Battle of the Backups - BEARS/PACKERS

[Dan]

I was on the fence on this because I trust the coaches but am coming around to feeling the same.

I have all the hope in the world for Marrone and Hacket, but each and every week I see mistakes that they just need to stop making. The pick 6 play, for example. Let's ignore the fact that, that was about the 3rd time we've had a 1st and goal, only to draw the entire defense into the line of scrimmage, bunch everyone in and try to run Freddie off center only to pass later. Let's just concentrate on the 3rd down play. You have a rookie, you need to make things easy for him and set him and the team up for success. What do you do? Well, you could run again? That didn't work the first 2 times, so I have no problem passing.

 

But, what kinda pass? A lot of teams might call the corner fade route. Why? Because the fade has a little chance of something bad happening. You have one read, then you loft the ball to the back corner, either your guy catches it or it falls out of bounds. Maybe you roll the QB out to his right? Why? Because it cuts the field in half, keeps a right-handed QB in a position to throw, trail a receiver in the endzone, a TE underneath. The QB throws it, runs it, or tosses it out of bounds. High reward, low risk, again,

 

No, our coaches called one of the most difficult passes right into the teeth of the defense. Now, maybe that wasn't what Tuel was supposed to do? In the end, we don't really know. But, from my couch, it looked like a poor play call given all the circumstances of the game. And that's on the couching staff. They have to learn from their mistakes, just as the players. I hope they can.

[YoloinOhio]

I have all the hope in the world for Marrone and Hacket, but each and every week I see mistakes that they just need to stop making. The pick 6 play, for example. Let's ignore the fact that, that was about the 3rd time we've had a 1st and goal, only to draw the entire defense into the line of scrimmage, bunch everyone in and try to run Freddie off center only to pass later. Let's just concentrate on the 3rd down play. You have a rookie, you need to make things easy for him and set him and the team up for success. What do you do? Well, you could run again? That didn't work the first 2 times, so I have no problem passing.

 

But, what kinda pass? A lot of teams might call the corner fade route. Why? Because the fade has a little chance of something bad happening. You have one read, then you loft the ball to the back corner, either your guy catches it or it falls out of bounds. Maybe you roll the QB out to his right? Why? Because it cuts the field in half, keeps a right-handed QB in a position to throw, trail a receiver in the endzone, a TE underneath. The QB throws it, runs it, or tosses it out of bounds. High reward, low risk, again,

 

No, our coaches called one of the most difficult passes right into the teeth of the defense. Now, maybe that wasn't what Tuel was supposed to do? In the end, we don't really know. But, from my couch, it looked like a poor play call given all the circumstances of the game. And that's on the couching staff. They have to learn from their mistakes, just as the players. I hope they can.

From what I understand, Hackett called a run/pass option where Tuel had the freedom to audible and choose which one he thought would work. He called the pass. Apparently this is the same freedom that was given to EJ and Thad, so they didn't change the offense. I tend to agree, there had to have been a safer choice given who was in at QB.

[26CornerBlitz]

@ESPNNFL

UPDATE: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will not need surgery for his broken collarbone. Plan to is let heal, treatment.

[Prickly Pete]

The Bills have gone 15 years without a decent starter, and now people are befuddled why they haven't found 3.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Marauder'sMicro