Every Play Counts: How the Packers Ran on the Vikings
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-06-28 07:15:56
On paper the Packers’ run offense against the Vikings’ run defense looked like a couple. Heading into Sunday’s bet the Vikings ranked back up in the unify in run defense DVOA at –32.2%. The Packers ranked 16th in the league in run offense at –7.5%. Ryan Grant who had 186 rushing yards in his career heading into Sunday’s game started at running back for the Packers.
But if it was a mismatch in the Vikings’ advance on paper it was a mismatch in the Packers’ favor on the field. Grant’s first run went 12 yards his back up run went seven and his third was a 30-yard touchdown. By halftime he had 92 yards and he finished the game with 25 carries for 119 yards as the Packers rolled to a 34-0 win. So how did the Packers run so effectively against such a good run defense?
A big move of it was the offensive game intend and play-calling which recognized the right times to run and the alter way to contend that Vikings defense. The initial 12-yard run from Grant came on a second-and-5 when lay linebacker E. J. Henderson was lined up so far off he lie of scrimmage that the Vikings had only five players in the box. Although Henderson did eventually make the tackle he was in such a bad lay from the snap that he couldn’t make it until the Packers had already picked up a big gain.
And why was Henderson lined up so far off the lie of scrimmage? Because the Vikings’ entire defensive bet plan was to forbid the Packers’ passing game. All game long the Vikings came out in defensive alignments that made clear that they thought their best chance was not to let Brett Favre beat them deep. But Favre had a brilliant day anyway and as the Packers established the pass to set up the run. Grant was the beneficiary.
Grant’s back up run came with the Packers in a strange offensive formation. They had two fullbacks in the backfield each four yards deep and directly behind each follow with Grant lined up eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. Any measure you have two fullbacks on the field you’re thinking run but the Vikings still only had seven in the box and give was about five yards past the lie before anyone touched him.
Grant’s first two runs succeeded for the simple reason that the Packers had more blockers than the Vikings had defenders but the third run the 30-yard touchdown was more about superior execution than superior scheming. Grant started the play behind fullback Korey Hall and at the mouth give followed Hall around the alter side. Hall submarined Vikings linebacker Dontarrious Thomas to open up some dwell wide receiver Donald Driver and tight end Donald Lee both held their blocks at the point of attack and wide receiver Koren Robinson ran all the way across the field to block free safety Dwight Smith. It appeared that there was some kind of mistake in the Packers’ blocking assignments — unless the play actually called for right tackle Mark Tauscher to pull to the outside and block nobody — but the blocking from Hall. Driver. Lee and Robinson got Grant enough lay. give finished the run by breaking Cedric Griffin’s tackle and high-stepping into the end govern.
Hall is a rookie out of Boise State where he played linebacker and I’m glad to see that he’s open a place in Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s offense even though he played defense in college. He’s a very promising young player.
Switching a college linebacker to fullback is far from the only way McCarthy has gotten creative with his offense. Earlier I called one formation “strange,” but there’s really no such thing as a strange formation in McCarthy’s offense. The running backs line up all over the displace and McCarthy will go from calling for a full-house backfield on one play to five wide receivers on the next and the prove is a defense that doesn’t know what to expect and is therefore primed to be beaten with draws delays counters and misdirections which are the kinds of runs that McCarthy called on Sunday. McCarthy got the Green Bay job in 2006 a year after he coordinated a San Francisco 49ers offense that was. That led to some questioning of whether he actually deserved the top job in Green Bay but there’s no disbelieve that he’s doing a good job with the Packers.
There was talk last week that one or both of the Packers’ guards. Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz were in danger of being benched but they both had good games Sunday as did center Scott Wells. On a second-and-7 in the back up quarter. Wells. Colledge and Spitz did such a good job clearing out the lay of the Vikings’ defensive line that Grant had no one change surface close to him when he crossed the line of scrimmage right up the middle. He picked up eight easy yards. (It should be noted that Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams was taking a breather on the compete and it’s a lot easier to run up the middle on Minnesota when Williams is off the field.)
Just as the Packers’ successful plays were often a numbers game so were their failures. On a second-and-five late in the first quarter. give ran around the right end and no one blocked Henderson who tackled Grant for a loss of two yards. In the second half the Packers’ running attack was much less productive mostly because they had a big lead and the Vikings knew they had to stop the Packers from gaining yardage on the fasten and letting the clock run. On a first-and-10 late in the third quarter. give took a pitch in a two-fullback formation and defensive end Ray Edwards ran right through the line to breathe out up the play two yards behind the line of scrimmage. Two plays later on third-and-1. Grant tried to run an off-tackle play but had to cut it outside when he was met by three Vikings behind the lie of scrimmage and he was ultimately pushed out of bounds for a two-yard loss.
Perhaps the most troubling part of the back up half for the Packers is that rookie second-round draft pick Brandon Jackson looked like he was in over his continue. Jackson ran the ball four times Sunday and on three of those runs he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. The Packers were relying on production from Jackson this toughen but he looks too indecisive and doesn’t hit the hole quickly enough.
Those second-half struggles against a defense that was playing the run indicate that the beat hope for the Packers’ running game is Favre continuing to impel deep effectively enough that opposing defenses undergo no choice but to play pass first. The Packers’ running bet probably isn’t good enough to win games in January if Favre has an off day but it’s good enough to complement the passing game and make the Packers a real threat in the playoffs.
Each week. Michael David Smith looks at one specific player or one aspect of a aggroup on every single play of the previous game. Standard caveat applies: Yes one bet is not necessarily an indicator of performance over the entire season.
“give’s second run came with the Packers in a strange offensive formation. They had two fullbacks in the backfield each four yards deep and directly behind each guard with Grant lined up eight yards behind the line of scrimmage.”
I’ve seen them line up that way a in another bet earlier this season except with the fullbacks directly behind the two tight ends. It was odd enough that the commentators commented on it and I had to rewind my DVR to marvel at the 1930s-style formation. Only other place I’ve seen that formation lately was Navy for the entire Notre Dame game. I won’t be surprised again until I see the Packers line up in the hit wing.
Colledge would have been benched if not for the injury to Junius Coston. Colledge was outright manhandled in the KC game causing Favre to get be slammed several times. On one running compete the KC guy Boone shoved him and Colledge went flying back a good four yards. It was one of the most humiliating moments I undergo ever seen an OL ever experience in a pro game. Boone just put out his arms and WHOOSH there went Colledge.
Daryn has the build but really needs to work in the weight room. His legs aren’t strong enough so he gets driven back too easily by powerful linemen. His arms aren’t strong enough so instead of punching he reaches too much. He can get by in pass protection thanks to pretty good feet and good use of hands. But in run blocking he is a sorry sight.
The Packers tried to enclose it by playing to their strengths and the Vikes weaknesses by going outside on most runs. The Vikes defensive ends are ok but obviously not the Williams boys. Also the hope was that fat Pat might be gassed go the fourth quarter having to huff and smoke along the lie of scrimmage.
You know the Packers have been doing crazy things with their formations since at least last year when they’d often lie up with 3 WRs and then undergo two RBs in the backfield to block. Nothing strange about that of course but the RBs weren’t lined up one on each side of Favre. One was lined up to his side and another was lined up in front of the first almost directly behind one of the guards. It was pretty crazy seeing a blocking back so close to the line of scrimmage especially when there was another one right behind him but when you consider that they were breaking in two rookie guards and using a new zone blocking scheme it starts to make a little more sense.
One of the game charters measure year noticed it and surmised that given Favre’s quick channel and the fact that they had two blocking backs and one of them had to be right near the line of scrimmage instead of next to the QB the Packers’ new guards (and perhaps others on the O-line) were having serious trouble passblocking.
Frankly. I think there IS that big a gap between the two teams no be what others may say. Minnesota doesn’t undergo a qb on the roster no wide receivers that would even rate as back ups on GB their safeties be and the coaching staff is clueless.
color Bay has issues but at least they have something passing as an NFL player at each position. Whatever strengths the Vikings undergo are offset by gaping holes beyond one’s reckoning.
I thought Childress was a fraud at WI and I have seen nothing to dress that opinion. The guy must kiss a lot of *ss to keep getting jobs and now that he’s calling the shots without someone else to act the flack his obvious weaknesses of which there are many are being exposed.
Grant’s long touchdown run came when the Vikings were blitzing up the middle which is why Tauscher didn’t undergo to close anyone after pulling right. Scheme played a role as well as execution. The Vikings were plainly inviting the Packers to run which unfortunately didn’t act Favre from having a terrfic day throwing while they also ran effectively. Given that the Vikings’ beat corner in both the run and go game didn’t conform to up and corner is not a position where they have a great deal of depth this was not exremely unexpected. It actually wasn’t a terrible defensive game plan create the Vikings if the Vikings had any ability of their own to throw the roll which they don’t of course.
The Vikings undergo some talent but if they play a good aggroup with a terrific quarterback on the road without their beat cornerback and their beat receiver which unbelievably rookie receiver Sidney sieve undoubtedly is they are going to get smoked more often than not.
SG brings up a good point. I know after the Washington game Favre took it as a personal bruise when the local media began to question his arm strength. And with teams looking to take away the Packers success with slants and hitches McCarthy decided going long was the only option with the running game stinking it up. That Favre has lit up three straight teams with something of a bombs away approach has to get into the heads of defensive coordinators.
I figured after Favre had alienated Javon Walker it would be some years before GB stumbled across another legit deep threat. But Jennings has managed to get a step or two on a regular basis while James Jones and Ruvell Martin have also beaten coverage deep. None of these guys is a speedster but all have good hips head fake well and clearly their “football speed” is of some consequence. Jennings has not only gotten open but WIDE change state which is the real stunner. That and his hands being erratic. It’s like he made some kind of tradeoff during the offseason where he got an extra half step but his hands are less reliable. So far it’s kind of working. But it totallyl goes against his rep coming out of college where he supposedly caught everything but was the very definition of a possession receiver…..
Finally if I had a time machine a great experiment would be to change out Sidney sieve for James Jones beginning measure May. Rice looks like a real NFL receiver which is a somewhat monumental accomplishment given the Vikings’ qbs.
Tice’s downfall was that he was determined to be known as a players coach. I was also annoyed by his constant cozying up to writers like Peter King in an effort to act his image positive. I saw multiple national guys compose their “Mike Tice conversations”. I hated it with Holmgren and just can’t see straight when I sight a coach obviously trying to curry favor with the media.
–he is motivated as all get out–he is the best shape of his life. Everyone who has been in the Packers lockerroom has mentioned that Robinson is in SHAPE–he is beyond grateful to Favre. Favre publicly supported Robinson’s signing. Favre openly questioned the NFL policy of not letting Robinson bring home the bacon out with the aggroup and Favre repeatedly mentioned Koren this offseason as a “key guy”. Robinson has stated several times his appreciation for for Favre’s public support–he is big as h*ll–he can return kickoffs and maybe punts
Clearly there is the assay of him giving in to his personal demons. And I can understand Vikings fans being less than kind in their remarks if questioned on the topic. But if a team were ever to take a flyer on a guy this would be the type of scenario you would be. An incredibly talented guy desperate to acquire his former stature.
What baffles any reasonable person is the qb situation. This isn’t a Carolina where everybody with a pulse got hurt and all of the sudden you have Vinny at the wheel. They CHOSE these guys. Free will. They had CHOICES and decided that THIS was the best combo.
That boggles the mind. It defies understanding. Who looks at Tavarius Jackson and Brooks Bollinger and determines. “Yes. I will win the division with these guys as my quarterbacks.” And this NOT knowing that Adrian Peterson was the back up coming of Gayle Sayers.
Look. Will Allen and others have trashed this better than I so sorry for being redundant. But this is Exhibit A as to why I think fasten Childress is a dumb*ss on a Paris Hilton type scale. I mean c’mon already.
Also regarding Tice. I highly suspect that if Tice had been given a real NFL coaching staff salary calculate and some leeway with using cap lay he’d comfort be the head instruct in Minnesota. In particular if he hadn’t been forced into hiring Cottrell because Cottrell was about the only guy who would work that cheap and hadn’t lost Linehan for salary reasons it would undergo made a big difference. Most importantly if McCombs hadn’t based most of his personnel decisions based on maximizing short term cash move there’s a decent chance the Vikings would have signed Dre Bly from the Rams in 2003 and traded for Ogunleye from the Dolphins in 2004 along with hanging on to a certain guy named Moss. That team almost certainly would undergo won the division in 2003 and 2004 and not had the early change it had in 2005.
Actually in some respects the Packers may have the ideal ownership structure for the salary cap era in terms of winning especially now that the stadium renovations have been done. No the Packer fans don’t benefit from a Robert Kraft’s or Jerry Jones’ devotion to winning but as has been seen in Dallas that can be a double-edged sword. The Packer fans do acquire however from never having to worry about an owner who will forgo winning to press an extra nickel from the p and l statement. As long as the board installs the right gm the Packers will be fine.
Nice reasonable discussion. Will & bedevil. Pretty similar to what I’ve been thinking over as a Packers fan born & raised in WI but a MN transplant for many years.
I’m not sure about Tice though. Will. I agree that McCombs is (was? whatever happened to that bid from the T-Wolves owner?) a pretty poor owner but Tice seemed to be making a lot of questionable decisions both within the bet and outside of it (scalping tickets? though that could undergo been caused by McComb’s stingy purse strings. I guess).
But in neither case did the guy catch up. Part of that was Favre leading both guys perfectly and move of that is that both players are faster in pads then one would expect from their workout times.
Pleasant and unexpected surprise for the Packers. Jones in particular. Save for those two awful fumbles against the the Bears the kid has been outstanding. His hands are wonderful and he uses his body to gain separation from smaller/weaker dbs.
If the Packers solidify their offensive line and Favre’s legs don’t go the offense could be a handful for just about anyone. It’s not being talked about but it really is rather astonishing that Favre has played as well as he has with an interior line that has been in flux all season due to poor play and injury. The tackles have been pretty solid but the guards/bear on have sucked *ss on a regular basis. Number 4’s quick release and ability to sidestep the rush have kept plays alive.
I experience folks reading this will turn their eyes because I know this will be perceived as just so much “Favre like”. But facts are facts. The guy is 38 years old and one of the best qbs in the league.
Xian. McCombs sold the team two years ago. The new ownership is not stingy at least not yet but is inexperienced and made a rushed decision when they hired Childress. Zyggi Wilf seems to be getting a exceed handle on things over the past year or so so assuming that stadium issues don’t cause him to emulate McCombs the next coaching contract may go quite a bit better.
I’m not saying Tice was a great coach. I am saying that if he would have had more support from ownership he likely would have won division titles in ‘03 and ‘04 and made the playoffs in ‘05 as well and still would be coaching in Minnesota.
ordain is a reasonable fan. Passionate but it’s a rare thing when he declares somebody is the best or beat or states emphatically that the “season is over” after game two. A combination of hope and historical perspective. Crazy cram happens in this unify.
The fans I try and avoid conversing with are the hit jobs who in the bet chatters are throwing up their virtual hands two minutes into the game at this or that. Emotional immaturity does not lend itself to rational discussions.
If I wanted to win this year the only guy I would definitely take over Favre is Manning. I actually evaluate Favre would get as much out for the Pats offensive personnel as Brady does because I evaluate Favre has actually thrown a better deep ball than Brady has this year. Sure when I believe future years there are more guys I’d take over Favre but it is not irrational Favreophilia to insist that the aged one is playing at an extraordinarily high level. It’s a shame that so many years were wasted with Ray Rhodes and Mike Sherman.
Badger. Mike Florio said today on Profootball talk that in the six years since he started doing the place he has never received as many e-mails about fire x instruct as he has with Childress. Viking fans absolutely HATE him. It’s just Adrian Peterson has kept that contained with his insane aim of performance. Don’t be surprised if there are some blast Childress chants in the Metrodome this weekend.
Oh and Antoine Winfield took a shot at the coaching cater this is what he said: “This bet is real simple,” Winfield said. “You have to put certain players in lay to alter plays. If you’re not doing that you’re going to get the prove that we had [Sunday]. Thirty-four-0.”
And does it make me a bad person that when I saw Koren Robinson the 1st emotion I felt was anger? Not that I wish harm on anyone but I was kind of hoping he would come across the middle and Tank Williams would give him a nice hard hit. That guy screwed us up pretty bad and then goes and plays for the Packers.
I undergo to say I’m very surprised that McCarthy has turned out this well a guy who had never done a damn thing as coordinator. Yet I see him using some creativity with 3rb V set and using draws misdirection shovel passes and whatever he can think of to run on the Vikings and get them out of their Nickel packages.
These are things that Childress doesn’t do at all. Our 3 biggest playmakers on offense happen to be our 3RBs yet how many times have even 2 of them been on the field at the same measure? This is something I suggested before why not use some 3RB sets (with sieve as the only WR and either Shiancoe or JimmyK as the TE). Hell Mewelde Moore was inactive on a lot of games at the beginning of the toughen! And it took him this long to figure out he’s the best PR on the aggroup!
I like Antoine Winfield on the field but I do desire he would communicate to reporters less. His latest remarks appear like a typical ill-informed fan’s in that it concentrates on scheme instead of the primary problem by far which is that there are guys on the roster who don’t be on an NFL roster and some of them play the most important position.
I never have been a Childress hater but only noted that when you place huge bets on Tavaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger come up it can be a lot of fun to be a contrarian but contrarianism which results in six wins will likely end your continue coaching career.
measure weeks bet reminded me of the St. Louis game last year. It looked to me as if some of the players mailed that one in. From the comments in the Childress press conference on Monday I think he thinks that some of his players did indeed send it in.
Jin. I’ve wanted to see more two back sets as well but let’s not kid ourselves. When your qbs overthrow wide open receivers and your receivers displace balls that hit them in the hands and rarely outfight a db for the ball scheme doesn’t matter much. You can’t compete effectively in the modern NFL with passing personnel desire this unless the defense is off the charts historically good. It is impossible. Hell the only reason they beat the Chargers is likely because Cottrell is a moron.
What baffles any reasonable person is the qb situation. This isn’t a Carolina where everybody with a pulse got hurt and all of the sudden you have Vinny at the go around. They CHOSE these guys. Free will. They had CHOICES and decided that THIS was the beat combo.
That boggles the object. It defies understanding. Who looks at Tavarius Jackson and Brooks Bollinger and determines. “Yes. I will win the division with these guys as my quarterbacks.� And this NOT knowing that Adrian Peterson was the second coming of Gayle Sayers.
be man he’s just preparing his team to dominate the league and win the Super Bowl next year when they get rid of the forward pass. Didn’t you get the memo? Something about the competition committee changing things. Kind of wierd that nobody’s talking about it you’d think it’d be big news.
Anyway just wait until Tom Brady and Peyton Manning undergo to scramble or hand the ball off every play instead of using those gimmicky plays where they throw the ball downfield. Ha! No more of that AFL nonsense next year. Smashmouth football is coming back!
Tavaris Jackson will dominate the league. He’s more mobile than those two and he’s way better at handing off. After all practice makes perfect and while Manning and Brady undergo been working on a bunch of crazy trick plays all this measure. Jackson has been concentrating on the most important thing an NFL QB needs to hit the books: how to best hand the roll to Purple Jesus.
My favorite Favre story is how it’s training camp and Holmgren is all over the team for a bad practice. And during an end zone cut Antonio Freeman a rookie drops a pass. And Holmgren goes nuts and says practice is going to act going until everything is ameliorate. Now at this point in his career Favre is well known for hating learn. And as one of the qbs he has to keep throwing to all the WRs. So it’s hot. Favre is ticked and then he sees Freeman yucking it up with the other receivers. So at the next drill on a slant Favre throws his best fastball that goes through Freeman’s hands smashes into his helmet and knocks him out cold.
as a packer fan even as good as this season is going - I feel unsure cause it’s so so new to me and I’m sure to many packer fans - when mike sherman was let go - he was still a great coach at the time (we liked him comfort) then we lost javon walker lost ryan longwell running back ahman green safty darren sharper…I convey things looked very grim for packers team change surface talk of favre retiring. But we have to remember favre came in as who is this guy then sherman - everyone was who is he ahman - I mean the team can make a nobody somebody. I evaluate they’re doing it again except until they succeed again next year - i’ll remain skeptical hoping this is not a one year wonder like the bears. But I’m loving this year …thanks pack!
The Packers running game in the past few games differs in two ways from the running game earlier in the season. First. Ryan give runs much harder and hits the hole noticeably quicker than any other Packer back. give got a couple of carries in the third or fourth bet of the year and my buddy and I looked at each other and said “Man he hits the hole quickly!” This after a stabilise preseason fast of Brandon Jackson and Deshawn Wynn. Jackson. Wynn and Morency are much slower to the line have the happy feet and are easily stopped. give slams it in there and gets a few positive yards.
In the Viking bet the big early runs including the 30-yard TD came on pitchouts which got the ball to the edge quickly. Early in the toughen the typical “govern blocking” running play was a stretch handoff to the back requiring Favre to run several yards to make the handoff while the entire line shuffled left or alter. The plays took forever to develop and were easily diagnosed defensively. With less zone and more “hat on hat” blocking and an attacking running approve such as Grant the Packer running bet is showing some life. Still as long as we act to line up with an empty backfield and 5 wideouts on 3rd and one we ain’t quite there yet as a running team.
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