At the beginning of each year we have difficulty moving the ball on the ground and then at some point everybody gets on the same page and the timing improves and the RB's start seeing the cutting lanes better and off they go.

It seems to be ugly early on every year though.

I'm not sure this might not be contributed to the type of system we use and that it just takes "real game" work to get it down. For whatever the reason our running game starts out as a work in progress and then becomes a very effective component later on.

I know injuries and shuffling around players and Grant not only hurting some but having missed work before the season have all been contributing factors.

At the end of the day this is the same group of guys that kicked everybody's butt running the ball in the last half of last year but conversely the same group that couldn't hit a lick the first half.

One thing you can be sure of and that is McCarthy will work THROUGH this rather than hit panic buttons changing personnel or schemes. I know some here want that but I don't think they understand how difficult it is to do once the season has started when each week you only have the necessary time to prepare for the next opponent and no time to incorporate and learn something else. Especially when you consider guys that are hurting who barely see the field during a week of practice.

I know in the past I heard MM talk pad level and spacing and timing but it was so bad I had to wonder if that would really be all it took. I guess that's why he has a locker at Lambeau with his name on it and I don't.

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I don't recall ever paying attention to pad level until McCarthy mentioned it. I've watched many games now and I think he's right. When you have a lower pad level you can see tackles being made better and those who run high often get no where. There are exceptions of course, ie Adrian Peterson.

A lot of the line play is predicated on leverage and the lower center of gravity you have, the more leverage you have which also falls onto your pad level.

Many want to make fun of his pad level this pad level that, but the more I watch games and pay attention to it, the more I am starting to buy into it.

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I guess that not having good pad level is just a symptom of a team that is not playing with enough intensity. Otherwise, the coaches would just remind them to lower their pad level and they would do it.

I agree with warhawk that the running game should come around eventually. I'm kind of fed up with the zone blocking scheme, but that's what we've got, so we'll see how it plays out.

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Warhawk.. I agree it will probably come around again this year.. but should it? No, these guys are youngsters anymore.. we shouldn't have to harp on Colledge, Spitz, Moll or Wells about keeping down.

Then I look at the second half of last year.. one good game on the ground, one blah game. Inconsistency is what I see.. which as Greg mentions above speaks of intensity, focus and fundamentals.

So in conclusion, I see the problem either personnel related or coach related. Slow starts in this day in age, OTA's, extra Minicamps and healthy training camp; we shouldn't have to wait until the 8th or 9th week of the season. That is a problem to me.. and I guess in year three of development of these young interior guys.. I expected more this season than struggling again coming out of the gate.

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Warhawk - Interesting point, BUT, games can still be won with no running game. Remember, we were 6-1 before we had a running game last year.

Sure, we can use pad level as an excuse, but I put more the blame on MM 's safe playcalling. Come on, AR has been with us 3 1/4 seasons now. He knows the O. We don't need to hold his hand. I have full faith in AR , why doesn't MM ?

Aggression. We need to change the mindset of this football team. Look what MM did last year with no running game. Pass on 1st down. Pass on 2nd down. Another first down. Pass. Look, another 1st down. Pass again. They're expecting another pass, draw play. Wynn gets 4 yards. Then pass. And pass again. TD! I'll be damned. No running game? So what.

Let the pass open up the run. By late 3rd Q, we have a nice lead. Now, it's time to run. But still throw a few passes to keep them guessing.

This is what MM did last year. We were 6-1 before Ryan Grant came along.

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I agree with most of this.. my only thing is.. If you want to start getting rid of people just make sure its the players and not the coach. Mike McCarthy is a good football coach.

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MM was a top tier coach last year. This year, he's seemed to have lost his mojo.

If he gets his mojo back, I see a good playoff run and an exciting year. If he doesn't, another 8-8 season.

Injuries are no excuse. Every team gets them.

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Position coaches Packnic.. position coaches. I agree the MM is a top notch coach.. but I have made this point all the way back to the end of the 06' season.. Campen never ran the ZBS system, even if we run a modified version of it. But really that is just a secondary point..

In three years we have seen minimal growth of these Olineman.. yet most other positions we have seen the younger players developing very well.. but that does not seem to be the case with the guys up front on O.

Is it Campen or is it the players themselves.. we have drafted lineman after lineman and none have seemed to develop into solid consistent players... that is my take.

I know these players can do it.. but they seem to not be able to do it each and every week. CONSISTENTLY.

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I am going to use the excuse I heard so far this year, for the excuse of winning with out running game last year..

The teams they faced till running game got going SUCKED...

( isnt that why the Pack beat Minny and Det?? Those teams suck? ) So YOU HAVE to use it for the last year 6-1


Now AT the time of those games, those teams were not very good..I am going to go up until week 8 of last year cuz that is when the Pack run game took off...


Philly was 3-4

Giants 6-2 but was 0-2 after lost to the Packers and people said season was over

Minny 2-5

Bears 3-5

SD 4-4...lost to the Packers, season is over

Washington 4-3 ( remind you Brett stunk it up that game ) needed a woody return for us to win

Denver 3-4

Those opps had 3.5 wins in 8 weeks...Not really stellar teams last year

A little off topic, but re: pad level...did you see McClean's TD last night? His pad level was lower than the defender's, and he just muscled his way through the poor sap. Great way to finish a run.

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