I was thinking along those lines too - do what San Diego did to us, among others to a lesser extent. The thing is, though, the Packers blitz - a LOT. The routes you speak of are open - it works. Our opponents can almost always beat our O Line with just their D Line so the LBs almost always will be there. If the LB stays short as you say, theoretically you throw to the zone behind him/them, but that's risky, especially when our deep threat is so ....... nonexistent, and the safeties can crowd up. Plus they are in on Rodgers so fast that often there is no passing lane.
Are you old enough to remember the early days of the Vikings - Tarkenton scrambling was the best thing they had going - shoddy O Line and mediocre receivers (sound familiar?). Rodgers escaping the pocket and finding somebody open is the best thing we have going. It just hasn't worked as well because they are hemming him in - plus, without Nelson or somebody else on the field with speed, there are a lot fewer open targets.
Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker