OT: The Broncos D really capitalized on Aaron Rodgers biggest weakness...

Collapse the pocket, contain the QB, don't let Rodgers scramble. Cause Rodgers will often look directly at the pass rush, at the expense of looking downfield.

Denver was collapsing the pocket on Rodgers but weren't getting too greedy with the pass rush; which almost always opens up lanes for Rodgers to scramble, or find a clean throwing lane, when he's pressured. For all the talk about Rodgers footwork under pressure, no one really mentions his constant tendency to look directly at the rush as opposed to keeping his eyes downfield in these situations. Granted, it's hardly ever a negative for Rodgers. But Denver was really getting the best of Rodgers on this. The coverage was there, but Rodgers wasn't even challenging it. And Rodgers will challenge just about everything when he a throwing lane or is mobile. I've heard Collinsworth try and claim that Rodgers only had time to look to his first read before the rush got there. Hmm. Well, when you see the QB setting, and re-setting his stance -- sometimes 3x or 4xs over in one play -- he's getting enough time to look; he's just getting thrown off his game because he's looking into the rush to find a clean lane and he doesn't have room to take off. Denver wasn't letting him get what he wants.

Granted, if this is a "blueprint" for stopping Rodgers (and I hate that term) well, good luck trying trying to pull it off, cause constantly collapsing the pocket is no joke. Denver's D is really tough.

BTW - This reminded me of last year's playoff game Rodgers had vs Seattle. Rodgers couldn't run well due to injury. He was constantly looking at Seattle's pass rush, trying to scramble and find an open throwing lane. He just couldn't do it. He would look at the pressure far too often, as opposed to keeping his eyes downfield. He had a weak game. Granted, it was against Seattle's D.

I said in the other thread that Rodgers is the wrong QB to go against the Denver defense. Rodgers likes to extend plays. To beat an aggressive defense like the Broncos, you need to get rid of the ball quickly and attack the soft spot in between the d-line and the secondary.

Keeping Rodgers in the pocket is part of the way they made him even worse, but the Packers are a vertical offense and you need to beat this defense by short, quick passes.

Credit to the Broncos D, but I just don't see how they'll stop the Gronk and Dion out of the backfield. Brady is a different animal than Rodgers.

Rob0729 said:

I said in the other thread that Rodgers is the wrong QB to go against the Denver defense. Rodgers likes to extend plays. To beat an aggressive defense like the Broncos, you need to get rid of the ball quickly and attack the soft spot in between the d-line and the secondary.

Keeping Rodgers in the pocket is part of the way they made him even worse, but the Packers are a vertical offense and you need to beat this defense by short, quick passes.

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Gee . . . where have I seen that before????

That game was a pretty hefty idictment of both McCarthy as a coach, and Rodgers.

I think this game just pushed Brady way ahead in the MVP race.

Rob0729 said:

I said in the other thread that Rodgers is the wrong QB to go against the Denver defense. Rodgers likes to extend plays. To beat an aggressive defense like the Broncos, you need to get rid of the ball quickly and attack the soft spot in between the d-line and the secondary.

Keeping Rodgers in the pocket is part of the way they made him even worse, but the Packers are a vertical offense and you need to beat this defense by short, quick passes.

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According to Pro Football Focus, Rodgers is only the 11th best quarterback in the NFL when facing pressure (he faces pressure on just 34% of his drop backs, which is the 12th lowest mark in the League).

In trying to break the pocket and extend plays downfield, Rodgers takes an average of 2.95 seconds to throw the ball, which is the third slowest in the League.

Chiuba E. Obele said:

This stat says it all....

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It was also the single lowest YPA for a QB in any game all year thus far. Aaron will not take chances in coverage like that, which is great in most games, but will lose you some too. I could only guess that he puts his TD/INT ratio over trying to win. When they were down 2-3 scores late he should have either got the score closer or threw a couple picks trying. If Tom or Peyton were in that situation, you'd be nervous until the clock ran out as an opposing fan. Not with him.

On another note, imagine the hype if we roll into Denver each at 10-0. I remember the '07 game was the latest matchup of undefeated teams, & we were each like 8-0 at that point. They were calling that the biggest regular season game ever at the time.

Swamp the QB with pressure while having excellent coverage on all the receivers. It works against QBs besides Brady and Manning.


Who knew such shocking information? Let's sell this secret blueprint to every football team in the country!

NashuaPats said:

I think this game just pushed Brady way ahead in the MVP race.

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Let's just see how we do in Denver. Hopefully, your prediction will be proven right.

I was watching baseball tonight, can someone tell me how was manning touch on the ball? His stat line was good but i don't know if it was mostly yards after the catch on short/medium routes.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

meatface said:

I was watching baseball tonight, can someone tell me how was manning touch on the ball? His stat line was good but i don't know if it was mostly yards after the catch on short/medium routes.

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They televise pretty much all Denver games in Ohio, and (unfortunately) this was by far the best Peyton has looked this season.

Peyton actually looked like his old self today.

meatface said:

I was watching baseball tonight, can someone tell me how was manning touch on the ball? His stat line was good but i don't know if it was mostly yards after the catch on short/medium routes.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

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Yes, as others have mentioned, this wasn't about "just" shorter route throws in an attempt to protect his arm that's made of Styrofoam .

His stat line for longer passes :

11-20 yards = 7/10

20+ yards = 2/3

He certainly resembled the Manning of old, yet this time he actually seems to have a well balanced attack, as the passing + run game = 500 yards. He also has the best defense that he's ever played with in his entire career--by far.

Best run game + best defense may mask for some of his deficiencies in his arm strength. We'll see.

meatface said:

I was watching baseball tonight, can someone tell me how was manning touch on the ball? His stat line was good but i don't know if it was mostly yards after the catch on short/medium routes.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

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He was accurate short/medium/long. I watched some earlier games and he was throwing ducks. Passes with not much zip that wobbled. He threw a beautiful ball tonight with zip and a nice tight spiral.

one thing I'm still trying to figure out is whether Denver's D-line is so good, or Pack's O-line is so atrocious? (or both)

Wouldn't be shocked one bit to see both teams undefeated going into the Nov. 29th game, which will have absolutely huge playoff implications.

Broncos are a threat, don't get confused. I don't want to play the AFCCG in Mile High.

Deus Irae said:

Swamp the QB with pressure while having excellent coverage on all the receivers. It works against QBs besides Brady and Manning.


Who knew such shocking information? Let's sell this secret blueprint to every football team in the country!

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Ha, funny.

I'm not entirely sold though on "excellent coverage on all the receivers". Coverage appeared very good frequently, no doubt, but Rogers looked like he was put so off his game by the rush, coverage, general scheme, or whatever that he was paralyzed from making decisions.

If it was due to excellent blanket coverage then everyone should greatly fear Denver. GB got frequent one on one matchups and I noticed a few favorable receiver matchups for them. Were their receivers incapable of winning a battle through almost the whole night? Hard to believe given the rules favor the receiver so much as well as how difficult it is to frequently break up those precise timing routes that Qbs like Rogers practice ad nauseum. I mean damn, he was barely even trying those passes.

Also, I noticed when the game was out of hand Denver's press backed off some (understandably given it was now most important to keep everything in front of them). Yet even with the press let up, Rogers would get the snap, a tick would go by, and he was still full into the befuddled look and moving around.

GB is the best offense Denver has faced. Denver kept GB to the lowest score it has allowed while making them look almost silly. Something doesn't add up....(and it certainly could be this was just a really 'on' night for Denver and 'off' for GB -- which certainly happens).

gee whiz...I really hope Belichick and the coaches watched this game...what if they don't know about Denver's awesome D?...and Manning is throwing the ball like he's back to being the GREATEST QB of all time!!! Oh noes!!! I think it's all bad for the Patriots...how will we even compete with such awesomeness after watching the greatest QB in the game today held to 70 yards???? Brady will probably have NEGATIVE YARDAGE!@! This is all BAD...REAL REAL BAD!!!

Introspective Peyton Manning: 'I knew this was not going to be an easy transition'

"The New England Patriots have played some great games this season, and so have the Cincinnati Bengals and others, but what the Broncos did on Sunday night was the best performance in the NFL this season. They had 500 yards on offense. They allowed 140 on offense, including 50 net passing yards to a team with two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. That's unbelievable. The Packers were 6-0 coming in, everyone's NFC favorite, and the Broncos destroyed them."

Welp...THERE it is....Roger's newest mouthpiece, Yahoo, has just told all of us to forget it, may as well not even play the rest of the season. Can't wait for ScumbagSPN to double down on this "breaking" story later on today.