Well with the regular season just 11 days away, Packernation is starting to set its sites on the Seattle Seahawks. This week’s preseason game will be one last chance for the young guys to show that they belong on this team but the cuts have already begun. There could be no tougher test for the Green Bay Packers, no better team by which to measure…than the Seahawks. This will be an epic game.

Of all the things that the Packers did NOT show in the preseason, here is one thing that they DID show:

The Packers have not had an effective safety blitz since the time of LeRoy Butler. This preseason, we saw that the Packers are serious about bringing the safety blitz back to Titletown. No one is talking about it…except me. I am stoked to see the Green Bay Packers bring it from the safety position this year.

Now, because they showed it in the preseason, I have imagine the safety blitz completely disappearing from the Packers defense as soon as the regular season begins. But I refuse to be a pessimist on this one. We have seen that both Micah Hyde and Ha Ha Clinton Dix have the ability to get to the quarterback and I expect them to have a field day on opposing quarterbacks when the regular season comes around. The safety is called upon to do a lot of mundane things as a defender…hit hard, cover, be good against the run and never…NEVER let anyone score a touchdown. Safeties are the most underrated players in the NFL. The good ones are the hardest hitters on the team, the quarterbacks of the defense, and cover more ground than any other player on the defense. But one thing safeties rarely get to do is go after the quarterback.

The Packers this year look to add the safety blitz as an extra dimension to their defense. Dom Capers’ defense has had its detractors and the safety position in particular has been questioned this offseason. Well, the answers are coming on September 4. There is a new attitude to this defense and the key word is pressure. If the Packers can pressure from the linebacker and d-line positions, the safety blitz will not be necessary. But just when defenses have Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers “figured out” (like that’s gonna happen!) with any combination of reinforcements – tight ends, backs, etc. the Packers will surprise them with pressure from the most unexpected place…the safety position.

With Morgan Burnett back, Micah Hyde thriving, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix growing nicely into the position, the Packers have the pieces in place to put an effective safety blitz into their growing arsenal. I can’t wait to see this defense in action in its first regular season game.

GO PACK!!!