Packer Offense Adjustments for Hundley

[CheezWizHed]

So, a new QB with different strengths and more weaknesses. How should the Packers adjust the offense to fit him?

 

I think a full week of practice with the starters and a game plan to fit him will make the Hundley look much much better come Sunday. I don't imagine they will change the offense significantly, but I think they need to focus the attack differently:

 

- More screens. This actually has little to do with Hundley. Our RBs seem to be tailor made for the screen pass, but we seem bad at them. But with a porous O-line and talented receivers in the backfield, this seems to be a good fit to help slow down the rush.

- Bootleg runs. Certainly not something we would do with Rodgers, but I can see the Cam Newton treatment for Hundley. Still not something you want to do long term, but would help push back on the pass rush.

 

What else would help?

[pacopete4]

Being able to run the football would cure a lot of the issues with him getting pressured. If they can run it, they can play action pass it. If they can do those two things, it will back off the defense from a lot of the crazy pressure he may see if we can't run it.

[MrTPlush]

The offensive line sucks which much makes your ideas pretty tough to do(not your fault). It sounds horrible to say, but it may not matter. Hundley better start figuring out how to read/feel pressure or he will be riding a cart too. He wa getting absolutely drilled against the Vikings.

 

I think we will see some more bootleg runs. I also think they will gameplan for short yardage passes and eating the clock.Thats about the only way they are going to win games. Dominating the clock and keeping the ball away from the other offense as long as possible.

[bjkrautk]

First thing would be to avoid the "run, run, pass on 3rd down" problem from the Vikings game, when MM showed virtually no confidence in his QB.

 

Given the lack of health and continuity in the O-Line, screen passes are tough to get the timing down...as was also demonstrated during the Vikings game. Focus on getting the ball out quick, rather than holding the ball for a scramble drill (like Rodgers has a tendency to do). Get Kendricks involved in the passing game, if Bennett can't hold onto the ball. Give Hundley some easy throws early on non-passing downs to get his confidence up, as well as the coaches' confidence in him.

 

The real challenge is to determine whether Hundley can read blitzes, and adjust plays at the line. Teams are going to blitz him relentlessly on passing downs until he shows that he knows where the rush is coming from, and get the ball out to open receivers based on the coverage. Even hitting a check down against a blitz is a step in the right direction.

[JohnBriggs12]

Pass on running downs and run on passing downs. Hundley has the arm and ability to make all the throws. Don't limit him to dump offs. Take some shots downfield. Get him out of the pocket on occasion.

[pacopete4]

His dumb off/screen passes last game was brutal. He needs to connect on these short passes to make it easier for him. Even the catch - no catch for Montgomery. He threw it so hard. No need for that crap. He missed many screens as well. Just needs to flat out be better in this department if he wants to move the ball.

[OnaBadger58]

First thing would be to avoid the "run, run, pass on 3rd down" problem from the Vikings game, when MM showed virtually no confidence in his QB.

 

Given the lack of health and continuity in the O-Line, screen passes are tough to get the timing down...as was also demonstrated during the Vikings game. Focus on getting the ball out quick, rather than holding the ball for a scramble drill (like Rodgers has a tendency to do). Get Kendricks involved in the passing game, if Bennett can't hold onto the ball. Give Hundley some easy throws early on non-passing downs to get his confidence up, as well as the coaches' confidence in him.

 

The real challenge is to determine whether Hundley can read blitzes, and adjust plays at the line. Teams are going to blitz him relentlessly on passing downs until he shows that he knows where the rush is coming from, and get the ball out to open receivers based on the coverage. Even hitting a check down against a blitz is a step in the right direction.

Agreed with everything here. Obviously MM was in a tough situation also, but you cannot do the cookie cutter run, run, pass, and expect any type of success. MM tried 2 or 3 screens with absolutely no success, and a lot of that has to do with having no rhythm from this patchwork offensive line.

 

Personally I wouldn't change much at all. Perhaps more rollouts. The best way to dumb down defenses and slow down pass rush is by running the no huddle. If this offense strings together a couple first downs, I would hope MM would use the no huddle offense. Get the pass rushers tired, don't allow personnel changes, makes defensive calls more basic.

 

I may be in the minority, but I thought Hundley did decent given that he was thrown in to a loud stadium going up against an elite defense, and players were probably introducing themselves to each other in the huddle in the 4th. His last two picks he was under pressure (we've just been too spoiled to understand what normal qb's do under pressure).

[FVBrewerFan]

I'll go counter to conventional wisdom. Lean more on an effective running game?? Absolutely. But I think you do that even with a healthy Rodgers. Beyond that, I think they will need to take more shots deep down field.

 

I know, I know, that had been the knock on Hundley. But do we really know he can't throw a deep ball after being in camp for 3 years? That just seems like a skill that can be developed, since he has the arm strength. I just see teams crowding the line and making Hundley beat you. They will expect a lot of screens, a lot of short passes to the TEs, etc.

 

Deep balls were a wasted down in a way with a Rodgers-led offense. But with Hundley, he is simply not going to be able to surgically pick a defense apart with long driver after long drive. I think they'll need to take more big shots, and maybe you get long TDs or some PI calls. If not, at least you have loosened up the defense and shown you'll go deep.

 

With all that said, yea, it really won't matter if the team as a whole doesn't get healthier and play better.

[jerichoholicninja]

Being able to run the football would cure a lot of the issues with him getting pressured. If they can run it, they can play action pass it. If they can do those two things, it will back off the defense from a lot of the crazy pressure he may see if we can't run it.

 

Pretty been the issue since, what Ryan Grant was the RB? Just no run game what so ever yet Rodgers still thrived because he's so damn good.

[CheezWizHed]

I'm not sure the O-line is the problem on screens. I can't think of an MM offense that was even half-decent on screen passes. Time to call up Holmgren and pick his brain. He was a master at the screen pass.

[FVBrewerFan]

Teams practice so much less now due to new rules, so it makes it more difficult to get timing down on screen plays. Those really take a lot of reps in practice to master.

[CheezWizHed]

I would agree that MM's teams spend their limited reps on other plays than screens. But its not like other teams don't do it well. Time to dust it off and execute it. We have two RBs (at least) that are excellent receivers, a young QB and a suspect O-line. Seems like a no-brainer.

[superfly]

Let it rip. Favre would.

[homer]

They didn't adjust enough. Saints defense is horrible. Doesn't bode well.

[DuWayne Steurer]

They didn't adjust enough. Saints defense is horrible. Doesn't bode well.

 

 

What I find interesting is that MM made multiple references to having "three years invested" in Hundley. Three years invested and you get 12/25, 87 yards, and a pick. I mean, I realize he's not the starter, but if after three years, that's what you got, you need to look at other options.

[pacopete4]

Such a poor job by McCarthy today. Never have I really questioned his ability as a coach, as I’ve though he is one of the best, but today I did.

 

I’m not even going to judge Hundley based on today’s performance because he has a HC with his head up his butt and did not put him in any position to succeed. And that was with a great running game. Pathetic.

[FVBrewerFan]

Thompson and McCarthy are horrible. 4-12 team at best without Rodgers.

[jerichoholicninja]

Thompson and McCarthy are horrible. 4-12 team at best without Rodgers.

 

Outside of New England, that's every team when they go from a top 5 QB to a backup.

[FVBrewerFan]

Off the top of my head, this year alone Vikings and Dolphins are better than 4-12 with catchup QB. Beyond that, lots of other teams who are at least 500 without a great QB.

[superfly]

They didn't adjust enough. Saints defense is horrible. Doesn't bode well.

 

 

What I find interesting is that MM made multiple references to having "three years invested" in Hundley. Three years invested and you get 12/25, 87 yards, and a pick. I mean, I realize he's not the starter, but if after three years, that's what you got, you need to look at other options.

 

What do you expect when you have a defense like this? Did the Saints have a play today that went for less than 5 yards? Combine that atrocity with WR's that can't get open and you have a dumpsterfire. I'm glad Hundley is smart enough to throw it away rather than force the issue. Nelson, Adams, and Cobb need to get open and Bennett needs to stop being a fat waste of cash, if that's even possible for him. What a failure letting Cook go for this guy.

 

I'm not sure how many times the horse has to be beaten that Capers has to go, i'm pretty sure the horse is skin and pulverized bones on the ground about a millimeter thick by now. I think "Nitro package" means that the poop just flows even faster than it would in a normal defensive formation.

[young guns]

To be fair he said top 5 qb. Vikings and dolphins didn't have a top 5 qb nor is that how their teams are constructed, around the qb position, we did and ours is. Jones has been a pleasant surprise but this team isn't a running team with a qb that doesn't lose the game and we won't win any games if McCarthy tries to make it one.

[CheezWizHed]

I've only watched 1/2 the game in rewind (I'm in the "lucky" 2% of the country that didn't air the Packer game). But Hundley really didn't look good at all. Balls were coming out all over. It didn't look like he was working through his progressions and he looked slow on the trigger. And I'm reading that it was worse in the second half. The guy will get a couple more starts at least, but he certainly should be better than that after 3 years of training. MM is saying "blame the coach" and that he didn't adjust enough. But it looked like he couldn't complete basic plays...

 

its going to be a long season...

 

Given that AROD didn't go on the DL, I wonder if that means he can beat the 8 week return?

[JohnBriggs12]

After being offended that reporters ask him about signing established NFL QB's, McCarthy shows he really has zero faith in the guy he's "prepared" for 3 years. What is it Mike?

 

The old saying in the NFL is you run to win but you pass to score. With the porous Packer defense, they can't score enough just running the ball even when they are effective. McCarthy needs to take the training wheels off and let Hundley sink or swim getting the ball to his weapons.

[bjkrautk]

If you expect a QB to get into a rhythm when he only attempts 2 passes in the first quarter, you are setting him up for failure. Likewise if you are trying to run time off the clock up one score in the first half.

 

With Brees uncharacteristically throwing a pair of picks in the first half, the Packers had a chance to steal the game today...but not with the offense they put out on the field most of the game.

 

The TD drive Hundley had to put them up 14-7 in the second quarter was very much the type of game plan I expected them to have: short, quick throws, using formation and motion in order to get receivers open (Cobb in particular). He actually ran a decent 2-minute offense in the first half, putting them in position for a late FG...before the busted play (2 players tried to take the play action, and bumped into each other) with the Offensive PI penalty that turned a make-able 49 yard try into a hapless 59 yard attempt.

 

Most of the remainder of the game was the run, run, pass on 3rd down -type offense that lacked any of the creativity we saw on the TD drive. Hundley's INT came with 4 minutes left, down 2 scores, when they needed a quick play. It was a bad throw, but also bad play design (since it was the safety coming over from the nearby WR who actually made the pick on a throw to Bennett), or someone ran the wrong route.

 

Watching the second half, I just got the sense that MM wanted to get into the bye week to re-tool the offense to Hundley's strengths. Either MM threw a lot of new plays at them in one week (the botched play-action pass, and the Geronimo Allison lining up on the wrong side mistake during the 2-minute offense) & scrapped those plans going into the second half, or they burned through most of the new plays in the opening half.

[monkeyman343434]

I think this loss falls squarely on MM. His offensive game plan was flat out awful. I second everything bjkrautk said, he set Hundley up for failure by only attempting 2 passes in the first quarter. Then, Hundley looks great on the drive that puts them up 14-7, then they go right back to the terrible play calling of run, run, pass, 3&out. No creativity at all, and seemed to have kiddy gloves on Hundley, not allowing him to do anything, when he showed in the TD drive that he could make solid quick throws and use his feet to make something happen. MM and Capers both need to go, this has been the case for 5+ years. To top it off, the decision to try a 59 yard field goal with 6 seconds left in the second quarter was such a buffoon choice, Crosby had a 0.001% of making that FG in those conditions, with a miss giving the Saints a Hail Mary chance. Why not just throw a Hail Mary yourself at that point? or a quick 5 yard 5 second play to give Crosby a better shot at a FG, or make it a shorter chuck on a last second play. That right there summarizes MM's coaching capabilities.