Let's talk problems CALMLY

[AlexGreen#20]

This season looks over as of right now. I'm not saying that it is, simply that by all appearances, this current group of players and coaches doesn't seem to have it together enough to win the games necessary to make the playoffs.

At this point, I think you turn your attention to next year.

Watching these games, there's just some glaring flaws with this team right now that need to be addressed going into next year.

 

1. The pass rush is anemic.

In 2017, you need three competent Edge Rushers and two competent Interior Rushers. We only have one of each and neither of those are healthy and playing well. 

- Nick Perry is playing alright, but not up to the standard of a player of his caliber or contract. It's clear that he's banged up and that he's the #1 focus of every offensive line we've played this year. He needs to get healthy and the rest of this group needs to step up. I still really would like more from the guy, but I get where he's at. Once he gets the hand back and gets a few games free, I'm confident the rush will be back, but in the mean time, we're not pressuring the corners at all.

 

- Clay Matthews is an old man rusher. He's 31.5 years old today. He's still quick and bendy enough on the blitz to get what's schemed for him, but he simply is not the threat that he needs to be at with his contract. He's always been something of a hustle player, but it feels like it's been years since we've seen an effective bull rush out of the guy and the corner speed looks gone. It's been a really long time since Clay looked like a guy capable of creating his own pressures. When you watch old edge guys play, they fit Clay's game to a tee. He's got to pick his choose his spots to give that 110% effort that was a staple of his younger years. He needs to find match-ups where he has a significant skill lean. He's not a positive rusher anymore. He's still a pretty good run defender, but he's not a pass rusher at this point.

 Additionally, Clay is playing 81.4% of snaps, which is a huge number considering his mileage, injury history, and relative ineffectiveness of both himself and the guys behind him. Pass rushers need rest. The combination of your 3rd and 4th Edge should be playing as much as your 2nd Edge guy. Clay just isn't coming off the field because nobody else looks capable of taking that spot.

 

- Kyler Fackrell has been awful this year. I try not to write guys off until they've had two complete seasons, but there hasn't even been flashes of play that make you think he might be able to pressure a QB in the future if he were to fix some things. He's playing with zero confidence. His get off is just slow, he's not landing his hands, he doesn't look like he has any power to move a Tackle backwards. He's not rushing with any kind of plan. There's none of the manic energy and crazy hustle that you saw in school. He looks scared and confused and I don't know why. That's not the guy you see on his film from college.

 

- Ahmad Brooks has been hurt. Brooks might be something of a bandaid had he been healthy, but at this point that's all he is. He isn't a long term answer, and he's not a plus guy even when healthy. He's a hustle guy and another old man rusher. 

 

- Mike Daniels is kinda like Perry. He's playing alright when you consider he's got a nagging hip injury, but you need more out of the guy when his backups aren't producing. Big money players have to play well. 

 

- Dean Lowry has been awful this year and we really needed him to take that next step both for depth purposes and for backing up Daniels. Much like Fackrell, I don't want to write the guy off, but with the exception of a few successful edge rushes in the pressure packages last year (where he was pretty much ignored) Lowry hasn't done anything to make me think he's a long term fit. He's been the target of most of the opposition's runs (some of that has to do with Clark) and hasn't shown to be much more effective there than he has in the passing game. Lowry has played more snaps than Daniels in the same position and has a total of 7 tackles and .5 sacks to show for it. 

 

It's very clear to me that we need another starting caliber edge rusher and another interior rusher this offseason if we're going to be a top tier defense. Our pressure package sucks this year being composed of Perry-Daniels-Lowry-Clay-Fackrell. You've got 3 basically non factors in 1v1 matchups, and that can't happen. A lot of times a blitzer isn't going to get home, but that blitzer needs to attract attention so that the standard rushers can get isolated matchups. We haven't been winning those matchups. 

 

 

Will add more later

[MantyWrestler]

Fairly good assessment but I think you give Lowry and Perry too much credit. Lol

Lowery is just bad. 2 sacks last year (1 unblocked) and everyone thought we had something. Heck he had a lot of playing time and did nothing. This year, more of the same. If Staford could run better he wouldn’t have a .5 sack either. I see nothing with him going forward. He’s here because you have to have someone play. 

Perry has shown flashes but not enough to make me feel like he’s more than a 3rd OLB. Last night he went up primarily against a 3rd and 4th string OT! Hell with 2 clubs and a walking boot he should have gotten more pressure. I didn’t really notice a club either. If so it was much smaller. 

Daniels is the only guy I see beating 1 on 1’s but he lacks a burst to close fast enough. Your right he needs help inside and pressure off the edge. Clark is solid this year but will he ever provide an inside rush or just push the pocket?

[Dubz41]

The time for calm was a few years ago.  Have any of you been satisfied at the end of the year for a while?  We've had our asses handed to us regularly on National TV.  A change is overdue.  Get the pitchforks out and hit the street.  This is like watching the Sherman years end in a fireball.  New leadership will light the fire that is needed to cleanse the complacency that is 1265.

[pollino14]

Our pass rush has most certainly let us down this year. I could be wrong, but I haven't noticed many schemed blitzes this year. Nothing up the middle with out ILBs, not much with our corners. That used to be one of my favorite things about Capers, his exotic manufactured blitzes. 

[packfanfb]

 I'd classify this as a problem.

[Packerraymond]

Spent 400 dollars to see the game, truck blew a wheel bearing on the ride home, I'm stranded in a hotel in Eastern WI and the Packers are horrible. These are my current problems.

[{Family Ghost}]

24 minutes ago, Dubz41 said:

The time for calm was a few years ago.  Have any of you been satisfied at the end of the year for a while?  We've had our asses handed to us regularly on National TV.  A change is overdue.  Get the pitchforks out and hit the street.  This is like watching the Sherman years end in a fireball.  New leadership will light the fire that is needed to cleanse the complacency that is 1265.

Agreed .. we've put enough band-aides on things for the past several years.  Almost every year ended in our defense getting shredded in an embarrassing playoff loss.  At bare minimum Capers has to go ... he's getting less and less from this defense each season.  Ted Thompson has failed in his last several drafts to add pass rushing talent .. still not even sure we are fine at corner despite spending several high picks at the position.  He's old and seems about half-way slow on the draw these days, so maybe it's time to usher him into retirement.  I think it's time for a new vision, and that starts at the top.  And then there is McCarthy who is responsible for grooming qb's and being the qb whisperer .. early indication are that he has completely missed with Hundley, or at minimum is clueless on how to give the guy a winning game plan that takes advantage of his strengths.  I think he's stubborn and set in his ways .. his style may have ran it's course in GB.  It's hard not to come away thinking that without Rodgers this team is hot garbage.  

[Spartacus]

1. Pass rush - Extremely disappointing and although I would love to think injury plays a role I just think we have overrated our own players at this point. Perry seems to have regressed from last year. Matthews just isn't a good pass rusher anymore. Daniels has extremely underperformed since week 1 and I honestly believe that its not just injury issues but I think we crowned him a blue chip player a little too fast. Lowry, Fackrell,  and Clark all provide nothing for pass rush.  We are paying a lot of money to our pass rushers who just aren't doing a good job getting to the QB. 

2. Secondary - Cannot cover on 3rd down. I honestly think part of the problem is our pass rush but I also think part of the pass rushes problem is they can't buy a coverage sack to save their lives. This is the most physical secondary we have had but none of them can reliably cover. King looks promising and then looks foolish so for a rookie second rounder I would say hes doing OK. House is not what we all hoped he would be even when he is on the field. Rollins is a complete bust at this point. Randall has looked better the last couple weeks and gives me some hope going forward that King, Randall, 3rd corner not on the team right now can make a stout secondary in the coming years. 

 

3. Brett Hundley - He looks exactly like his film  at UCLA. Literally like he never learned a thing here over the last couple years. Too quick to run out of pockets, glues into his first read, mechanics can be wonky leading to accuracy issues, has a hard time reading blitzes, and terrible pocket awareness. He has the ability to make some good throws but so did Jamarcus Russell. At this point I need to see him improve drastically next week or he needs to get benched. He just doesn't look like an NFL QB. 

 

I don't think our WRs or RB are issues at this point. The 3 I mentioned I think are our biggest issues. 

[Cheesehawk]

16 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

Spent 400 dollars to see the game, truck blew a wheel bearing on the ride home, I'm stranded in a hotel in Eastern WI and the Packers are horrible. These are my current problems.

Hey, you could always be stuck stranded somewhere in Cleveland as a Browns fan. It can always be worse.

[Spartacus]

30 minutes ago, pollino14 said:

Our pass rush has most certainly let us down this year. I could be wrong, but I haven't noticed many schemed blitzes this year. Nothing up the middle with out ILBs, not much with our corners. That used to be one of my favorite things about Capers, his exotic manufactured blitzes. 

Capers threw everything but the kitchen sink at Stafford yesterday. It was either picked up far too easily by the RB and OL or Stafford worked the screen game. Exotic blitzes only take you so far. You need to get home with 4 at least occasionally.  

[packfanfb]

27 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

Spent 400 dollars to see the game, truck blew a wheel bearing on the ride home, I'm stranded in a hotel in Eastern WI and the Packers are horrible. These are my current problems.

You got 99 problems but a Packers Victory Tuesday aint one.

[TheOnlyThing]

Outside Linebacker Contracts

Von Miller (2016-2021)	OLB	DEN	28	6	$114,100,000	$19,016,667	$42,000,000	$70,000,000	61.35%	2022
Justin Houston (2015-2020)	OLB	KC	28	6	$101,000,000	$16,833,333	$32,500,000	$52,500,000	51.98%	2021
Chandler Jones (2017-2021)	OLB	ARI	27	5	$82,500,000	$16,500,000	$31,000,000	$51,000,000	61.82%	2022
Clay Matthews (2013-2018)	OLB	GB	31	5	$66,000,000	$13,200,000	$20,500,000	$20,500,000	31.06%	2019
Melvin Ingram (2017-2020)	OLB	LAC	28	4	$64,000,000	$16,000,000	$34,000,000	$34,000,000	53.13%	2021
Nick Perry (2017-2021)	OLB	GB	27	5	$59,000,000	$11,800,000	$18,500,000	$18,500,000	31.36%	2022

Having 4 of the top 6 most highly paid OLBs is a bad look given the anemic pass rush. And it is not a bad look for just, or even primarily, the defensive coordinator.

It reminds me of 2014 when Brad Jones & AJ Hawk were in the top 10 for INSIDE LINEBACKERS contracts and then went out and were so bad they both got benched.

Now Perry is at least competent when healthy (and his health is a whole different story), but Clay is just nothing close to an average OLBer anymore. He really isn't. 

[Dubz41]

34 minutes ago, Spartacus said:

Capers threw everything but the kitchen sink at Stafford yesterday. It was either picked up far too easily by the RB and OL or Stafford worked the screen game. Exotic blitzes only take you so far. You need to get home with 4 at least occasionally.  

Capers can call them what he wants, exotic is not an accurate description.  When we rush the passer it looks like we're pushing a blocking sled.  Everyone in their place, stay in their lane, no variance.  There is no chaos in our attack.  Cooter countered everything Capers concocted convincingly. (couldn't contain the alliteration).  Out coached again.

[pollino14]

44 minutes ago, Spartacus said:

Capers threw everything but the kitchen sink at Stafford yesterday. It was either picked up far too easily by the RB and OL or Stafford worked the screen game. Exotic blitzes only take you so far. You need to get home with 4 at least occasionally.  

Thanks

When four is giving you nothing, you have to manufacture it somehow. 

[Spartacus]

2 minutes ago, Dubz41 said:

Capers can call them what he wants, exotic is not an accurate description.  When we rush the passer it looks like we're pushing a blocking sled.  Everyone in their place, stay in their lane, no variance.  There is no chaos in our attack.  Cooter countered everything Capers concocted convincingly. (couldn't contain the alliteration).  Out coached again.

There was though. There is only so much you can do when blitzing a QB. He brought corners, LBs, safeties, stunts, inside, and outside pressure with no penetration from any of them. Although I am not a Capers fan it was obvious yesterday he was trying to scheme a pass rush to the best of his ability. No one was beating his man. We couldn't beat the tight ends or the RBs on any of our blitzes. Abdullah was also great at picking up blitzes  and I didn't see him out of position once when pass blocking. This isn't just a scheme issue but scheme mixed with a lack of a true playmaking pass rusher.