Packers (Unofficially?) Promote Maurice Drayton to ST Coordinator

[cannondale]

Successful coaches aren't an accident. If he can't reach the players, find one of the many that can, because the last time I checked, I can't recall a worse performance on all levels of ST.  MM defended Capers for years and cost them 3 trophies

Edited December 14, 2021 by cannondale

[Sasquatch]

4 hours ago, Packerraymond said:

Lane discipline is not indicative of coaching, unless you think our guys simply aren't trained of their assignments which isn't true.

It's a reflection of a players ability to think and resist the "bait" they see on the field. EQ knows he's the outside contain as a gunner, sees the ball carrier run away from him and has a choice either to stay home and allow the play to made as designed, or chase the bait to make the play himself and risk giving up a big play. He ended up with a 97 yard TD and a concussion yesterday for his decision.

A player can run down on KO and see a blocker waiting in their lane, they can make a choice to avoid the contact and try to go around or take on the block, shed and stay in their lane.

Brandon Bostick was literally told, don't go for the ball, block for Jordy. He immediately broke the huddle and went for the ball.

ST's players are like mice staring at a trap with cheese in it. As dumb and corny as that sounds. It's not the coaches fault it they go for the cheese, they know they aren't supposed to.

 

It’s a bit more technical than just stay in your lane and don’t take the bait, though both are central to fidelity to the system.  Coverage on kick-offs is all about attack angles.  Lane integrity is predicated on a narrowing curve toward the ball carrier - your lane isn’t just linear or static.  The closer you get to the ball carrier, the more curved your lane becomes relative to the ball carrier.  Creep too far and lane integrity and attack angle are lost.  Done properly, this achieves “layers of attack” wide enough in front of the ball carrier to accommodate change of direction.  If everyone just stayed in their lane the length of the field, you’d just have a single plane that a ball carrier can break through and he’s home free.

Taking on blocks is also critical (as you and I have both stated previously), especially our guys in closest proximity to the ball carrier- much like defenders taking on a sweep play.  You must take on the blockers to free up the guys behind you to take out the ball carrier.

None of this is rocket science, but if our coverage guys get over-zealous and collapse their lanes too much or too fast - take the bait as you say - then they’ve compromised their attack angle and become literally useless to the play.  This involves practice.  Coaching and practice.  And ultimately execution.  The best players have field and ball-carrier awareness (wherewithal), athleticism and speed.  Agree with you that coaches are responsible for teaching assignments, but it’s important that these assignments are taught collectively so the scheme becomes unveiled to the coverage unit with context.

[Rainmaker90]

We just need to let Mo cook bro.

[Packerraymond]

10 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

It’s a bit more technical than just stay in your lane and don’t take the bait, though both are central to fidelity to the system.  Coverage on kick-offs is all about attack angles.  Lane integrity is predicated on a narrowing curve toward the ball carrier - your lane isn’t just linear or static.  The closer you get to the ball carrier, the more curved your lane becomes relative to the ball carrier.  Creep too far and lane integrity and attack angle are lost.  Done properly, this achieves “layers of attack” wide enough in front of the ball carrier to accommodate change of direction.  If everyone just stayed in their lane the length of the field, you’d just have a single plane that a ball carrier can break through and he’s home free.

Taking on blocks is also critical (as you and I have both stated previously), especially our guys in closest proximity to the ball carrier- much like defenders taking on a sweep play.  You must take on the blockers to free up the guys behind you to take out the ball carrier.

None of this is rocket science, but if our coverage guys get over-zealous and collapse their lanes too much or too fast - take the bait as you say - then they’ve compromised their attack angle and become literally useless to the play.  This involves practice.  Coaching and practice.  And ultimately execution.  The best players have field and ball-carrier awareness (wherewithal), athleticism and speed.  Agree with you that coaches are responsible for teaching assignments, but it’s important that these assignments are taught collectively so the scheme becomes unveiled to the coverage unit with context.

It's obviously a bit more technical, but compared to memorizing assignments for offense or defense, ST is a piece of cake.

You fail on ST coverage because guys take the bait. Without a wedge, it's extremely difficult to block it up correctly if you maintain your lane.

[AlexGreen#20]

The Special Teams issues aren't exclusively on Drayton. This is an organizational philosophy going back to the Wolf days.

It starts with roster construction. Most organizations let their ST coordinators pick their Kicker, Punter, and Long Snapper. But they also are given a number of roster spots, usually between 2 and 5 that are spent on the returner and the guys that will play as the gunners, and then either the 3 spots on kickoff or the outside contain guys on punt and kickoff. 

The Packers don't do this. The GM makes the roster decisions with the input of the coaching staff. Considering that the Packers have a skill position oriented HC and OC and a back-7 oriented DC, the bulk of the ST bodies are being highly prized by the coordinators.

This is one of the reasons we didn't get Rizzo

[Leader]

Aaron Nagler -   Outside of calling Tyler Ervin there ain’t much they can do. Firing the coordinator would make fans feel good for a day or so but solve nothing. Just gotta keep working.

[Scoremore]

55 minutes ago, Leader said:

Aaron Nagler -   Outside of calling Tyler Ervin there ain’t much they can do. Firing the coordinator would make fans feel good for a day or so but solve nothing. Just gotta keep working.

Probably too late to can him this year.  If you watched Nagler's daily podcast he also said Drayton is on thin ice.  His job is not safe.  If they make a move it will be in the offseason.  Drayton is now fighting for his job believe it.  Lack of execution falls on the coach.  Just the way it is.  They better play damn near flawless down the stretch or he's gone. 

[Scoremore]

1 hour ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

The Special Teams issues aren't exclusively on Drayton. This is an organizational philosophy going back to the Wolf days.

It starts with roster construction. Most organizations let their ST coordinators pick their Kicker, Punter, and Long Snapper. But they also are given a number of roster spots, usually between 2 and 5 that are spent on the returner and the guys that will play as the gunners, and then either the 3 spots on kickoff or the outside contain guys on punt and kickoff. 

The Packers don't do this. The GM makes the roster decisions with the input of the coaching staff. Considering that the Packers have a skill position oriented HC and OC and a back-7 oriented DC, the bulk of the ST bodies are being highly prized by the coordinators.

This is one of the reasons we didn't get Rizzo

This is true.  However in spite of it all there is no excuse for the meltdown we saw on Sunday.  It was epic.  Just about in all phases of ST.  Hopefully this unit hit rock bottom it simply can't get any worse can it?   It was so bad I would have fired Drayton on the spot.  One off well OK but the ST has been pretty much a disaster all season.  We have to be ranked dead last in all the NFL and by a large margin. 

[skibrett15]

18 hours ago, Packerraymond said:

ST's players are like mice staring at a trap with cheese in it. As dumb and corny as that sounds. It's not the coaches fault it they go for the cheese, they know they aren't supposed to.

you just aren't accounting for the fact that they don't respond/aren't responding to the training.  Players not playing their assignments is as much if not more the responsibility of the coaching staff.

MLF needs to empower the ST coach to remove these players' salary if they fail in their lane discipline.  Put their livelihood on the line, and they will play their assignments.

[vegas492]

PackerRaymond has pointed out what specials are...technically speaking.

One thing about specials it is as much about effort as it is anything else.

Our effort on coverage and return units has been pretty bad for some time.

I don't necessary agree that it is a front office thing.  Yes, the front office is part of the problem, but other teams have this same approach and their specials are not God awful like ours are.

[AlexGreen#20]

5 hours ago, vegas492 said:

PackerRaymond has pointed out what specials are...technically speaking.

One thing about specials it is as much about effort as it is anything else.

Our effort on coverage and return units has been pretty bad for some time.

I don't necessary agree that it is a front office thing.  Yes, the front office is part of the problem, but other teams have this same approach and their specials are not God awful like ours are.

Our specialists coming into the year were:

A kicker who's been terrible who we couldn't move on from because of front office loyalty and the contract realities.

A punter who was drafted by the front office and was cut mid year.

A long snapper who was drafted by the front office and was cut mid year.

+++

This is a massive front office problem

[Striker]

7 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Our specialists coming into the year were:

A kicker who's been terrible who we couldn't move on from because of front office loyalty and the contract realities.

A punter who was drafted by the front office and was cut mid year.

A long snapper who was drafted by the front office and was cut mid year.

+++

This is a massive front office problem

And complete unknowns at both returner spots which has bit this team in the *** multiple times now.

[Scoremore]

2 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Our specialists coming into the year were:

A kicker who's been terrible who we couldn't move on from because of front office loyalty and the contract realities.

A punter who was drafted by the front office and was cut mid year.

A long snapper who was drafted by the front office and was cut mid year.

+++

This is a massive front office problem

Crosby has been money.  Well up until this year.  Also one of Rodger's best friends on the team.  No fault there.

They missed on Scott but more than made up for it with Bojo.  He's pretty damn good.

Missed on the long snapper too.  Guy we got now seems OK.

Not buying any of these arguments.  Think Gutey expected Amari to handle punt return duties.  He was good in college 

not sure what his issue is.  Gute tried here too but so far results have been piss poor.  If you want to be critical this would 

the one area where you could complain.  No it's not a front office problem it's a coaching problem.  

[AlexGreen#20]

15 minutes ago, Scoremore said:

Crosby has been money.  Well up until this year.  Also one of Rodger's best friends on the team.  No fault there.

They missed on Scott but more than made up for it with Bojo.  He's pretty damn good.

Missed on the long snapper too.  Guy we got now seems OK.

Not buying any of these arguments.  Think Gutey expected Amari to handle punt return duties.  He was good in college 

not sure what his issue is.  Gute tried here too but so far results have been piss poor.  If you want to be critical this would 

the one area where you could complain.  No it's not a front office problem it's a coaching problem.  

Crosby was ****ty in 18, average in 19, good in 20, and ****ty in 21. If the argument is that Drayton should have to work around a ****ty kicker because he's Rodgers's best friend, that's the very definition of a front office problem.

Missing on a Punter who you drafted in round 5 is bad. Period. End of discussion. Finding a better Punter in a dumpster outside the facility isn't the positive you think it is. And it's not like Bojo is killing it. He's 19th in the league in net punting. 

Same with the long snapper. If you're going to spend draft picks on specialists, they should at least be playable specialists. We got busts in those spots. Our current long snapper hasn't even been great. We'll see competition from that spot in the off-season for sure. 

As far as the returners, how is drafting a returner who hasn't looked good without having another option on the roster anything other than poor performance by the GM???

Since when did GMs start getting graded on whether he made an effort rather than results? This is a **** ST roster. 

[VonKarman]

Bojo is killing it. See exhibit A: