The Insider: Thumbs up to special teams, down to run defense

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The Insider: Thumbs up to special teams, down to run defense

By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com

Thumbs up

When a team runs nearly three-fourths of its offensive plays in the other team’s territory, you know it was a dominant special teams performance.

To say the Green Bay Packers enjoyed a significant field-position advantage in today’s 33-14 win over the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome, would be a massive understatement.

Of the Packers’ 53 offensive plays, 39 began on the Rams’ end of the field. Their average starting position on drives that began after Rams kickoffs was their 45-yard line, compared the Rams’ average of their 17-yard line. On all possessions, the Packers began at an average of their 48 and the Rams at their 17.

It was by far the most-lopsided field-position advantage for the Packers this season. Before today, their best performances in that area came against Carolina in Week 11 – when its average start position was the 38-yard line (and the 45-yard line on drives that began with kickoffs) – and against San Diego in Week 3 – when the Chargers had an average start position of the 19 (and the 20 on drives that began with kickoffs).

The first three times the Packers had the ball today, they began at their 48, their 44 and the Rams’ 45. That resulted in a touchdown, a lost fumble and a touchdown, respectively. Half of the Packers’ 12 drives began on St. Louis’ end of the field.

Koren Robinson opened the game with a 48-yard kickoff return and would have had an 88-yard return to the Rams’ 13 on his second return of the day if not for a holding penalty on Tramon Williams. Still, that return went for 66 yards, and Robinson averaged 43.3 yards on three returns.

Mason Crosby and the kickoff team played a part, too. Crosby had a pair of touchbacks, and Rams kick returner Derek Stanley had little room to run. The longest of his six returns was 21 yards.

Thumbs down

The Packers knew the Rams’ best chance to move the ball would be on the ground with Steven Jackson, so it should not have been a surprise that coach Scott Linehan did everything possible to put the game in the hands of his star running back whenever possible.

Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders countered by bringing up safety Atari Bigby as an eighth man in the box and then used a variety of run blitzes, but it was no avail. Jackson, who last season was the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher but has been slowed this year by a groin injury that cost him four games earlier this year, gained 103 of his 143 yards in the first half.

He caught the Packers in a classic overpursuit situation on a second-and-2 play in the second quarter, when linebacker Nick Barnett tried to shoot a gap. Jackson made a swift cut to avoid Barnett and was gone for a 46-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14 with 10 minutes, 9 seconds left before halftime. Barnett said two defensive players shot the same gap, which gave Jackson room to make the quick cut he needed to break the run.

If there’s an area of concern late in the season, it’s the Packers’ run defense.

Though they slowed down the Oakland Raiders last week, holding them to 85 yards on 28 rushes, today was the fourth time in five games that an opponent rushed for at least 105 yards against the Packers. The Rams’ 173 yards on 31 carries (a 5.6-yard average) marked the highest output by a Packers’ opponent this season. The previous high was 155 yards by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 at the Metrodome.

Turning point

Safety Atari Bigby twice bailed out the Packers.

On the Rams’ final possession of the first half, Bigby intercepted a pass that went through the hands of receiver Drew Bennett at the Packers’ 22-yard line.

Bigby picked off quarterback Marc Bulger again on the first series of the third quarter after Barnett had blanket coverage of receiver Torry Holt, who couldn’t come up with Bulger’s pass.

Play of the game

Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett took the ultimate gamble when he rushed seven on third-and-10 from the Rams’ 44-yard line in the third quarter. That meant the Packers would have single coverage in their four-receiver set.

When two St. Louis defenders (safety Oshiomogho Atogwe and cornerback Ron Bartell) jumped at Donald Driver, who ran a short crossing route, it left Greg Jennings wide open on a middle go route. With the blitz picked up adequately, Packers quarterback Brett Favre had time to lob a pass to Jennings for a 44-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 27-14 lead.

Did you notice?

· With cornerback Jarrett Bush inactive because of a calf strain, Sanders used a rotation of cornerbacks in the nickel and dime defenses. Tramon Williams started the game as the third cornerback, but Will Blackmon also got some nickel work. Frank Walker was the dime back.

· Safety Aaron Rouse played most of the second half in place of Nick Collins, and cornerback Charles Woodson came out of the game late in the fourth quarter.

· Recently benched left guard Daryn College replaced left tackle Chad Clifton on the final series.

By the numbers

6: Touchdown catches by Donald Lee, who had a 4-yard scoring reception against the Rams. It’s the most touchdown catches by a Packers’ tight end since Bubba Franks had 7 in 2004.

12: Touchdown catches this season by Jennings, who had one against the Rams. It’s the most touchdown catches by a Packers’ receiver since Javon Walker had a dozen in 2004.

26: Touchdown passes this season by Favre, who had two against the Rams. It’s the most he's had since 2004, when he had 30.

The big picture

Perhaps the biggest reason the Packers are 12-2 and in prime position in the NFC is the health of their roster.

A scout who saw the Packers two months ago and again today noted this: The only difference in their nickel defense now and when he last saw them was the absence of Jarrett Bush. The scout considers the third cornerback essentially a 12th defensive starter, meaning that the Packers are essentially playing with 11 of their top 12 defensive players.

That means perhaps the most important factor the rest of the season could be injuries. It’s vital that the Packers keep this roster intact heading into the playoffs.