This offseason, the Packers made a couple valuable changes/additions to the defense that had Packers
fans excited about what this year could bring. The signing of Julius Peppers, drafting of Clinton-Dix, and Micah Hyde’s move to the safety position all indicated that the Packers were no more satisfied with their defense than Packernation.
While it took awhile to come to fruition, and many including myself are still in “wait and see” mode, the Packers defense shows signs that it has turned the corner. This week, some of the things I have been writing about and thinking about were echoed by defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
Scoring defense
One fact that I have stood on from before the second half of the Jets game on is that the Packers defense, no matter its faults, has become stingy on points. That is the MOST important stat for a defense no matter how they get there. Dom Capers echoed that this week. This team gave up a total of 46 points in the three games against NFC North opponents of the past few weeks. That is an average of barely over two touchdowns per game. If they can keep that up, this team CAN win a championship…period.
Safety play
Also mentioned by Capers is something that I have raved about after the Bears game and Mike Davidsen wrote about post Vikings slaughter, that the safety play (particularly that of Morgan Burnett) has seen a considerable improvement. There are games when you watch your safety make tackles because nobody in the first two lines of defense can…and we certainly saw our share of that last year. But there is nothing prettier than to watch a strong safety make a quick read and blow somebody up at the line of scrimmage. That is a true sign of a defense that is ready to control games.
Trending confidence
One thing that cannot be overstated and has yet to be mentioned as far as I know is that the Packers defensive confidence is trending upward at a steep incline. That confidence will carry them into a Dolphins game against a team that may have a false sense of security after putting up 38 on the lowly Raiders. The Raiders put up 14 on the Dolphins…how many points will the Packers put up against the Philbin led ‘phins?
Conclusion
If the Packers offense continues to shine and the defense continues its upward trend…opponents beware! There is something to be said for a defense with a new look and new players as it “comes together” and finds its identity. If the Packers defensive identity is becoming what we saw last week where the front four alone get pressure on the quarterback and the backfield gains an extra cover man, this team could be special. There is still too much football to play to be sure, and all of us in Packernation are waiting to see this defense get it done against a playoff team, but the Lions and the Bears…”Oh my!”, those were two fantastic offenses and the Packers defense handled them. Can’t wait to see them continue to shine. But what do you think? Float me a comment in the comments section below.
GO PACK!!!
DO U THINK PEPPERS IS HAVEING A GREAT SEASON AFTER SLOW START??
Peppers is having a good season not great yet but if he keeps playing better each game by the end of the year yeah it will be a Great season for him.
Well said Brady but I am still not 100% sold on the unity of this team yet! Besides this last game against a team that they should have man handled on both sides of the ball (And did) the other four games it was either the offense playing well and the defense slacking or vice versa! When I see this team gel as a unit and dominate a elite team then I will start saying they can go all the way this year. Miami will be a good stepping stone if both sides can perform well as a unit and maintain a high tempo in the Florida heat not only will it start building confidence but it will also start making believers out of other teams that the Packers could be a team to be feared this year!
You have to also remember JP is growing into a new role. He is a linebacker and not a defensive lineman like he was at Chicago. Yes, we play him on the line but we use him in many different ways than in Chicago. I think he’s doing a great job growing into that role and by years end we will see the fruits of his labor
While the points allowed by our D is great, we’ve been dominated in time of possession by every team this year and given up enough yardage to put us at the bottom end of the NFL in those statistics. At some point that has to change, or fatigue will result in more injuries – and on goes the downward spiral (again).
The up tempo offense was intended to give us more plays than opposing teams. So far, that has not happened. Our run game is still struggling. Take away the only big run gain by Lacy, and he’s still struggling to get on track and doesn’t get his 100 yards (keeping in mind he didn’t play the entire 4th quarter).
I remain in the “wait and see” group, on both sides of the ball. I believe we are improving each game, but that must continue for us to be considered legitimate SB contenders. Go Pack go!