♪ Chicken parm you taste go good… ♫ Going to Colorado for a Mile High experience. Denver’s D is ranked #1, but really they’re just 1-hit wonders. Manning will try moving the chains thinking that short passes will nickel and dime us. What have McCarthy and Capers baked up over the bye? Those injured resi’s will need to be scraped off the sides and put on the grass. Oh yeah, and my college roommate says you shouldn’t smoke beaners or you’ll get a headache, but I’m not sure what that has to do with the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3iEcgPo6A Create a seam here - X's & O's about the game or a scheme Like the Packers, Denver has faced a bunch of bad offenses. Coach has no respect for Denver’s 6-0 record. …reality is that they were in really tight games against really bad teams. I know you can shoot holes in our 6-0 record, but some of those games have been with our severely depleted roster ...and opponents always gunning for us in hopes of a signature win. Good teams make the handful of difference-making plays to win when they only bring their B game, and we are capable of that (we’ve had some off days even during SB seasons). But Denver plays like they are only capable of a B game every week, so they barely win against really bad teams. Hopefully, they are drinking the media Kool-Aide (actually believing they are a really good team) and end up getting their stomach’s pumped by a GREAT Green Bay team on Sunday night. To be honest, Coach is not sold on the defensive statistics for either team. The Pack probably would have looked better vs. SD with more healthy bodies. I see this game against the Denver Jackasses as having the potential for a 14+ point win for GB. This assumes Adams and Raji stay on the field for 4 quarters and are contributors. Denver’s offense is much more limited than GB’s, probably because Peyton has slowed down in the past 2 years from smoking dime bags of pot that he buys at the local Pick ‘n Save store near his house. He’s ranked 31 in the league this year (Rodgers is ranked 2). GB’s defense needs to bring it, heat up Manning and force turnovers. Opportunities should be there for pick-six points. We know they will have a hard time beating us deep. It’s a D coordinator’s dream, and our D is tired of being thought of as the reason A-Rod doesn’t have more rings … they intend to send a message to the rest of the league that THEY are the #1 defense, not Denver. It wouldn’t hurt to make Cam Newton a little nervous for next week, too. San Diago’s dinking and dunking at linebacker depth was productive between the 20’s, and that is historically right up Manning’s alley, so look for more of the same until Dominic C unveils his trickeration D scheme to thwart Denver’s junior high school level film study. If Mathews starts unloading early on the geriatric QB like he did on Nick Foles, Manning will be eating through a straw next week and will make Stephen Hawking look like Mikhail Baryshnikov. Speaking of trickeration, I predict a backwards screen pass to Randall Cobb (the receiver, not the boxer) that he then forward-passes to a TE or even Aaron Rodgers (think Russell Wilson at UW). This play would likely be not too long AFTER a prior, similar screen-run play to Cobb executed to the other side of the field (as a setup for the future trick play). You bright ones out there will recall a similar play like this that Bubba “ball park” Franks caught-and-passed on to Donald Driver in 2002 for a 31-yard touchdown pass. What really helped to surprise the defense was that Bubba is left-handed, so the left-side screen throw toward him near the sidelines seemed like it could only be a run from there – great play call suggestion by the Assistant to the Offensive Coordinator for that game, Darrell Bevell. WTF - The Coach's take on a bad ref call or a bad play call or the like Even Coach isn’t perfect… and as most good coach’s do, leading up to the bye week I did significant self-scouting and came to the conclusion that there MUST be SOMETHING that I could consider improving with this column. So, therefore, I asked for – and YOU provided, candid 360-degree feedback on the in-depth analysis that I provide each week, on the breadth of topics covered, on the accuracy of reporting, on the photos and links to other related information, and on the general entertainment value of the blog. Thanks to all who provided their forthright opinions. I truly appreciated all of your kind, and sometimes critical, comments. I just had to single out and share this particular video response, submitted by Dwight Fingerbang, which was probably the most insightful response to help me keep “binging it” each week for the average football fan, Packer fans, and Bears enthusiasts alike… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrWoG8IckyE The Bears Still Suck - the Coach has proof It will be a breezy Sunday in southern and western Wisconsin on Sunday. WBAY weatherman George Dukakis has already elevated the storm warning color level for Sunday from green to yellow (possible upgrade?) due to gale force northwesterly winds particularly strong along the I-94 corridor, obviously because of how bad the Bears suck and the Vikings blow. Of the 4 teams having a bye last week, only the Bears were not undefeated. In fact, they had 1 loss for each team that had a bye last week. If the Bears did play a game last week, they would have lost. They will lose in week 8 against the Vikings (unfortunately), and then they’ll lose to the Chargers, and then they’ll lose to the Rams, and then they’ll lose to the Broncos before they lose to the Packers on Thanksgiving night. Bears, you suck! Udder stuff - commentary from the Badger Underground The Scarlet Knights are coming to town this week and this game is one of many snoozers on the Bucky’s schedule. Set the DVR and go bow hunting Saturday; the rut should be under way (Rut-gers, get it?). Your wife can take the kids trick or treating, and you can turn off your porch light. When you get home, you can go to the neighbor’s Halloween party … dressed as a deer hunter! Viola. You’re welcome. The only things making this game interesting are the many injuries that the Badgers are coping with and predicted rain, which could induce a few turnovers. Wisconsin will be starting 4 frosh OL, continuing their season long pattern of inconsistency. Although Corey Clement would be motivated to finally take the field against a team from his home state, he is firmly in redshirt territory if you assume that he will still be around for his senior season. I think chances are better than 50% that he will play four years at Wisconsin. Wheelright and Voltz are likely done for the year (sigh). Rutgers’ most impressive accomplishment this season has been putting up 52 points on Indiana. However, they gave up 55 points. There is nothing about Rugburns that should be feared. Stave puts up 300 yards (400 if you count drops and PI calls), unless it is raining sideways. “Why Stave, Bart Houston did more than just fill in vs. the fighting ILL.?” Well, sort off. He did fill up the stat sheet to the point that many feel there is now a quarterback controversy at Wisconsin. Here is why that is not the case. Paul Chryst was already in the process of making adjustments when Houston came on the field. IL was content to play a Dom Capers prevent defense, with their deep zone making it easy for Wisconsin to play pitch and catch regardless of who was at quarterback. Seeing that the pocket was an unsafe place for any QB to be hanging out, Stave or Houston would be rolling out the rest of the game. Stave too began to gash IL before he came out of the game for good. Stave was going to have another 300 yard game had he played for four quarters. If you are wondering why the highly touted Houston could not find the field under three different coaching staffs, let’s talk practice. Houston lost one year not learning the playbook. He still cannot read defenses and adjust plays at the LOS. At least twice, he failed to audible out of runs into the teeth of blitzes. In practice, he is a pick machine. He’s got a Tolzein windup that telegraphs where the ball is going. He threw two picks in the red zone vs. IL. At least part of the blame on the first goes to Wheelright for dropping a wide open TD pass on the play before, followed up with a poorly run route and failure to seal the defender with his body. On the second pick, I’m certain that Chryst told him to roll out, look for something safe and throw the ball away or run if nothing was available. Instead, Houston rolled right, stared down McEvoy and the defender who had him perfectly covered, then threw a strike to the defender. Houston also could have easily run for a first down. No wonder that the usually monotone Paul Chryst was all over him when he returned to the sidelines. Joel Stave has had a very good season with no OL and no running game, putting up good numbers throwing to receivers who are incapable of getting separation beyond 10 yards downfield and who have dropped far too many balls that hit them between the numbers. Stave has thrown many perfect balls to receivers who were well covered. There have been several pass interference calls and balls knocked away due also to lack of separation. Stave is a master at reading defenses and adjusting plays at the line of scrimmage. This is the least talented Wisconsin offense since 1991, but credit mediocre opposition and the brilliance of Paul Chryst for getting the most out of what he has to work with. Stave will never get the benefit of a doubt from fans who wrote him off after several under thrown balls to Abbrederus two years ago, for 3 picks against Northwestern last year or the many late throws to slow footed receivers who were open for only milliseconds due to failure to get separation. We're gonna kick your a$$ - predictions for the next game Expect a playoff game atmosphere in Denver: - Two 6-0 teams meeting on Sunday night football. - Old Manning vs. Rodgers in his prime - 70,000 wasteoids stoned out of their gourds from tailgating into the evening with legalized marijuana - No. 1 Scoring Defense (Broncos) vs. No. 2 Scoring Defense (Packers) - Rematch(?) of SB XXXII (the Elway helicopter game) Coach doesn’t care about any of that. Coach remembers Mike Holmgren consistently saying about games like this, “…the game will be decided on turnovers and Special Teams play. Oh, and remind Andy that I want all of my staff to either look like me, or Wilford Brimley, or a walrus.” History tells us we need to be positive on T.O. ratio and we need at least one more big Special Teams play than Denver to win. Manning has been pilloried all year for lack of arm strength and cast as a shadow of his former self. So, much as George C. Scott explained that a night-time-winter-attack in the Ardennes was completely out of character for the depleted German Army in “Patton” --- and therefore they would attack – we should expect Manning to come out trying to sling the ball around the yard. Manning will want to show the world that he’s not washed up and that much as Elway, he has another SB win in him before retirement. With all those balls flying around the Packers DB’s should have at least 3 picks. The Denver/Kubiak formula has been to play ball control, conservative offense and play very aggressive defense. They generally run a base 3-4 D and, similar to what the Packers have seen in the last several weeks, they will crowd the box with 7 or 8 defenders and then rush 4 or 5. Coach likes the aggressive posture on defense; it has worked well for the Packers when they have deployed it this year. Unfortunately it has also worked extremely well against the Packers, so expect Denver and Wade Philips to continue the strategy. The advantage for the D is that they have players at the LOS to minimize the run and take away the quick slants, but obviously they need athletic LB’s & Safeties to drop into coverage. Denver has the athletes to play this way, so what does Coach recommend? AR said after the Rams game that “we need to stretch-the-field” to open up the offense. Coach believes that this has been a major focus over the bye week and healthy versions of Adams, Montgomery (questionable?) and Jones will attempt just that. On the other hand, the Devil’s Advocate would point out that Adams actually generated little production in the 2 games that he did play this year (other than maybe taking focus away from JJ?), and also happens to be the Packers slowest wide receiver. Sending him on a long pass route would be a good decoy to tire out DB’s, and then follow that up with an actual long pass to a fresh Jeff Janis – who can blow by a winded DB at 5,280’ elevation. On defense we cannot do what we did against SD. As coach explained last week, we line-up pre-snap with 5 or 6 players off of the LOS. Joan Rivers killed us with short passes and Manning will do the same if we give him that much room. Crowd the box and rush 4 or 5 with Matthews in the middle has worked extremely well for 5 games, it will work in Denver as well. The Broncos are favored by 3--- Coach disagrees: GB 27 – Denver 13 with the Packers going +2 on turnover ratio. For the Pack, we hope the reports of the M.A.S.H. unit of Lacy, Adams, Jones, Bulaga, Burnett, Raji and Hyde practicing all week means that they can play effectively on Sunday. Ty Montgomery and James Starks still did not practice as of Wednesday (all other eligible’s did). If we can get all those guys on the field and playing well, we could see a blowout. If so, the Pack will officially put the NFL on notice that we are on an unstoppable mission. JB - Packer players you forgot about, but stories you'll remember about them Let’s reminisce… Green Bay at Denver, Monday Night Football, October 15th, 1984…hmmmmm…that must have been with commentators “dandy” Don Meredith and Howard Cosell, right? Well, not in 1984, as it was the first season of MNF without Howard Cosell “manning” (heh-heh) the booth. ABC released Cosell from MNF after he referred to a Washington Redskins player, or two, or three, as diminutive macaque fascicles during the ’83 season. (Ironic that Cosell was a racist bigot, eh?) Therefore, more clean-cut personalities were brought in by ABC to take over the booth, like…Frank Gifford, and…OJ Simpson. Smart! Anyways, on that night although the 5-1 Broncos were heavily favored going into the game, the 1-5 Packers dominated time of possession, out-gained the Broncos 423 yards to 193 and generally kicked Elway’s ass. On a balmy 32-degree night at Mile High Stadium, you can just imagine what fun a Wisconsin kid would have with several inches of snow on the ground before kickoff and with more falling during the game. Which takes us to this week’s “mediocre player from the 80’s” #31, Gerry (pronounced “Gary”) Ellis. While Gerry was reputedly fast and strong, he is shown below demonstrating his questionable ball handling technique; note how he has a firm grasp on the top ¼ of the ball. Gerry was a featured player on a really bad team and set the stage for a really, really inexcusable loss in Denver. A big win on MNF arguably could have turned around Coach Gregg’s first season as the GBP Head Coach. By all accounts Coach Gregg had the Pack well prepared, all contingencies were considered and the guys played well…with two exceptions. Green Bay received the opening kick-off and on the first play from scrimmage Gerry Ellis fumbled Lynn Dickey’s handoff and the Broncos went up 7-0. After the ensuing kick-off, Jessie Clark fumbled on the second play from scrimmage; the Broncos took it in for another score and were up 14-0, just seconds into the first quarter. Get ready to groan as you watch the first few plays of the game in the link below. The Packers ended up losing, 17-14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k_13YQUrAI “The Lesson”? When you’re pushing for a road win, whether it’s in a stall at Home Depot or on the gridiron a mile above sea level; no matter how good you are and no matter how well prepared you are – road wins are tough. And when referring specifically to football, you cannot win on the road with a net negative 4 on turnovers. As you can see below, in 1984 the Packers dominated Denver statistically in every category but one…fumbles. So Gerry, or Gary, or Jerry, or whatever the hell your name is, thanks for reminding us to hang onto the rock as we come back from vacation. We salute you!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author"Coach" is the insightful collective brain and funny bone of a few legendary Packer fans who provide everything you need to know (and what Packers beat writers often plagiarize) about the Green & Gold, plus a weekly guest appearance by The Badger Underground. Archives
November 2022
Categories |