Green Bay If you had a dj vu moment this week listening to the Green Bay Packers coaches talk about some of the failures that occurred on the offensive line in the season opener, you're not imagining things.
"We did a good job picking things up, making the proper calls, but we just flat out lost some one-on-one situations that occurred and resulted in quarterback hits and sacks," coach Mike McCarthy said of his line's performance.
"I think it was just fundamentals," offensive line coach James Campen added.
Those were comments both men made after the season opener against Philadelphia on Sept. 9, 2007. The Packers won, 16-13, but they allowed quarterback Brett Favre to get hit 11 times, including four sacks for a total of 37 yards.
In almost a carbon copy of that game, the Packers pulled out a squeaker against the Chicago Bears, 21-15, but they allowed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to get hit nine times, including four sacks for 34 yards.
Once again, McCarthy, Campen and offensive coordinator Joe Philbin were OK with the way assignments were handled but frustrated with the number of times their quarterback got hit. They pointed to poor fundamentals as the sickness running through their starting five.
"We expect more," Philbin said Thursday.
Why exactly the line has struggled so badly coming out of the gate two of the last three years might have something to do with the pressure defenses the Packers faced. Or it might be something else. The only thing that really matters is whether they do something about it.
In '07, Favre was sacked only 11 more times during the regular season and the offense finished ranked No. 2 in the league as the Packers went all the way to the NFC Championship Game. It helped that the line was fairly static throughout the season, especially at center and the two tackle positions.
This week, McCarthy and his staff have been reserved in their criticism of individuals on the offensive line such as right tackle Allen Barbre, who gave up two sacks and two quarterback knockdowns against the Bears. But they haven't necessarily been soft-shoeing it around the linemen as Campen's prolonged outburst during practice Thursday can attest.
"It was all fundamentals," guard Daryn Colledge said earlier this week. "Schematically, we all knew what we were doing; we were on the same page. It was one guy breaking down fundamentally. I had a play and (Jason) Spitz had a play and Chad (Clifton) a play. Everybody had a play they wanted back.
"We just have to fundamentally get back to the offense we were in the preseason and play with a swagger and confidence that we know we had. The Bears are done; we're on to Cincinnati."
To complicate matters, Colledge suffered a foot sprain during practice Thursday and spent the afternoon being evaluated by the medical staff. It's too early to tell whether he'll miss the Bengals game Sunday, although McCarthy said it definitely wasn't a Lisfranc injury, which can sideline players for an entire season.
If Colledge can't play, rookie T.J. Lang could fill in or McCarthy could move Spitz from center to left guard and insert Scott Wells at center.
At this point, however, the biggest concern is getting Barbre settled at the right tackle position and making sure everyone else cleans up their act. Barbre was back at his starting job in practice this week and vowed that he would put the poor performance against the Bears behind him.
"I don't think I've lost confidence in myself," Barbre said. "I just had to go out there, study film and fix a few technique things and go out there and play. I feel fine and I'm ready to go."
Barbre, who had a miserable time blocking Bears end Adewale Ogunleye, said it was apparent on film what he was doing wrong and how he needed to fix it. Ogunleye beat him around the corner, beat him with a "club" move and took advantage every time Barbre's footwork got sloppy.
Though he rebounded and played better in the second half, Barbre understands he has to clean things up or be at risk for another bad day. He said straightening out his kick step coming out of his stance so that he stays square is the major adjustment he must make.
"I'm looking forward to getting out there and showing what I can do," Barbre said. "Just prove to them that I can do it and leave no doubt. That's where I'm at right now."
Barbre's task won't be easy. The Bengals are another pressure defense with a solid left end that will be a challenge to block. Robert Geathers is a grizzled veteran who two years ago had 10 sacks, and he'll work together with tackle Domata Peko to try to take advantage of what the Bengals probably view as a weak spot.
How much help the Packers give Barbre remains to be seen.
"We have to be ready for anything," Philbin said. "It wasn't just him. There were a couple times (it was others). There are other areas we have to be concerned about. It's a possibility (Barbre will be tested). You can't rule it out."