Look around the league at the top offenses in football and you’re unlikely to find deadweight coaches trudging alongside the innovators.
Andy Reid doesn’t employ stragglers. Matt Nagy packed his staff with young
offensive minds. Doug Pederson might just have had the best offensive staff in
football when the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season. And Sean McVay just had
one former coach hired for a head job. Zac Taylor may be next. Hiring Joe
Philbin to a major offensive position like coordinator doesn’t represent the way
the modern NFL works. For whatever benefit there may have been to having a
respected coach already in the room
Tramon Williams Jersey , he’s not the guy to push the offensive forward in a way it so desperately requires. The Green Bay Packers theoretically didn’t
hire LaFleur for continuity’s sake. They did it to blow things up on a certain
level. That leaves Green Bay in search of an offensive coordinator, someone who
the team reportedly would like to have ties to the Shanahan-McVay offense.
Remember, for all the plaudits McVay rightly receives for his offense, the bones
of it are Shanahan the elder’s, while the younger Shanahan and McVay have
developed their own modern wrinkles. Any job coaching Aaron Rodgers will be
desirable, but not having the chance to call plays could limit the field of
candidates for LaFleur and the Packers. The most obvious choice is a name many
fans considered before LaFleur got the job: Rams quarterback coach Zac Taylor.
Some suggested a Vic Fangio head coach with Taylor running the offense
represented the best option for the Packers offense. But while McVay let LaFleur
go to Tennessee because he was going to get to call plays, it appears unlikely
he’ll do the same for Taylor — precisely because he won’t. That signals LaFleur
will, indeed, call plays for the Packers which may potentially complicate the
search. Green Bay could run into the same issue with Rams passing game
coordinator Shane Waldron, who has garnered some head coaching buzz, including
reported interest from the Bengals. McVay appears to be a coach who, like
McCarthy in Green Bay, wants to see his coaches go off and succeed, but only in
the right situations. The playcalling problem once again crops up. But there are
two Rams coaches who make sense and could view the Packers OC as a step up for
them, assuming McVay agrees to let them leave. The first is Aaron Kromer, a
veteran offensive line coach who coached on Sean Payton’s Saints staff as part
of their Super Bowl run. He also served as Bears OC and line coach for two
seasons. His teams consistently maximize their talent along the offensive line
and he would be an excellent coach to make sure the franchise quarterback stays
clean. The other possible option is the peripatetic Jedd Fisch who, because he’s
moved around so much, has worked for coaches like Steve Spurrier, Brian Billick,
Mike Shanahan, Pete Carroll, and Jim Harbaugh. Still, Fisch is just 42, comes
with that diverse background in multiple offenses with college connections, and
could be the kind of coach who offers unique suggestions to a coach like
LaFleur, who has really only ever coached one type of offense. Another intuitive
choice would be Matt’s brother Mike, the 49ers’ receivers coach and passing game
coordinator. He checks the requisite boxes in terms of experience and
relationship, but according to NBC Sports in the Bay Area, would prefer to
remain in San Francisco. Working with your brother is certainly different than
working for him, plus it’s not hard to see why a young candidate like the
35-year-old LaFleur the young would view an OC job without playcalling as a
lateral move. This speaks to the difficulty the Packers might have filling this
void. LaFleur, at 39, has been around myriad quality coaches, but many of them
have also graduated to bigger roles. Even though a coach like Gary Kubiak
expressed interest in returning to coaching as a coordinator, that kind of move
doesn’t fit with Green Bay’s vision moving forward. LaFleur may lack the kind of
longstanding relationships with coaches to come in just to be an offensive
consigliere. When Mike McCarthy wanted to revamp his offense, he had coaches he
could call, including Philbin. While ultimately that turned out to be
insufficient, at least he had a cell phone with legitimate names on it. Looking
at the Titans staff LaFleur put together
Jimmy Graham Jersey , there’s no name that jumps out from the usual places. The quarterbacks coach, Pat O’Hara, spent most of his career coaching in the arena
league and before Tennessee was in Houston as an offensive assistant. Receivers
coach Rob Moore has only ever filled that role, going back to 2013 with the
Bills and Raiders.The most intriguing name on the list of potential candidates
is Mike McDaniel, a name to watch in the coming days. A former receiver at Yale,
McDaniel has climbed all over the Shanahan tree along with LaFleur. The two
coached together for a season on Gary Kubiak’s staff in Houston. Then, while
LaFleur coached the QBs in Washington, McDaniel served as an offensive assistant
and receivers coach. The two once again reunited in Atlanta for the Matt Ryan
renaissance, before LaFleur went to LA and McDaniel to San Francisco with —wait
for it — Kyle Shanahan.Experience in the Shanahan offense? Check. Previous
coaching connection and relationship with LaFleur? Check. Sharp, up-and-coming
coach who won’t be afraid to adjust on the fly? Check. One outside-the-box
choice would be Shane Steichen, the Chargers quarterbacks coach. He’s said to be
well-respected inside the Packers organization and although he’s not a Shanahan
disciple, he worked under Frank Reich and Mike McCoy in San Diego (before the LA
move) and survived McCoy’s firing. His experience with Philip Rivers could
dovetail nicely with an offense built around Aaron Rodgers as his physical tools
inevitably decline as he ages. He was set to be the OC for Josh McDaniels in
Indianapolis before the infamous pull-out, which confirms he’s seen as a future
OC by at least one smart offensive coach. Ultimately, the Packers must find a
coach they see as able to both challenge LaFleur to keep the offense fresh,
while working with him to revamp it from the ground up. There likely won’t be
the sexy, splash hire like Zac Taylor, but there are quality options available
to the Packers. Getting the OC hire right won’t be nearly as important as the DC
hire, and the entire organization seems sure that’s been taken care of by
keeping Mike Pettine. Still, a first-time head coach has to find someone who can
keep the ship steady even if he’s not calling plays, while balancing the desire
to innovate and create anew. That mantra is the story of the Packers 2019
offseason, so why should such an important hire be any different? The Green Bay
Packers lost 31-0 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday to finish out the 2018 season,
and it was as ugly a game to watch as the box score indicates. Still, the team
did get a long look at a couple of young players, particularly at wide
receiver.A few individuals who we at APC hoped to see on the field were
inactive, however. The most notable name in that group was edge rusher Kendall
Donnerson, who has not seen the field since his promotion from the practice
squad a month ago. With the Packers hurting for bodies at that position moving
forward, it was surprising to not see him suit up for at least one meaningless
game down the stretch.The receiver group got some tough matchups, however,
particularly as Marquez Valdes-Scantling played against All-Pro Darius Slay for
much of the game. He and Jake Kumerow put plenty of reps on tape while some
other young receiving options — J’Mon Moore and Robert Tonyan — got double-digit
snaps as well.It will be up to the next coaching staff to determine how each of
these players can best help the team moving forward, but that evaluation piece
will have to wait a few weeks until that staff is assembled.Finally, stay tuned
later this week as we break down the team’s snap counts for the entire
season.OFFENSE (56 plays)QuarterbacksDeShone Kizer 47, Aaron Rodgers 9Rodgers
took a big hit and suffered a concussion on his second snap of the game, though
he was not pulled from the contest until after the team’s third three-and-out.
In that time, he completed three of five pass attempts for 26 yards while taking
one sack.Kizer entered after that, going 16-for-35 for 132 yards and a pick. He
did show his athletic ability with some creative scrambles, however, picking up
40 yards on the ground over four carries.Running BacksJamaal Williams
39
Muhammad Wilkerson Jersey , Kapri Bibbs 17, FB Danny Vitale 2There was virtually no running room all day, as Williams gained a net of just four yards
on eight carries. Bibbs showed some ability as a receiver, with three receptions
for 13 yards, while Williams had three catches for 16.Wide ReceiversMarquez
Valdes-Scantling 51, Jake Kumerow 47, Randall Cobb 46, J’Mon Moore 16, Allen
Lazard 1With no Davante Adams on the field and Equanimeous St. Brown also out
with a concussion, MVS took over as the de facto #1 receiver. He finished in a
five-way tie for the team lead in catches with three, but had the most yardage
with 43 yards on those receptions, making him the only player with multiple
catches who averaged more than 10 yards per reception.Kumerow had three catches
for 19 yards, while Cobb added a 27-yard catch. Lazard caught a pass on his only
snap of the day for seven yards, while Moore had one reception for five
yards.Tight EndsJimmy Graham 39, Robert Tonyan 14, Lance Kendricks 4, Marcedes
Lewis 4Although the Packers got Big Bob Tonyan in the game a bit more this week
than in the past, it didn’t show up much on the stat sheet. He had just one
catch for seven yards, and he dropped a would-be fourth down conversion on the
final play of the third quarter. Graham, meanwhile, caught three passes for 21
yards while Kendricks dropped his only target of the game.Offensive LinemenCorey
Linsley 56, Bryan Bulaga 56, Justin McCray 56, Lucas Patrick 33, Lane Taylor 32,
David Bakhtiari 24, Alex Light 23It was a revolving door at the guard spots and
left tackle on Sunday. The game began with Bakhtiari at tackle, Lucas Patrick at
left guard, and Justin McCray at right guard. At halftime, Bakhtiari was pulled,
moving McCray out to tackle and Patrick to right guard, with Lane Taylor
entering the game at his left guard spot. Later on, Patrick had to leave,
forcing Light into the game for the remainder of the second half.Linsley,
meanwhile, played every snap, meaning he has not taken a play off since late in
the 2016 season.DEFENSE (73 plays)Defensive LinemenDean Lowry 65
Marcedes Lewis Jersey , Montravius Adams 51, Tyler Lancaster 38, James Looney 17, Fadol Brown 15Lowry made some excellent plays on Sunday, finishing with five
tackles and a pair of pass breakups at the line of scrimmage. Check out a film
review piece in Wednesday’s Cheese Curds that broke down his game.Adams,
meanwhile, got the next-most snaps, playing a bit ahead of Lancaster due to the
latter’s injury issues during the contest. Adams was very active, totaling seven
tackles, while Lancaster recorded four. Brown showed a bit of pass-rush ability,
with two hits on Lions QB Matthew Stafford.Outside LinebackersKyler Fackrell 58,
Clay Matthews 52, Reggie Gilbert 41The Packers’ only sack in the game was
credited to Fackrell, who moved into double-digits on the season with 10.5. It’s
quite the turnaround for him this season after a pair of unimpressive years to
start his career, and he should be well-positioned for a starting role next
season.Gilbert had three tackles in this game. Finally, after failing to show up
on the stat sheet at all the past few weeks, Matthews’ final game of 2018 — and
perhaps his final game as a Packer — comes with a single solo tackle.Inside
LinebackersBlake Martinez 73, Josh Jones 40, Antonio Morrison 28, Oren Burks
5The Packers used a heavy dose of Jones at nitro linebacker in this game,
keeping him closer to the line of scrimmage rather than playing him back at
safety. He’s clearly more effective and comfortable in this role, suggesting
that the Packers desperately need some help on the back end moving forward. He
recorded three tackles in this game while Martinez led the team as usual,
picking up 12 total plus a pass defense.Morrison showed his usual tenacity and
aggressiveness, making six tackles (two for losses).SafetiesTramon Williams 72,
Kentrell Brice 53, Eddie Pleasant 7With Jones primarily playing linebacker, the
Packers went back to Williams and Brice at safety. At this rate, it will be
shocking if Brice returns next season, as his coverage ability is clearly
sub-par. He did make eight tackles, but it’s not feasible to keep putting him on
the back end given the frequency at which he makes mistakes in
coverage.CornerbacksTony Brown 73, Bashaud Breeland 70, Josh Jackson 45For the
second straight game, Brown played every snap; this week, he broke up a pass and
finished second on the team with nine tackles as Stafford picked on him early
and often. Breeland had two tackles while Jackson had one plus a pass
breakup.
