Zero2Cool
13 years ago
Ugh, I know, no full article posting, but this is a good one and I'll take the heat. Please click the authors name to support their work (and help me not get chewed out!).

I think this is a good read and Finley haters (the few) should read it.

Green Bay - There are parts of tight end Jermichael Finley's game you can identify with no difficulty at all.

There are the catches (42), the yards (600) and the touchdowns (six). There are the drops (nine), the false-starts (four) and the lapses in blocking (occasional). There are the complaints to the officials (a few too many) and the brash statements (fewer than in previous years).

There are all those things that make Finley as recognizable on the field as any member of the Green Bay Packers.

Then there are the things you probably don't see at all.

Like the incredibly long list of plays he has to run from one of five positions he plays for the NFL's fourth-leading offense. Like the attention Finley draws from opponents on almost every passing play. Like the role he plays in helping quarterback Aaron Rodgers identify coverage before the ball is snapped.

Finley might frustrate the button-down fan who would prefer he be less demonstrative on the field, be a little more humble and care at little bit less about his next contract. From an opponent's perspective, however, he is a respected if not feared force.

"You have to deal with him," said Tampa Bay Buccaneers pro personnel director Shelton Quarles, whose team held Finley to one catch for 30 yards. "You can't cover him with a linebacker. He's too quick. It's tough to do it with a safety, too.

"You can try to cover him with a corner. But you have to put someone over the top against him. But then there's Jordy (Nelson). He can hurt you, too. It's sort of like pick your poison."

Based on the way teams have played the Packers this season, opponents have chosen not to let Finley bring them to their knees. There is rarely an occasion where Finley gets to run a route with only one defender to worry about.

"Usually, it's an inside linebacker underneath and a safety over the top," Finley said. "Sometimes it's a corner and sometimes it's a safety. But there's usually someone over the top. I don't know if everybody sees that."

Finley's value to the 2011 Packers is best quantified in team production.

Many fans argue that Finley's value isn't that great because the team won a Super Bowl last year when he missed all but five games with a knee injury. But the 12-0 record and offensive dominance this season suggest otherwise.

You have to factor in the flawless play of Rodgers, but it would be hard not to acknowledge Finley has played a large part in the offense seeing its numbers increase from 358.1 yards, 24.2 points and two passing touchdowns per game last year to 405, 35 and three this year.

And with the pressure on the offense greater because of the defense playing at a far poorer level than a year ago, those improved numbers have been vital to the team's success.

"I think he is critical," said an NFC personnel executive who asked not to be identified. "Look at the Packers and those receivers and think about that. I'm sure he's helping out Jordy. Jordy is playing his (butt) off from what I've seen. But (Finley) has a lot to prove."

What makes Finley especially valuable is the multiple positions he can play. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 247 pounds, he is as fast as many receivers in the NFL and quicker than a lot of them.

His big soft hands have deserted him at times this season, but that probably has more to do with him pressing a little bit - his coaches say he's taking his eye off the ball because of his desire to get yards after the catch. When it counted in a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, he plucked a Rodgers dart from the air and outran a linebacker for a 24-yard gain to start the game-winning drive.

During a game, he'll line up in as many as five positions: in-line tight end, slot and flex receiver, outside receiver and fullback. Often, he lines up wide by himself to draw a safety so a receiver on the other side can get one-on-one coverage.

Because Greg Jennings often gets the other double-team, Nelson, Donald Driver and James Jones get most of the one-on-ones.

"They move him a ton, too," the personnel executive said. "The backfield, they flex him out, they use him to see how a team is going to defend him so Aaron knows what kind of coverage he's going to get. He (Rodgers) has got this guy that can move around and see how the defense shifts.

"He's so fast and quick in and out of his breaks, just like a big receiver. A linebacker can't play him. You go straight man, you have to put a cover safety or a big corner on him and then put a safety over him. We don't have one of those. I really want Santa to bring us one of those for Christmas."

A perfect example of Finley's impact came on Nelson's 21-yard catch in the fourth quarter that set up the Packers' last touchdown against the Giants. Finley lined up in the left slot and motioned all the way to the other side of the field.

The safety who was covering him followed and Rodgers understood he had man-to-man coverage on Nelson. He threw the ball up and Nelson made a terrific catch over a cornerback who had no safety help.

Another time, Finley not only drew a linebacker in coverage, but the Giants removed defensive lineman Justin Tuck from their pass rush so he could jam Finley at the line and tie him up. The Giants sacrificed pass rush to neutralize the tight end.

Finally, on Driver's first touchdown, the Giants blew coverage and left the Packers receiver wide open. Two defenders went after Finley and a third seemed occupied by him.

"That's my thing right now, remembering we have a great receiving corps," Finley said. "I like being part of it. That's what I wish for and dream about. But I have to be patient. Sometimes you're opening things up for other guys."

This season Finley has played split end roughly 25% of the time, slot or flex receiver 28% of the time, tight end 43% of the time and fullback 4% of the time. In order to do that, he has to study the assignments of each position, be prepared to execute them from different spots in the formation and read the way the opposition is playing him.

The closest thing might be the receiver position, where wideouts must learn split end, flanker and slot.

"I don't think it's even close," tight ends coach Ben McAdoo said. "He has stuff from the backfield and stuff from the in-line position. It's like playing receiver, slot receiver, split end, tight end, tackle, fullback - you have to be able to do it all.

"You try to hone it in what you have for that particular week. But usually at some point in time he'll have something from every area."

Finley said remembering all the assignments is harder than actually executing, but he said while his grades might not have been the best at the University of Texas, his football knowledge is top-shelf.

McAdoo wouldn't dispute that.

"You can't be a (dummy), no," McAdoo said. "You have to be able to think quick. A lot of time book smarts may help, may not help. Usually they help you in the classroom.

"When you're on the field you have to think quickly. You have to be able to react quickly in space and naturally in space. That's something he does well. He's got a lot on his plate. We ask a lot of him."

Finley, it seems, delivers in more ways than one.

Tom Silverstein  wrote:


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nerdmann
13 years ago
So, Finley is awesome because of a bunch of things that we can't see?
Maybe he didn't drop those balls, because he heard footsteps. Maybe is just trying too hard. But the dude has YET to prove himself. I'd like to see him bust out. I'd LOVE to see him bust out.
This is the year of the takeover, Finley. Take over a game.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Zero2Cool
13 years ago

So, Finley is awesome because of a bunch of things that we can't see?
Maybe he didn't drop those balls, because he heard footsteps. Maybe is just trying too hard. But the dude has YET to prove himself. I'd like to see him bust out. I'd LOVE to see him bust out.
This is the year of the takeover, Finley. Take over a game.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 



Care to explain what your point is here for those who are failing to understand it, namely, myself? You come off like the article is excusing Finleys drops. I didn't get that impression, but rather a mention that he adds more to the team than numbers.
UserPostedImage
13 years ago
I think I qualify for the hater category, as I have been critical of Finley at times.

No one would question that he's a weapon, but he needs to do more than he has to be called some of the things some people claim he is, like "elite", "best receiving TE in the NFL", etc.

I'm sure he does help Rodgers determine coverages by his motion and various alignments, and I think Silverstein is one of the best Packer writers out there. I tend to accept most of what he says in this article, and I think Finley is very valuable.

What I don't buy are exaggerations like this-

Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 247 pounds, he is as fast as many receivers in the NFL and quicker than a lot of them.



Finley ran a 4.82 40 yard dash at the Combine, with a 1.65 10 yard split. In comparison, here are the numbers for our WRs-

Jordy 4.51 and 1.50
Jones 4.54 and 1.54
Jennnings 4.42 and 1.57
Driver 4.45 and ???
Cobb 4.46 and 1.56

So he's not even close to as fast or as quick as any of our 5 WRs. And ours aren't the fastest out there. Most WRs in the league can at least run in the 4.5 range. The SLOWEST WR 40 time from the 2008 combine that Finley attended was 4.69, a significant .13 seconds faster than Finley. The slowest WR this year was 4.71, still WAY faster than Finley. So that statement is basically false. There are few, if any, WRs in the NFL that Finley is faster than.

Finley isn't slow for a TE, but he's not fast for one either. He's about average. Vernon Davis is fast for a TE. Antonio Gates. Jimmy Graham. Not Finley. Speed is not what sets him apart, especially after the knee problems he has had.

His height, length, hands and body control are what make him such a weapon. And his hands have failed him 9 times this year. That's way too many drops for a player who is much more receiving TE than blocking TE.

I'm still glad he's on the team, and hope they put the franchise tag on him next year. But if he wants to be the highest paid TE in the game, he needs to improve.
Zero2Cool
13 years ago
My biggest concern was his health, that of Jermichael Finley of course. Now, I'm starting to be concerned with his hands.
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zombieslayer
13 years ago
I stopped reading after he called us "the NFL's 4th leading offense."
My man Donald Driver
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2010 will be seen as the beginning of the new Packers dynasty. 🇹🇹 🇲🇲 🇦🇷
Zero2Cool
13 years ago

I stopped reading after he called us "the NFL's 4th leading offense."

Originally Posted by: zombieslayer 


YARDS BABY ITS ALL ABOUT THE YARDS!!!
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go.pack.go.
13 years ago
Only thing I disagree with in this article is where he said that Finley complains to the refs too much. I've never seen him go up to a ref and complain to him. He will throw his arms up just like any other receiver/TE does...but he doesn't do as suggested in this article.
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evad04
13 years ago

So, Finley is awesome because of a bunch of things that we can't see?
Maybe he didn't drop those balls, because he heard footsteps. Maybe is just trying too hard. But the dude has YET to prove himself. I'd like to see him bust out. I'd LOVE to see him bust out.
This is the year of the takeover, Finley. Take over a game.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 


Things Finley has managed thus far:

-while ranking only 15th among tight-ends in receptions (42), he is fifth in yards (600)
-among TEs with at least 20 catches (a barometer I have personally selected), Finley ranks 4th in average yards/catch
-only Rob Gronkowski (13), Jimmy Graham (8), and Tony Gonzalez (7) have caught more TD passes (for tight ends)
-33 of Finley's 42 catches have been for 1st downs; among TEs with at least 20 catches, Finley's 1st down conversion % is 4th

Finley, statistically speaking, is among the very best TEs in the league. Greg Jennings is 7th among wide receivers in yards (929), and he and Nelson are tied for second in TDs (9). Where am I going with this? Green Bay clearly has a ton of weapons. I can only speculate, but I'd bet anything in my pockets that if you put Finley on a less talent-laden roster, his production would be higher. Teams would lean on him more than we currently are.

Finally, Finley impacts the game in ways that aren't directly measured from his production. There have been several games wherein his presence commands a high-low double team. This frees up all the other guys.

I happen to think that Jordy is a stellar player, but I can't help but think his production has been affected by having Jennings and Finley on the field at the same time.
William Henderson didn't have to run people over. His preferred method was levitation.
"I'm a reasonable man, get off my case."
zombieslayer
13 years ago

Things Finley has managed thus far:

-while ranking only 15th among tight-ends in receptions (42), he is fifth in yards (600)
-among TEs with at least 20 catches (a barometer I have personally selected), Finley ranks 4th in average yards/catch
-only Rob Gronkowski (13), Jimmy Graham (8), and Tony Gonzalez (7) have caught more TD passes (for tight ends)
-33 of Finley's 42 catches have been for 1st downs; among TEs with at least 20 catches, Finley's 1st down conversion % is 4th

Finley, statistically speaking, is among the very best TEs in the league. Greg Jennings is 7th among wide receivers in yards (929), and he and Nelson are tied for second in TDs (9). Where am I going with this? Green Bay clearly has a ton of weapons. I can only speculate, but I'd bet anything in my pockets that if you put Finley on a less talent-laden roster, his production would be higher. Teams would lean on him more than we currently are.

Finally, Finley impacts the game in ways that aren't directly measured from his production. There have been several games wherein his presence commands a high-low double team. This frees up all the other guys.

I happen to think that Jordy is a stellar player, but I can't help but think his production has been affected by having Jennings and Finley on the field at the same time.

Originally Posted by: evad04 



I was going to counter your argument by saying that we take a lot more attempts than other teams, but then looked it up and found out that we're #17 in passing attempts.

So, never mind. You've made some good points that I can't refute.
My man Donald Driver
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