Zero2Cool
15 years ago

Struggling run game remains zone-oriented
As last season wore on, coach Mike McCarthy incorporated more power concepts into the zone-running scheme, with some success. After the season, McCarthy noted that the Packers become less and less of a pure zone team during his tenure.

So, how many times have the Packers pulled a guard for a true power run play in two games this season?

Two -- once on a mess of a run off right tackle that lost 3 yards against Chicago, and once on a trap with LG Daryn Colledge getting a good block for 8 against Cincinnati.

That's hardly a liberal mix, and it's worth wondering if the Packers' usual early-season struggles running the football, which Pete Dougherty examined in a column today, will push McCarthy to run more power in the coming weeks. There's not going to be a fundamental shift in the philsophy at this stage, but without question, that phase needs some sort of a jolt.




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Four years, four bad starts for the Green Bay Packers run game.

This must be galling for coach Mike McCarthy, who seemed to have everything in place to start the 2009 season with an explosive and relatively balanced offense.

After all, the Packers are in their fourth season in his zone-blocking run scheme. Four of his starting offensive linemen are in at least their third year, and the other, right guard Josh Sitton, is in his second. Halfback Ryan Grant is healthy and practiced all offseason. All the techniques and reads should be ingrained in the principals.

Then, in training camp, McCarthy put in extra time on the run game to develop a tougher identity on both sides of the ball.

And yet, in the Packers 1-1 start, their running backs are averaging 3.5 yards per carry and 57.5 yards per game. The offensive line hasnt been any better than the last three years, and Grant hasnt looked much different than last season, when he was weakened by a hamstring injury and saw his average per carry dip to 3.9 yards from 5.1 yards in 2007.

But that start is on par with McCarthys first three seasons and keeps alive questions about the wisdom of basing his run game on the Alex Gibbs zone-blocking system.

In 2006, McCarthys first year as coach, the Packers had a below-average run game they finished No. 23 in rushing yards and No. 21 in yards allowed per carry and were bad early. To be fair, McCarthy had a less talented roster learning a radically new run-blocking system with three rookies making a combined 38 starts on the offensive line. So its no surprise his three halfbacks Ahman Green, Vernand Morency and Noah Herron averaged 3.3 yards per carry and 78.8 yards per game in the first four weeks of the regular season.

In 2007, the Packers discovered a viable run game when the little-known Grant got his shot at halfback against Denver in the seventh game, but up to that point their run blocking ranged from mediocre to horrible. In the first four games, Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn, Grant and Morency combined to average 2.7 yards per carry and 54.2 per game.

Last year, they started a little better, but still slowly, and finished only in the middle of the pack (No. 17 in rushing yards per game and No. 18 in yards per carry). In the first four games, Grant, Jackson and Kregg Lumpkin averaged 3.9 yards a carry and 93.5 yards per game.

To be sure, weve seen only a snippet of the season, and things will change in the next three months, perhaps even drastically. But only 115 yards rushing by running backs in two games still is borderline astonishing for a team thats been building for this season for three years and carries high aspirations after a seemingly successful training camp.

When McCarthy became the Packers coach in 2006, he brought with him Jeff Jagodzinski, a Gibbs protg, to teach Gibbs distinct and idiosyncratic branch of the zone-blocking scheme.

Gibbs, whom McCarthy worked with in Kansas City in 1993 and 1994, had a track record of success, especially in Denver (1995-2003) and then Atlanta (2004-06). In both stops, he was allowed to fully implement his comprehensive run scheme that emphasizes smaller, quicker offensive linemen, extensive cut blocking, and decisive one-cut running by the backs.

But considering no one running Gibbs system has duplicated his success, maybe theres something about it thats too dependent on Gibbs himself.

In fact, McCarthy has moved a little away from the scheme with personnel selection and play calling in the last year and a half. Perhaps he should consider moving further and giving it a secondary role as the season goes on.

Yes, hes spent more than three years training his players for this scheme. But his decision last offseason to move bigger players into new starting spots on the offensive line Jason Spitz at center and Sitton at right guard is evidence he didnt like what he was getting before. Maybe its time to go a step further.

Last week in their loss to Cincinnati, the Packers rushed for 89 yards, but 43 came on scrambles by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Grant was the only other ball carrier, and he gained a paltry 46 yards on 14 carries (3.3-yard average). It was bad enough that McCarthy abandoned the run game in the second half Grant had only three carries after intermission.

Tellingly, one of Grants best runs, an 8-yarder in the second quarter, came when left guard Daryn Colledge pulled and helped collapse the right side of the line on a power run, not a zone run.

Yes, the Packers can and probably will recover to at least run the ball OK. But theyre at a point where OK isnt good enough if they want to be a top team. Without Alex Gibbs on their coaching staff, the zone scheme hasnt delivered.



this was interesting
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PackFanWithTwins
15 years ago
I hate the ZBS in GB with a passion. It telegraphs run plays to the LBers, it removes much of the options for Counters/misdirection plays. And uses players that get physically dominated by Dlinemen easier.

Give me straight ahead power blocking, with as they were called, mudders running the ball. with some pulling to get outside.
The world needs ditch diggers too Danny!!!
Cheesey
15 years ago
I'd say it's time to scrap the ZBS.
2 years and it hasn't worked at all.
TRY something else and at least see if we can gain some yards on the ground. MM, don't be so darn stubborn. Change it, before another season goes down the crapper.
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Dulak
15 years ago
I agree I'm done with this run blocking (even thou I dont know much about it)
when I see blockers pull to the one side and run out with the back - its so much more effective. I saw better running plays coming from detroit this past week then greenbay.
... and I dont think its their back - could be the run scheme ya?!
Cheesey
15 years ago
I just do NOT understand WHY they keep using it, when they KNOW it doesn't work.
Go back to regular blocking, and at least see if it goes better. Our running game.....40 yards? We won't beat any DECENT (or even lousy) team if we can't get some pressure off AR with a running game that WORKS.
UserPostedImage
shield4life
15 years ago
I think I'm just done with MM ... Get new HC please someone with an actual good history please.
Glad To Be A Packers Fan.
Zero2Cool
15 years ago

I think I'm just done with Mike McCarthy ... Get new HC please someone with an actual good history please.

"shield4life" wrote:



I don't think it matters about history. But since you said that. I hear Mike Shanahan is available.
UserPostedImage
15 years ago
I will shoot myself if I have to deal with Shanahan as a HC.
UserPostedImage
Kingdom22
15 years ago
How about John Gruden as Packers Head Coach. I believe he has a great history of taking teams to the Superbowl. That would be my fav pick of coaches that are available.
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PackFanWithTwins
15 years ago

How about John Gruden as Packers Head Coach. I believe he has a great history of taking teams to the Superbowl. That would be my fav pick of coaches that are available.

"Kingdom22" wrote:



Actually think Gruden would be a good fit, him and Capers would be a good team i think.
The world needs ditch diggers too Danny!!!
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