Where does the blame rest?

[an_also]

I have no doubts that A-Rodg will learn and be more successful in the 2 minute drill in the years to come.

[Kerb Hohl]

I blame MM. I have been absolutely down on the playcalling this year. Obviously that 3rd and goal, but a lot of other situations. He just doesn't seem to want to go for the throat.

Yesterday there was a strong example. No idea when the drive was, but I think we were still down 13-7 or something like that. To me, you want to play with urgency against a team like the Texans to get yourself in the lead and assert that you are the better team and they are going to have to fight back to show they belong with you. Well, MM calls 2 run plays from our own 40-45 yard line that net us 8 yards and get us just past mid field.

First of all, MM and our offense bothered me because Grant never hit that home run that he did last year. Sure, ever since the Indy game we have seemed to be able to get that 3-4 yard chunk per carry but you need that home run. Rodgers' downfall this year is that he couldn't keep a consistent, long drive going and complete it for a TD. MM was too predictable and would run the ball on 1st or 2nd down and it would cause for Rodgers to have to convert on 3rd 4 or 5 times on a drive. So, we run on 1st and 2nd...not what I would have wanted there, but not too bad, 3rd and a long 2. But we are at their 48 or so. In the cold with their corners jumping our short routes, he goes to the 5 wide set and Rodgers makes a decent pass to Jones but it is highly contested and broken up. I was angry because after you pick up those 4 yard chunks on both plays, in 4 down territory, why not run the ball on 3rd? You at least get yourself a doable 4th and 1 or you get the first. Now you have a new set of downs and can strike at getting deep into their territory. Instead, you rely on a quick pass that is normally a high percentage, but there is too much margin for error. Run the ball twice and you are sure to get 2 yards. Or at least run play action and roll out Rodgers or trick them with a play action, double move and go deep.

OK, anyways, way too deep of analysis for one little set but this is a nutshell of what happened all year. I thought MM was too conservative when we were down or tied in close games. You need to take the lead and put the other team on its heels. Instead, he would try to grind out a 5 minute, 40 yard drive from our own 20 and punt into their end or maybe get a field goal. You are playing from behind and you normally give them the ball back in a tie or with them having the lead. He never seemed to open the offense up with some urgency until we were down by a few scores and it was late 3rd/early 4th. Rodgers in his first year was iffy on converting 3 or 4 3rd downs in a row so let him throw on 1st and 2nd a lot more. So many times a drive into their territory would bank on our offense converting a bunch of 3rd and 4-6 yards. That is why we kicked so many damn field goals or had so many drives stall on penalties or only picking up 30 yards and punting.

I thought that last year we would grab an early lead by letting Favre throw on early downs and on one of those plays, Driver/Jennings would break a tackle and go for 40 yards and we have guaranteed points. The next drive, the defense would be on its heels and Grant would gash them for 40 yards on a first down carry on the next drive, etc. Then the defense could sit on that "bend-but-don't break", we'd grab a lucky turnover, and voila, game over.

On defense, I've already outlined it. Way too many one-on-ones and no aggressiveness outside of that. If you're going to constantly put guys on islands, make the blitzes worthwhile. On the last few Texans drives yesterday I saw him try to send Blackmon off the edge. But it was so obvious that it would be 4 D-linemen on 4 O-lineman and a back and Blackmon vs. their tackle. It was worthless. Then Sanders loves to bring that delayed LB after his initial blitz fails and you see Hawk or Bishop just reaching the line as the QB is throwing the ball to an area where the LB just was.

Basically, our entire scheme sucked. Penalties, conservative play, and a QB that is playing just fine but isn't going to make a bunch of miraculous plays to win it on his own and you are bound to lose every single close game you play in.

[an_also]

^^ you're right. MM has not been good this year at all. Last year, except for a couple of games, he called good games. This year i can remember a few thing off of the top my head that cost us games.
1.running it 3 times at the goal line vs carolina
2.not being aggressive to get better field position at the end of the viqueens game and letting crosby take a 51 yard fg to try and win it.

[dedned]

^^ you're right. MM has not been good this year at all. Last year, except for a couple of games, he called good games. This year i can remember a few thing off of the top my head that cost us games.
1.running it 3 times at the goal line vs carolina
2.not being aggressive to get better field position at the end of the viqueens game and letting crosby take a 51 yard fg to try and win it.

Except, last year, his calls got changed at the line by a certain QB. Maybe if they gave Rodgers a little more leeway we could overcome MM.

[LUKE23]

I didn't even realize the Jets lost to the Niners yesterday. That is embarassing. I want that 2nd round pick.

[Kerb Hohl]

^^ you're right. MM has not been good this year at all. Last year, except for a couple of games, he called good games. This year i can remember a few thing off of the top my head that cost us games.
1.running it 3 times at the goal line vs carolina
2.not being aggressive to get better field position at the end of the viqueens game and letting crosby take a 51 yard fg to try and win it.

Except, last year, his calls got changed at the line by a certain QB. Maybe if they gave Rodgers a little more leeway we could overcome MM.

While I somewhat disagree with your Favreophilia (and let's not start a huge debate on it) you do raise some decent points about the issue in regards to play-calling.

MM has definitely tried to play it a bit too conservative with Rodgers, whether it is trying to start out drives with the ground game or putting the restraints on him in terms of audibles. If TT and MM made the decision to go with Rodgers over Favre, it was and should have been because they wouldn't see a drop-off in ability. After making that move, MM should have allowed Rodgers to open it up, especially when our ground game was really struggling because that is the move they made and I believe that Rodgers is capable of slinging the ball nearly as well as Favre. He should have lived or died by calling the game nearly the same with AR/BF this year with the exception of adding more mobility plays in for AR this year.

That said, Rodgers has definitely struggled in a few games and has been inaccurate. Specifically in the last few games he has been off the mark for it seems like quarter-long stretches. So even if MM does finally open it up for him, he struggles a bit. Favre wasn't immune to those, though, although in his case, he would throw an INT or two and have less off the mark whereas AR may have a 3-4 drive drought where he is totally off and it is 3 and out but no turnovers. Which is worse? I don't know.

My argument about Favre is that he always was best at that 15-20 yard pass over the middle. And when I say that, I think he was and still is one of the best in the NFL at it. I think he still has a major leg up there on Rodgers. Rodgers has thrown a better deep ball than recent Favre, though, this year. Brett got those game winners last year so he is not bad by any means but Aaron has been spot on the few times we have taken that play-action shot though this year. I think next year Aaron will grow and be able to find that aforementioned Favre pass over the middle. A lot of it has to do with the fact that he just wasn't seeing it on some plays or was afraid to make the throw.