Every team in the NFL, including the Green Bay Packers, has had to make adjustments to its play-calling practices as on-field technology and game coverage has progressed. There are now microphones on guards as well as lower cameras and more powerful field mikes that can record pre-snap signals, and not everyone is a fan of the increased access to on-field communication. “[It] picks up a lot of stuff,” said Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Packers. “You know the D is watching … for words and cadence, so we have to change it all the time. That part is stupid. It’s too much access. Fans like it, so the NFL will keep doing it.”
Mike McCarthy, coach of the Packers, was less scathing in his reaction to the increased access that both fans and opposing teams have to the chatter that takes place at the line of scrimmage. “You should never lose a play at pre-snap,” McCarthy said. “That’s bad coaching if you do.”
So what strategy have the Packers adopted to counter the increased knowledge possessed by their opponents? Chicanery, of course (within the rules and regulations of the NFL). As Rodgers gets ready for each snap, he rattles off a slew of seemingly nonsensical words and phrases, some of which are code for legitimate plays and some of which are dummy calls meant to confuse and distract the defense (and future opponents watching game tapes). This secret language is complicated and necessarily changes play to play and week to week, which means that Rodgers and his Packers spend a lot of time focusing on learning these code words and phrases throughout each week of practice.
The Packers aren’t the only team with a highly intelligent quarterback capable of managing an offense with a constantly changing combination of coded commands. Peyton Manning has fascinated fans and analysts for years with his pre-snap shouts and motions – Manning once yelled “Omaha” forty-four times in a playoff game against the San Diego Chargers and drew the Chargers off-sides five times. And catchers, pitchers and baseball managers have been using coded signals to call plays for many years, most brilliantly depicted when Jimmy and Dottie cross signals and have Marla Hooch dancing around the plate in “A League of Their Own”.
Rodger’s aversion to the invasiveness of new technology in the NFL is not surprising, as it adds new challenges to a situation that is already extremely pressure packed. However, all teams face the same new challenges, and for the Packers, they can use the above-average intelligence of their star quarterback and offensive line to their advantage with their creative, confusing pre-snap communications.
In addition to being a freelance writer, Stacey Moses is also the president of Blue Sea Creative, a marketing and communications agency based in the DC area. Stacey is an outdoor enthusiast, a Pittsburgh Penguins devotee, and has more than a decade of experience in the sports marketing world.