Jordy Nelson put the Packers’ receiving corps on his back in Sunday’s 31-24 comeback win over the Jets.
But Green Bay cannot rely on Nelson to come through with 209 receiving yards — good for fourth best in franchise history — every week.
The position that would really open things up for other receivers is tight end. And the entire tight end position received three targets vs. New York with one catch. It wasn’t much better at Seattle where the unit received four targets, good for three catches and 26 yards.
Coming into this season, the tight end position wasn’t looked at as a position of strength. There were no proven playmakers like Jermichael Finley or sure-handed pass-catchers like Bubba Franks and Mark Chmura.
And to make matters worse, Brandon Bostick — who had been mildly impressive in the preseason — injured his fibula in mid August. He still has not returned and the Packers are leaning on rookie Richard Rodgers and limited veteran Andrew Quarless.
The more this unit does to get open, make catches and earn the trust of Aaron Rodgers, the more the rest of the receiving corps will breathe a sigh of relief. The moment the tight ends start to make noise, more attention will be rolled to the middle of the field. A cornerback shading towards the middle or a safety in bracket coverage with a linebacker underneath.
And the moment that happens, guys like Nelson and Randall Cobb will be able to see more one-on-one battles, which can be won the majority of the time.
And if you don’t think the tight end position is that important to maintain balance in this precision passing game, then take a look at last year. In 2013, the tight end unit had 12 catches that came from 18 targets after two games. This season, the unit has produced only four catches from seven targets.
Right now, Rodgers isn’t looking the tight ends’ way because they cannot get separation from their defenders, will not be able to do anything with the ball once they get it or Rodgers just doesn’t have faith that they will secure the catch.
The reason the tight end position is unique in the NFL is because there are so few great ones. Most teams have at least one solid wide receiver, but there are very few like the Saints and Broncos who boast Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas. Those two are light years better than the average tight end and Rob Gronkowski will be lumped into that group when he is 100 percent again.
While the Packers don’t need a great tight end, they do need someone that will take some pressure off the edges, which will allow this offense to hum again.
It’s easy to overlook the tight ends when Nelson is racing 80 yards for the score, but how often is Nelson going to make secondaries look that silly? If the middle of the field isn’t eaten up by a reliable pass catcher, opponents will eventually double the edges and dare the Packers’ tight ends to produce.
The Packers may have one of the best receiving tandems in the league, but right now it’s getting wasted because of a lackluster tight end position.
——————Cory Jennerjohn is from Wisconsin and has been in sports media for over 10 years. To contact Cory e-mail him at jeobs -at- yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: Cory Jennerjohn
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I think you’ve hit on a good point. One thing to keep in mind with this discussion, though, is the possibility that tight end production might be suffering to some extent from Sherrod’s need for additional help in pass protection.
The whole team will suffer because of Sherrod…. Amen. It appears that everyone except TT and MM can see it.
These types of bodies (6’5″, 260 and can run a 4.4 40) are pretty hard to find. There’s only about 5-6 TEs that really scare opposing Ds. We occasionally had one of those in Fin head from 09-13 – but no longer. Hopefully Rodgers/Bostick can grow into their shoes – cause there’s no other help on the horizon.
Cobb can’t get separation post broken leg and Nelson beat an injured DB that left the game after that play. TEs aren’t very good and the best one, Bostick, is assign to ST off his leg fracture. Good thing we have Adams up and coming. Let’s see how we do against Lions/Bears. Neither has much of a secondary.
Cobb had 2 TDs and a clutch 2 point conversion last game. Stop hatin
Cory – no question that the Packers need an effective TE. I am not expecting to see that until Bostick returns. You mentioned Graham from N.O. and Thomas from Denver. Where would those 2 teams be at TE without those players. Probably in the same boat as the Packers. Now if Bostick comes back and he is not the answer then I’m afraid it looks like we’re waiting for the draft. Also note that the Packers have not really got their ground game going at all. Hopefully Bulaga gets back ASAP and we solidify the OL and get the ground game going. When that happens we should see some play action to the TEs as the LBs bite on the run fakes. It also helps if we can play with a lead instead of being down by 2 scores early in the game as we have been with Seattle and the NYJets. Hopefully this week we get Bulaga and Bostick back and we see the entire offensive package. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since ’61
Bulaga’s injury is killing us with any type of tight end production. They are all pretty much blockers or on special teams. Bostick is about our only shot to duplicate a Jermichael Finley.
My solution? Covert Jeff Janis into a tight end. He has the height and body size to convert. Put some lbs on the kid and instead of being a good receiver he can be a great tight end in a year or two. He’ll lose some speed but instead of a 6 foot 3 220 lb wr who runs a 4.30, we’ll have a 6 foot 3 250 lb TE who runs a 4.5..ala Vernon Davis.
With Jordy locked up and Cobb soon to be plus you have Adams on the rise this past week, Janis’ best shot might be at the tight end position. Don’t forget, Aberderis will also be coming back next season. Just thinking outside the box. Other than thru injury, how else is this guy going to get on the field in the next two years?
Jeff Janis is 6-3, 220 and is pure WR. Fattening him up to be an under-sized TE and wasting that speed is not an option. We have talent at TE, we just don’t game-plan for it or play-call it. IMO, the problem is less about personnel and more about coaching. They need to think outside the Finley box.
Razer, this has everything to do with the fact Bulaga got hurt and they have a weak link currently at RT so they help him out with the tight ends and Lacy who now becomes a decoy and mostly pass blocker helping out Sherrod.
I agree we have talent at TE but until we get that RT position solidified by Bulaga’s return or Sherrod’s improvement, we won’t see much if any of that talent.
Totally disagree but what do I know. I still think Janis should play opposite Nelson and the two them will tie up 2 CB’s and 2 Safeties. They are both too talented, big and fast for 90% of the corners out there. When this happens MM’s play calling will get him coach of the year. Right now Janis isn’t suiting up for games and to me that is nutty.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say the Lions have two Megatrons starting instead of one. Do you really think Stafford throws once to his TE’s in a whole year? No way. If Rodgers has two 6’3″ 220 lb. receivers and Janis is faster than Nelson, how would you like to be the Defensive coordinator against that? Not me.
When Janis starts playing opposite Nelson it’s going get very interesting.
When do you see this happening? He’s not even getting activated and with Adams coming on strong and Cobb being Cobb, I don’t see how they can get this guy playing time as it stands.
I’m just looking for the quickest way to get this guy on the field and to me it via tight end. I would love to see Janis as well play WR but it’s just too crowded at the moment and I don’t see that changing unless they don’t plan on signing Cobb and going with Janis next season.
I would love to see “Farm and Fleet” playing opposite each other. They would definitely compete with Chicago’s great tandem of Marshall and Jeffires.
When MM needs to do something different offensively, but as he seems to be slow to adapt, maybe never.
Cobb CAN and DID get separation all game. The problem is at 5’10 Rodgers can barely see him across the middle. Which is why he normally thows to only Nelson out of the slot.
I really wish Packer fans would utilize the ALL-22.
If Rodgers were 5’10” also.you may have a small and somewhat valid point but Rodgers isn’t and therefore you don’t. 🙂
He was saying Cobb is 5’10”. Rodgers can’t see Cobb at 5’10” over the middle
How tall are you,because you apparently couldn’t see what I wrote….try again. 🙂
Cobb caught 80 passes in 2012, and was on pace to catch even more than that prior to his injury last year. I think Rodgers can see him just fine…
Yes we are missing the TE in this offense, in part, due to injury. I think the case could be made that MM doesn’t include much for the TE in this current offense period. They block and assist the O-line but do we feature them in anything beyond that? MM is enamored with the vertical game and he has Rodgers trained this way. We tend not to use the middle of the field other than for the occassional crossing route. Both Richard Rodgers and Quarless can catch the ball. Neither has stretch the field speed. The result, we keep them in to pass protect and decoy the downfield pass. Mike McCarthy lacks the creativity to fully use the TE unless the TE has Finley-like speed. So we wait for Bostick – arggggh!
…and we also wait for Janis, who in my opinion could be a great tight end if fattened up. Bostick was fattened up as was Rodgers. Why not Janis I say? He’ll be inactive this year and next year if everything stays the same. The only solution is to convert him to tight end.
Hope the NFL and the NFLPA get the HGH testing done ASAP if just to keep this thinking in the minds of those who think its a good idea. 🙂
Beer and brats is all Janis needs. It’s Wisconsin for crying out loud. Everyone here is pretty much fat. I believe with very little effort that Janis could gain 30 lbs naturally simply by hanging with the locals and doing as they do when it comes to exercise and nutrition. Just my opinion I could be wrong.
Agree that they need to use their TE’s more in the passing game. Even if they’re helping Sherrod, they can chip the defensive end and run a route.
It doesn’t seem like the Packers are utilizing the middle of the field, which McCarthy has been criticized for in the past. Against the Jets, nearly all of the big pass plays (other than Jordy’s 80 yard td) were to the middle of the field. This is where Cobb and the TE’s should be used most. The running backs can come out and catch passes, as well, when the middle clears out. It’ll give Rodgers another option so when the pass rush picks up, he can dump it off.
Let Jordy, Janis and Adams work the sidelines while Cobb, the TE’s and RB’s kill it in the middle. Enough with the deep sideline passes again and again. Jordy’s only gonna catch so many eighty yarders.
Right now the tight ends help our so-so O-Line in blocking so Mr. Rodgers can throw to Messrs. Nelson and Cobb. The TE’s are not that good at receiving so have them help in blocking. In addition, when they run a route they tie up a LB so that’s good enough. If and when these guys consistently get separation and its apparent on film and in games Mr. Rodgers will throw to them but not before.
I agree. With all the hype in the pre-season about how great Richard Rodgers was looking in practice, I’m still waiting to see what everybody’s talking about. When are we going to see him featured more in the passing game???
C’MON people, IF having a speedy TE was the problem with Pack’s offense, they could just line up Jeff Janis at the position, let’em blow by the defense and be gone into middle wide open. They won a SB without Finley, it’s more McCarthy’s strategy or lack of, than whether they have a dominating TE. For all that talk about Finley, he has NEVER been consistent for a full season, or finished one either. Look around the league, you gonna say Brent Celek, Mercedes Lewis, Jason Witten, Heath Miller are top level TE’s? Of course not, but for the most part they are CONSISTENT and dependable, they BLOCK and make catches for their offense. Personally I thought Packers should’ve cut Quarless loose, kept Stoneburner instead. Still disappointed they didn’t squeeze Lyerla in someplace to see if he can produce on the field what he could do at the combines. Rodgers will go to the TE if that’s the open receiver, right now it looks as if McCarthy came out expecting BOMBS away because the defense would be keying on Lacy.