The question I have is why? Jermichael Finley hardly played a role in this offense at all in 2008, yet Aaron Rodgers' play was outstanding. Finley only began to emerge in the second half of 2009 as a force to be reckoned with, yet Rodgers' output was still outstanding. How did Rodgers become so dependent on Finley over the course of the offseason? And is this Rodgers' fault or some kind of gross schematic miscalculation on the part of the coaching staff?
"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:
Much like you and Greg, I too have been wondering what has happened. I think over-reliance on Finley is a factor, but I'm beginning to think more and more that the loss of Grant and inability to actually have a running game is a larger (perhaps even biggest) factor.
Particularly in our Miami loss, it was appalling how much Rodgers was relied upon to be the offense. Granted he is your play maker, but when it's obvious the defense is playing pass first and basically all but putting up a sign in the middle of the field inviting you to run, the stubbornness of McCarthy to not run was astonishing. I saw gaps along the O-line that Ryan Pickett could fit through, yet McCarthy and Co. asked Rodgers to drop back and be savior. I think the inability to set his feet also comes into play here, because he is trying to keep plays alive / have a bit more time so that one of his receivers - if not Aaron himself - can get to the middle and really take advantage of the coverage opposing teams are playing.
The following games, teams have been emulating that strategy: pay two-deep safety, play man-to-man underneath, and drop 1-2 LBs. It's a blend of zone and man-to-man. They start with seven in the box, but after the snap mostly have 5 or six players remain in the box. McCarthy has mentioned the success B-Jack has had lately and I think most of it can be attributed to the fact teams are basically daring us to beat them on the ground with the run, which we cannot do because B-Jack is hardly a game changer at RB.
It's frustrating as heck to see week after week 6 to 7 players dropping back to play the pass against 4-5 receivers and us still forcing the issue. It's even more frustrating to see the middle of the field and the edges of the field be ripe for exploiting, and yet McCarthy still insist on throwing the ball. Frankly, we're forcing the issue on offense and telling Aaron to go play savior anyways... you cannot do that and expect to maintain a high level of success.
I've started to conclude that Ted has really let his franchise player down by not providing a RB worth a damn behind Grant. As much as I hate to to say this, sometimes I wonder if it would be for the best to have Rodgers go down for a game or two so Ted's glaring lack of help in terms of personnel can be better exposed. Yes, good RBs are a dime a dozen, but it is frustrating when our biggest need on offense since week 1 is continuously ignored. A decent running game would do a lot to make defenses respect the run more and keep 7 even 8 players in the box, giving our receivers more one-on-one match-ups that they and Rodgers can easily take advantage of.
Teams have found the strategy to beating the Packers: make them successfully run it down your throat. Unfortunately, with our personnel at RB, we cannot do that. I see no reason why teams would change that strategy given it has worked pretty well to shut our offense down. It was surprising to see someone like Rex Ryan, who emphasizes the blitz and playing press-man with his corners, using the same strategy the Dolphins used. Rex Ryan, who has had tremendous defensive success with his variation of the 3-4 was willing to alter it.
The NFL is a copycat league, and teams have found a way to shut down our pass-first offense. It'll be interesting to see if McCarthy and co. can counter that. Based on recent weeks though, I am not optimistic that McCarthy can because I see him sticking to his pass-first approach. And while some may blame him for that stubbornness, I think we have to look beyond and realize that he simply has no faith in his RB personnel to run it more consistently.
Although interestingly, someone pointed out to me recently that with Grant we only gave him about 17 carriers per game last year. Meaning, perhaps it is not the RB personnel but the O-line personnel that McCarthy does not have faith in which could very well be the case. In which case, McCarthy is a totally incompetent coach because he chose to install the Zone Blocking Scheme, which called for more agile and quicker O-linemen than heavy and mauling type ones. McCarthy talks big about establishing the run, but he never has in his time here. And I think that is now catching up with him in a big way.
The NFL: Where Greg Jennings Happens.