theebs
Believe!!!!
- Messages
- 27,462
- Reaction score
- 9,207
Dallas' defense is similar to Chargers' scheme By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
From a production standpoint, the Green Bay Packers' offensive line wasn't at its best in a 31-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 23.
The Packers rushed for 42 yards on 13 carries with a long run of 8 yards, and San Diego sacked quarterback Brett Favre twice in one of only three multiple-sack performances against the Packers this season.
Lessons learned in that game should be valuable as the Packers prepare for Thursday's prime-time showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Wade Phillips — an assistant to his father, Bum Phillips, when the Houston Oilers introduced the 3-4 defense to the NFL in 1976 — was San Diego's defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006, and the scheme he left there bears at least some resemblance to the unit he oversees in Dallas.
"Obviously, they're a talented defense. That's a challenge in itself," right guard Jason Spitz said of the Cowboys, who have three former first-round picks among their five on-the-line players. "But you just have to execute the plays that are drawn up and block them the way they're supposed to be blocked. It's not rocket science."
The Cowboys rank 21st against the pass (217 yards per game) but, like San Diego, have two big, talented edge rushers in Greg Ellis (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) and DeMarcus Ware (6-4, 252), who have combined for 17 of Dallas' 30 sacks. Chargers outside linebacker Shaun Phillips had 1½ sacks against the Packers in September.
"Your fundamentals have to be so exact, especially at tackle," offensive line coach James Campen said. "They're very talented people, and they're actually bigger than San Diego's two. Ellis is about 265. He's a very large linebacker now and very experienced. He's a 10-year veteran that can do that. And Ware … he's extremely athletic and gifted."
The bigger challenge may be executing the altered blocking combinations the Packers need to run the ball with their zone scheme. The Cowboys play an "under" front, so the scheme won't change as much as if the Packers were facing the "double bubble" version of the 3-4 that leaves both guards uncovered.
But after running the ball efficiently in recent weeks — Ryan Grant has rushed for 308 yards on 60 carries (5.1 average) and two touchdowns in the Packers' past three games — facing a different look might cause a hiccup or two on Thursday. Through Sunday's games, Dallas was No. 4 against the run, allowing 82.1 yards per game. The Packers, despite their recent improvement, still are last at 81.8 rushing yards per game.
The Packers also are playing without right tackle Mark Tauscher at full capacity. He's played through a sprained ankle the past two weeks, didn't play in the fourth quarter of last week's victory at Detroit as a precaution and hasn't done much in practice this week.
Then again, the line also is in the midst of its best streak of pass protection, having allowed only one sack in its past 14 quarters.
"Last week (at Detroit), there were no sacks, no pressures, (few) QB hits … but we weren't as clean as we would have liked to have been," Campen said. "Even the guys in the group will tell you that we weren't — we did OK, even though on stats it looks like, 'Wow.' We didn't like our twist game and stuff like that. We've worked hard this week to clean that up."
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/PKR01/711270565/
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
From a production standpoint, the Green Bay Packers' offensive line wasn't at its best in a 31-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 23.
The Packers rushed for 42 yards on 13 carries with a long run of 8 yards, and San Diego sacked quarterback Brett Favre twice in one of only three multiple-sack performances against the Packers this season.
Lessons learned in that game should be valuable as the Packers prepare for Thursday's prime-time showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Wade Phillips — an assistant to his father, Bum Phillips, when the Houston Oilers introduced the 3-4 defense to the NFL in 1976 — was San Diego's defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2006, and the scheme he left there bears at least some resemblance to the unit he oversees in Dallas.
"Obviously, they're a talented defense. That's a challenge in itself," right guard Jason Spitz said of the Cowboys, who have three former first-round picks among their five on-the-line players. "But you just have to execute the plays that are drawn up and block them the way they're supposed to be blocked. It's not rocket science."
The Cowboys rank 21st against the pass (217 yards per game) but, like San Diego, have two big, talented edge rushers in Greg Ellis (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) and DeMarcus Ware (6-4, 252), who have combined for 17 of Dallas' 30 sacks. Chargers outside linebacker Shaun Phillips had 1½ sacks against the Packers in September.
"Your fundamentals have to be so exact, especially at tackle," offensive line coach James Campen said. "They're very talented people, and they're actually bigger than San Diego's two. Ellis is about 265. He's a very large linebacker now and very experienced. He's a 10-year veteran that can do that. And Ware … he's extremely athletic and gifted."
The bigger challenge may be executing the altered blocking combinations the Packers need to run the ball with their zone scheme. The Cowboys play an "under" front, so the scheme won't change as much as if the Packers were facing the "double bubble" version of the 3-4 that leaves both guards uncovered.
But after running the ball efficiently in recent weeks — Ryan Grant has rushed for 308 yards on 60 carries (5.1 average) and two touchdowns in the Packers' past three games — facing a different look might cause a hiccup or two on Thursday. Through Sunday's games, Dallas was No. 4 against the run, allowing 82.1 yards per game. The Packers, despite their recent improvement, still are last at 81.8 rushing yards per game.
The Packers also are playing without right tackle Mark Tauscher at full capacity. He's played through a sprained ankle the past two weeks, didn't play in the fourth quarter of last week's victory at Detroit as a precaution and hasn't done much in practice this week.
Then again, the line also is in the midst of its best streak of pass protection, having allowed only one sack in its past 14 quarters.
"Last week (at Detroit), there were no sacks, no pressures, (few) QB hits … but we weren't as clean as we would have liked to have been," Campen said. "Even the guys in the group will tell you that we weren't — we did OK, even though on stats it looks like, 'Wow.' We didn't like our twist game and stuff like that. We've worked hard this week to clean that up."
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/PKR01/711270565/
