Tag: Packers film room

Packers film room: A closer look at Royce Newman’s rough outing vs Jets

Do not click if you have a weak stomach for bad offensive line play. @PackerScribe breaks down Royce Newman’s rough day against the Jets.

Do not continue reading if you have a weak stomach for bad offensive line play. The Green Bay Packers are coming off a 27-10 loss to the New York Jets, in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers was hit nine times and sacked four. The offensive line as a whole didn’t play well, but it was an especially terrible outing for right guard Royce Newman.

Newman got off to such a bad start against the Jets that he was actually benched for backup Jake Hanson in the second quarter. Unfortunately, Hanson lasted only one series before suffering a biceps injury forcing the team to resort back to Newman for the rest of the game.

Newman’s benching has been boiling all season. He’s failed to take a second-year jump after starting in 16 games as a rookie last season, and this past week may have been the last straw. Newman struggled mightily against a pretty good Jets defensive line, allowing five pressures and a sack, according to Pro Football Focus.

Green Bay has not been able to rely on Newman for most of the year. So today, we are going to review the tape to see what led to Newman’s first-half benching and whether or not he should still be with the starters.

Let’s begin.

This appears to be a complete mental breakdown by Newman (No. 70). Everyone is blocking one way while he blocks down in the opposite direction, giving the defensive end a free lane to the running back. We see right tackle Elgton Jenkins attempt to pick up the corner blitz coming from off the screen, which means Newman should be reaching for the defensive end. Granted, it is a tough block to execute, but he doesn’t even know his responsibility. That can’t happen.

Maybe it gets a little better in pass protection. Nope, it doesn’t. To be a good offensive lineman, you have to have a strong base. In Newman’s case, he doesn’t have great length or strong hands, so having a strong lower body is a must. However, that obviously isn’t the case as he gets pushed back into Rodgers’ lap.

Again, we see Newman’s inability to anchor. When Newman isn’t first to get hand placement, he is prone to these types of bull rushes. Notice how he gets no arm extension leading to basically zero resistance or control over the defensive tackle. He also completely loses his footing, which leads to an embarrassing rep that eventually ends with him getting planted on the ground.

I don’t think words are needed to describe this rep. A grown man that is 6-5, 310 pounds shouldn’t be getting pushed around like this. If not for Rodgers’ putting on his cape and going superman mode, this would have been another sack allowed by Newman. It’s worth mentioning that this was one of his last plays before getting benched.

However, Newman wasn’t benched for the whole game. He was forced to return following the lowest moment of his NFL career, and the results didn’t get better. Here we see him looking for work after the linebacker showing a blitz drops into coverage. Newman makes the right decision of sliding to his left, where New York is running a twist. He is in position but fails to pick up the looper, leading to a sack.

Here is a picture to better illustrate how bad this was.

Initially, Newman is in good position, but because he doesn’t recognize the looper fast enough, he quickly loses leverage. Part of this is tied to a lack of processing and lateral agility.

Conclusion

Overall, the Packers’ offensive line needs to play a lot better. However, it is clear that Newman is the weakest link. Per PFF, he has already allowed 17 pressures and four sacks this season. After watching his film against the Jets, it’s apparent that he lacks confidence. His below-average length and play strength is being exploited and will lead to more teams taking advantage. They will also be more likely to send stunts at Newman to see how he handles them. Ultimately, I think it is time to send Newman to the bench indefinitely unless there is another injury. We’ve seen how one guy failing to do his job can derail an entire offense, and Newman has been the most frequent offender. In my opinion, Jenkins should move back to guard, so Yosh Nijman or Zach Tom can play right tackle. But if Green Bay is dead set on keeping Jenkins at tackle, I’d consider Tom or even third-round rookie Sean Rhyan at right guard.

Of course, my opinion doesn’t matter. The Packers are going to do what they feel is in the best interest of the team, and head coach Matt LaFleur made some interesting comments on Thursday about potential changes to the offensive line.

“That’s something we’re trying to feel that out right now,” he said.

“Do you move one guy…do you end up moving two guys…how does that work out? Or do you just work through what we’re going through right now and coach better and go out there and execute fundamentally at a higher level.”

LaFleur’s thought process, especially the part about working through everything, makes one think Newman could start again on Sunday. If he does, it will be interesting to see how he responds to all the adversity and if he can raise his play enough to not be a liability. On the other hand, if we see another performance like last week, the offense will continue to struggle.

[listicle id=86118]

Packers film room: Why the defense got gutted in loss to Giants

On this week’s Packers film room, @PackerScribe digs into what went so wrong with the defense during Sunday’s loss to the Giants.

There has been a lot of discussion about the Green Bay Packers defense after Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants. Green Bay’s defense was supposed to be the backbone of this year’s team, but so far, the results have been disappointing.

The Packers entered Week 5 thinking they could shut down Saquon Barkley and secure a win. However, you could argue that it was Giants quarterback Daniel Jones who did most of the damage.

Jones orchestrated five drives that spanned approximately 28 minutes and gained 338 yards. He completed 21 out of 27 pass attempts for 217 yards and finished with a 100.2 passer rating. Even though Jones didn’t throw a touchdown, he also didn’t throw an interception while adding 37 of his own rushing yards. Overall, his impact was probably greater than Barkley’s.

How could this happen against a defense with so much talent at all three levels? And against Daniel Jones, really? Not to mention, Jones was missing his top three receivers.

Most people will point to the scheme. Joe Barry’s defense has dropped in DVOA since last season despite having even more talent to work with. Some of it is fair, as Barry hasn’t done a great job of catering his defense to dictate more from the opposing offense, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. In some cases, the players are not executing what he is asking them to do, leading to breakdowns in coverage.

That leads us to where we are now. For this week’s film review, we are going to dissect Green Bay’s defensive performance against Jones and New York’s offense. In the end, we should have a much clearer picture of what the issues are.

Let’s start with something positive.

On the first drive, they were able to force a three-and-out. The Giants only need four yards, so they try to set up a running back screen for Barkley. The Packers do a nice job of flowing to the ball, especially De’Vondre Campbell, who is in perfect position just as the ball is about to arrive. However, I also want to point out Jaire Alexander at the bottom of the screen. Notice that he is playing up on the wide receiver at the line of scrimmage to ensure no easy completions on third and short. This will be important to remember later on.

Two positive plays in a row? Yes, believe it or not, Green Bay did have some good play calls early on. Here, Barry sends five rushers at Jones, who is in an empty set. The overloaded pressure on the left side forces Jones to get rid of the ball quicker than he wants. The Packers are in cover one, and everyone does a good job covering their man. Jones heaves a deep throw to Barkley, thinking he has a favorable matchup against a linebacker. However, Quay Walker is a freak athlete who does a great job of phasing Barkley out toward the sideline. Excellent defense all-around.

And here is where things start to fall apart. Green Bay has been terrible at defending crossers in 2022. According to Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, they have allowed the most yards from crossing routes of any defense this season (327). On this play, the Packers’ corners are in off-coverage, which gives the wide receiver a free release. Stokes appears to be playing match Cover 3, so he is basically in man coverage. Stokes gets burned even though he runs a 4.2. This shouldn’t happen, but more on Stokes later.

Now, this is frustrating. It’s 2nd and 19, and you are giving the offense a free completion. That’s Jaire Alexander at the bottom of the screen matched up against Marcus Johnson. Remember the first play we showed? It’s the same matchup, except, this time, Alexander is in off-man. Alexander is the highest-paid corner in the league and should be pressing guys like Johnson every chance he gets. This play call is malpractice by Barry, as it ends up letting New York get into field goal range.

Let’s get back to Stokes. Stokes had a promising rookie year in 2021, but this season, he hasn’t been nearly as good. He doesn’t appear to be playing with as much confidence, and it shows in his coverage. Maybe this is on the coaches too, but Stokes should know he has to maintain better leverage in Cover 3.

Someone else who hasn’t been as good as they were a season ago is Campbell. This is terrible awareness from the All-Pro linebacker, who is basically playing in the same zone drop as Rasul Douglas. It allows a wide-open completion in the middle of the field on 3rd and 13, and you can see Darnell Savage is visibly frustrated after the play.

Another crossing route, another easy completion. The Giants clearly read the scouting report because this won’t be the last crosser we break down. It’s 3rd and 3, and the Packers are in another unaggressive Cover 3 look (shocker, I know). The receiver gets a free release when even a subtle jam could help throw off the timing of this play. Savage reacts late, and the result is an easy completion to Slayton for a gain of 14 yards. This drive lasted over 7 minutes and ended with a field goal when it could have ended sooner and without points.

What’s worse than a 7-minute drive that ends in three points? An 8-minute drive that ends in six. Here’s how it started with a lack of discipline from Stokes yet again. He follows the misdirection, and it opens up an easy completion to the flat on his side of the field. Again, this could be linked to coaching or Stokes thinking too much because he should know better.

Are we really going to show another crosser? Yes. Yes, we are. To no one’s surprise, this completion comes against off-coverage. This team really needs to mix in some other looks, or this will keep happening.

Let’s finish off with a complete and utter breakdown. New York came back from a double-digit deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead, and they couldn’t have done it without this 41-yard catch and run from Barkley. It’s 2nd and 10, so naturally, Green Bay sends out a conservative play call. Everyone does a pretty good job with their responsibility except Walker. Campbell tries to alert Walker of Barkley running a drag across the middle, but Walker doesn’t pick up on it. We talked about Walker’s processing issues in zone coverage in an earlier film review, and clearly, he hasn’t gotten better. This play might as well have been the dagger.

Conclusion

So, are there issues with the scheme, or are the players not executing? Both can be true. The Packers need to stray away from off-man, or guys like Jones will continue to carve them up. The crossing route is a major issue, and they are all coming against this coverage. Mix in some press when Jaire and Stokes are playing against below-average receivers. Meanwhile, everyone in the secondary, including the linebackers, needs to do a better job communicating and carrying out their responsibility in coverage. The scheme is partly broken because the players aren’t executing it properly. If things don’t change fast, things will only get uglier when Green Bay faces a better quarterback.

Packers film room: Breaking down fourth-round WR Romeo Doubs

Breaking down the college tape of Green Bay Packers’ fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs, who produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Nevada.

The Green Bay Packers added not one but three wide receivers in the 2022 NFL draft to help offset the loss of Davante Adams and Marquez-Valdes Scantling. The group is headlined by Christian Watson, who the Packers selected 34th overall, making him the team’s highest draft pick at wide receiver in 20 years. Two rounds later, they took Romeo Doubs, a potent deep threat out of Nevada. So far, the early returns on Doubs have been good, leaving many people optimistic about what he can bring to Green Bay’s offense.  

Not many wide receivers can say they finished their college careers with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Thanks to catching passes from a strong-armed prospect in Carson Strong, Doubs became one of the most explosive playmakers in the country. However, just flip on the tape, and you will see Doubs is more than a product of his talented college quarterback, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles.  

Standing at 6-2 and weighing around 200 pounds, Doubs has an ideal build and is also a good athlete. He ran around a 4.50 in the forty at Nevada’s Pro Day. General manager Brian Gutekunst is especially excited about Doubs, calling him one of the more polished guys in the draft.  

“He’s got length, he’s really fast, he’s a big-time playmaker, and he’s done it for multiple years at Nevada,” Gutekunst said after the draft was finished. “He’s probably one of the more polished players coming out of college just because of his experience. We’re excited to see what he can do.”  

Time will tell how ready Doubs is to make an impact at the next level. There aren’t many receivers who enter the league and hit the ground running. In Doubs’ case, it will be even more difficult since he must first earn the trust of Aaron Rodgers. However, Doubs does possess a lot of good traits that could help him develop into a productive pro. There are also some weaknesses in his game that could hinder his ability to get on the field early on with the Packers.  

Let’s identify the good and the bad in Doubs’ game by looking at the All-22 from his junior and senior seasons.  

Doubs made a living by getting behind the secondary of opposing defenses. Here we see how easy it is for him to blow past the coverage on a simple go route. Doubs takes advantage of an aggressive corner playing up on him and uses his speed and acceleration to create plenty of separation. Furthermore, beating press coverage with his quickness and upper body strength should not be an issue.   

Even when the corner is trying to accommodate for Doubs’ speed, it is still not enough. He accelerates so quickly that it can be completely overwhelming for defenders. This corner can’t help but fall down trying to keep up. He may not be as fast as Valdes-Scantling, but Doubs will have a chance to make plays downfield.  

Doubs doesn’t just rely on go routes when working down the field. Here is a post-corner that he sets up beautifully to put the corner in a tough spot downfield. But the route isn’t the only thing that is impressive about this clip. Doubs is expecting the ball to be thrown toward the sideline, so he is looking over his outside shoulder. When he notices the ball is thrown inside, he makes a quick adjustment without losing much speed. You love to see this kind of elite ball tracking.  

I look at Doubs as more than just a deep threat. Sure, that is where he did most of his damage, but he is also smooth when running stuff underneath. This out route has a good bite to it but let’s look at the corner a little bit closer. He’s in off-man, and Doubs’ quick acceleration forces him to lean into an early backpedal. He stands no chance when Doubs turns toward the sideline. Defenders know that Doubs could be running a vertical at any time, which could help open stuff up for him, as we see here.  

Similar play here, but this one shows Doubs’ technical prowess as a route runner. Here he flattens his stem out more toward the sideline. It is so the defender can’t see him and watch the quarterback at the same time. By attacking the blind spot, Doubs can settle into a nice pocket for an easy catch.  

Doub has a way of making every route look like a go route. However, he quickly snaps off this curl route at about 15 yards. The corner does a good job of sitting on the route, so Doubs shows good on the fly processing by working back to the ball. This route is a staple of every offense, and Doubs knows how to win with it.   

Doubs caught 20 touchdowns over his final two seasons and could emerge as a successful red-zone threat. Watch and see how well he has mastered these linear routes. He runs a skinny post with a slight stutter at the top of the route to cross the defender’s face. Doubs could have success in one-on-one situations where the defender has to try and match his foot speed.   

Savvy little clip here of Doubs making a play near the sideline. It is not exactly the back shoulder throw Rodgers made famous, but it is a solid example of Doubs’ awareness to get both feet down. In my opinion, Doubs has the catch radius and body control to make back shoulder catches in the future.   

Scouts described Doubs as an alpha for his presence in the locker room and on the field. His competitive toughness is definitely on display when the ball is in his hands, as he is consistently fighting for extra yards. Doubs will be an ideal candidate for quick screens similar to this. Also, we see a new side to Doubs’ athleticism here with his noticeable agility after the catch. An important note, Doubs returned punts all four years in college, averaging 12.5 yards per return and returning one punt for a touchdown. Don’t be surprised to see him competing for punt return duties in training camp.   

I don’t think Doubs will be limited to being an outside receiver. He is actually a well-rounded player and could be considered for a “big slot” role in certain formations. In this play, Doubs is able to diagnose zone coverage and work behind the linebacker before getting to the soft spot in the middle of the field. Doubs’ football IQ will help him be effective from different alignments.   

[lawrence-related id=81161,80929]

You’re probably tired of hearing about Doubs’ speed at this point, but this play also shows him trying to high point the ball downfield. He isn’t quite able to bring this one in with two defenders in the area, but it is still a great effort. Catching passes from Rodgers where the ball is almost always in the right spot should help with Doubs’ ball skills.  

Of course, we can’t talk about Green Bay receivers without going over run blocking. This is one of the few areas where Doubs is underwhelming. In a lot of instances, he is not engaged as a run blocker. He has the size and mentality to be much better, but it almost seems like a chore.   

The Packers must feel like they can do a complete overhaul with Doubs’ blocking. Everything about this clip seems strained even though the ball is coming to his side of the field. It appears to be a mental thing, as perhaps his coaches at Nevada didn’t harp on it. That will change fast.   

I really don’t have many issues with Doubs’ route running. Some of his breaks can be a bit rounded, but stiffness in his lower half is one thing that stuck out to me. He struggles to consistently sink his hips on breaks, which negatively affects his ability to change direction. Against sticky corners, Doubs may struggle to separate on in-breakers like this underneath.   

For me, it is a lot of detail-oriented stuff that Doubs needs to focus on. He will continue to improve as a route runner, and the whole run blocking thing will have to change if he even wants to get on the field. Something tells me he will have a completely new approach as a blocker by the end of his rookie season.   

Doubs is still a rookie and a fourth-rounder at that. The bar is subsequently low, but fans should be excited about his ceiling. Doubs is a legitimate deep threat with the tools to be much more. Hopefully, he can put it all together to become a reliable contributor to Matt LaFleur’s offense.   

[listicle id=81002]

Packers film room: Will Quay Walker live up to first-round selection?

Breaking down the college tape of Quay Walker, the Packers’ first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers did something they hadn’t done in 16 years with their first pick in the 2022 NFL draft: select an off-ball linebacker.

Quay Walker became the first inside linebacker since AJ Hawk to get selected by the Packers in the first round. Hawk was a fifth overall pick while Walker was 22nd, but hopefully, the former Georgia Bulldog will be even more successful.

Green Bay wants their linebackers to be long and fast, exactly what Walker is. He is 6-4, 240 pounds and ran a 4.52 at the scouting combine. His size and speed compare favorably to De’Vondre Campbell, who just signed a deal worth $50 million to remain a Packer for the next five seasons. Green Bay is hoping two athletic inside linebackers will allow their defense to be even more tenacious.

In four seasons at Georgia, Walker only started a season and a half. He sat behind a loaded linebacker group during his first two years before seeing an increased role as a junior. Last season, Walker started all 15 games for one of the best defenses in the nation, finishing with 65 tackles, along with 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 25 QB pressures, and three pass breakups.

Walker is a lot like Campbell in that he can impact the game in a variety of ways. Campbell was extremely disruptive in 2021, which led to his first All-Pro selection. Following Campbell’s breakout season and a resurgence to the Packers’ linebacking corps, the hope is that Walker will bring a similar skillset while fortifying the position for seasons to come.

To get a better idea of what Green Bay saw in Walker, we are going to dive into some of his film from his junior and senior seasons. By the end, we will know what Walker brings to the table and what he needs to work on to live up to his first-round hype.

Let’s begin.

Strengths

First, let’s talk about two of Walker’s best traits: range and tackling. Walker is a true sideline to sideline linebacker that rarely misses tackles. Pro Football Focus tallied only seven missed tackles during his collegiate career. For the most part, he is quick to diagnose and will take effective angles to the ball. As soon as he finds the ball, his closing speed is off the charts as he looks like a heat-seeking missile when tracking.

Walker tested in the 66th percentile for his short shuttle, which is slightly above average. However, this play really does his lateral mobility justice. Walker stops on a dime and then makes an impressive lunging tackle. It’s rare to see a guy this size move with such fluidity.

There are definitely things Walker can clean up when it comes to tackling, but for the most part, he is rock solid. He can do a better job with his pad level and getting his head across, but the fact that he does such a good job tracking the hip to stop a guy like Najee Harris in his tracks is a good sign.

Here is another example of Walker’s play strength. This is one of the most impressive clips I found of Georgia’s ILB. Evan Neal was the seventh overall pick by the New York Giants, and Walker tosses him to the side like he is taking out the garbage. Walker needs to improve at deconstructing blocks, but this shows he is more than capable.

The Packers will be able to play a lot more two-linebacker nickel with Walker and Campbell. Campbell can hold his own coverage, and Walker can as well when asked to play man to man. He is quick to break on the ball and even flashes some solid ball skills to shoot his hand in to break up the catch. By the way, this play was against Tennessee Titans’ first-round pick Treylon Burks.

Walker will be able to cover big slot receivers, tight ends, and most running backs at the next level. He really is a natural mover in man coverage thanks to his route recognition and ability to change directions. I think Walker will be very comfortable with matching routes and clamping down on stuff underneath.

Before moving on, I wanted to show two more clips of what impresses me most about Walker. His motor and competitive toughness are insane. In the first play, he nearly chases down Alabama’s burner Jameson Williams, the 12th overall pick by the Detroit Lions. Then, he is the first guy there on a bubble screen. I think Packers fans will be most impressed by Walker’s athleticism.

[listicle id=80846]

Weaknesses

Walker has a quick trigger but will need to clean up false steps. He is obviously very athletic, it’s just that his instincts aren’t quite there yet. Over time his processing should improve, and the false steps will be eliminated. Still, when looking at this play, he shows impressive range and makes the stop for a minimal gain.

We saw earlier how Walker got off a block from one of the best tackles in the draft. However, it’s something he needs to do more consistently. Too often, he will get stuck to a block and get out leveraged from his lane. Walker has the play strength and length to be a better block shedder; he just needs to improve/quicken his technique.

For as explosive as Walker is, you would think he would be a better blitzer. Georgia did a good job mixing up looks to try and get Walker pressure on the quarterback, but he didn’t take advantage of them as much as he should. Instead, he was basically a battering ram trying to bull rush blocks without having an established plan. Most of the time, his attempt was easily stopped. If Walker can develop at least a few moves that he can implement effectively, Green Bay’s defense will benefit from having another formidable pass rusher. Otherwise, he won’t add much of anything as a blitzer and will be better off spying the quarterback.

Don’t ask Walker to play man against shifty route runners in the slot. The end result won’t be pretty.

I’d like to dive deeper into Walker’s coverage ability. It’s a very important aspect of the modern-day linebacker and allows Campbell to play all three downs. Walker can hold his own in man, but zone is an entirely different story. His vision is sporadic when he isn’t tasked with watching one guy and will lead to open throwing lanes for the quarterback. It will need to be coached up, or opposing offenses will try to pick on Walker.

Look at how easily Walker is manipulated by the quarterback. He can probably move Walker wherever he wants to deliver the ball to his desired spot. The Packers will need to harp on Walker’s responsibilities in zone. Right now, it’s just a matter of knowing where to be.

Conclusion

After watching the film, I can honestly say I’m not as excited about the pick as when it was first announced. Walker has a lot of desirable traits, but there are a lot of signs that show inexperience. Luckily, pretty much all of his weaknesses are things he can improve on and having Campbell around will certainly help. Walker should be watching and learning from Campbell as much as possible to improve his football IQ and become a better all-around player.

During his rookie season, expect to see Walker flying around the field on Sunday but also expect to see some head-scratching plays that will make you question why the Packers didn’t wait to draft a linebacker until the second or third round. It seems like they are expecting Walker to put everything together and become the next Campbell before his contract expires. If Walker can turn into an All-Pro or Pro Bowl linebacker than can defend the run and cover at a high level, using a first-round pick will have been worth it.

[listicle id=80919]