McCarthy Says Blame the Staff for Don Barclay’s Performance
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.
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I think Barclay should be OK. The Rams defensive ends are good, but aging, and Robert Quinn’s production falls off on grass. The strength of the Rams line is in their tackles. Aaron Donald is better than Warren Sapp. We’ll see how good Sitton and Lang really are this weekend.
The loss of Ogletree really hurts the Rams. He’s been their leading tackler the last two seasons and is the heart and soul of the Rams defense.
Bulaga returned to practice today. Any word on that?
Bulaga participated in individual drills, which is the first step to getting back on the field.
Bulaga had surgery just three weeks ago, and I would be shocked to see him on the field prior to the bye. However, Bulaga has shown a determination to get back on the field quickly after an injury before. He sprained his MCL and missed only one week last season.
At this point, I would guess that Bulaga is doubtful for this week and questionable for next, which means he’s got a 50/50 shot for next week.
As much as Deepsky underestimated the defense last week, he’s quite right on this. The Rams are a good D-line but they are better on turf than grass. Barclay was fine against Justin Houston two weeks ago, and the Rams don’t bring anyone off the edge as good as him.
So, while Barclay will always be a concern as long as he’s playing tackle, I feel people are probably more concerned than warranted with this coming week.
Barclay is on the field, Bulaga is not. Work with the man on the field and keep nursing the injury prone pussy thats always in the training room.
Packrat Dan, would you tell Bulaga he’s a pussy to his face if you were alone with him? I’m curious. Usually, I would only call somebody a pussy if I thought it reflected their poor character or if I knew I could take him one on one in a fight.
No shit, Bulaga-a midwestern farmboy-would eat his fucking lunch.
I can’t wait to see Bulaga on the field again for 3-4 weeks before his next injury.