Post Game Thread : Falcons Take NFC 44-21 Over Green Bay

[Half Empty]

I will do my season ending thread midweek but some of my thoughts.

This was a team that had hot/cold streaks all year. No one should be surprised that in the end our defense plain collapsed. The front 7 can't get pressure consistently and once a team finds a crease in the run game they tend to exploit it. Our DT get over aggressive and give up the cut back lanes ( See today's game). Our LB are just ok.. they do enough but they don't scare anyone.
Our defensive backs are poorly coached and play undisciplined sloppy football. At least 3 of them are undfa for a reason and their lack of talent shows.
Offensively you have a big problem. You have built your whole offense around 1 man. That's fantastic except when he struggles they look like poo.You have no stud RB to carry the load if he struggles and our WR count on Rodgers skills to get them open not the other way around.The OL which I hear so much about looks a lot better because twinkle toes makes them look that way.

In short you have a great franchise QB that wins you games...you also have a franchise QB that loses games for you.

Bad depth... Iffy schemes and Bad karma don't give you losing seasons every year nor do they win you super bowls. If GB wants to keep the coffers full and stands full they won't change much. If they ever get around to wanting to win a SB then drastic changes in philosophy and personal will be needed.

Pretty much like the previous guy, too?

 

[ChampionshipBelt]

Its hard to run the ball when Monty is in the locker room, Michael doesn't have a clue and your only other option is a FB.

Pugger,

I was talking about before he was injured. We ran the ball very well with Monty and Rip but MM continued to just throw. Just my opinion.

 

[Dubz41]

Wanted to wait to comment until the pain subsided. This must’ve been what it was like at the Alamo. Ouch. All our good fortune was apparently burned up previously. At least we beat Dallas.
Winning cures everything. So we were able to ignore all the faults for two whole months, but they sure came back to roost Sunday. Where to start? How about the opening coin flip? MM deferred again, against a team with the best offense in the NFC with your depleted defense, he chooses to give them the ball first. No matter how you look at it, that gives them more possessions from the start. If you’re as confident as you claim, you take the ball and score. For the record- we came out with the ball in the third quarter, burned 11 seconds off the clock and punted. We turned the ball over on our first two possessions (missed FG is a turnover). You could almost feel it slipping away already. Our defense is porous, but also NON physical. There is NO attitude, we let Atlanta run practice on us. We don’t even contend for the ball. Their confidence grew with every series. Demarius Randall hasn’t regressed—he’s fallen off the planet. Reminds me of T Buck the way he avoids all contact. I’m not going to trash Gunter though, there isn’t a 4th CB in the league who can cover Julio. I do blame the guy who thought Gunter could cover Julio. We were perhaps the worst defense to make it to the NFCCG in recent memory. At least we beat Dallas.

Going forward, and I hope it is FORWARD, I really believe that Capers has to go. Yes, he had to juggle lineups and play people who might not be NFL caliber. The overriding thing that bugs me is that we don’t HIT anyone! We don’t contend anything! It’s a mindset that filters down from the top. How do you play defense when you don’t want to hit people. A lot of the time we aren’t even close enough even if we wanted to hit. Opposing players run free through our secondary with NO FEAR. I don’t care who TT drafts- if they come here they become soft and thoughtful. Because you have to be smart to play Dom’s defense. SCREW IT! I want some dummies who want to destroy. If you’re going down you’re taking people with you! It’s attitude that’s missing. If you’re going to suck you should at least want to hurt people (within the confines of the rules!).

IMO the ‘powderpuff’ attitude on defense is our single most glaring weakness. That comes from the top, but MM isn’t going anywhere, so it leaves Capers to fall on his sword. At least we beat Dallas.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

Well, Dang!!! I could tell from the get-go that we weren't going to be able to keep up with them. I think they played their hearts out at Dallas, were too banged up and sick to keep it going. I know that some people don't think those are good excuses, but I do.
I'm proud of the team. The team worked really hard to right the ship after things went south at the beginning of the season and for as inadequate and injured as the DB's were the defense did ok. The only thing I can't figure out is why the defense can't collapse the pocket. Are they just not big and strong enough? As far as scheme goes although I still think we need a fresh perspective regarding a DC, I don't know what any DC could have done with the players we had available.
I am kinda bummed that we won't get a very high draft pick but the end of the season was fun to watch and I won't be forgetting the Dallas game for a long time.

 

[TW]

That quote from R says it all.


This year exposed/reinforced a few things. MM can't handle it if Arod isn't playing like an MVP, he just isn't creative enough to win on scheme. That run of losses to teams like IND, TEN, and WAS perfect examples. And TT didn't get MM enough depth on defense despite all the picks invested there. If Arod is down this whole team seems to collapse, from coaches down to players. Just don't have that mental toughness...

Positive end of season thoughts though. TT brought in jared Cook and it appears it has been one of his best moves. Immediate connection with Arod and as long as he's healthy he's the TE they've desperately needed.

Monty may be a nice base for the RB core. Even Rip. I saw the replay of his fumble, and while you have to hang onto the ball, that kid was fighting with everything he had to keep moving forward. I gotta respect that.

At least we will have a lot to talk about in the offseason. An underwhelming list of team FAs and lots of cap space means GB could add some nice pieces if they play the game right.

Something you said is probably the most simplistic answer to everything. If Rodgers doesn't play like an MVP, the McCarthy game plan stinks. It's an accurate evaluation.

The problem is, the offense has been working, and Packer front offices are slow to make changes. McCarthy is safe, and the injury excuse will probably save Capers as well. The problem is, we face this same problem, year after year, and it's usually because we require so many "specialists" for various offensive and defensive packages that we are undermanned the moment one guy goes down.

Something needs to change from the perspective of utilization of personnel. It's been an excuse for failure way too long.

 

[Cheesedog]

Something you said is probably the most simplistic answer to everything. If Rodgers doesn't play like an MVP, the McCarthy game plan stinks. It's an accurate evaluation.

The problem is, the offense has been working, and Packer front offices are slow to make changes. McCarthy is safe, and the injury excuse will probably save Capers as well. The problem is, we face this same problem, year after year, and it's usually because we require so many "specialists" for various offensive and defensive packages that we are undermanned the moment one guy goes down.

Something needs to change from the perspective of utilization of personnel. It's been an excuse for failure way too long.

It's the double edged sword the Packers face. Upside they have one of the best QB's to ever play the game. Downside, it covers a lot deficiencies that get glossed over because of the record and playoffs. It's going to take a very intelligent and strong GM to fix what needs to be fixed and tell it like it is. However if the BOD only cares about $$$ and another Lombardi trophy is secondary then it might not matter who is GM.

 

[Pugger]

Pugger,

I was talking about before he was injured. We ran the ball very well with Monty and Rip but MM continued to just throw. Just my opinion.

I know. I suppose McCoach wants to put the ball in the hands of his best player - and I don't blame him - but you have to try to be more balanced or else your best player is gonna get clobbered back there again.

 

[Pugger]

Unfortunately I don't think Dom is going anywhere. He didn't have much to work with and IMO that lands at the feet of Ted. I wish TT wasn't so allergic to FA.