GDT 2 post game thread - theories & rants

[soulman]

1 hour ago, Sugashane said:

Well at least he isn't belaboring the obvious. Still sucks he couldn't figure that out in the final 30 minutes. 

 

@Nads786 is right. OL generates little push. They are athletic, but not a powerful group overall. They cannot dig DL out of their spots with any regularity. They should be trying to outmaneuver and let the RB find a seam, stretches and such are things that should be staples. 

When the opposition lines up 3 big body dudes all between the tackles clogging up the inside lanes athletic zone blocking won't work.  You gotta change tactics and shift to an outside zone or pull the OGs and run some tosses or sweeps.  We didn't do that because it's not anything they prepared for.  Still could have adapted at bit more at the half but instead as usual Nagy abandoned the run and now Mitch has an even bigger target on his back.  If you can grade coaching an F minus for game plan and play calling then that their grade.

[playthrough2001]

This is the price you pay for sitting your starters in pre-season. I understand the concern about injuries and I believe you can get away with sitting your defensive guys because they tend to be ahead of offenses early in the year anyway. However, the offense needs live reps at game speed against an opponent that is actually tackling and not thudding. The offensive line needs the time to build continuity and work out the kinks in the line calls especially with a new center. On the first sack Thursday, Daniels made the wrong call that led to Martinez being a free runner at Trubisky. The QB and receivers need to work on their timing at game speed. 

I heard a professional gambler on the Action Network Thursday afternoon. He predicted a muddy, poorly played offensive game on both sides. He said he didn’t know who was going to win but it would be ugly and the only wager to make was the under, period. He said neither team had taken offensive reps with their starters in preseason, and the result would be the equivalent of a preseason game. 

If Nagy had committed to running the football primarily with Montgomery, I believe the Bears could have won this game comfortably. You have to give your o-lineman a chance to build their confidence in each other and allow them to be aggressive. The best way to do that is running the ball. A running back like Montgomery, will wear out a defense because he’s big, has balance and fights for yardage. The Packers aren’t particularly good at inside linebacker, so why not exploit that? 

Also, I realize this is what Reid and his disciples do but the offensive attack is always too lateral and when they go vertical it’s typically outside toward the sideline. Nagy needs to start attacking the seam and start taking some deep shots down the middle. He has to make the defense respect that he will attack that part of the field. The Packers showed plenty of looks with 8 or 9 guys at the line of scrimmage. Set up some inside releases and make them pay for that over the middle. 

Also, Trey Burton must be the offensive MVP because both times he has missed a start for the Bears, they have struggled mightily to move the ball and score points. 

The defense was awesome. Pagano’s first crack at Rodgers was a better performance than anything Fangio did against the Packers in 6 games. His defense gave up less points and sacked Rodgers more times than any of the games coordinated and called by Vic. Fangio’s D actually had two massive breakdowns (one at home and the opener last year) that cost the Bears two different Packer games. I respect Fangio but Pagano is a great replacement. With this talent, he can be aggressive. Rodgers won the game but he didn’t really do a damn thing. It might as well have been Trent Dilfer out there. 
Last year after Rodgers was injured, Fangio went into a shell and refused to attack Rodgers. Pagano would have tried to punish him. 

Mitch did not play well but the protection was awful, he rarely had a clean pocket and Nagy refused to run the ball. Most NFL QBs will struggle under those conditions. They both need to be considerably better. There is no debate about that. 

The game was easily winnable but Nagy panicked after they were behind and called the game like they were down 14 points. This loss is squarely on him. Before that, a commitment to the run could have given him control but he seems to be adverse to winning a game in a fashion that doesn’t meet his desire to score “style points.” 

Bye the way, Robinson is a stud. I’m happy for him. He’s worked his *** off to regain his form. 

I’m disappointed but I’m heading to Denver on Thursday for some mountain golf and hopefully a much better outcome on Sunday.

 

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[Sugashane]

7 hours ago, soulman said:

When the opposition lines up 3 big body dudes all between the tackles clogging up the inside lanes athletic zone blocking won't work.  You gotta change tactics and shift to an outside zone or pull the OGs and run some tosses or sweeps.  We didn't do that because it's not anything they prepared for.  Still could have adapted at bit more at the half but instead as usual Nagy abandoned the run and now Mitch has an even bigger target on his back.  If you can grade coaching an F minus for game plan and play calling then that their grade.

Thats what I was saying, they cannot move powerful defenders around, they are athletic guys who can move and work into position. They can move fast enough to wall off guys (and Daniels had a great one early on) but to run effectively they need to get these guys moving to open lanes. Stretch plays, tosses, etc. When they overplay the outside you can make them pay with inside runs or counters, it is a game of chess that Nagy just refused to play.

[soulman]

2 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Thats what I was saying, they cannot move powerful defenders around, they are athletic guys who can move and work into position. They can move fast enough to wall off guys (and Daniels had a great one early on) but to run effectively they need to get these guys moving to open lanes. Stretch plays, tosses, etc. When they overplay the outside you can make them pay with inside runs or counters, it is a game of chess that Nagy just refused to play.

Agreed.

No doubt that was absolutely the worst schemed and run game plan I've seen come out of him yet but what concerns me is he's also done this before and in a playoff game while still at KC.  They had a big lead at half time and yet Nagy abandons his run game and the Titans (I think that's who it was) eventually catch up and beat them.

This is why I've been saying I believe he obsesses over his call sheet searching there for something that will work when it ain't gonna be there at all.  He needs to toss it out, adjust to what the defense is playing not what he expected them to play, and work from there.  It was quite obvious he didn't do that and we got trounced on offense.

[soulman]

2 hours ago, playthrough2001 said:

On the first sack Thursday, Daniels made the wrong call that led to Martinez being a free runner at Trubisky.

Yeah, I questioned that too.  Was it a wrong call or did Long simply not get it or blow it?  Daniels block to his left. Long to his right and it was like the parting of the Red Sea on a key down early in the game that stopped them cold.

 

2 hours ago, playthrough2001 said:

The Packers aren’t particularly good at inside linebacker, so why not exploit that? 

Not only that but they were playing most of the game with only one ILB and three DL. Pettine was using DBs in place of LBs.

That alone should have been an invitation to keep running Montgomery.  Who cares if he didn't have the entire playbook committed to memory he's the best RB they have for consistently putting pressure on any defense and gaining yardage 4-5 yards at a crack.

While I may have understood the initial game plan Nagy created once he saw how Pettine was confronting it it was time to go "off script" and adapt to what was not what was expected.  Pettine wasn't gonna come off what he was doing as long as it was working and as I posted before Nagy played right into it all game long.

IMHO too things need to change immediately.

1) Nagy needs to learn to adapt better on the fly and balance his play calling, and 2) Mitch needs to stop focusing so much on ARob.  No doubt he's the go to #1 guy but when he has to have a big play any smart DC will double him every time just as they did on that pick.  Nagy provided an excuse but it was pathetically weak.  Both he and Mitch should have realized ARob would be doubled so don't hand me this "the CB played off and came in late".  THAT was a sucker move and Mitch needs to recognize that stuff and hit another open man.

I think my biggest disappointment was hearing so many positives about the offense all summer long then seeing that crap.

[WindyCity]

The OL was brutal.

Someone did a breakdown of the discussed play above and it was the OG that always took the A gap defender as the line slid to the called side.

Whitehair and Long were credited with 14 pressures and 2 sacks, that should be almost an entire season for those guys.

[soulman]

Then it was Long who screwed up.

Yeah, it was a shoddy game by the entire offense including the OL.  I can't buy into that unit not getting real game snaps during the preseason both to gain cohesiveness and to become accustomed to full contact again.  They were blown up all game long and it's not because Long and Whitehair lack the size or strength to handle their opponents.

Mitch can say whatever he likes about a lack of preseason work not impacting his accuracy or timing and I won't believe that for a single minute.  Practice in a non-contact environment without game pressure can't substitute for the real thing offensively and in all honesty that was made clear on both teams.

Rodgers completes one long pass due to a breakdown in deep coverage and scores when the same player fails to establish position over his man.  Those two plays were on Bush.  Take all of that away and Rodgers passes for less than 150 yards and the game is a 3-3 tie.  It was like 1919 all over again. 

Perfect way to honor 100 years.  Two teams end up in a nearly scoreless tie.

[Bowler1215]

Trubisky is 1-6 when throwing 35 times.  We need a more balanced run/pass offense for Trubisky to be effective.  We only ran the ball 15 times the other night, none by Cohen.  Montgomery looked good the few times he had the ball, he should have gotten more carries.  It sucks loosing to the packers, but theres 15 games left, including a rematch. 

[dll2000]

 

[abstract_thought]

Does Mitch have any freedom to adjust plays at the LOS? I believe most pro QBs can check into a run call if they see a light box.

[WindyCity]

I re-watched some of the game this morning and the OL was atrocious.

He highlights some of it in the video, but I could not get over the miscommunications and the missed blitzes and stunts. It honestly looked like they have never played together.

Daniels wasn't good and he was the best one. Leno, Whitehair, and Long should be ashamed of what they put on tape.

[beardown3231]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

I re-watched some of the game this morning and the OL was atrocious.

He highlights some of it in the video, but I could not get over the miscommunications and the missed blitzes and stunts. It honestly looked like they have never played together.

Daniels wasn't good and he was the best one. Leno, Whitehair, and Long should be ashamed of what they put on tape.

Leno was playing fine early. At one point Joe Thomas tweeted that he was one of the best LT's in football. He must've jinxed it because shortly thereafter Leno had like 2 or 3 penalties in a row. Poor effort as you said

[WindyCity]

2 hours ago, beardown3231 said:

Leno was playing fine early. At one point Joe Thomas tweeted that he was one of the best LT's in football. He must've jinxed it because shortly thereafter Leno had like 2 or 3 penalties in a row. Poor effort as you said

He really wasn't playing that well.

The interior OL was uniquely bad.

[WindyCity]

Does anyone know how to upload imagines from your computer. I have some screen shots for the OL?

[beardown3231]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

He really wasn't playing that well.

The interior OL was uniquely bad.

Early, he was. Neither EDGE was getting close to Trubisky. It all fell apart in the second quarter and onward.