This was a very unimpressive win, so this will be mostly negatives:
1. The playcalling on third and short can get awfully weird.
Exhibit A: On third and one, they handed off to John Kuhn running parallel to the line of scrimmage. No gain. Kuhn is a straight ahead runner--a fullback. Why did they call this play for him?
Exhibit B: On third and one or two, Rodgers ran a bootleg and heaved the ball 20 yards downfield to a receiver who wasn't open. Incomplete. This one may be more on Rodgers than McCarthy. If that's a short pass to Finley, I have no problem with it, but if he's not open you don't throw it downfield to a receiver who's not open. Probably you have to try and run for the first down.
Exhibit C: Rodgers threw downfield to Jennings on third and short and the ball was intercepted. Again, the receiver wasn't even open and he just heaved it down there. I don't get it.
"evad04" wrote:
Exhibit A: Is it your honest belief that the play as called was designed for Kuhn to run horizontally? Was the thought "we need to call that horizontal run play, that'll really screw with their psyches to see us not try to convert!" Kuhn tried to make the best of it but either failed to make a cut or took what they gave him.
Exhibit B: The bootleg almost definitely had the underneath TEs as the primary receivers, evidenced by Rodgers double clutching the ball. Finley was tied up at the LOS, he couldn't get away. Football basics: there are primary receivers before the snap, then there are your secondary options. When the primary receivers aren't open, the quarterback will try to get it to one of the other guys. Sorry if I'm insulting you, but c'mon, look at the play in context. It is fallacious logic to assume that because the result was a 20-yard heave downfield that it was the intention of the play.
Exhibit C: I don't know why Rodgers threw this one. Driver was making his break on an out route and seemed to have good position on the receiver. I think Rodgers dearly wanted that one back. Oh, and to continue my dickish sarcasm, Driver was also one of the receivers in the called play. You know, when they call plays I'm pretty sure multiple receivers are on routes. Sometimes they don't get open, sometimes the QB makes the wrong read or a bad throw.
You can't just interpret the result of the play as indicative of bad play calling.
"Greg C." wrote: