most important player

[Trudem]

aside from both Rodgers and Matthews who do you guys think is the most important player on each side of the ball? Obviously Crosby is the most important on special teams.

Here are mine:

Offense: Bryan Bulaga/Josh Sitton - we all know why

Defense: Nick Perry - if he can at least attract some attention it will make things eaiser on Clay and the rest of the boys and collapsing the pocket will only make our secondary better.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Not a player but McCarthy/Capers would be my answers. Capers looks like a god one game and lost the next. McCarthy gets his team ready better then any coach but then makes questionable game time deciesions during the game, And he gets away from the run game even when it is working.

 

[Trudem]

thats a fair assessment Noon. Like I said earlier...I enjoy having you around.

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

Sam Shields.
If he stays healthy I believe we have a top 10 corner. If he can do that you pair him with Hayward and we have a great CB duo and that group is even better with Tramon and House but it all comes down to Sam

 

[LoftonPack80]

Brad Jones. He has to justify the money he got and why the Packers are sticking with him and let Bishop go.

 

[ForkEmBucky]

Gotta go with Raji on D. All the other upgrades mean very little if he slows down, gets hurt, or for any other reason can't plug up the middle.

On offense I think it's Barclay. He was a big upgrade on that line. If he improves even more, we mightvactually be solid all the way across.

 

[LoftonPack80]

IF Jones and Perry step up the way they are being projected too, it should free Raji up to make more plays and make his job easier. Again, thats a big IF because they're unproven talent for most part.

 

[alldaybaby55]

Not a player but McCarthy/Capers would be my answers. Capers looks like a god one game and lost the next. McCarthy gets his team ready better then any coach but then makes questionable game time deciesions during the game, And he gets away from the run game even when it is working.

I would strongly disagree that McCarthy gets his team ready better than any coach.

Admitting that the team was unprepared for the Niners offense in that playoff game being exhibit A.

 

[LoftonPack80]

I disagree with that. The Niners barely ran any read option before that so there was no reason to really practice much for it. I don't even think they planned on running as much of it as they did but when the well was flowing the way it was they kept going back to it.

 

[Blaise Winter]

Brad Jones. He has to justify the money he got and why the Packers are sticking with him and let Bishop go.

He already did - during 2011, we had the last ranked passing defense in the NFL; last year, we were 11th. Watch the middle closely and you'll see one glaring reason why. Bishop is a boom/bust player who gave up far too many big plays, but casual fans loved him because his gambles sometimes paid off in terms of "impact plays." He graded out very highly as well. You give up a couple impact plays for a guy who can cover (Bishop is too slow and terrible in coverage).

 

[alldaybaby55]

I disagree with that. The Niners barely ran any read option before that so there was no reason to really practice much for it. I don't even think they planned on running as much of it as they did but when the well was flowing the way it was they kept going back to it.

No. but they ran enough of it that it wasn't a surprise to ANYONE to see them bring it out. Plus when you have that threat, and it HAS been run before, you make damn sure you're ready for it. I'm not saying that he had to have a complete gameplan for stopping it, but to come out and be totally unprepared to execute even a basic defense to slow it down is poor preparation...which McCarthy himself admitted too.

I'm not saying he's a bad coach. I'm saying I would definitely not call him the coach that has his teams the most prepared.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

No. but they ran enough of it that it wasn't a surprise to ANYONE to see them bring it out. Plus when you have that threat, and it HAS been run before, you make damn sure you're ready for it. I'm not saying that he had to have a complete gameplan for stopping it, but to come out and be totally unprepared to execute even a basic defense to slow it down is poor preparation...which McCarthy himself admitted too.

I'm not saying he's a bad coach. I'm saying I would definitely not call him the coach that has his teams the most prepared.

49ers game was the exception, not the rule. McCarthy overall prepares very well it seems.

 

[Blaise Winter]

As usual, AllDay is correct and Joe is, uh, not. Though in fairness, I think it was Dom that blew it more than the head coach. I realize he's ultimately responsible, but Dom is older and accomplished enough where I'm sure he felt confident in him without meddling too much.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

As usual, AllDay is correct and Joe is, uh, not. Though in fairness, I think it was Dom that blew it more than the head coach. I realize he's ultimately responsible, but Dom is older and accomplished enough where I'm sure he felt confident in him without meddling too much.

Please explain how I am wrong. I'll need more then just your word on me being wrong. The head coach is responsible for the DC.

 

[DaBearsShowPride]

I know you said beside Matthews but I would have to stick with him for your defensive side of the ball. We dont have the same predictable offensive like we have the past 9 years with Lovie and we all know how Matthews played against that offensce (pretty damn good). Now with an offensive minded HC and an excelled Offensive Line coach its going to be up to Matthews still to find that spark against the Bears new offense. I've always thought if we could contain Matthews, we could control the game a lot better.

As far as the offensive side of the ball yes I would agree Bulaga. He is still what I would call unproven and has had some injury problems and now switching over to the most important position on the line. He has a ton of skills that havent been flaunted yet but could he show those skills right away verse some tough NFC North defensive lines in his first year at the new position (In the NFL). Following Bulaga but not by much I would have to say your rookie RB Eddie Lacey is going to be important for you guys as well.

 

[alldaybaby55]

49ers game was the exception, not the rule. McCarthy overall prepares very well it seems.

It's on the extreme end of the spectrum, no doubt. As are the two games in which Peterson ran all over us last year. I don't know how hands on McCarthy is with the defense, but ultimately, the responsibility falls on him.

I just feel like the Packers are slow starters in games, especially offensively. I don't have stats to back this up, but it seems like we went 3-and-out, or were held without points an awful lot on opening drives last season. We also seem to come out without a lot of emotion and passion in games, and we rarely set the tone for a game, right away anyway. The defensive backfield often seems lost, pre-snap. To me, that all goes into preparation.

Again, let me say that I think McCarthy is a very good coach. But the BEST in preparation? I would disagree with that.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Well Allday I can only say so much, I only see 4 to 6 Packer games a year. You see every play of every game.

 

[cyorgan]

I agree with AllDay as well but it's not so much of a preparation thing with me. McCarthy, as well as Capers for that matter, have proven that they are either too slow to make adjustments, take too much time to evaluate in order to make adjustments, and/or just do not make necessary adjustments period during the games. You look at what was happening during that Seattle game and despite the Fail Mary, we really deserved to lose that game because of those two. With Capers, he clearly cannot figure out Kevin McBride, he can't figure out the 49ers, and he has been consistently dialing up soft defenses for the past two seasons.

I'm sure some here will whine about the depth, or lack of, that we've apparently had but if you're a good defensive coordinator, you find ways to mask your deficiencies. Some people will point to two or three players who cannot be relied on but what about all the other younger players that need some experience. We can't at least try to see what we have with them? Capers has NEVER been able to mask the defense's deficiencies outside of the anemic secondary of 2011 that turned the ball over because they gambled every game. Only when someone like Brandon Marshall runs his mouth before a game will Capers get aggressive. This is unacceptable.

That said, my impact player is Jerron McMillian. He showed some signs of greatness last year and I really think he can unseat Jennings for that FS spot. McMillian is very fast, he's very rangey, and his ball skills seem to be quite underrated.

 

[tk83]

I'm gonna go with the rb position [Lacey, Franklin, someone else?] . . . they have to give the other guys pause with the run to open up the offense, eat clock, whatever is needed at the time.

On defense, the line Jolly, Jones? Who's gonna step it up?

 

[alldaybaby55]

I agree with AllDay as well but it's not so much of a preparation thing with me. McCarthy, as well as Capers for that matter, have proven that they are either too slow to make adjustments, take too much time to evaluate in order to make adjustments, and/or just do not make necessary adjustments period during the games. You look at what was happening during that Seattle game and despite the Fail Mary, we really deserved to lose that game because of those two. With Capers, he clearly cannot figure out Kevin McBride, he can't figure out the 49ers, and he has been consistently dialing up soft defenses for the past two seasons.

I'm sure some here will whine about the depth, or lack of, that we've apparently had but if you're a good defensive coordinator, you find ways to mask your deficiencies. Some people will point to two or three players who cannot be relied on but what about all the other younger players that need some experience. We can't at least try to see what we have with them? Capers has NEVER been able to mask the defense's deficiencies outside of the anemic secondary of 2011 that turned the ball over because they gambled every game. Only when someone like Brandon Marshall runs his mouth before a game will Capers get aggressive. This is unacceptable.

That said, my impact player is Jerron McMillian. He showed some signs of greatness last year and I really think he can unseat Jennings for that FS spot. McMillian is very fast, he's very rangey, and his ball skills seem to be quite underrated.

I don't disagree with that...though I think that making adjustments can also go into preparation...saying "well if they do this, then we'll do this."

But really, the more I think about it, it's really tough to put any of this 100% on the coaches. Clearly execution by the defense was the majority of the problem against San Fran. Coaches do get blame for that, but let's not hold the players completely unaccountable for that mess. Has anyone seen an OLB play a more undisciplined game than Erik Walden did? Should Capers have pulled him? Maybe...it's hard to tell. maybe there wasn't a better option. It's all speculation.

So maybe it's unfair of me to say that McCarthy doesnt prepare well. But then again, is execution a result of preparation?

Damnit, I'm giving myself a headache now. I'm done.