“Let’s be honest, the middle of the field is open now. League rules. Big people running down the middle of the field, I’ll make no secret about it. I think that’s a key to offensive success, whether that’s a big receiver or big tight end or s big man running down the middle of the field, making those safeties cover you. It’s an important part of playing in today’s NFL.”
– Mike McCarthy, March, 2016“I’ve talked about it since I got here, the fastest way to the end zone is through the middle of the field, so the bigger target you have going down the field the better it is for your quarterback.”
– Mike McCarthy, as reported this week by the AP
Okay fans, when was the last time you saw Aaron Rodgers throw to someone in, or heading toward, the middle of the gridiron? If we count the deep ball to Jordy Nelson that won the Bears’ game, that’s all the more reason to use more midfield crossing patterns.
Over the Green Bay Packers’ current four-game win streak, I can find only four passes, all to tight ends, over the middle – three short passes to Richard Rodgers for 10, eight, and seven yards, and one mid-range slant pass against the Texans to Jared Cook for 15 yards. K.J. Wright almost decapitated Rodgers on that 8-yarder, for which he drew a 3-yard penalty and was fined $48,620.
That’s 10 yards of midfield production per game. Didn’t the Packers acquire Jared Cook for the very purpose of exploiting the middle of the field?
Does McCarthy not listen to his own words or is Aaron Rodgers the problem?
The Chicago Bears demonstrated how the middle of the field can be exploited against the Packers. Leading to the Bears’ second quarter field goal, QB Matt Barkley threw over the middle three times, for 15, 11, and eight yards. In the three fourth quarter scoring drives, Barkley had five completions, for 62 yards, to receivers crossing to the middle of the field.
The Packers have two games to go. Now is not the time to hold back, become even more predictable, or allow one-third of the field to remain unused on pass plays.
Jordy Nelson has made hay (and not just at his Kansas farm) going over the middle for his entire career – until this year. Davante Adams’ best play used to be the quick slant over the middle – I haven’t seen it all year. Jeff Janis and Geronimo Allison both have the size to exploit this part of the field.
A final reason for passing down the middle: when opponents look at recent Packers’ game film, they’ll see almost nothing in the way of passes over the middle.
Rodgers Shares the Blame
So what is the problem here? McCarthy sounds as if he wants to utilize the middle of the field. Is he not running plays that feature a receiver running a route through that part of the field?
No.
As well as he is playing, Rodgers is the issue here. He simply doesn’t want to throw the ball to the middle of the field.
Rodgers is loathe to throw the ball there. The simple reason is that that pass is more dangerous than throwing to the outside. You’ve got a safety that can break on the ball, more bodies, more traffic, thus, higher potential for a pick.
When Rodgers threw the ball to Jordy against Chicago, the Bears had made the obvious mistake of either not having a safety deep or employing a safety who doesn’t do his job. It was essentially exactly like the outside matchup Rodgers loves — one-on-one, no help over the top.
He’s comfortable making that throw. He feels his accuracy can beat one man. He’s frightened to drop it into a potential hornet’s nest, which is something he did so well down the stretch of the Packers’ last Super Bowl season.
So c’mon Aaron, Fat Mike is begging you!