Larry McCarren did a nice breakdown of a play (well, plays) that the Packers made against the Patriots that built off each other. The play illustrated the way a coaching staff sequences plays during a game to gain an advantage. The Packers sent Adams and Cobb on crossing routes early in the first series. Later, they gave the defense the same look but instead of crossing Adams and Cobb, they had them split, causing the defender over the top to bite. The play went to Cobb for 18 yards.
This play illustrates one of the advantages Mike McCarthy has gained as he gave up play-calling duties. As we know, Mike McCarthy only scripts about five of the first plays of a game. He used to script more (like other teams) but made the change because he thought it did little more than put pressure on his players…especially the young ones. So this sequence likely came about in live game time.
There is no way to know who made the observation that the split route would work off the crossing route. If McCarthy was still calling the plays, perhaps Tom Clements would have seen the opportunity. But this play call may have been part and parcel of coach McCarthy’s unselfishness in giving up the play calling duties to free up his mind to look at the bigger picture of the overall game.
While I still have some concern about the Packers’ red-zone offense, which is the lone weak spot from last year in my mind, I think the change of play-calling duties may make the difference. If the Packers improve in the red zone, and I think they will, there is a good chance Green Bay will have the chance to get back where Mike McCarthy has led us before. It is a difficult task but the gateway to the road is just ahead and there will be a LOT of exciting football to watch!
But what do you think? Will the Packers be better on offense because of the re-alignment of roles on the coaching staff? The players make the plays and we also know that Aaron Rodgers makes some of the play calls in this offense off a base set that is sent in by Clements. But can this league-leading offense get even better? Let us know in the comments below or back on the Facebook Fanpage.
Go Pack!
In the few times during the Pats game that the camera was on the GB sidelines, or the sidelines were visible from center of the field, it looked like Clements was telling McCarthy the play and getting a nod before sending it in to Rodgers. If McCarthy is still micro managing play calling, I feel that Clements is severely hand cuffed in his role. I didn’t see McCarthy over rule any play, but it’s only preseason and perhaps someone at the game did. And of course, our goal line offense showed no improvement at all even with the losses on D for the Pats. I’m always disappointed when we don’t line up big in goal line situations, and stuff the ball down their throats with the run game, and use 1 play action pass to a TE or FB on 2nd or 3rd down. So I think that expecting much change on offensive efficiency is unrealistic. We have too much talent on offense to not score points, and we will, but probably not much different to last year. Go Pack go!