Zero2Cool
16 years ago

[img_r]http://cmsimg.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20081203&Category=PKR01&ArtNo=81203161&Ref=AR&Profile=1058&MaxW=318&Border=0[/img_r]For most of his four NFL seasons, the Green Bay Packers have resisted the idea of using linebacker Brady Poppinga as a designated pass rusher.

They finally tried it last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Perhaps its a sign of how desperate they have become, but the Packers plan to continue using their starting strong-side linebacker in a pass-rushing role.

Poppinga played defensive end for his first three college seasons at BYU before moving to linebacker as a senior. Since the Packers picked him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, they have talked about the possibility of using him as a defensive end in obvious passing situations. He occasionally took reps there during offseason workouts the last few years and once in a while would take a few turns in the one-on-one pass rushing drills.

Now, with an anemic pass rush and a need to take some pressure off defensive end Aaron Kampman, the only player who has gotten a consistent pass rush, defensive coordinator Bob Sanders has turned to Poppinga. He played five snaps with his hand on the ground against the Panthers, and though he didnt record a sack or a hit on Jake Delhomme, he did get pressure from the right end position.

What am I a defensive end or a linebacker? Poppinga said. Its great. Thats who I am. Im somebody that can play a lot of different positions, and Im just a football player, so wherever Im needed.

It was the first time in six seasons, dating to college, that Poppinga got any significant time at defensive end.

It was six years to the day that I had a rush at that position, Poppinga said. So theres a learning curve in the sense that Im like a rookie at that position. But at the same time, its all really coming back to me really fast. The best way to describe it is like riding a bike.

Coincidentally, Poppingas opponent on Sunday was Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross the same offensive lineman Poppinga went against six years ago in his final game at BYU.

Poppinga used a bull rush against Gross on Sunday and nearly got home on both of Delhommes fourth-quarter completions to Steve Smith that set up touchdowns. He was closest to a sack on the 54-yarder to Smith that set up the game-winning touchdown.

He was right there in (Delhommes) face at the end, Sanders said. Weve just got to give him some more reps. Weve been working that for a couple of weeks (in practice), and he did a nice job coming in.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy indicated Poppinga would continue in that role in the nickel defense. In previous games this season, Poppinga would come off the field in the nickel and was replaced by the third cornerback. In the five snaps against the Panthers, Poppinga replaced the right end, usually Michael Montgomery.

The one thing Brady was able to bring to the game as a pass rusher was that he was able to force the quarterback to step up a few times, linebackers coach Winston Moss said. If its in the game plan going into this week, hopefully well use him some more. Brady did a good job of really working on that last week. It just so happens he was actually able to use it during the game, but he gets a lot of work on it (in practice). How many times during the game well put him in that situation, I dont know.

When asked why Poppinga hadnt been used in that role earlier, Moss said: I couldnt answer that question.

The Packers have been without a second legitimate threat to pressure the quarterback since Cullen Jenkins was lost for the season with a pectoral injury he sustained against Tampa Bay in Week 4. Jenkins ranks second on the team with 2 sacks behind Kampmans 9 even though he hasnt played in the last eight games.

If the Packers are to make a push for the playoffs in the final month, they probably need an improved pass rush.

Its a passing league, Poppinga said. Obviously, with the weather starting to turn against us a little bit, teams are probably going to try to pound the ball a little more, and we havent shown we can stop anybody who tries to run the ball against us. But at the end of the day, teams are still going to try to pass the ball, and the best way to combat that is to have a sound pass rush and make (a quarterback) feel uncomfortable and make him feel like hes not back there sipping his coffee and enjoying his time. Youve got to get him feeling like things are at frenzy. So yeah, its going to be vital.



Wasn't Poppinga a DE in college and a pass rushing specialist essentially?
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Pack93z
16 years ago
Well this much is sure.. for the majority of the season, he has proved to be a liability at linebacker more than an asset.

I hope he succeeds at rush end... very well may utilize his talents better.

He would make a pretty good 3-4 OLBer though.. alas we don't run that scheme.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
warhawk
16 years ago
I like it. He definately got in there and caused the QB to move around at least. He obviousl has some strength to bull rush an OT and push him back into the QB like that.

If he can make the QB move right at all it will open up Kampman for more sacks. If we just had a C. Jenkins in the middle there would be no where to go.

Who knows. Maybe we will start seeing the pressure we've all been waiting for this year.
"The train is leaving the station."
yooperfan
16 years ago
It's sad that we had to wait this long to get some hope for a pass rush.

Why did it have to take until Barnett was out for the year.
Puzzling indeed.
Pack93z
16 years ago

It's sad that we had to wait this long to get some hope for a pass rush.

Why did it have to take until Barnett was out for the year.
Puzzling indeed.

"yooperfan" wrote:



Quite simply put.. it is a recurring theme with this staff.. they are either too stubborn to make changes or they lack the ability to evaluate the talent and put said talent in a position to be most successful.

I am thinking it might be the former.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
doddpower
16 years ago
I was wondering why it took so long for this to happen also.

They talked about it pretty often, so why not give it a shot earlier?

Sometimes this coaching staff really annoys me with its stubborness to try new things. You have to be creative in this league, especially when you're struggling.
millertime
16 years ago
so who are our starting lb's?

SAM- Bishop
MIKE- Hawk
WIL- Chillar
Since69
16 years ago


... linebackers coach Winston Moss said(:) If its in the game plan going into this week...

"From the article" wrote:



"If"? "If"? Shouldn't he know?


When asked why Poppinga hadnt been used in that role earlier, Moss said: I couldnt answer that question.

"From the article" wrote:



Does this bother anyone else? I would think that when a team is considering using a linebacker in another role that the linebacker's coach would be informed.

Losing faith in Sanders (and McCarthy) by the minute...
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Pack93z
16 years ago
Since I agree.. I said as much repeatedly for about the last couple of weeks.

There are some major issues on this staff.. I look at two key areas, Oline and LBers that have not been maturing as football players as a group..

When you have a collect of different younger players that aren't developing.. all have grown in a limited capacity, that points the needle at the coaching staff.. position coaches are tasked with growing the talent.. in these two distinct areas we haven't seen that talent mature.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
dfosterf
16 years ago
When I read this article yesterday, the most irritating aspect of it was the sack numbers. I think we can all agree that Aaron Kampman is having an outstanding year. I find it truly disgusting that Cullen Jenkins is second on our team this year in sacks at 2.5... The man has been out with an injury for EIGHT FRIGGIN' GAMES. That is some sad shit, there.

I remember thinking last year that the loss of Johnny Jolly hurt our defense more than anyone. It seemed that when he was in there, our D-line was stiff...seemed like when he got hurt, our D-line started to suck, including the vaunted Williams. It seemed to me (at the time) that when Jolly was back in there (for this year), we would be fine, hence being OK with the trade.

I don't know if it is the loss of Jenkins, Jolly sweating his cough-syrup sucking, Justin' bustin' or what. I'm really hesitant to put this on the linebackers, still... I just have this "sense" that our d-line is failing so miserably that it is making our linebackers look worse than they actually are. I would also readily admit that the opposite could be true, or that we have a hybrid-sucking-situation, in which case we have real trouble, because Ted Thompson LOVES to go get linebackers, BPA myth be damned, and I really strongly feel that we need to shore up both lines...It will still suck, imo, if we have to go get another DT, or God forbid, a couple of them, early in the draft. Say what you want about TT, it certainly sucks to be him right now...how could he know what he has? We seem to suck everywhere in the trenches, not necessarily both trenches simultaneously, just seems to depend on which week it is.
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