I saw it. You saw it. Pretty much everybody saw Green Bay Packers right tackle Don Barclay getting beat like a rented mule against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday.
The Packers gave up three sacks to the 49ers, all of which were credited to Barclay.
Should we blame Donny and his Jesus tattoo for playing like a bum?
Coach Mike McCarthy says no. We should blame the coaching staff.
“Don Barclay was put in some challenging situations in Sunday’s win over the 49ers. Staff needs to do a better job at making sure players are put in position to succeed,” McCarthy said Wednesday.
You hear that Tom Clements?
It’s your fault Barclay cannot pass protect!
Seriously though, McCarthy is right. We all know Barclay is mediocre at best in pass protection. Nobody should know that better than the guys who coach him.
The solution is to give a guy who’s limited in that area help in the form of a tight end or running back, who at least chip the tackle’s man. While that often means one less target for the quarterback, it also means the quarterback gets to spend less time on his ass.
Clements really gave Barclay no help last week and you saw the results.
The possible reason for that is the 49ers were playing the cover 2, which has often frustrated Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense. One of the ways to beat the cover 2 is to work the middle of the field, which is where those tight ends and running backs often find themselves when they don’t have to block.
Looking ahead, the Rams present a much stronger front four than the 49ers did.
We expect Barclay to get some help this week. If he couldn’t handle what San Francisco had to offer one-on-one, he’s going to be screwed if the Packers leave him on an island against St. Louis.