But this loss didn't uncover anything we didn't know yet, that we have at best an average offensive line and do not have the horses along the defensive line or in the front seven to stop the run. Nothing more, nothing less.
On the offensive line, Chad Clifton was exposed for what comes naturally. foot speed declines with age. With all that his body has been through, age, and playing on a fast track shows that the end is coming for this very fine offensive tackle that we in Green Bay have been spoiled with for years. Maybe it was just one game, but couple that with other struggles this year and it appears father time is starting to chime.
But our offensive line problems don't stop there, the poor communication along the line in general was outed again as well. I can't believe more teams don't stunt on this line, we struggle mightily to pick up twists and stunts.. I have beat this drum for about a year and a half, it is apparent that the coaching group isn't getting their message through to this interior group of players.
I am beyond sick of it.. last week they had focus and played a pretty good game, but par for the course, they followed it up with garbage. Yes Minnesota has a very talented group up front, but other lines have been able to tame this group or at least hold their own.. yesterday, our oline didn't belong. Simple as that.
On the defensive line, it is very apparent in the final makeup of this roster that we made some mistakes in leaving enough in the cupboard for this coaching staff to rotate this group effectively. We all know that Minnesota is going to get their share of yards on the ground, so you try to minimize the damage as much as you can. But the die is cast on this group this year, we can't stop the run effectively and we aren't deep enough to keep rotating bodies in there to remain effective over the course of the game.
Also following a theme is this front seven isn't staying in their assignments and allowing the cutback and backside lanes to open up, simply put the backers are over running the plays and seams are forming. But again that isn't the only issues there.. we are not getting much consistent push from the defensive line and the offenses are getting enough push to get to the linebackers and clogging up the pursuit lanes as well.. making the backers take bad angles as well.. add to it that our safeties for the most part are playing deep so they are slow getting up to the LOS to help as well.
I could ramble on about the defensive front, but it is probably simply summed up as this, we are losing the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides, offense and defense, nothing more nothing less.
Some with point to this being that same offensive line that another played behind, alas that is true without a doubt. Some of the pressure was alleviated last year by a veteran QB and in my opinion better game planning in the passing game. IMO, it seems that this offense as been scaled back for Rodgers, even though Mike McCarthy says that it isn't.. in the game at the metrodome last year with slanted and hitched this team to death.. watch the tape, that underneath stuff was there.. we just didn't expose it enough, in my opinion.
But even with all the offensive issues yesterday day we were in the game at the end..
IMO, the biggest difference in 07 to 08 for the Packers is no our inability to stop the run.. sounds like an excuse for other things, but if you allow any team to cram the ball down on your defense at set themselves up in 2 and 5's and 3rd and shorts all game long, you are probably going to lose more than you win. Football 101.. ball control, field position and turnovers.. at least we won one of the big three's.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"