{"id":36873,"date":"2018-01-22T08:57:41","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T13:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=36873"},"modified":"2021-06-02T21:46:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T01:46:15","slug":"green-bay-packers-hire-joe-philbin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/01\/22\/green-bay-packers-hire-joe-philbin\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Bay Packers Hire Joe Philbin"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Green Bay Packers<\/a> needed a change on offense, so they fired offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett<\/a><\/strong>. To replace Bennett, Mike McCarthy<\/strong> turned to a familiar face. The Green Bay Packers hired\u00a0Joe Philbin<\/strong>. From 2007 to 2012, Joe Philbin was the Packers offensive coordinator. Those years included Brett Favre<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s last season in Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 beginning from backup to NFL MVP, one of the greatest single-season in NFL history, a historic 19-game win streak, and Super Bowl XLV championship.<\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers Hire Joe Philbin<\/h1>\n

Why is the Joe Philbin hire significant?<\/h2>\n

This change will bring stability to the offense, which is always a good move. Also, Philbin, McCarthy, and Rodgers have high regards and lots of respect for each other on-and-off the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say everybody here as a ton of respect for Joe and always appreciated hearing him talk. Joe\u2019s a guy that can really control the room,\u201d said Rodgers to Bill Huber<\/a><\/strong> for scout.com prior to the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins<\/a> game in 2014.<\/p>\n

The easiest way for a new coach to succeed in the NFL is when a superstar player to buys into his philosophy. It is easy to foresee the trio of Rodgers, Philbin, and McCarthy succeeds due to their mutual respect and past experience.<\/p>\n

West Coast Offense<\/h2>\n

Joe Philbin runs a West Coast Offense, which is what the Packers have been running. Philbin also likes to use his running backs in both the running and passing game.<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers<\/a> head coach Bill Walsh<\/a><\/strong> popularized the West Coast offense during the 1980s and \u201890s. The basic principle of the West Coast offense is to stretch the defense horizontally through short-timed-high percentage throws to set up vertical plays.<\/p>\n

Quick routes such as slants, outs, crossing routes, digs, drags, flats, and comeback routes tend to be the staple of the passing game. Footballoutsiders.com<\/a><\/strong> graded each eligible quarterback in 2016 on each route; here is where Rodgers ranked in the league on each of these routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Routes<\/td>\nRanking among NFL QBs<\/td>\nCompletion Percentage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Slants<\/td>\n4th<\/sup><\/td>\n78.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Outs<\/td>\n6th<\/sup><\/td>\n72.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Digs<\/td>\n2nd<\/sup><\/td>\n61.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Comebacks<\/td>\n1st<\/sup><\/td>\n78.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Drags<\/td>\n13th<\/sup><\/td>\n58.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rodgers fared very well on quick-short-timed passes in 2016.<\/p>\n

The West Coast offense often uses five-eligible receiver sets, and the quarterback takes quick three or five-step dropbacks meaning the ball is out of the quarterback\u2019s hands very quickly. Hence, the most important traits a quarterback needs to run the West Coast offense is accuracy and decision-making.<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers has the seventh best career completion percentage of all-time (65.1%), the highest career passer rating (103.8), the fifth-best touchdown percentage (6.4%), the best interception percentage (1.6%) per profootballreference.com<\/a><\/strong>, and the best touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.01) of all time per footballdb.com<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers checks the accuracy and decision-making characteristics, making him an excellent candidate to excel in a Philbin created offense.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Joe Philbin\u2019s return to the Frozen Tundra may have been exactly what the doctor ordered for the Packers. He is a great offensive minded coach who can help bring back some long-lost exotic play-design and play calling in Titletown.<\/p>\n

Main Image:<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>