Packers Vs. Giants - 3 Plays That Make You Go Hmmm
Jersey Al picks out three thought-provoking plays from the Packers' last game.
By JerseyAl
After re-watching the Packers game, here are three plays that made me go hmmm, for various reasons.
Soooo much to choose from this week, and by now, the final two plays in the red zone or the three-and-out drive have surely been dissected ad nauseam. So I decided to focus on the defense and the obvious dysfunction and miscommunication (still) going on in pass coverage.
Savage - I'm not sure what Savage was supposed to do here, but you can be sure it wasn't the right thing, Check out Jaire Alexander's reaction as he practically jumps out of his skin with hands on his head and then vociferously gives Savage the hand signals that likely indicate what scheme they were playing and what he should have been doing.
Campbell - Here Campbell backpedals to try to get into a passing lane, but he basically drifts left into the zone that Rasul Douglas is already occupying. Once the receiver is brought down, Amos gives Campbell a "where were you?" look and this time it's Savage's turn to give the hand signals for whatever Campbell was supposed to be doing. With Quay Walker responsible for the tight end on the other side, it's safe to say Campbell was supposed to drop back between the hashes, where the pass ends up being completed.
Campbell & Walker - How does Saquon Barkley get so open? Well, it appears De'Vondre Campbell is playing zone and Quay Walker is playing man. Campbell tells Walker to pick up Barkley as he crosses into Walker's zone, but alas Walker has vacated his zone to run with the tight end. Also curious is what happens on the other side of the field. Both Adrian Amos and Campbell appear to be guarding for a check down to a running back on that side. Normally a safety or a linebacker is responsible for the running back, but not both. Yes, the pass defense is a complete mess at this point.
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of many hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He is also a recovering Mason Crosby truther. Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.
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Comments (24)
Carpy
October 11, 2022 at 03:27 pm
As Vince would be saying these days, "What the hell is going on out there?!?". And BTW, who replaced our backfield coaching staff this year with imposters. I feel like it's an old episode of Scooby Doo where at the end of the season the gang from the Mystery Machine will tie up the staff and unmask them. There aren't that many differences in personnel on the D so what's up?
PeteK
October 11, 2022 at 05:43 pm
If anything the personnel should be improved with the additions of Alexander, Reed, and Walker. I wonder if nickel and dime is being used less than last season ?
Thegreatreynoldo
October 11, 2022 at 10:29 pm
A lot less. Snaps counts make that perfectly clear. Very little dime, and a decent amount of nickel.
dblbogey
October 11, 2022 at 07:53 pm
DeVondre has returned to the level of his first several seasons in the league, which was average. Barry plays too soft, does not attack the offense. He doesn't allow players to play to their strengths. On the bright side, we may get a top 12 draft pick next year.
Thegreatreynoldo
October 11, 2022 at 10:31 pm
The book on Campbell was that he was big and fast but too often was not where he should be. Lots of people gave credit to the coaching to allow Campbell to make the correct reads last year but that (assignments) seems to be a problem for the entire defense this year.
Coldworld
October 12, 2022 at 12:08 am
You are right, they all seem out of synch. Very strange.
splitpea1
October 11, 2022 at 03:39 pm
Play 2: The most frustrating play of the game for me. The 4-man rush amounted to nothing as Jones had a wide throwing lane and all day if he wanted. No pressure up the middle to speak of. I don't know if it would have made a difference in this case, but it would have been nice to see Clark at least get his hand up to potentially throw the timing of the pass off. The whole thing was just a poor call on third-and-twelve when the opponent is driving deep in your territory.
There shouldn't be this much confusion after five regular season games. If Barry were to simplify things and quit playing so much zone, it would probably benefit the team greatly.
Rarescope
October 11, 2022 at 03:58 pm
@Jersey Al - any chance we can get an actual video player like direct Youtube embeds with these posts? I find the cuts and angles in these examples near epileptic.
croatpackfan
October 11, 2022 at 04:03 pm
You show everything. No comment is necessary!
stockholder
October 11, 2022 at 05:09 pm
Hit the nail right on the head. ( Savage! Savage! Savage! The weakest Link.) And then he missed the open Field tackle.
Oppy
October 11, 2022 at 07:27 pm
I have not been impressed with Savage. He flashed some promise and looked like he was starting to come on two or three seasons ago, but since then he's been an average free safety.
I did not want the Packers to extend him. I thought it was time to look elsewhere. We didn't.
jannesbjornson
October 11, 2022 at 08:25 pm
Thornhill was kicking ass last evening. I do not see the point of Savage taking up space.
Packers1985
October 11, 2022 at 10:37 pm
That was a little reach by gutey that year. But again i don't think any of the safeties drafted that yr turned out to be studs. Really thought he savage would turn out to be a stub after good 1st yr. Hope stokes doesn't turn out like him showing some promise in first yr and not so much after.
Ritzy
October 11, 2022 at 05:19 pm
For a good look at the Defensive woes I hope everyone read the story on Packerswire about how the Pack can't handle crossing routes, where they rank at the bottom of the league. They got to improve there or else.
PeteK
October 11, 2022 at 05:40 pm
A zone defense should nullify crossing routes, that's if everyone is on the same page. UGH!
MooPack
October 11, 2022 at 07:57 pm
I would argue that the crossing routes are the Achilles heal of this zone defense. The communication and handing off of receivers has to be darn near perfect as they run from one quarter to the next. The receivers need to be jammed at the line or rerouted by the DB/LB in order to make the QB second guess a throw and give the DL more time in it's pass rush. None of that is happening. They are lining up 8-10 yards off the receivers way to many times and watching as they run free through the zone hoping the next guy picks him up.
Coldworld
October 12, 2022 at 12:11 am
We aren’t even reading the same book from the look of it. It’s odd, because these players should know the system last year. Surely the 2 ILB formation shouldn’t cause that much disruption.
Doofapotamus
October 11, 2022 at 08:50 pm
My question about that last play, isn't why Barkley was open. We know why, no one picked him up. The bigger question is why there was THREE defenders that shaded to the right side of the field, two being within 5 yards of the LOS and no offensive player being within 10 yards of them, yet NO ONE was covering the left side of the field whatsoever. Crossing routes have been the kryptonite of this team for years. It's amazing how no one can figure out how to stop them.
Since'61
October 11, 2022 at 10:00 pm
Al - good selection of plays as usual. I have the same response for all 3 plays. Why is this happening??? The Packers have 6 first round draft choices on the field, Alexander, Clark, Gary, Stokes, Savage and Walker and these are the results that we are getting. Sorry, but something is very wrong and and there is no excuse for this.
Why do the Packers always have miscommunication on defense especially against the pass? We had miscommunications with Capers, Pettine and now Barry's defense. What is wrong with this team and their defensive coaches? A few plays during the season can happen with any team. But several plays in every game is just very bad football and the result of lack of preparation. We're 5 games into the season and our defenders still don't know their assignments???!!! This is ridiculous and for the Rodgers haters this is why he is on the sidelines shaking his head as he watches this Chinese fire drill of a defense give yet another game away. Professional teams cannot play defense like this. Not if they expect to win.
These defensive mistakes and miscommunication has gone on since the 2010 SB win. Some where there is an on going flaw in this organization that continues to allow this to happen for over a decade. Can't we put the defensive coaches and the defensive players in a room and make them watch tapes of Lombardi's defense or even Holmgren's defense and not let them out until they get it? Thanks, Since '61
Packers1985
October 11, 2022 at 10:40 pm
Is it the staff or the players it self? If the same issues continuing under different coaches i suspect it's not the coaches some of it could be the players too? Just a thought.
Tundraboy
October 12, 2022 at 12:09 am
Couldn't hurt, But this team needs an identity and will not have one if the coaches can not show or demonstrate on a consistent basis that that they even have a defensive plan or strategy. They so obviously wing it each week.
Watching the pregame this past week and the feature on Aaron Jones, I realized other than Mr. Rodgers he is truly the exciting face of this offense, and thought for sure they would highlight him and certainly use this dynamic weapon for all the world to see.
Boy was I wrong. So much for an Offensive identity.
1962Packer
October 12, 2022 at 05:07 am
Yep, the defense made all those mistakes; but the only stat that counts is points. Subtracting the AR pick-six, the Packers have given up 89 points in five games. That is an average of 17.8 per game in a league that has changed the rules to run up the scores. With the league rules, our offense should be scoring in the high 20s or low 30s. Our offense is averaging 19.4. Take away the Viking 7 point game, and the team averages 22.5 per game on offense. Going by points, the defense is doing fine. They play a bend, but not break; which works fine, unless your offense keeps you on the field. Then your defense collapses at the end from exhaustion.
PearlyBakerBest
October 12, 2022 at 11:17 am
It’s week 6 and we’re 3-2 and everyone wants to blow it all up.
FITZCORE1252
October 12, 2022 at 11:24 am
I know Barry runs the D as a whole but I thought Jerry Gray was supposed to be some DB whisperer. What the hell does he do around there? The secondary looks clueless which is baffling given the talent there and assets allocated.
Does Jerry Gray... suck?