Bears Packers preview and review: A Coaches key to a Bears Victory!

As promised here is the recap! All in red

1. The Bears hung tough early was 7-7 and hung in there but had too many breakdowns and let up too many big plays that really did them in. Felt like they were trying to do things they never did and they weren't comfortable defensively. They got killed often in empty when the Packers lined up Adams as the #2 wr. They became consumed with Adams after a few early plays and didn't cover #3 in empty.

Also, 3x1 was an issue for them defensively. 

Here they bring the slot pressure and play what looks like man with the de and lb as rat defenders. You can not have a legit wr covered by a lb. They were guessing and they got burnt trying to take away the slants inside. 72 yard touchdown. Looked like cover 0 with your mike covering #3 if it was zone then the left safety should have been working deep 1/3 middle of the field if it was a fire zone!

2nd and goal on the 12 yard line. The Packers are in 21 personnel but go empty. The bears stay with their nickel personnel. Who cares go dime and get better pass defenders in their. Remember this is their backup will linebacker who is in the game. They are in man  to the 2 wr side and playing zone up top. No one carries 3 vertical. Easy touchdown. 2nd and 12 do we really care if they run the ball in that situation. 

Easy throw because no one carries 3 vertical. They go up 21-10.

 

They have  a big matchup with the Packers and are a different team than when they played the Packers earlier in the year.

KEYS DEFENSIVELY 

Defensively:

Where they were awful,

Vs Empty 5x5 for 118 yards and 2 td in the first half and vs 3x1.
They got beat really bad the first play of the 2nd half for an easy td and really struggled with some coverages. (see below) After that it looks like more deep stuff which was much better.

Offensively:
Too many runs 3rd and 6. They really struggle still on 3rd down. 

Red zone was inefficient, need to score tds in the red zone. Had some chances

Didn't do enough to get Robinson the ball. Should have moved him around more and got him on the outside, especially in the redzone where it would be harder to double him. Maybe motion him down there and get him in space. 

On 3rd and 1 t hey don't get it then on 4th and 1, 11 min to go down 21-16, you go for it, A rob has to beat the nickel and get open for 1 yard. He runs the out, and the db jumps it. Packers get ball back go down and score and the game is over. 

Overall, I think the first half the bears were trying to be something they weren't. Unique coverages, weird concepts, cover 0 and really got outplayed.They were trying to stop plays, concepts  and weren't sound. Pressures were not tied into coverages.  The game should have been over the 2nd half when Scanling dropped the long pass. They got lucky hung around, but had no answers for empty and 3x1 formations out of the gun. They can't rush the passer!

1. STOP THE RUN!

Akeim Hicks is playing this game. Not having him week 12 really hurt in the run game and time of possession. That is a huge addition having him back against the run. They Packers dominated the first matchup running for 163 yards on 34 carries. That's 4.8 yards per carry

The bears did a decent job in the run game limiting the packers and having Hicks back was a big help. They were decent in this department. 

They also had the time of possession 37 minutes to 22 minutes.  Having Hicks will free the linebackers up to make plays. 

The Bears won in this department 35:30 to 24:30 

2. AARON RODGERS NEEDS TO GET HIS JERSEY DIRTY.

They need to get some pressure on Rodgers and get to the passer.  Send some pressure early if you want to disrupt things. They had zero hits and zero sacks last time. Not winning football if you don't make the qb uncomfortable. 

They had 1 sack and 6 hits and really didn't disrupt the game. When they blitzed they got torched on the back end. They messed up a coverage on a few occasions. One Scanling dropped for an easy 70 yard protection. Better pass rush but Rodgers is so good at maneuvering in the pocket that he made some really good plays. 

The lack of pass rush was evident last week. Jax had 38 passes, bears had 1 sack , 2 knockdowns and 2 hurries against the jaguars. Glannon had plenty of time. 

The Bucs did a great job of that vs the pack.  In the Bucs game, packers went up 10-0, Bucs didn’t send 5 at all. After that they brought 5 or more 8 times , 1 of 8 for 4 yards, 2 sacks , 2 int, 1 hurry and the ball was out quick!bucs won38-10.

Here's some clips from the Bucs bringing 6,technically 5 with the add in. and putting their best db on Adams. The Bucs ran a large amount of 5 man games but have much better pass rush than the Bucs. Here below they send 5 and ad in with the 6th rusher. 

But, you have no pass rush other than Mack, so you need to run some more 5 man pressures with some pass rush games tied in. The Bucs did  it well. Here they send the sam on the bottom of he screen go cover 2 and Rodgers throws the pick 6.

The Endzone view:

Bucs version of the 2 under 3 deep from double A gap mug look. Love bowles and how he dials up pressure. The good thing about this one is its 3rd and 10. Great call and down and distance to run it against.

(they just drop JPP too but it is really a nice exotic pressure)

3. Take away the rpo game with Rodgers and all the quick screens they throw for 7-10 yards. They need to cover off and not let them throw those quick passes we often see from him.

This killed them in the 4th quarter as they ran the same play to Aaron Jones. The 2nd was a blown coverage as they were in man free and no one went with the motion man. They try to check the coverage late but when its 2x2, he will throw it. If it s man the lb has to go with the rb.

4. Teams have to double Devonte Adams. When he is to the single side, give the cb safety help over the top. When he is in the trips roll coverage his way. When in zone get someone under him and over the top. You cant do it every play but you must mix up your defenses. He is the key in the passing game. Must make other guys beat you. 

Well, that didnt happen, Adams hurt them early and often in empty and the key penalty, he was 1x1 with no safety help!

When on the outside they doubled Adams and it left the middle of the field open. This is what happens when you go man free and not 2 man lurk stuff it opens the middle of the field up! Should have been game over. They double Adams with a free safety but play zone on the other side to the 3x1, which opens the middle of the field? Not sure if cb on bottom is in off man or deep 1/3

 

You can see the free safety helping over the top of Adams, leaving the cb on an island 1x1 with Scanling. Looks like cover 3 with a solo on #1. could be some type of 1(need to see it from the wide view) 

HOW DO YOU PLAY ADAMS WHEN HE IS IN THE SLOT, THEY HAD BUSTER ON HIM QUITE A BIT BECAUSE THEY DON'T MATCH IN MAN. IF YOU NOTICE, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO QUITE A BIT VS THE BEARS IS PUT THEIR BEST WR AT #2

Fuller was not on him and he took advantage of this matchup. Also, they didn't cover #3 at all and  they ran two routes for easy touchdowns. Adams killed them there even when they didnt throw him the ball. They were 3x3 to Adams early ,2completions for 24 yards and the key pass interference when they went man on him. 

IN EMPTY ,The packers were very effective.  5/5 for 118 and a key pass interference call in the first half when Adams was in the slot in empty. 

In the slot again, they cover him with #36 and he gets diced as they play 2 man here. The game was 21-16 at this point and this key play with Adams in the slot vs man coverage. NFL is about matchups and this was evident all day. 2 dbs out really hurt, but the bears don't match so it probably wouldn't have mattered. 

All game 1 below, Here's Buster getting beat on an easy td that Rodgers misses him on. This is the match up they want. Was no different in game 2

Here is  a 3rd and 2 and they hit Adams on the Skrine match up. Easy completion. 17 Adams is #2 wr on the bottom.  

Game 1

Adams is the guy and he gets open underneath vs the Bears zone and has a td here for 60 yards as he beats the 2 deep safety. Dont let the stats fool you, Rodgers missed him here.

Game 1

Here on the touchdown, you have Adams working the middle of the field vs 2 linebackers against the Bears 3 man rush, easy touchdown. As your mike lb is your middle 1/3 player. Watch 17 work the middle of the field for an easy td. This game was no different as the 2 tds that came were to the middle of the field in the red zone

5. Take away the mesh,rub routes  and disrupt the mesh routes underneath. When in condensed, the Packers love the mesh, shallow, sit down concepts. The coverages have to be mixed up and have to get a safety lurking to try to help on it or possibly sending 3 dropping a rusher and also lurking with a safety. Teams have played zone to it too with some cover 2 and no one stays with one coverage so expect some changeups from Pagano.

they hit a few routes underneath but the focus seemed to be more on empty and the Adams matchup in the slot.

Here is a 20 yard gain on the rub route vs 2 man. This will happen all day if you try to play a ton of man to it. Need use some other concepts. As you can see the alignments give it away. 

 

Below they run it on a key 3rd and 7 vs the Bears. This is why traditional man free is tough vs rub and mesh concepts they like so much.

The wr is open right now as you can see the Tight end setting the screen and the ball gets thrown to the wr over the middle for 10 yards.

Here's what the Panthers did game 2 that worked well. They played cover 2 to condensed

Another concept that works vs condensed is showing cover 2 man, playing man under and driving one of the safeties down to disrupt the mesh, rub routes. You can do this with either safety or both , but with Adams, you may want to do it with the safety opposite him.

The safety coming down on this 3rd and 4 forced Rodgers to dump it to the back where he was tackled for no gain and they got off the field. Different concepts for handlling the condensed formation game of the Packers. 

As you can see above the safety diving down to help on the mesh made rodgers look off it and dump to the back. Having a safety help under is a better angle at times as the safety can cover more ground than the lb who is often at 4 yards trying to move laterally,

6. The Boot game and the route variations can also cause problems. You saw the one above but here is another one where they hit their tight end who fakes the post corner and runs the post for the touchdown.

Other things that have worked is the picture above and dropping a de or dt into the throwing window with the same exact coverage.

6. Lastly, if Johnson can't go at cb, you have to travel Fuller with Adams. I think the talent drop is too much not to do it. Even if Johnson can go, I d do it but i can live with not travelling if johnson is a go.

KEYS OFFENSIVELY

1. Do what you've been doing. Let the offense play the way you have that has gotten you here. The Packers are good but aren't an elite defense by any means. Run the wide zone, boot series and play action and do what got you here. Mitch just has to be Mitch and make the right reads.

2. Robinson has to continue to be a factor. Line him up in the slot or on the left side away from Alexander. He will win that match up if they don't flip Alexander. Kevin King is an average cb. Must expose that matchup when they get it.

On the goalline, pack often goes man and if Robinson in the slot should win that matchup. They hit him last time but the ball was thrown late. Look for that this game!

3. You have to keep feeding Montgomery the ball. That has been an integral part of what they've done and you need to keep doing what you do best.

4. Mitch has to make plays on 3rd down. That’s what defines nfl qbs. You make them your team has success! 

Really, the offense has been simple, keep it that way and you have a great shot vs the Packers.

These are my keys to a bears victory and them making the playoffs!

Hope you enjoyed this article.