Chaos Reigns in the Green Bay Offense

If you're having trouble imagining what the Green Bay Packers' offense might look like in 2006, you're not alone. While we know the Pack will run a West Coast Offense scheme, the depth chart at receiver is hardly set beyond Donald Driver. Brett Favre is optimistic about the new game plan, but is reportedly extremely shaky in performance. And the word on injured Ahman Green is non-existent.

After messing with Green Bay media, fans and front office for a few winter months, Favre announced his return to the field for the 2006 season. Since appearing at camp, Favre has been all smiles and positivity about his team's chances after their disastrous 4-12 campaign. Sound bites like "this is…the most talented team I've been on" and "I really believe that we're going to be better than people think we will" and the inevitable "happy to be here" may play well to the faithful, but actually make for a smokescreen behind which lurk darker concerns.

Despite insistence that his arm "feels great," Favre had enough problems in recent practice sessions that Coach Mike McCarthy noted a few "bad decisions" to the media after his QB threw five interceptions in a practice session. McCarthy questioned Favre's discipline that evening, but was outwardly more optimistic yesterday.

Of course, yesterday saw Favre run the two-minute drill to no avail. A pair of completions, including a 57-yarder to Greg Jennings, had Favre looking good, but an interception halted his would-be TD. McCarthy defended this decision, however, saying that Favre had made the right read. Favre left practice that day with an injury, but it was not all serious.

Jennings' play should probably be viewed as positive, as the second-round pick is showing nice maturity and could win himself the no. 2 receiver spot in the free-for-all for that position. Should Jennings work out to the ideal, the Green Bay front office can take great pride in a deal that involved moving Javon "Favre's Favorite Target" Walker for Jennings on Draft Day.

Meanwhile, mum's the word on Green in Green Bay. At the press conference kicking off camp, McCarthy stated that more details on wounded RBs Green and Najeh Davenport would be apparent after the first physical. Since then, Davenport, Samkon Gado and Noah Herren have all seen time running the ball. Word is that McCarthy and co. are toying with a "tailback-by-committee" game plan, which would seem to indicate that Green won't be around for a while.

Davenport reportedly impressed McCarthy during the Friday practice which marked "the first time [McCarthy] has been around him live." Davenport is approaching the press modestly, not willing to say definitively that he's "back in the groove" after an ankle injury that kept him out of serious training from October to February. The injury-prone Davenport has missed 25 games over four seasons.

Gado, by most accounts, is still having some difficulty adapting to McCarthy's zone-blocking scheme, difficulties first reported during mini-camps. Gado would be essential in a platoon system, as his game contrasts nicely with Davenport's straightforward power running game.

On the other hand, having few problems with the zone blocking is young Herron, the 244th selection of the 2005 NFL draft who was used in a pinch in Green Bay last season to great success. Since McCarthy's system is similar to that which Herron played under at Northwestern, this tailback has a head start on Davenport and Gado, and is doing all he can to hold onto the position he first won by default. Once taken for granted as a possible third-stringer, Herron would today certainly be worked into a "committee." Herron could be Green Bay's future, but whether he's Green Bay's tomorrow remains a question.

In fact, the Herron question is just one among a multitude. The Pack looks to start a season with the aging nearly-retired Favre forced to learn a new system under new head coach McCarthy with an unknown starting set of receivers and an undefined committee at tailback. The one overriding question to face before September therefore becomes: Will the Packers in fact be ready for some football?