Front 7 play critical tomorrow (not LOB)

Just re watched the season opener last night- IMO the play of the front 7 will be key to both containing Lacy and also disrupting Rodgers throws on passing downs. We played really good coverage in the opener but if you give Aaron enough time, it doesn't matter. He can thread the passes into any window no matter the coverage. It was when the line had disrupted his rhythm was when we had success in stopping them on third down (not necessarily great coverage). The key is to alter his passing lanes, make him move off his intended spot. I thought Bennett had a fantastic game against Rodgers in this regard and I have a feeling he will make an impact again tomorrow. As far as containing Lacy, our LBs and Kam will be key. Lacy will get through the line, it's what happens when he does that will determine their success. In the season opener, Wags had an awesome game tackling him for minimal gains and losses. Same thing tomorrow will be needed.

I'm really not worried about our offense tomorrow. I expect a healthy dose of Lynch and TOP. We will score at least 20 points. The key will be stopping their offense, and IMO it has to come down to that front 7, particularly the pass rush.

I was thinking the same thing. I feel we need to force Rodgers to either make quick throws or, if he wants to hold on to the ball, he will have to outrun guys like Ervin, which will definitely tell us more about the status of his calf muscles ...
I think we need to find out about this calf earlier, rather than later.
I know, our team doesn't like to blitz, but I think we need to bring wave after wave after wave of pressure from all sides to test Rodgers legs.

I think GB is going to try to beat us on the ground. That's what I would do if I were them. So I agree.

I agree that the Packers OL vs. the Seattle front 7 is going to be a critical factor in this game. Bennett had great success in week 1, but I'd remind you that things went south for GB went RT Bulaga went down and was replaced by Sherrod. Bennett ate Sherrod up.

The Packers OL is much, much better right now. Linsley is arguably the all-rookie OC and his play has been huge for this OL. Bulaga is healthy and has all his speed and mojo back.

If they can't open holes for Lacy and keep the pass rush off of Rodgers, it'll be a long day for GB. If they can, Packers offense could do some real damage.

ExpatPack":1l3cuyq4 said:

I agree that the Packers OL vs. the Seattle front 7 is going to be a critical factor in this game. Bennett had great success in week 1, but I'd remind you that things went south for GB went RT Bulaga went down and was replaced by Sherrod. Bennett ate Sherrod up.

The Packers OL is much, much better right now. Linsley is arguably the all-rookie OC and his play has been huge for this OL. Bulaga is healthy and has all his speed and mojo back.

If they can't open holes for Lacy and keep the pass rush off of Rodgers, it'll be a long day for GB. If they can, Packers offense could do some real damage.

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Was Bulaga playing last weekend against Dallas? Kinda wish now I had recorded that game for review. Thanks.

Seahawkfan80":3gc6qwu3 said:

ExpatPack":3gc6qwu3 said:

I agree that the Packers OL vs. the Seattle front 7 is going to be a critical factor in this game. Bennett had great success in week 1, but I'd remind you that things went south for GB went RT Bulaga went down and was replaced by Sherrod. Bennett ate Sherrod up.

The Packers OL is much, much better right now. Linsley is arguably the all-rookie OC and his play has been huge for this OL. Bulaga is healthy and has all his speed and mojo back.

If they can't open holes for Lacy and keep the pass rush off of Rodgers, it'll be a long day for GB. If they can, Packers offense could do some real damage.

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Was Bulaga playing last weekend against Dallas? Kinda wish now I had recorded that game for review. Thanks.

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Yeah he was. He's been back and playing for some time.

You have to wonder then if we will blitz more this game than last. Blitzing is something that is against Carroll's nature, but I've seen him and Quinn call more blitzes this year than in year's past. I think if we are down at any point during the game or if Rodgers is having an easy time in the pocket completing passes we will see a few inside LB blitzes from Wags or KJ. At some point you've got to test Rodger's scrambling ability...

I'm not sure if Lacy is going to have a ton of success against us tomorrow. Wags is having a phenomenal year and even if Lacy gets through the line, which will happen, I see our LB's and safeties cleaning up. I can see Rodgers moving the ball on us though with success. It's going to be all about that pass rush IMO.

I haven't been this nervous about a game all year. I might be overestimating the Pack, but they're dangerous. Not worried about Lacy though, he is best once he gets enough space to get going, and we just fly too fast to ever let him get up to full speed. I'm concerned about the deep ball.

Creative scheming from Pete and Quinn will definitely be needed to put some heat on ARodg.

The_Z_Man":58v8kqyy said:

I don't know why Seahawk fans are so overconfident, our best interior D lineman right now is 35 freaking years old and well past his prime.

Seahawks are playing free agent 3rd, 4th, and 5th string Defensive tackles - and two of them are playing hurt, hell, we may be down to our 3rd, 5th, and 6th, stringers .... this should be an EASY exploit for Green Bay, Indy, or NE.

To get inside pass rush, Seahawks line Bennet up inside, and then a vet QB like Rodgers will see that and check into a run and Lacy gets an easy 5 yards. When Bennett lines up outside, you just double Bennet or Avril and Rodgers can stand in the pocket and wait for someone to get open -- there is no Hill to collapse the pocket anymore.

They'll force Kam to honor the run and play at the LOS and the whole middle of the field will open up...

They can dominate TOP and will have a very good chance of winning this game.

I just don't feel good about beating the remaining QB's in the playoffs with the interior D line in complete shambles.

I don't feel good about this game at all.

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Rodgers has no ability to scramble due to injury.

Seahawks at home, 25-2 in last 27 games. 12th man in full force.

Packers could not contain Murray last week so will likely have problems doing so with Lynch.

Packers notoriously poor against the RO so Russ should get some yds on the ground.

Packers poor on field turf.

Packers last 2 roads games, 13 and 20 points respectively.

Russ 9-0 vs. Super Bowl winning QBs.

Russell Wilson is Seahawks QB.

Let me repeat that Russell Wilson is our team's QB

I feel good about this game.

hawksfansinceday1":3eha9iqw said:

The_Z_Man":3eha9iqw said:

I don't know why Seahawk fans are so overconfident, our best interior D lineman right now is 35 freaking years old and well past his prime.

Seahawks are playing free agent 3rd, 4th, and 5th string Defensive tackles - and two of them are playing hurt, hell, we may be down to our 3rd, 5th, and 6th, stringers .... this should be an EASY exploit for Green Bay, Indy, or NE.

To get inside pass rush, Seahawks line Bennet up inside, and then a vet QB like Rodgers will see that and check into a run and Lacy gets an easy 5 yards. When Bennett lines up outside, you just double Bennet or Avril and Rodgers can stand in the pocket and wait for someone to get open -- there is no Hill to collapse the pocket anymore.

They'll force Kam to honor the run and play at the LOS and the whole middle of the field will open up...

They can dominate TOP and will have a very good chance of winning this game.

I just don't feel good about beating the remaining QB's in the playoffs with the interior D line in complete shambles.

I don't feel good about this game at all.

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Rodgers has no ability to scramble due to injury.

Seahawks at home, 25-2 in last 27 games. 12th man in full force.

Packers could not contain Murray last week so will likely have problems doing so with Lynch.

Packers notoriously poor against the RO so Russ should get some yds on the ground.

Packers poor on field turf.

Packers last 2 roads games, 13 and 20 points respectively.

Russ 9-0 vs. Super Bowl winning QBs.

Russell Wilson is Seahawks QB.

Let me repeat that Russell Wilson is our team's QB

I feel good about this game.

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Throw in that the Packers have not won on the road against a team with a winning record (reg. season or post) since October 14, 2012.

High chances of rain tomorrow. Ball will be difficult to grip and throw, difficult to catch. Rather be a running team than a throwing team.
Advantage Hawks, but I'm very nervous.
Too many experts pick us to win easily ... not sure if it is good thing.

Well, we may just find out how bad KWill wants a ring then, won't we?

I imagine GB will really try to establish the run early and then play-action us late if that's not working. I expect them to be very patient and conservative in the first half and won't ask Rodgers to do too much until he has to.

Weather conditions should dial down the passing game for both teams. If it's run vs. run, the advantage goes to the Seahawks on both sides of the ball. Hill has been out for a few games, and our rush defense hasn't suffered overly much.

Williams and McDaniel need to have good games. Thing is, they usually do. Williams is playing great ball right now.

I don't have a problem using the blitz against Rodgers. With the wind and rain, it's going to disrupt the passing game anyways. We really need to make him move around. I don't think he's faking it, and I really believe he got a pain shot at halftime of last game. Get him to move off of his spot, a lot.

Like someone said before, Lacy isn't the kind of back that hurt us. Conversely, I think the Packers will struggle against Lynch and Turbin. Yes, I think we see more Turbin early than we have. I think we're going to bludgeon the Packers mercilessly.

Like someone else mentioned, Packers have trouble with mobile QBs. Wilson is going to get his this game. Packers still haven't proven they can stop a read option team yet; it opens holes for Lynch and gives Wilson the outside. I'd like to see a couple of pop passes if they're open.

The Packers are also not great against TE's. Coverage isn't Mathews' forte, and if they're going to use him to spy Wilson, it's going to make it a tough game for him. He hasn't played MLB the entire year, now he has to respect the run against the best team in the league at it, spy Wilson at the same time, and oh yea, look behind you because Willson is going to be looking for the ball, and he WILL take off.

The crappier the weather is, the better our chances of winning. Packers fans and analysts can spout all they want about how much better their OL is, how much better they're playing againt the run, etc. (they're not...look at Dallas game)....anyone with a shred of honestly in them can't say they are equipped to win a fist fight in a phone booth on a sloppy, rainy, windy day, on the road, in one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, against the top defense. That's not their game, and hasn't been all year.

That is our game, baby. Yeah !

ExpatPack":33wchjbl said:

I agree that the Packers OL vs. the Seattle front 7 is going to be a critical factor in this game. Bennett had great success in week 1, but I'd remind you that things went south for GB went RT Bulaga went down and was replaced by Sherrod. Bennett ate Sherrod up.

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It was already 20-10 by the time he went out.

The_Z_Man":13xs0f9r said:

hawksfansinceday1":13xs0f9r said:

Rodgers has no ability to scramble due to injury.

Seahawks at home, 25-2 in last 27 games. 12th man in full force.

Packers could not contain Murray last week so will likely have problems doing so with Lynch.

Packers notoriously poor against the RO so Russ should get some yds on the ground.

Packers poor on field turf.

Packers last 2 roads games, 13 and 20 points respectively.

Russ 9-0 vs. Super Bowl winning QBs.

Russell Wilson is Seahawks QB.

Let me repeat that Russell Wilson is our team's QB

I feel good about this game.

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That made me feel a little better... thanks.

Still haven't been able to shake that D line issue though -- I've never seen a team win a championship with their interior D line on IR.

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If you are one of those who need to worry about something before a game - d-line is probably a good group to choose. On paper we're thin but to add to the above list, Lacey has a knee issue. It sounds like he'll play but he may not be 100%.

Also, Lacey is a north-south runner, a powerful one at that, but that makes him easier to gameplan against. Still a load though and he will test our tattered d line.

I think one of the biggest assets of this front 7 is the versatility that they possess. The ability to move Bennett inside and play in the tackle position...Irvin can play on the end, he can play outside LB and blitz when needed...Schofield...same thing. I'd like to see Quinn call a game that mixes up their looks, to keep Rodgers guessing. I was surprised to see Schofield used as much as he was last week, but I think these are the games where having guys who can play dual roles is huge. Rodgers won't know if they're rushing or dropping into pass pro, and if he audibles out of a perceived look and guesses wrong, it'll likely be a big play going the other way.

And I completely agree on other posts regarding Kevin Williams. He needs to come up big...we signed him for depth, but as far as the interior line goes, he's gotta be the man tomorrow. If Seattle gets up early, and GB can't stick with the run, then this front 7 is going to dominate. The longer the game goes with GB able to stick with the run, the more they will wear down our interior line.

ReginaHawk":16nkmgfx said:

I think one of the biggest assets of this front 7 is the versatility that they possess. The ability to move Bennett inside and play in the tackle position...Irvin can play on the end, he can play outside LB and blitz when needed...Schofield...same thing. I'd like to see Quinn call a game that mixes up their looks, to keep Rodgers guessing. I was surprised to see Schofield used as much as he was last week, but I think these are the games where having guys who can play dual roles is huge. Rodgers won't know if they're rushing or dropping into pass pro, and if he audibles out of a perceived look and guesses wrong, it'll likely be a big play going the other way.

And I completely agree on other posts regarding Kevin Williams. He needs to come up big...we signed him for depth, but as far as the interior line goes, he's gotta be the man tomorrow. If Seattle gets up early, and GB can't stick with the run, then this front 7 is going to dominate. The longer the game goes with GB able to stick with the run, the more they will wear down our interior line.

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Good post, and welcome to .net. What took you so long to post?

The only thing I disagree with is the need for Williams to have a big game. Obviously that will help, but we have so many things going in our favor that we don't really need anyone in particular to step up. The Packers, on the other hand, NEED Lacy to have a big game just for them to have a chance.

Erebus":6gmgfqpv said:

ReginaHawk":6gmgfqpv said:

I think one of the biggest assets of this front 7 is the versatility that they possess. The ability to move Bennett inside and play in the tackle position...Irvin can play on the end, he can play outside LB and blitz when needed...Schofield...same thing. I'd like to see Quinn call a game that mixes up their looks, to keep Rodgers guessing. I was surprised to see Schofield used as much as he was last week, but I think these are the games where having guys who can play dual roles is huge. Rodgers won't know if they're rushing or dropping into pass pro, and if he audibles out of a perceived look and guesses wrong, it'll likely be a big play going the other way.

And I completely agree on other posts regarding Kevin Williams. He needs to come up big...we signed him for depth, but as far as the interior line goes, he's gotta be the man tomorrow. If Seattle gets up early, and GB can't stick with the run, then this front 7 is going to dominate. The longer the game goes with GB able to stick with the run, the more they will wear down our interior line.

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Good post, and welcome to .net. What took you so long to post?

The only thing I disagree with is the need for Williams to have a big game. Obviously that will help, but we have so many things going in our favor that we don't really need anyone in particular to step up. The Packers, on the other hand, NEED Lacy to have a big game just for them to have a chance.

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Thanks...not much for the posting thing. Love to read the boards and have followed for a long time...just figured now was a good a time as any to contribute to a pretty cool community

I should maybe expand in that I think we need the interior line (not just Williams) to have a big game. I think GB's game plan is going to start with heavy running up the middle. Carolina's 1st TD drive pretty much blueprinted the only chance GB has to win the game. Long drives...take what you get...and gut out 3rd down conversions. I think most of the success for GB to do that will happen in the interior of the DL. And I know that Seattle is ready for it, so I'm not really worried, but if GB somehow finds success running up the gut, this game is going to be right down to the wire.