The Packers Barely Practiced Defending the Read Option Before Colin Kaepernick Torched Them in the Playoffs

Colin Kaepernick is the owner of the finest rushing performance by a QB in NFL playoff history: 16 carries, 181 yards, two touchdowns in a whitewash of the Packers. He was unstoppable, and I lost count of how many times Joe Buck said, “Kaepernick keeps it” as the befuddled Packers didn’t know whether the QB was throwing or running.

The Packers had an averaging rushing defense last season, but gave up 323 yards to the 49ers in the defeat. Why couldn’t they stop the read option? Six months later, we find out they were ill-prepared for it, via the Journal Sentinel:

"Two players said the Packers practiced next to no read-option during the week leading up to the loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers says Green Bay did touch on it but admitted the 49ers ran more of it than they expected."

Capers was retained by the Packers – much to the chagrin of some Packers fans – and naturally, he’s spent the bulk of the offseason studying and preparing for the read option. They even took a field trip to College Station, and the staff grilled a college coach who once went against Kaepernick in college.

"This off-season has been one prolonged tutorial on the option and the pistol formation that often triggers it. The entire defensive coaching staff traveled to College Station, Texas, to meet with Texas A&M’s staff. Capers spent a full day with Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, a coach who game-planned for Kaepernick in college at Hawaii."

The Packers open the season on the road against Kaepernick and the 49ers, then get the Redskins (and RG3’s pistol/read option) at home. [via JS Online]