Reasons you have alignment and assignments on certain plays.

— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) December 19, 2016

Hard to be on the coaches side on this stuff when the "scheme" has been questionable for the last 10 years.  How often ahve we had to deal with "communication errors" over the years, seeing DBs looking at each other after a blown coverage.  My guess is that Dom likes to change the coverages up constantly, giving the QB a ton of looks throughout a game to try and confuse him.  That results in a lot of communication errors.  But it also creates issues within the backfield.  If you're a DB and you know you excel in say, press coverage but Dom is telling you to play a soft zone and you're getting killed b/c of it, it's hard to just get on board and play that soft zone.  And it's one thing if your DC is Dick LeBeau and you have a track record of amazing defense.  It's another when it's Dom Capers.  

CUPackFan posted:

 Lacy was productive in his time but I was never impressed with his patience and decision making (or burst, for that matter).  Monty looked like he knew the RB position better than Starks and Lacy ever did, showing patience and waiting for the right hole to open up, and when it did he burst through it.  Then he did a great job of running to daylight and getting those extra yards, something I rarely saw from Lacy and Starks (Lacy would just run into guys and drag them while Starks just went down).   

This entire comment isn't close to accuracy or reality. 

If anyone wants to bag on the guy for not having the discipline to back away from the China Food Buffet, have at him. But saying you rarely saw burst, or patience, or ability, or getting those extra yards from Lacy? C'mon man. 

Gus Bradley will be available as a new DC for those seeking one

Brak posted:

LOL.  Big plus for MM.  Lots of posts the last couple of weeks about how stupid he is.  How stubborn he is.  How slow he is.  How this, how that.

Here's a big **** you to all the MM haters out there.  You can't stomach the fact that tomorrow morning you'll be on the way to a job you hate.  But you know more about football than Mike McCarthy.

***pissuparope***

 

Woooooooo !

Gus was a product of a peaking Seattle team.

Henry posted:

Gus was a product of a peaking Seattle team.

Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Kam Chancellor would make a lot of guys look good.

The same way Charles Woodson, a young CM3, and prime BJ Raji did for Capers.

Dom's not an idiot obviously. In the 23 years he's been in charge of a defense (either as a head coach or a DC), he's had a top 5 defense in the league by points allowed 6 times - with 5 different franchises (Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Jax, Carolina, and Miami). That doesn't happen by accident.

The problem is that he's had a bottom 5 defense 4 times by points allowed. That's what puzzling. You'd think a good defensive mind would never have a terrible defense even if he didn't have stars. That's not the case for Dom.

I think for his defenses to work well, guys need to be in the system for a while and he needs a guy to direct it who can make good decisions - a coach on the field type. When he has Rod Woodson or Charles Woodson or Carnell Lake out there the defense works as well as any. When he lacks that level of player, things fall apart.

From ProFootballreference.com (sorted by points allowed)

Because he's not a good coach anymore.  He's a Wizarding jeeniuous of play devising greatness but he can't coach for ****.

Satori posted:

Brak posted:

LOL.  Big plus for MM.  Lots of posts the last couple of weeks about how stupid he is.  How stubborn he is.  How slow he is.  How this, how that.

Here's a big **** you to all the MM haters out there.  You can't stomach the fact that tomorrow morning you'll be on the way to a job you hate.  But you know more about football than Mike McCarthy.

***pissuparope***

 

Woooooooo !

Pistol GB posted:

Ugh to this.  You [two] take all the fun out of posting here.

I only have to go 3 feet to the job I hate.  Up yours Bark!

Some of my questions regarding Capers have always been if the players he has at any given time are mentally capable of carrying out the scheme that he devises. When considering scheme coaches always have to ask: 1) Are the players physically able 2) Are the players mentally able. 

messaging exchange with a friend who is a bears fan

Eddie Lacy at a healthy fat level is an elite RB IMO, that guy was second only to Frank Gore in total yards over the first 3 years of his career. He could do anything with the ball in his hands out of any scheme. This is a guy I would pay top dollar for. 

Eddie Lacy at the fat level he's at is nothing more than Brandon Jacobs, which is to say he's a bowling ball that offers little in terms of scheme versatility. He struggles to make cuts and gets more yards from momentum, which comes from running only from the I, Ace, or Pistol, than vision or awareness. This guy I would love to have but I wouldn't pay him top starter money. 

Henry posted:

Gus was a product of a peaking Seattle team.

We're all the product of someone peaking. 

Fandame posted:

I've wanted a new DC for Christmas for several years. I keep getting the same lump of Dom coal instead... 

Fixed that for you.

Herschel posted:

Henry posted:

Gus was a product of a peaking Seattle team.

We're all the product of someone peaking. 

Not me.  I was a product of resignation.  "Oh ****, that happened again". THANKS MOM AND DAD!

The Heckler posted:

I want a DC that is aggressive and puts his foot on the other teams throats.

{cough cough} Rex Ryan or Marvin Lewis {cough...wheeze}

Or some guy like Dean Pees (Ravens DC)

This article from Cliff explains the discrepancies between the all-time series record: http://www.packers.com/news-an...fa-ae7f-6df0b1ee6f9f

Rex Ryan would be a disaster in GB. He and McCarthy wouldn't jive IMO. It would be a Buddy Ryan/Kevin Gilbride situation. Gus Bradley wouldn't be bad, I think he's the rah rah motivator from Bonger's wet dreams. What is Jim Tomsula doing? He's the fat sweaty mouth breather from Hank's wet dreams. 

Dave Aranda?   Untried and untrue but he does seem to know how to put a D on the field.  He will eventually want to move up and get a shot, why not now?

I have no idea if he would mesh with Mike but sometimes new blood is what is needed.  I think with a new pass rusher or two this D is ready for prime time.

If the Jets fire him, Todd Bowles.

I highly doubt the Jets fire Bowles unless there's a new GM who wants his own guy, and even then, Bowles likely gets one more year if they blow it up.

What happened to Dean Lowery yesterday? After several games it at nearly an all pro level I don't remember his name being called once or seeing him do much. 

Zeke Bartkowski posted:

This article from Cliff explains the discrepancies between the all-time series record: http://www.packers.com/news-an...fa-ae7f-6df0b1ee6f9f

 

Great find and great read Zeke!

History rocks.

Grave Digger posted:

Rex Ryan would be a disaster in GB. He and McCarthy wouldn't jive IMO. 

I think you meant "jibe".  Irregardless,convict me, I'm a word Nazi.

Since the CB play has been so bad McCarthy will probably do the obvious thing and fire Joe Whitt.  Thankfully last off-season we got Angelichio who fixed Richard Rodgers and Sirmans who got Starks and all those undrafted rookies coached up and ready to go!