Packers/Rams Postgame

Post #1 » by **MickeyDavis** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:34 pm

St. Louis - Here's what Mike McCarthy had to say after the game:

(Kind of fourth quarter what you want to see?)
Definitely. It starts with the turnover on defense and the ability to get the two first downs in the four-minute offense. It's difficult to win on the road. To come down here to St. Louis, I was very impressed with our fan support here today. We got off to a great start defensively with the turnovers. We didn't get the point production you would have liked, there were some up and down parts of the game. I really like the way the team responded and kept fighting. I thought it was a good victory for us to complete a good week of work.

(Big plays?)
Big plays equal points in this league. You see it every week. It's very evident today. I would say most of our scoring drives definitely benefitted from our big plays. We feel we have the ability to play that way, but more importantly this was the first time this year we were able to stay balanced offensively, both run and throwing the ball on first and second down. And that's when we play our best football.

(You weren't running that well, but you stuck with it. Hard to do?)
Well, we've talked about this all the time. The most important statistic in my view in running the football is being able to run it for four quarters. And the yards came there at the end. That's when you really needed them. You don't usually come out and run for 6, 7, 8, 9 yards. When it does, you should have a good day or the defense has to make corrections. Just the fact that we were able to sustain for four quarters the run-pass mix, I think is playing to our strength.

(Balance help with the deep passes?)
Oh definitely. When teams can't play you one way, whether it's just for the run or the pass, it definitely plays to your advantage. We were able to get some one-on-ones with Greg and Donald on the backend and was able to benefit from it. So that's the way you'd like to play week in and week out.

(Defense with Chillar in safety role?)
Just once again trying to utilize our players. It was something that came up earlier in the week. You had Brandon Chillar and Desmond Bishop on the sidelines and the ability to probably play a better run defense. It was great to get a lot of work at it today against a big-time back. We have a lot of respect for Jackson and just the way he's able to start the thing inside and bounce it to the outside. He did a good job of even today finding the open gap. But it was just another way of playing run defense.

(Bishop for Barnett?)
We're just being smart with Nick Barnett's reps. He's been at right about 40 all three games.

(Something about Mason Crosby)
I couldn't answer that. But he needs to make extra points. I'm not sure what happened there.

(Take a step forward this week?)
Definitely. Clearly we played better in the protection part of it and frankly it starts on first and second down. When you have your linemen playing on their heels on long down and distances, it definitely plays to the advantage of the pass rush of the defense. So once again, just to be able to be balanced today will help all parts of our offense. Running the ball, pass protection and everything.

(Team kept their composure?)
There was a lot of enthusiasm here today. There's no doubt about it. Playing on the road is tough. Their home opener. We expect to come down here for a charged-up football team. They had a big shot in the arm, I think, when Kyle came into the game, with his scrambling ability, he was able to go down and put the two drives together. But we fully anticipated a very emotional, tough football game today.

(Steven Jackson?)
I think just the way we played Steven Jackson shows the kind of respect that we had for him. He's a big-time player. I think he has all the ability as far as running inside-outside. Excellent vision. Also they line him up at the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver slots, throwing him the football. He's a big part of their offense and we knew he was going to be a challenge for our run defense.

(How disappointing was the score at the end of the half?)
Hey, it's a two-minute drill and the goal is to keep them out of the end zone. We didn't get that done. But I though Kyle did a good job coming in there and his scrambling ability, it started earlier in the drive on 3rd and 10 and we didn't get off the field. But it was a four vertical and that's definitely something we can learn from.

(Say we're back on track?)
I'll leave this game saying we're 2-1 and we'll feel good about a lot of things tomorrow when we watch the tape and there's some things we're going to correct. It's a long year, there are a lot of moving parts to a season, it looks like we're relatively healthy coming out of the game. Greg Jennings and James Jones both returned from their injuries. So we just have to get healthy, put together a good plan and stay after our fundamentals.

(Injuries)
James had a hand. Greg had a wrist.

(One turnover all season?)
I just think it's the fact that we work it every single day and we feel it's part of the blue print for success. The ability to play with more vision on defense is definitely helping us take the football away. We feel that's probably, outside of winning, the No. 1 statistic that we look at week in and week out.

Captain Erv · Post #2 » by **Captain Erv** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:39 pm

Obviously take the win, but didn't really feel good about it much like the first two games.

- Rodgers is still a bit off, mostly due to his lack of time in the pocket.

- Grant picked it up in the 4th quarter, but other than that it was pretty much 1-2 yard gains all day.

- Defense having trouble stopping the run and I'd like to see them blitz more.

If we don't want to be embarrassed next Monday it is going to take a performance far and above what we've seen thus far this season.

Captain Erv · Post #3 » by **Captain Erv** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:41 pm

Lee and Finley really need to be utilized more as well.

Post #4 » by **Wade-A-Holic** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:42 pm

Playcalling still sucks. I understood in week one because it seemed like Chicago schemed really well, but it seems like we're trying to set up the underneath stuff by going deep when it should be the opposite.

Ayt · Post #5 » by **Ayt** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:49 pm

Bench Barnett please.

Post #6 » by **Wade-A-Holic** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:54 pm

Ayt wrote:Bench Barnett please.

But he's our emotional leader!

Post #7 » by **ReasonablySober** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:56 pm

I'm still just really pissed about the Vikings game. It totally ruined my day. When I as a fan can see the utter stupidity of San Fran's play-calling at the end, what does it say about their OC? Playing to lose.

Post #8 » by **Wade-A-Holic** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:16 am

DrugBust wrote:I'm still just really pissed about the Vikings game. It totally ruined my day. When I as a fan can see the utter stupidity of San Fran's play-calling at the end, what does it say about their OC? Playing to lose.

I didn't expect San Fransisco to win that game, so I'm not devastated, but the way that game ended was ridiculous.

LUKE23 · Post #9 » by **LUKE23** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:10 am

I cannot believe we could play anyone that poorly and win by 19. If there is a team worse than the Rams in the NFL (maybe Browns), then wow.

One thing I will say, people have been ragging on our run D, but we were 11th in YPC allowed heading into the game today (the true measure of run D, not yards allowed), and today Jackson was at 4.3, which isn't great but isn't terrible against a very good back either. Our run D hasn't been elite, but it hasn't been as porous as people say either.

Looking at the Queens game, if we do protect Rodgers we match up well against them. But that is a big time concern given how we have pass blocked so far. If their DL controls the game we have zero chance at even keeping it close.

Post #10 » by **Jollay** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:23 am

I thought it was a generally encouraging game.

But it remains obvious we are not even operating as a playoff level team yet. It was nice to see Cincy with a nice win today though.

I have gone from pissed off to cautiously optimistic. There is still a nice chance this team, which is still absurdly young, can put something together with a little more experience. Still, we are so wildly inconsistent in so many facets of the game its ridiculous.

The OL played better, which remains the biggest red flag on this team. Encouraging.

Thunder Muscle · Post #11 » by **Thunder Muscle** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:27 am

LUKE23 wrote:I cannot believe we could play anyone that poorly and win by 19. If there is a team worse than the Rams in the NFL (maybe Browns), then wow.

One thing I will say, people have been ragging on our run D, but we were 11th in YPC allowed heading into the game today (the true measure of run D, not yards allowed), and today Jackson was at 4.3, which isn't great but isn't terrible against a very good back either. Our run D hasn't been elite, but it hasn't been as porous as people say either.

Looking at the Queens game, if we do protect Rodgers we match up well against them. But that is a big time concern given how we have pass blocked so far. If their DL controls the game we have zero chance at even keeping it close.

Agree with the Vikings game assessment. And I hope Favre comes out gun ho was having a big game and is throwing it all over the joint. Our D has been getting turnovers and that could be an x-factor in our favor. I suspect father time is going to wanna be chucking it all over.

And I think the Rams may challenge for the 0-16 record. Looking at their schedule, Detroit is the only team on there ironically that they could maybe beat and its at Ford Field and I don't think they'll win that game. I can honestly see them losing every game.

Flames24Rulz · Post #12 » by **Flames24Rulz** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:40 am

If Favre throws it 40+ times and Peterson carries the ball for only 19 times, we WILL win the game.

LUKE23 · Post #13 » by **LUKE23** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:43 am

That isn't going to happen though. They will pound AD all game. I'd put 8 in the box all game, their WR's still don't scare me even with Harvin, and Favre will be amped up, which could lead to mistakes.

Flames24Rulz · Post #14 » by **Flames24Rulz** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:49 am

LUKE23 wrote:That isn't going to happen though. They will pound AD all game. I'd put 8 in the box all game, their WR's still don't scare me even with Harvin, and Favre will be amped up, which could lead to mistakes.

That's the strategy I'd employ too.

Newz · Post #15 » by **Newz** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:49 am

LUKE23 wrote:That isn't going to happen though. They will pound AD all game. I'd put 8 in the box all game, their WR's still don't scare me even with Harvin, and Favre will be amped up, which could lead to mistakes.

Agreed.

Eight in the box, do whatever you can to make them throw.

Post #16 » by **MickeyDavis** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:33 am

10 of our drives started with a Grant run. We averaged less than 3 yards each.

PkrsBcksGphsMqt · Post #17 » by **PkrsBcksGphsMqt** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:51 am

I think that game winner will cause Favre to be a lot more aggressive throwing the ball against us. I don't think he'll be satisfied throwing for 100 yards and a td, even if they win. He wants to burn us, so he'll be throwing a lot of deep balls. I think we get at least 2 picks on him. This is the first half of the Super Bowl for him, with the 2nd half being the game at Lambeau. This is why he came back, there's no way he just dumps the ball the whole game.

Aaron It Out · Post #18 » by **Aaron It Out** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:45 am

The Cincinatti win made me feel a lot better about our loss and the Bears win last week.

Post #19 » by **ReasonablySober** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:49 am

MickeyDavis wrote:10 of our drives started with a Grant run. We averaged less than 3 yards each.

That was the #1 thing that bothered me. Whatever happened to playing to our strengths? Our offensive line is below average. Our starting runningback is average, at best. But running him into a wall on first down did nothing but put us in 2nd and 8 or 9 or 10 all day. When they started to open it up a bit and pass in the 3rd the Packers moved the ball.

This isn't brain surgery. Use the pass to open up the run, not the other way around.

Post #20 » by **Wade-A-Holic** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:55 am

DrugBust wrote:
MickeyDavis wrote:10 of our drives started with a Grant run. We averaged less than 3 yards each.

That was the #1 thing that bothered me. Whatever happened to playing to our strengths? Our offensive line is below average. Our starting runningback is average, at best. But running him into a wall on first down did nothing but put us in 2nd and 8 or 9 or 10 all day. When they started to open it up a bit and pass in the 3rd the Packers moved the ball.

This isn't brain surgery. Use the pass to open up the run, not the other way around.

Yep. The playcalling needs to be a lot better in Minnesota. The Queens have been getting killed by opposing tight ends so look for the Packers to try and establish Finley early and often.