Packers Dom In By Defense

Amen! Enough’s enough!

I feel bad for Aaron, but he’s a large part of why we were 4-6. He can look in the mirror if he eants to know why he doesn’t have more SB rings.

I agree about Dom, but we need to take a hard look at these trainers too. When guys are going around town looking for yoga studios and your star HB would rather work out with an informercial guy, that should tell you something. The players aren’t confident in this training staff, and neither am I.

Go get that guy from Stanford, who reduced their injury rate by 87% and lifted their program up to the level of a national power. Or at least go over there and take some damn notes.

Then there’s the issue of Mike getting these guys ready to play. Mike is a geeat Xs and Os guy and QB guru, but he doesn’t get the concept of sports psychology. Doesn’t know how to press those buttons with his players. Never has them ready early in the season and usually not early in games, as we just saw in Atlanta.

Couldn’t agree with you any more. I was actually a year ahead of you. I said four years ago that the Packers would never win another SB as long as they have Dom Capers. They might be the worst 3rd down defence in the history of pro football. But that Defense also lack player leadership. I was at the game yesterday and there is no one on that defence holding them accountable to play inspired football. Nerd is also dead on, Packers are not well conditioned. Too many guys are hurt. Packers are a bit soft. We have had a top shelf Hall Fame QB start all but a handful of games since 1993 and only two SBs!! Time for Ted to go too.

I remember reading an article some years back where Favre was reiterating to Mark Murphy that he was upset with Thompson for not bringing in Randy Moss to make a run at it. Murphy’s answer was “we draft and develop now.” That statement perfectly summarizes why this team has one Super Bowl appearance in the last eleven years with two HOF QB’s leading the way. The organizational focus is on Thompson’s system. Fans want a few SB appearances while we have the one of the best QB’s of all time while Thompson’s emphasis seems to be ensuring the salary cap is in order five years from now. I’ve got news for you Ted, this team will suck with or without a solid cap when Rodgers retires.

We all know that the city of Green Bay would literally break off and slide into Lake Michigan if Thompson, McCarthy or Capers were ever replaced. Why look at Atlanta. They brought in Quinn last year and now they completely suck. Oh, and their top CB {Trufant} is out for the year and 9 of their 11 defensive starters are first or second year players. Fools. Don’t they know continuity is how you achieve SB trips. Just ask John Elway.

While fans scream for some veteran FA defensive help, Thompson is scouting that undrafted FA safety at South Carolina St. who might be able to play CB and help on Special Teams. While Heath Evans on NFL Network is chastising Capers defensive scheme, McCarthy is in post season mid-evaluation of the coaching staff where he finds it’s all the players fault. McCarthy will make a public announcement that if Jared Cook gets hurt again next year he’ll go right back to 11 base personnel and ISO stick routes 96% of the time. Yes, let’s reload and do it all over again.

While Aaron Rodgers and Letroy Guion ask for some veteran help in their postgame presser, Thompson is wondering why Khyri Thornton didn’t pan out.

Zero points until the 9 minute mark of the third quarter. CB’s not even in the same area code as their WR’s. Atlanta looked like they were playing for an opportunity to go to the SB. We looked like it was a walk through scrimmage against Green Bay Preble.

Oh, and Letroy Guion is actually a better guard than Barclay. Maybe Barclay can play Nose Tackle ?

Michael,
On a number of occasions you have described Caper’s schemes as being old and stale. Could you explain what you mean by this, and give some examples of what other teams are doing that are more “modern?” I am not disagreeing with you, but I would like to understand Caper’s inadaqute schemes better.

Dick LeBeau is credited with inventing the zone blitz scheme. Dick and Dom worked together in Pittsburgh in the early 1990s, so Dom took that scheme with him to his other stops around the league.

All teams use it today. The difference is that the younger coordinators have become very creative in the way they zone blitz. Dom just isn’t as creative. That’s why experienced QBs usually handle it with ease. For Dom’s blitzes to get home, he needs really explosive corners, inside linebackers and safeties who can consistently win 1 on 1s. There aren’t many of those players in Green Bay.

So unless Ted is going to go on a free agent spending spree a la the Giants, the best option is to bring in a younger DC who can actually scheme blitzers free. The Falcons DC did a nice job of that on Sunday. That’s why they got good pressure while Ryan had all day to throw.

I would love to see a post expanding on this a bit..what exactly does a “modern” blitz look like when compared to what Dom runs…again, just to illustrate it better.

I’ve been calling for Dom’s head since the 2011 season. I have no idea why McCarthy won’t turn the page on this one. I’m tired of hearing the personnel excuses. We’ve continually drafted defense since 2011, and every single unit on the D under performs. Where is the Clay Matthews of 2010? He’s been Houdini ever since. The defensive line is meh, our linebackers are a joke, no pass rush, and we can’t cover anyone. The only group that hasn’t been garbage is the safeties.

I, too, would like to see such an article.

I don’t know why lebeau is credited with it. Lebeau was an assistant to Capers on that Steelers staff.

Capers can’t seem to find any middle ground between the two extremes of either being too vanilla or too complicated. It’s either too complicated a scheme that makes the guys think too much to play fast, or he dumbs it down to being too simple and thusly more predictable.simplify the coverages but let Matthews pick his spots, etc. There has to be some middle ground that works.

LeBeau used it in Cincinnati before going to Pittsburgh.

Ah ok. Don’t typically see that mentioned

Michael: thanks for the article and analysis. i was thinking about how the Packers got run over by Kapernick and the ‘9ers in the 2012 Divisional Round of the playoffs. the Pack did fair better v. Kap and the ‘9ers in the ’13 playoffs, but still lost. i imagine that, annually, there is a lot to adjust to in this league. DCs need to be on their proverbial toes. i feel that Falcons’ OC Kyle Shanahan is raising the bar for DCs to catch up to. if Capers cannot do it, i am thinking: with the best (but aging) QB in the game on your roster, it is a real shame. tick, tick, tick.

Great post Michael. To pull from Kevin Greene’s speech to Clay Mathews in 2010… “It. Is. Time….”

I hope it’s an off-season of wise change in GB.

I couldn’t agree with you more. We are wasting away years of the best QB in Packer history. He can overcome quite a bit but giving up 35+ in a key playoff game just won’t cut. Capers has to be put out to pasture. We need new ideas and schemes on D. It is also time for TT to quit trying to find CB’s, find ones who play the position other than college basketball players, converted receivers, & trying to convert college safeties. We need cornerbacks who are nasty with an edge that can press coverage. That D on Sunday was an embarrasment. It looked like Alabama was playing Vanderbilt. Change at D coordinator has to change now and immediately. It is also time to move Clay to the middle to improve the inside of this defense. He has speed to run side to side and the D was clearly better in 2015 when he was playing on the inside. Fact is he is not a difference maker on the edge any longer. He’s almost always a second late to a big play, has trouble beating tackles off the edge and if he get chipped or doubled he is a total non factor. While the 2016 season was a wild ride which included my 2nd trip to Lambeau for the Seattle game, this was truly one of my most enjoyable season as a Packer Backer which goes back to 1965 with the resolve this team showed. Changes have to come before we run out of Rodgers time, 5-6 quality years left. We have had unprecedented play at QB from Favre to Rodgers but underperforming as far as titles. What is the likelihood that we hit on another QB for a 3rd time in a row, this organization needs to step out of their tunnel vision box and make changes. Here is hoping to an exciting and different off season this year. GO PACK GO. Also did we finally chase Archie away or was it the late season success that had him running with his tail between his legs. As I’ve asked before Archie, how does that CROW taste.

Michael I can’t agree more. It is time to put Dom out to pasture. This D was a total embarrassment on Sunday. It had 1 thing in common with all the post season losses in Rodgers era, it was a bad rerun of terrible D performance. He can not be let go fast enough. I don’t know any coach that has retained a position of this stature with such poor results. What does he have on MM & TT. Rodgers has said this team needs to retool not rebuild & we certainly knows he is not talking about the O side of the ball. As for your comment on needing help at inside LB, the 1st place to look is moving CM permanently inside. He has speed to run side to side and be active both rushing & dropping into coverage, this D performed better with him inside last year. Lets be honest he is not very effective on the edge anymore. He is always a second late to a big play, gets dominated by large tackles and if chipped or doubled he is a non factor. He can go games without a defensive stat, he needs to swallow his pride and move to the middle or be moved. But I must say going back to 1965 as a Packer backer and becoming an owner on last stock option this was truly one of my most enjoyable seasons. The resolve this team showed was a fun ride which also included my 2nd trip to Lambeau for the Sea game. But time is running out on the Rodgers era, I truly believe we have 5-6 good years left & this organization needs to make moves to get this D competitive. We don’t need the best D in the league we just need a competitive one. Please TT stop trying to convert college basketball players, receivers, & college safeties into CB’s. Find CB’s with an attitude and an edge, we need some nasty who can play press coverage when needed. The routes Atl was running the other day looked like Bama was playing Vanderbilt. The time is now, here’s hoping for an exciting and different offseason in Packerland. As always GO PACK GO. By the way did we finally chase Archie off or did he just run with his tail between his legs with the Packers closing success. Archie as I have asked you before, how does that CROW taste.

It’s Wednesday morning and I still haven’t heard ANY rumors about Capers getting fired or Thompson stepping aside as a scout. I have a strong feeling it will be business as usual at 1265 Lombardi Ave only the 2017 team won’t even make the Playoffs.

Let’s face it, Rodgers has covered up Thompson’s draft blunders for years. The older he gets the tougher that will become. Did you see Rodgers running around trying to make something, anything happen in the 3rd and 4th quarters? Problem was Rodgers would take Packers 80 yards in 9 plays for a TD and Ryan would take the Falcons 85 in 3 plays the very next series. McCarthy finally made his smartest move of the day and took Rodgers out before he was injured by some cheap shot.

I’ve always said take Rodgers off this team and you have the 2011 Colts, the first year Manning was injured. They finished 2-14 and I think the Packers would be challenged to match that less Rodgers.

If I was Murphy I’d make sure I start with Thompson. Put him as a west coast scout and MAYBE when the Packers draft from the WC, they actually get a player who can actually play. Promote Wolf and let him do what Thompson won’t, field a winner. Wolf was really upset with Thompson more than once last season during free agency because TT failed to sign several players others wanted in GB. Until Ted is OUT, nothing will happen like Capers being shown the door. McCarthy’s undying loyalty cost the Packers a SB in 2014 IMO by keeping Slocum. The same will happen until he fires Capers. Matter of fact my guess is Capers would never work in the NFL again his defense is so flawed.

BTW…. You want to see how a REAL NFL GM manages his team look at New England. The Patriots are trading, claiming players, signing FA and never breaking the bank. Want to hear something REALLY scary? The Patriots have almost $68 MILLION in Cap space for 2017 AND they’re in the SB ready to reload with a TON of money to do it. I bet Bill B doesn’t worry about rolling money over to the next year, he’ll spend it all if it means winning a SB.

I think I am the only one who blames the offense for the playoff loss against the Falcons.

Anyone who thought the Packers defense was going to come up with a miraculous game plan to stop the Falcons is kidding themselves. Clearly, going into this game the Packers defense was going to give up at least 35 points.

And so the only way the Packers were going to win this game was if the offense kept the ball a long time and scored touchdowns. They HAD to score at least 35 points. This was going to be a track meet. And its not like they were going against a top defense. In fact the Falcons were dead last in scoring defense.

Instead of 35 points, we saw an offensive line, touted all year long, completely unable to pick up blitzes. We saw an Aaron Rodgers, who during the season and playoffs was able to escape pressure and make other teams pay for blitzing, suddenly not see blitzers or feel the pressure.

We KNEW the Packer defense was going to be terrible. We did not know the Packer offense was going to poor.

In those 6 playoff losses since 2010, the offense averaged 22 points but it’s clear to me either Capers or Thompson have to go if we are to reasonably expect the defense to get better. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result =?

D.C. doesn’t trust inexperienced players. If they don’t know the system, they can’t run it. TT won’t go the George Allen route of bringing in broken down vets who know where to be and how to cheat so the refs don’t flag it. One or the other has to go or the Packers will be the eternal bridesmaids.

if green bay had just an average defense they would’ve won 5 super bowls by now. how the hell does capers keep his job.