Green Bay Packers' head coach, Mike McCarthy, strode to the interview podium earlier this week attempting to put the best face on yet another failure by his rushing defense against Minnesota's Adrian Peterson. Striving to boost the confidence of his players, McCarthy suggested that Sunday's clearly deflating loss to the Vikings--in a game that the Packers desperately wanted to win--was the result of factors that won't be present on Saturday when the teams meet yet again.
McCarthy noted that, unlike last week's game, Saturday's rematch at Lambeau Field will be outdoors and suggested that any noise at Lambeau not only will natural but pro-Packer. Leaving aside the high-decibel blaring of the Packer's chant piped over Lambeau's speakers, McCarthy likely is correct on these points. These are nothing out of the ordinary in the NFL, however, and things that good teams overcome by taking the lead against the home team.
McCarthy continued his confidence-building tour, offering less supportable claims. He began by encouraging the Vikings to blitz more. "We love it--it opens more holes," McCarthy belched. "We hope they do more of it on Saturday."
Unfortunately for Green Bay, McCarthy's cajoling likely will fall on deaf ears in Minnesota. Last Sunday, Minnesota recorded five sacks and seven hurries--all by defensive linemen and all without the benefit of the blitz. Those numbers suggest not only that Minnesota did not greatly benefit from the blitz on Sunday, but, also, that Minnesota likely can afford less of the blitz and more of the standard defense on Saturday.
McCarthy was not done, however, noting that Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder had his best game to date. Ponder's game was generally good and arguably his best game to date, but that, as McCarthy well knows, is beside the point. Ponder was good not because he had "one of those days" (he did not), but because he had three epiphanies simultaneously--he realized that, with Peterson in his backfield, he was guaranteed at least one open receiver on any given play, he realized that those receivers only had value if he got them the ball downfield, and he realized that he had to stand up to pressure, even if it meant making himself more vulnerable throwing off of his front, rather than his back foot.
Those things came together for Ponder on Sunday because necessity so dictated. It helped tremendously, as well, that Ponder began throwing off the shackles that the Vikings have imposed on him in attempting to make him a pure pocket passer, rolling left often and even to the right once or twice. More Ponder left against a Packer team selling out to stop Adrian Peterson and any chance of Ponder scrambling to his strong side should only create more problems for Green Bay on Saturday.
McCarthy saved his most dubious contention for last, however, all but dismissing Adrian Peterson's accomplishments on the season and in the game. "He's a nice back," McCarthy backhandedly deadpanned, "but we need to maintain our assignments and stay in our gaps." McCarthy suggested that Peterson's Herculean performance on Sunday, four weeks after a similar performance in Green Bay, was both mundane and eminently addressable.
Nothing in Green Bay's recent past even remotely supports McCarthy's nervous insight. On the season, the Packers have surrendered 409 rushing yards to Peterson. Moreover, since 2010, Peterson has faced the Packers six times. Over those six games, he has averaged 150 rushing yards and one touchdown. Only twice has he failed to eclipse 100 yards rushing--both in blowout losses in which the Vikings were forced to abandon the running game early--and not once did Green Bay keep Peterson out of the end zone.
But this year is unlike 2010 or 2011 for Peterson in that he has absolutely owned the Packers, averaging over 200 rushing yards and scoring three times. The reason for this dominance is clear--Peterson is stronger than ever, the Vikings have been in their games with Green Bay, and the Vikings have relied on Peterson as the primary rather than as the secondary offensive weapon. Add to that the fact that Green Bay still has no answer for Peterson, and Green Bay's rushing defense woes extend well beyond whatever gap issues the time purportedly has when facing the Vikings and Peterson.
Whether McCarthy wants to admit it, this year's Viking team has been successful not because of opponents' miscues, but because of Adrian Peterson. Never has one player so completely held the destiny of his team in his own hands. When Peterson gets the ball, he is John Riggins-like, but in a more dynamic mold. He eats up the yards, opens up the passing game, draws down the game clock, wears down opposing defenses, and keeps opposing offenses off of the field. That's good enough to beat most teams in the NFL. With Ponder finally hitting his receivers--those receivers Minnesota fans have been instructed all year did not exist on the roster--Peterson is the Superman that McCarthy so clearly fears will end Green Bay's season.
Up Next: The Silence You Hear Is Lambeau Field.
McCarthy noted that, unlike last week's game, Saturday's rematch at Lambeau Field will be outdoors and suggested that any noise at Lambeau not only will natural but pro-Packer. Leaving aside the high-decibel blaring of the Packer's chant piped over Lambeau's speakers, McCarthy likely is correct on these points. These are nothing out of the ordinary in the NFL, however, and things that good teams overcome by taking the lead against the home team.
McCarthy continued his confidence-building tour, offering less supportable claims. He began by encouraging the Vikings to blitz more. "We love it--it opens more holes," McCarthy belched. "We hope they do more of it on Saturday."
Unfortunately for Green Bay, McCarthy's cajoling likely will fall on deaf ears in Minnesota. Last Sunday, Minnesota recorded five sacks and seven hurries--all by defensive linemen and all without the benefit of the blitz. Those numbers suggest not only that Minnesota did not greatly benefit from the blitz on Sunday, but, also, that Minnesota likely can afford less of the blitz and more of the standard defense on Saturday.
McCarthy was not done, however, noting that Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder had his best game to date. Ponder's game was generally good and arguably his best game to date, but that, as McCarthy well knows, is beside the point. Ponder was good not because he had "one of those days" (he did not), but because he had three epiphanies simultaneously--he realized that, with Peterson in his backfield, he was guaranteed at least one open receiver on any given play, he realized that those receivers only had value if he got them the ball downfield, and he realized that he had to stand up to pressure, even if it meant making himself more vulnerable throwing off of his front, rather than his back foot.
Those things came together for Ponder on Sunday because necessity so dictated. It helped tremendously, as well, that Ponder began throwing off the shackles that the Vikings have imposed on him in attempting to make him a pure pocket passer, rolling left often and even to the right once or twice. More Ponder left against a Packer team selling out to stop Adrian Peterson and any chance of Ponder scrambling to his strong side should only create more problems for Green Bay on Saturday.
McCarthy saved his most dubious contention for last, however, all but dismissing Adrian Peterson's accomplishments on the season and in the game. "He's a nice back," McCarthy backhandedly deadpanned, "but we need to maintain our assignments and stay in our gaps." McCarthy suggested that Peterson's Herculean performance on Sunday, four weeks after a similar performance in Green Bay, was both mundane and eminently addressable.
Nothing in Green Bay's recent past even remotely supports McCarthy's nervous insight. On the season, the Packers have surrendered 409 rushing yards to Peterson. Moreover, since 2010, Peterson has faced the Packers six times. Over those six games, he has averaged 150 rushing yards and one touchdown. Only twice has he failed to eclipse 100 yards rushing--both in blowout losses in which the Vikings were forced to abandon the running game early--and not once did Green Bay keep Peterson out of the end zone.
But this year is unlike 2010 or 2011 for Peterson in that he has absolutely owned the Packers, averaging over 200 rushing yards and scoring three times. The reason for this dominance is clear--Peterson is stronger than ever, the Vikings have been in their games with Green Bay, and the Vikings have relied on Peterson as the primary rather than as the secondary offensive weapon. Add to that the fact that Green Bay still has no answer for Peterson, and Green Bay's rushing defense woes extend well beyond whatever gap issues the time purportedly has when facing the Vikings and Peterson.
Whether McCarthy wants to admit it, this year's Viking team has been successful not because of opponents' miscues, but because of Adrian Peterson. Never has one player so completely held the destiny of his team in his own hands. When Peterson gets the ball, he is John Riggins-like, but in a more dynamic mold. He eats up the yards, opens up the passing game, draws down the game clock, wears down opposing defenses, and keeps opposing offenses off of the field. That's good enough to beat most teams in the NFL. With Ponder finally hitting his receivers--those receivers Minnesota fans have been instructed all year did not exist on the roster--Peterson is the Superman that McCarthy so clearly fears will end Green Bay's season.
Up Next: The Silence You Hear Is Lambeau Field.
8 comments:
Wow, is that optimism coming from you, VG? Going to be a close game this weekend.
Be glad that the Vikes never made that "reverse Herschel Walker trade" with AP we were discussing last year!
HBandM - I'm surprised too. If VG thinks things are going well, then they must be going quite well.
McCarthy did look a little jittery in the poast game press conference though, I think we all agree. I'm more excited for this game than I was for the Vikings-Eagles playoff game with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback, but more nervous than I was for the Vikings-Cowboys playoff game with Favre. I wonder how this will turn out...
HBandM - I'm surprised too. If VG thinks things are going well, then they must be going quite well.
McCarthy did look a little jittery in the poast game press conference though, I think we all agree. I'm more excited for this game than I was for the Vikings-Eagles playoff game with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback, but more nervous than I was for the Vikings-Cowboys playoff game with Favre. I wonder how this will turn out...
HBand,
That's what happens when the team does something positive.
Regarding AP, it is fortunate that the Vikings did not trade AP. It is also fortunate that AP is twice the back that he was last year and that the Vikings' coaches realized that--albeit only after they finally accepted that AP, not Ponder, should be the focal point of the team.
VG
VG, You implied in the past that Webb is a not a starting QB due to race... you suck!
Markepa,
Not sure what your point is, but you make it well and you certainly have added significantly to the general discourse on Vikings' football.
What I implied is that, had Webb been white, the Vikings never would have attempted to convert him to receiver--that's only done in the NFL, after all, with black quarterbacks. I'm still pretty comfortable with that position.
VG
VG - "Not sure what your point is, but you make it well and you certainly have added significantly to the general discourse on Vikings' football"
Such a clever response to criticism. Man-up and take some responsibility for the claims in your 8/28/11 article... or I guess u could just make fun of the term "man-up" as unintellectual.
Markepa,
I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you.
VG
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