Chapter 13 Practice Makes Perfect

Packers Practice – Implementing the New Plays

 The Packers' practice field in Green Bay. It's a crisp, sunny morning as the team huddles up on the turf, ready to begin a new phase of their preseason preparation. Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff are standing near the sidelines, clipboards in hand, while the players stretch and jog in place. Today, they're implementing some of Aaron Rodgers' new offensive concepts: pre-snap motion and a few RPOs.

Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers are both warming up on the sideline, tossing passes to receivers. The mood is tense; Rodgers, focused and determined, watches closely as Favre prepares to take the first snaps with the starters.

McCarthy: (blowing his whistle) "Alright, let's line it up! First-team offense, you're up. Brett, you're in! Defense, get ready. We're trying some of the new motion concepts today, so keep your eyes open."

Favre: (grumbling to himself as he adjusts his helmet) "New concepts, right... let's see what this kid's gotten us into."

Rodgers: (smirking, standing to the side as he watches) "You'll get the hang of it, old man. It's not as complicated as it looks."

Favre: (shooting Rodgers a quick, annoyed glance) "Just you wait, kid."

The offense lines up, with Ahman Green in the backfield and William Henderson at fullback. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are split out wide. Favre stands under center, scanning the defense, but there's already a hint of hesitation in his stance.

McCarthy: (calling from the sideline) "Alright, Brett, let's run 'Jet Motion RPO.' Get Jennings in motion before the snap. Read the defense and decide whether to hand it off to Ahman, throw to Driver on the slant, or keep it."

Favre: (nodding, calling out the pre-snap motion) "Alright, 42! Jet motion, jet motion!" (Jennings starts to move across the formation.)

The defense shifts in response, with Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk adjusting their positions. Favre hesitates for a moment, trying to read the linebackers' movement. He snaps the ball but mistimes the motion, fumbling the exchange with Green. The ball hits the turf, and the defense swarms in to recover.

McCarthy: (whistles blowing, visibly frustrated) "Come on, Brett! We've gone over this! The motion tells you where the defense is going. If the linebacker shifts, you keep it or throw. You've got to make the read!"

Favre: (picking up the ball, shaking his head in frustration) "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just not used to all this trickery before the snap."

Rodgers: (smiling to himself, stepping up to McCarthy) "Coach, I'll take the next series. Let's run 'Orbit Motion RPO,' and I'll show them how it's done."

McCarthy: (nodding) "Alright, Aaron, you're up. First team, reset!"

The offense lines up again. This time, Rodgers is calm and composed as he gets under center. He barks out the motion, sending Driver into orbit around the backfield. The defense starts shifting, and Rodgers' eyes flick across the field, reading the linebackers.

Rodgers: (in a confident voice) "Set, hut!"

He takes the snap, instantly making the read as Hawk crashes down toward the line. Rodgers smoothly pulls the ball from Green's gut and flicks it out to Driver, who's cutting across the middle on a slant. The ball zips through the air and hits Driver perfectly in stride. He turns upfield, weaving past Charles Woodson for a 20-yard gain.

McCarthy: (clapping from the sideline) "There you go, Aaron! That's exactly how you read it! Perfect execution!"

Favre: (mumbling to himself on the sideline, arms crossed) "Yeah, show-off."

The next few plays continue in similar fashion. Favre gets back in for another series, trying the new plays with the pre-snap motion, but he struggles to time the motions correctly, and the defense easily sniffs out his intentions. A miscommunication on an RPO results in another near-fumble, saved only by a quick reaction from Favre to fall on the ball.

Favre: (frustrated, tossing the ball to the ground after the play) "This ain't football. Too much thinking before the snap."

Clements: (approaching Favre on the sideline) "Brett, you've got to use the motion to force the defense to show their hand. The hesitation is what's hurting you."

Favre: (waving him off) "I get it. I just need to get used to this... whatever it is."

Rodgers: (stepping back into the huddle for his next series) "Let's run 'Jet Motion RPO' again, this time with a quick screen to Jennings if the linebacker blitzes. Keep your eyes open, guys."

The offense lines up, and Rodgers sends Jennings in motion. The defense shifts, with Al Harris moving to the outside. Rodgers immediately recognizes the blitzing linebacker and snaps the ball. He fakes the handoff to Green before quickly turning and rifling the ball to Jennings on the screen. Jennings catches it and races up the sideline, dodging a tackle from Marquand Manuel for another 15-yard gain.

McCarthy: (grinning, nodding in approval) "Beautiful, Aaron! That's what I'm talking about! Quick read, perfect execution!"

Rodgers: (walking back to the sideline, passing by Favre with a confident smirk) "See, not that hard when you know what to look for."

Favre: (glaring, visibly frustrated) "Yeah, well, some of us play football with instinct, not overthinking every move."

McCarthy: (gathering the offense together) "Alright, that's enough for today. Good work, everyone. We'll keep refining these concepts. And Brett, we'll keep working through it. It's new, but we'll get there."

Rodgers: (quietly to McCarthy, with a glint in his eye) "Or maybe it's just not for everyone, Coach."

McCarthy: (shooting Rodgers a look) "Enough, Aaron. Keep that attitude in check."

I looked at the success we had in practice today, the defense clearly wasn't used to anything like this. I began to think about the Shanahan scheme being run today and in the future which seemed to be my kryptonite. The time of possession, always being down, and the demoralization. Maybe its cause I grew up in Cal but the 49ers always had my number. And I have to change that.