Bleacher Report - Articles by andy pech

Green Bay Packers: Areas of Concern as Season Approaches

andy pech — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:16:18 -0400

The Pack is looking both good and bad this fall.

Aaron Rodgers looks good and accurate. However, he seems to be having trouble reading the new defense. This doesn’t surprise me, as Rodgers tends to hold the ball longer than he should. He doesn’t seem to understand yet just how quick of a decision is needed to defeat the NFL blitz.

Jermichael Finley looks good. He has the size and tools to make an excellent NFL tight end.

The offensive line looks bad. This is a ragtag group of players who don’t seem to know why they’re on the field with each other or even who each other is going to be from snap to snap. This needs to get worked out if Rodgers is going to have another good year.

A.J. Hawk is not playing anywhere near the caliber of a No. 5 overall pick. Aaron Kampman looks out of place in pass coverage.

Cullen Jenkins looks great on the defensive line.

Special teams have not improved at this point but why would they?

The safeties seem confused but Charles Woodson looks spectacular blitzing and covering.

This brings me to my areas of concern for the 2009 Green Bay Packers:

Aaron Rodgers and a makeshift line handling pressure

If Rodgers cannot learn to get rid of the ball and the offensive line doesn’t come together, pressure is going to be the team’s undoing. It is rare to have a quarterback who can beat the blitz without a good line; either Rodgers develops that rare skill, or the line learns to protect him longer.

Don’t be surprised to see some finger pointing between the line and the quarterback this season if things don’t go as planned.

The linebackers and safeties in pass coverage

A.J. Hawk doesn’t look good in practice, and B.J. Raji is not even at practice. These two guys are keys to the defensive switch. I question whether this linebacking crew can cover receivers well enough. They were eaten alive last year.

In this defense, the safeties are going to have to come up and cover hot receivers. Nothing I have seen from Nick Collins or any of the other safeties leads me to believe they will be able to do this. If the defense starts getting burned when it blitzes, the game is over.

The special teams

Field position is everything. What have the Packets done to improve the coverage game, their return game and their punting game? I don’t know. It seems like they treat special teams as an afterthought.

I think the Packers have to solve all three of my concerns if they are going to win the division. If the line and the quarterback cannot handle pressure, they will continue to blow games. If the linebackers and safeties cannot pass cover, they will continue to have trouble on third down and will not be able to get off the field. If the special teams stink, well, we all know what happens.

Brett Favre Belongs to Green Bay Packer Fans No Longer

andy pech — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:46:53 -0400

In sports, it's not about the players, it's about the fans. This simple fact has never been more apparent than it has with the saga between Green Bay Packer fans and Brett Favre.

Let’s face it, no one is obsessed with the fact many former Packers have gone on to play with other teams. No one thinks old Vince Lombardi was a selfish, shallow hack because he left the Packers for Washington before he passed into the dream world of legend.

So why do they hate Brett Favre? Why is Favre blamed for the media writing about him because there is simply no other news, and NFL fans are so rabid for football in the offseason they will surf the net for misinformation and argue with children?

Because sports fans are selfish.

Not only do they want a guy to give his life to them, they also want him to give up his life for them.

It is not about Favre not giving enough to the Packers. The guy couldn’t have given more.

It is really about fans not wanting him to play anywhere else. It’s not about him. It’s about them.

"Boo hoo! I want him all to myself! He can’t have a life after me! He just can’t!"

The sad part for Packer fans isn’t Favre’s reputation being tarnished. The real sad story is how Packer fans have tarnished their personal relationship with their team’s greatest player.

They could have wished him luck. Instead, they chose to ridicule and belittle him. Packer fans made it quite clear their relationship with perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time was all about them.

"Boo hoo! Who cares what he wants? I don’t want him to play anymore."

Funny, the way Packer fans have acted has really driven Favre to the Vikings. In truth, he no longer owes the fans in Green Bay anything.

It hurts me to know that when it came time for a hero to go, the Packer fans failed to act gracefully. If in one instance it was not simply about the childish fans, this was that instant.

This was No. 4, a man who never missed a game, never flinched and never cheated the fans.

I wish Favre the best. Perhaps he will find better fans elsewhere.

Ted Thompson Needs Miracle Draft

andy pech — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:23:41 -0400

Here we go again in Wisconsin. JJ Hardy can’t hit a slow-pitch softball, the Milwaukee Bucks are hoping for another number one pick and Ted Thompson has so far failed to address any of the needs of a team that just limped through a six and ten season.

Ted doesn’t believe his six win team, two of those wins coming against the Detroit Lions, needs much in terms of roster improvement.

He will build through the draft. He will draft a team. He believes in the draft. He has all the talent he needs. He has the youngest team in football. He needs another year.

Well, he does seem to like the draft. Of course, everyone is building through the draft. This does not seem to be some brilliant philosophy this quirky leader has plucked out of the sky. Every GM will be making draft choices on draft day.

So the question is no longer about philosophy. It can’t be about philosophy because the only thing we have seen from Ted Thompson is that he drafts and doesn’t take a lot of chances in free agency. This is pretty basic if not entirely unspectacular, and building a team by drafting is not a philosophy so much as it is the way the NFL has been set up since its inception.

Is this guy an effective GM? I hate to say it Packer fans but the answer is quickly becoming a resounding “no.”

Ted Thompson’s draft choices have yet to perform at a level that would put any of them into the “that was a genius pick” category. Greg Jennings was his best pick but Thompson has had so many picks he is bound to hit on one or two. But so far, no player Thompson has drafted has turned out to be a superstar.

Ted Thompson’s coaching hires have performed between average and poor. The entire defensive staff was fired and the offensive coordinator and the head coach do not seem to know how to put a game away. The special teams are terrible.

No matter what side you come down on, Ted Thompson totally bombed the Brett Favre retirement. I know a lot of people believe Favre caused a lot of the problem but Favre is not the GM and the GM needs to take full responsibility for how personnel deals go down. This was one of the biggest retirements in NFL history and TED Thompson botched it.

Ted Thompson’s Packers don’t seem to be winning. Yes, there was that season two years ago but let’s face it, a great last stand by a superhero combined with an easy schedule was more responsible for those thirteen wins than anything Ted Thompson was doing.

Finally, the injuries and the inability of this organization to overcome them seems to have become a glaring weakness. Say what you will Thompson backers but in sports and excuse is the admittance of failure.

Now the NFL draft is here and Ted Thompson needs to draft a starting defensive lineman, a starting linebacker, a corner back, an offensive lineman, a tight end and a punter. He needs to get all of this and somehow find the impact players a solid but so far unspectacular roster is lacking.

This is it folks. Thompson needs to have one of the greatest drafts in the history of the NFL if the Packers are going to compete for a championship this year. I for one think this is impossible but if he does it, I will become a believer. If my fears are true and the Packers miss the playoffs again, Ted Thompson needs to get on the first train to Cleveland.

Ted Thompson Still Rebuilding? Say It Ain't So

andy pech — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:44:28 -0400

Here we go into another season and Packer Fan optimism is running high. Of course, Packer fans are always optimistic about the future of their team.

So why am I feeling a little pessimistic? Why do I feel like the team is for the most part worse than it was last year and last year worse than the year before?

First of all, the franchise has suffered two of its worst seasons ever in the last four years. I don’t believe in the idea of “rebuilding.” I think the term “rebuilding” is only used by franchises which are doing poorly.

How long have the 49ers been rebuilding?

Second of all, where is the talent? I know fans feel this team has loads of talent but where is it? This team has how many great players? I’ll say three or four.

Third, continuity in the defensive coaching and game planning has actually vanished. In short, a poor defense has changed everything but its players. The defensive line stinks and how long does it normally take to put together a new defense?

Fourth, Aaron Rodgers is probably not as good as Packer fans think he is. That is right, I said it. Guess what folks, a lot of guys can throw pretty passes and run up a lot of yards.

Actually, nearly all NFL quarterbacks can do what Rodgers did last year. That means squat.

Can he pull a game out at the end? That’s what a winning QB does. You can blame it on the defense or the neighbor’s cat if you like; Rodgers has yet to prove anything about being a winning NFL quarterback.

Fifth, I hate to say this because it makes me feel sick, the Vikings and the Bears have gotten better, while the Packers have chosen to stand still.

Even the Lions will improve. They can’t get any worse.

Even the Patriots are trying to improve their team. If you think the Packers have all the right players, then you believe the rest of the NFL is just one big joke.

So what am I saying here? What is my problem with my team? I think Ted Thompson is just flat-out wrong. I don’t hate him and I don’t hate my team. However, I truly believe the Packers are not going in the right direction.

You can’t sit on your hands with a 6-10 team. You can’t sit on your hands with any team. This is not a taffy-pull at Aunt Nancy’s. This is the NFL.

Oh my God! We’re rebuilding!

The Packers Drafted Who at Defensive End?

andy pech — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:05:31 -0400

When drafting a defensive player, most teams look at the most solid, accomplished player available. In the end, they most often take the player they are supposed to take, the hyped player, the player who performed well at a big-time program and the player the press says they should take. It is seldom a GM will buck the system even if the system is only right about half of the time.

I have a different take on drafting a defensive player. I say you take the biggest disruptor. You take the guy who will wreak havoc, knock down passes, force fumbles, blow up plays and scare the hell out of your opponent. History tells us the disruptor is the guy you want on defense.

As far as defensive lineman go, you want the biggest, fastest, most long-armed, flat-out animal you can get. This is not always the guy at the top of the list.

So who do I most want the Packers to get if their pick should be a defensive end? Who do I vote as the most likely to disrupt?

Jarron Gilbert of San Jose State.

“Crazy” you say. Look at these numbers.

Gilbert is 6’5” with an incredible wingspan. He weighs 288 pounds, thirty pounds more than the top rated defensive ends and he has the frame to add another twenty. This puts him in the Reggie White build category.

Big and slow? Aaron Maybin runs a 4.89 forty and Orakpo runs a 4.63 forty. The much bigger Jarron Gilbert runs a 4.76 forty yard dash.

Gilbert is the disruptor, making 22 tackles for a loss in 2008. This guy is a bull-rusher, a speed rusher and a run stopper who is not going to wear down like the smaller ends I have come to dread.

I’m not sure I think the Packers should draft a defensive end. I am sure this is the guy I want them to take if they do. They could even trade down and take Gilbert but I would not even be upset if they took him where they are with the first pick.

Yes, Jarron Gilbert is the defensive end I most want to see in the green and gold come draft day. I put Orakpo's picture on the article because I'm sure you have not seen enough of the guy already.

The Green Bay Packers Observed: Part Two--Team Weaknesses

andy pech — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:46:29 -0400

Perspective is an interesting phenomenon. It can be as easy to see the good side of something as it is to see the bad side.

There are many positives regarding the Green Bay Packers and I don’t think anyone could argue the glass is not at least half-full.

Being a lifelong Packer fan, it is hard to look at the players on my favorite team as anything but my favorite players.

Many would say that because of parity in the league, all the teams are close and anyone can win at any time. Teams are just a player away.

I think this is close to being true and is why every fan’s perspective of their team could be either of a glass half-full or half-empty.

So these are the observations of a Packer fan who is trying to be objective about the weaknesses of the team he wants see win it all.

Could I write an article singing the praises about everyone on the Packers? Yes.

Could I argue the glass is already full except for some injuries and bad luck? Yes.

Any fan of any team can argue their team’s strengths. Here are what I feel are the Packer’s weaknesses.

The Defensive Line:

What was a strength just a few years ago has grown thin and cannot rush the passer.

Jenkins seemed to make a big difference two years ago and maybe his healthy return will make a difference this year, but switching defenses without switching any lineman seems a stretch. Can Kampman and Pickett hold this unit together?

Al Harris:

Harris is a great player and has been victimized on important, game-changing plays for the last two years.

It is only going to get worse and a defensive backfield with a glaring weakness is a defense that is going to lose games. Can they replace him with one of their current backups?

The Safeties:

They were both good and bad last year.

I know I am going to get some arguments on this one and I hate to say it, but Nick Collins has still not lived up to his billing.

Yes, he was a pro-bowler and yes, Atari Bigby was hurt but I am simply not sold on these two.

Why all the big plays against this defense? Can they stop the big plays with these two supposed stars playing safety?

The Offensive Line:

The O-line needs to continue to improve and probably needs an addition.

This is a line which is half-young and half-old and I am still not sure if they know where they are going with this unit.

Can this unit punch it in on the goal line?

Will they be able to protect Aaron Rodgers blind side if he needs more time than a split second?

Aaron Rodgers Fourth Quarter Play:

It was terrible last year.

NFL games are not always blowouts and many will come down to the quarterback having to win it on the final drive.

Rodgers has showed he can perform under good conditions. Now he has to prove he can win by taking chances and making plays when the chips are down.

He also needs to learn to get rid of the ball sooner. Will Rodgers become a superstar?

The Linebackers:

They need to be able to cover receivers.

AJ Hawk and Poppinga need to get their pass coverage straight or this defense will not be able to stop anyone.

Will the defensive switch help AJ Hawk?

Special Teams:

Special teams let the team down a lot last year.

The punter needs to be replaced, the kicker needs to be more consistent, and the return and coverage teams need to perform at a much higher level than they have in recent past.

The Unquestionable Weapon:

Either on defense or offense, many teams seem to be lacking from the Packers.

This is not to say someone on the roster is not going to become a feared performer, but currently there is no Reggie White or Sterling Sharpe to take over when the chips are down.

Again, will Rodgers become this guy or will someone else emerge?

Greg Jennings?

Who Are the Leroy Butler-Type Impact Players, Past, Present, and Future?

andy pech — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:25:42 -0400

Leroy Butler was great against the run, could cover and make the big interception, and on top of all that, he could really rush the passer.

I think it can be argued this type of safety can have as much impact on a defense as a quarterback can have on an offense. Butler did so many things well that he influenced more than one aspect of what an offense could do against the Packers.

So here is my question, and this is really just for fun: Who is the greatest multi-dimensional defensive threat to play the game? Please, don't include kick returning or playing offense, as I am curious more about defensive impact on a game.

Let's add another question. This one's a prediction: Who is the Leroy Butler in this year's draft?

The Green Bay Packers Observed: Part I—Team Strengths

andy pech — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:59:21 -0400

The Packers are my favorite team, and for some unusual reason my favorite players all seem to play in Green Bay. Of course, I am always open to attaining new favorite players if they are willing to play for my beloved team. This doesn't mean I cannot be objective. There are things I like about the team and things I do not.

So here are my observations about what I think is good about the current Packers. My next article will include my observations about what is not so good.

Greg Jennings is an exciting possession receiver with a flair for the big play. Good at finding a seam, hit him in stride and he can really run. He appears to be equally as comfortable with Aaron Rodgers as he was with Brett Favre. Although he doesn’t seem to be the best at fighting off defenders in the end zone, he can make a tough catch.

Jennings could be even better with the complement of a more threatening receiver playing on the other side.

Ryan Grant is a hard-nosed runner and seems a good fit for the system. He can pound the ball and has showed some ability for making the big run. With a full camp under his belt, better blocking, and some work on pass catching, there is no reason to believe he is not going to be productive in the starting spot.

Aaron Rodgers has a good arm and is an accurate passer. A young quarterback who was allowed time to develop and learn the system, Rodgers showed he has the talent and the brains to play at this level. He seems to be entirely on the same page as the coaching staff and will not make a lot of mistakes.

James Jones and Jordy Nelson are two interesting prospects who could become valuable contributors to the offense if they are able to take their games to the next level. Jones is a physical, sure-handed receiver who can fight for the ball and for extra yardage after the catch. Nelson is deceptively speedy and a reliable route runner who might make a great three or four receiver.

Zone Blocking seems to be coming around, and if the line ever gets itself figured out, the scheme and Ryan Grant will be tough to stop. The challenge with this scheme is finding the right personnel, and the Packers seem to be headed in the right direction.

Aaron Kampman is the consummate pro, a hard worker and an all-around good football player. The question has never been about Aaron as much as it’s been about who is playing down the line from him. Whatever the defense asks of Kampman, they will get 100 percent effort and no complaints.

Charles Woodson is the best defensive player on the Packers and one of the best defensive players in the division. Instinctive as much as he is a pure talent, Woodson is a playmaker and even at his age will continue to contribute greatly. Although his time at safety last season did not seem to go all so well, he will be a great safety when the move is made out of design rather than necessity.

Bump and Run is real football, and it is what you want to do if you have the personnel to do it. Although Al Harris has declined to the point of being a weakness, adding another corner and getting better play from the safety position could easily bring this unit back up to speed as one of the best defensive backfields in football.

Mason Crosby had some rough moments, but he sure looks like a great kicker to me. Personally, I think this guy is Ted Thompson’s best draft pick. Of course, the future remains to be seen.

Overall, the Green Bay Packers have some real strong points and some very solid players. Although they might not have the most talented team, the coach and management do seem to have a real plan they are sticking with, which is apparent in the team chemistry and the puzzle parts coming together.

The massive defensive scheme switch took me by surprise and seemed out of character for this team and its management, but it could create some positives for a defense struggling to find an identity.

Packers Receiver Corps Not Quite Elite

andy pech — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:15:18 -0400

There has been a lot of bold talk about how great the current Green Bay receivers are and some go as far as to say they are the best. Although it is undeniable this is a nice looking unit, after a team goes 6-10 in a division as weak as the NFC North, one has to question the assertion this is an elite group. When I think of great receiver tandems of the past, I think of Rice and Taylor, Bruce and Holt, Moss and Carter, Lofton and Jefferson. Although it does not seem arguable Driver and Jennings are of the caliber of these great tandems of the past, I find it beneficial to analyze the Packer passing attack from two angles. First, how do their top two receivers compare with the top two receivers on other NFL teams? Second, how good is their overall unit?

I don’t think we need to go into a lot of deep analysis to compare receiver duos. If you watch a lot of football, you know the feared receivers and what they can do simply be hearing their names. Here is my comparison of top duos playing today listed in no particular order.

Arizona Cardinals- Larry Fitzgerald 1,431yds-12tds and Anquan Boldin 1,038yds-11tds.

New England Patriots- Wes Welker 1,165yds-3tds and Randy Moss 1,008yds-11tds.

Pittsburgh Steelers- Hines Ward 1,043yds-7tds and Santonio Holmes 821yds-5tds.

Indianapolis Colts- Reggie Wayne 1,145yds-6tds and Anthony Gonzalez 664yds-4tds.

New Orleans Saints- Lance Moore 928yds-10tds and Marques Colston 760yds-5tds.

San Diego Chargers- Vincent Jackson 1,098yds-7tds and Chris Chambers 462yds-5tds.

Carolina Panthers- Steve Smith 1421yds-6tds and Muhsin Muhammad 923yds-5tds.

Green Bay Packers- Greg Jennings 1,292yds-9tds and Donald Driver 1,012yds-5tds.

As you can see, Arizona has by far the best two receivers, not only statistically but also the most talented. After Arizona, the field is pretty much equal statistically and the Packers are definitely comparable but probably not any better. Except for the Cardinals, Jennings is as good as most of these receivers and is young. Driver is comparable to the number two receivers but is old and declining. Looking at this group as a whole, I would say there are not currently a lot of feared receivers in the league.

Looking at overall units, I will now add third and fourth receivers and the tight-end. We could throw running backs into the mix as well but this article is really about receivers, so I will leave the backs out.

Cardinals- Steve Breaston 1,006yds-3tds, Jerheme Urban 448yds-4tds and Ben Patrick 104yds-0tds.

Patriots- A lot of changes at this point but depth at receiver has always been a strong point.

Steelers- Nate Washington 631yds-3tds, Limas Sweed 64yds-0tds and Heath Miller 514yds-3tds.

Colts-Marvin Harrison is gone. Dallas Clark 848yds-6tds..

Saints- Devery Henderson 783yds-3tds, Robert Meachem 289yds-3tds and Billy Miller 579yds-1td.

Chargers- Malcom Floyd 465yds-4tds and Antonio Gates 704yds-8tds.

Panthers- D.J. Hackett 181yds-0tds, Dwayne Jarrett 119yds0tds and Dante Rosario 209yds-1td..

Packers- Jordy Nelson 366yds-2tds, James Jones 274yds-1td and Donald Lee 303yds-5tds.

The Packers second and third receivers do not appear to put them over the top as far as being an elite unit and their tight-end is not as good as most. Jones and Nelson are young and have potential but this is true of most backup receivers. It would seem the Packers are actually not that deep of a receiving unit compared with many of the better teams in the league.

As I said, I left out backs because this article was about receivers. I can say one thing after looking at the most successful teams, throwing to the backs is very important. The Packers didn’t rank high in passing to their backs, but that is another story.

The Packers do have some pretty good receivers but at this point they do not appear to be great. Overall, the Packers lack offensive weapons in comparison to the best teams. This is even more apparent when you add the multipurpose backs and second and third string tight-ends into the equation. Although the Packers seemed to be very good offensively last season, maybe the truth is they lack adequate firepower to close the deal.

Denver Green Bay QB Swap Makes Sense

andy pech — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:27:57 -0400

If Cutler really wants to be traded, there is a possibility some might think crazy, but hear me out and realize this is all simply a matter of conjecture. The Packer’s should offer an even up trade, Rodgers for Cutler, no questions asked, no tears shed.

Let’s start by imagining why the Packer’s might be better off without Rodgers, a quarterback who put up impressive numbers in his first season as a starter. It has a lot to do with one who will not be named in this article but looms so large in Green Bay that only a Super Bowl victory will fully extricate Rodgers from his shadow. I don’t want to talk about this old QB anymore and the only way that is going to happen is having a new QB to talk about who isn’t forever linked to the end of a legend.

Who cares about the past? Rodgers did fine. Young followed Montana. It would be ok to think that except for one thing. There is a major problem brewing in Green Bay and it is not the fault of their current Quarterback. The Packers are dangerously thin on talent. I know a lot of people think the Packers are just a couple of players away but the facts really don’t point in the direction of a Super Bowl. They are totally revamping their defense not by adding players, but by changing coaches and the system. Their defensive and offensive lines are in shambles. Reality tells us they need players. They can’t draft all of them in one draft. So it really doesn’t look like Rodgers is going to win a Super Bowl soon.

Let’s say the Packers don’t make the playoffs and there is a tailspin of firings, bad seasons and losses. It will be all about Rodgers. He will be blamed. He will be replaced. His career ruined and many more years of rebuilding for the Packers will follow. In the long run, going to Denver might be the best thing that could happen to Rodgers.

How would things be different for Cutler in Green Bay? Because a lot of the unmentionable shadow will move to Ted Thompson and some will follow Rodgers to Denver. Cutler will have the breathing room that Rodgers will never get.

There is one more important factor that helps Cutler in Green Bay; the mystique of a flamboyant, strong-armed quarterback. This is where I think I will get a lot of argument because it is simply a matter of opinion. I am not all that excited by Rodgers. It short, I find him to be dull. Cutler on the other hand, is the guy I imagined to be the next gunslinger. I’m not sure if this is an accurate assessment of Rodgers, but he simply doesn’t seem like the leader of the Pack. I’m a little scared the Packers are losing what it took them so long to get back. I think a bold move like this could prevent the slide.