Packers won’t alter plans to combat Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick was 2-0 vs. the Packers last season. (USATSI)

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INDIANAPOLIS -- The last three times the Packers have played the 49ers, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick has dominated Green Bay.

Even though Kaepernick threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 181 yards and two more scores in the 49ers win in the 2012 playoffs, even though threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns in the 2013 season opener, and even though he knocked out the Packers in the 2013 playoffs with 325 total yards, Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn't going to spend much of his time in the offseason focusing on stopping Kaepernick the next time these two teams meet.

"Colin has played very well against us. That's obvious," McCarthy said. "The discussions we're having on defense is not about one player. I've seen it done before where you set your philosophy to beat a team because of one player. But I think you're losing sight of what needs to be done. The things we're focusing on defensively is that we have to do a better job utilizing our personnel."

McCarthy said the team couldn't do that as much as it would like last year because of injuries (for example, cornerback Casey Hayward and defensive tackle Johnny Jolly were placed on the IR list, and linebacker Clay Matthews missed five games).

And while defensive coordinator Dom Capers draws criticism whenever Kaepernick carves up the Packers, McCarthy said the problem doesn't stem from a lack of scheme. It stems from not integrating the players into that scheme as well as the coaching staff would like.

"We've had a situation where we've had a lot of changes, and we have to do a better job planning for that," McCarthy said. "We have a lot of creativity and scheme in our defense. But the reality is we didn't get to a lot of it. We're taking too much home with us after we're done playing games. We need to make sure we're emptying our guns each and every week."

NFL Hot News

Saints TE Jimmy Graham wants to be franchise-tagged as a WR, will reportedly file grievance if not



Jimmy Graham, a restricted free agent, may not be a formal wide receiver, but he does line up in the slot and out wide quite often for a tight end (67 percent of his snaps last season). He would like to receive the extra money that comes with a WR franchise tag if the Saints do decide to tag him. And if he doesn't get what he wants? Well, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, you can expect a fight.Rapoport tweeted Tuesday that Graham and the Saints haven't made progress toward a long-term deal. If a deal can't be reached before the franchise tag window closes on March 3, the Saints are expected to give Graham the franchise tag of a tight end. If that happens, Rapoport writes that Graham will file an "immediate grievance to be tagged as a WR."A WR franchise tag is worth about $4.5 million more than a TE tag.



This could get a little messy, but it's nothing for fantasy owners to worry about. Either way, Graham is going to be dominant again in 2014. If his grievance fails and he ends up with the TE tag, that's just motivation for him to put up even better numbers.