The Offense… well, what can I say. If it wasn’t for Arron
Rodgers, this team wouldn’t even be in with a shout of making the play-offs
right now. But his play alone isn’t enough. The Panthers game is a great
example of this. Rodgers seemed to be on the run the whole game. They still
managed to keep up with really a mis-matched Panthers offence. Thought probably
the game deciding play shows why you can’t live on the run as a QB in the NFL.
Green Bay have worked themselves all the way back from 7-27
at HT, to having a chance to take the game to OT. Its 4th and 4 at the Panthers
Goaline.
Packers come out in a Gun look with 2 backs, a ‘Wingback’
and 2 wide-outs. To the Top of the Picture we have a normal slant, towards the
bottom we have a Pick play with the Wide-outs slant working as a block for the
motioning Wingback to come open on the Flat route. Both Running backs are in
Pass Pro with the one having a middle release.
Rodgers makes his 1st read to the Pick play.
Panthers have sniffed it out pretty well. Now they are forcing Rodgers to make
a second read behind an OLine that has struggled all game.
Just a second later, this is what we are seeing. Rodgers is
on the move in the Pocket with nowhere to go with the ball and pressure on him.
Rodgers has backed off and bought himself enough time to
spot one of the 2 open WRs after 2 Panthers fall down. Though because of the
pressure coming from the Panthers, Rodgers is throwing off the back foot. This
is a recipe for disaster.
The throw doesn’t even have enough on it to clear a
straggling pass rusher. It ends up getting picked. No amount of arm strength
will save Rodgers and Green Bay from this happening more often, just ask rivals
Jay Cutler and the Bears.
They can’t even lead on the Run as they just can’t seem to
get a consistent running game going either. Neither Lacy nor Starks are having
much sustained success, though Stark has been having a better run of it
compared to the hampered Lacy. This lack of production isn’t because of the
talent in the backfield. And it’s the same reason why Rodgers is under duress
on a regular basis. The Offensive Line is struggling, A LOT!
They played the Lions last week, who had the 4th
Worst Run Defence in the NFL. Yet Green Bay only managed 47 Yards collectively
on the ground with only 18 rush attempts compared to 61 Pass attempts. You
aren’t winning many games with that type of Run:Pass Ratio in the NFL.
I will now show you the opening 3 running plays by the
Packers, as I believe early running plays should set the tone for your Offense.
Run 1: Firstly, It says something that your 1st
run play you call isn’t until the 5 play of your opening drive. But here we are
2nd and 6 on the GB 43 (Note: ball is close to midfield, a very safe
area of the field. Like Green Bay didn’t want to risk running the ball deep in
their own half early).
Packers are lined up in the Gun with the RB to the Right and
a TE to the Right as well. They find themselves facing a light box, the Lions
have only 6 playing the run against the 6 blockers. This suggests the Packers
are onto a winner.
This is the play they have drawing up. The blocking will go
something like drawn above. Double Teaming at the LOS then trying to get
quickly to any flowing LBs at the second level. Starks is trying to get to the
outside here and force one of the Safeties to make a tackle.
All that above, like all draw-up blocking schemes, is if the
OL wins every block. In this case the Lion in the middle of the picture has
basically beaten the block of the RT. Making Starks have to make a choice,
either stick with the play and try and beat him to the edge, or Cut back and
let the RT run him out of the play.
Starks cuts back. However more missed blocks means, instead
of running into just a Safety. There are 3 free Lions to make the tackle. This
play ends as a nice 5 yard gain. Though looking at it from behind, focusing on
the blockers, you can see this should have gone for at least a few more yards.
Run 2: The next play just so happens to be a Run as well. 3rd
and 1…
Packers start off showing an Empty set. Lions are is a pass
rushing look. Widening their DL looking to get after Rodgers. Though you can
see Rodgers calling for a motion.
Once Starks gets into the back field, and settles down to
the left of Rodgers, this is how the blocking is supposed to look like. As you
may have noticed, the Blocking is going the wrong way. But there is still a
Lane for Starks to get the 1 Yard he needs for the 1st down.
Again, the blocking turns into a bit of a mess. The 2 inside
LBs bite hard to the right, opening up a huge cutback lane for Starks to get
into the Secondary again.
Starks ends up running into his own man, #75 as he had been
pushed into the running lane. This gives the DE to come all the way across and
make the tackle. 2 Yard gain that once again, should have been more.
Run 3: We don’t see another run play until the second play
of the second drive. Its 2nd and 10 on the GB 39.
Packers are in the Gun again, with Starks to the left of
Rodgers. Blocking upfront is pretty safe and not really asking too much. Double
Team at the point of attack, with a blocker peeling off to get to the only LB
in the box. This should be a run straight to the Secondary. To either the Left
or Right of the Double Team.
As the play develops. Starks is led by the handoff towards
the Inside hole. The Lane is right there, and a wide as any you’ll see, but
unfortunately it doesn’t stay that way…
The RG loses his block after the Center peeled up towards
the LB, even then the Center doesn’t drive the LB back. Add to that, the LG
loses his block on the backside. This leaves Starks penned in. This end in just
a 2 Yard gain.
All 3 plays were limited by missed blocks against one of the
worst Run Defences in the league who weren’t exactly keying on the run.
When you’re not blocking well upfront. Life is never going
to be easy. But it’s effecting Rodgers and the Packers more than some other
teams because of the way Green Bay like to move the ball. For years we have
been watching Rodgers dive the ball Deep or Push the ball vertically through
the Seams to the Receivers that he trusts and has ‘Connections’ with. Now he
doesn’t have the time to let these plays develop nor the chemistry with some of
the younger players. Add that to Zero Running game, which limits the
effectiveness of the Play Action. You are left with a short passing game. And
that is how the Lions beat Green Bay on Sunday. Not by being the better team,
but by taking advantage of reduced the play calling options. It became obvious
that the Lions had keyed in on this as the Game went on. And teams will
continue to do so until something changes.
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