Well, Dom Capers is doing his part. Football Outsiders has us ranked #3 overall, #4 Offense, #6 Defense, #8 STs.

Personally, I believe Capers just needed the right parts to fit his D. Maybe he got in his own way sticking with Jones & Hawk last year at ILB, but he didn't have a lot of options. He finally made Matthews an option and look at how that has worked.

Tramon was slowing down, House just couldn't be counted on, and I was a fan of him. Now look at us, with the rookies contributing significantly. Hayward is healthy and playing well. Ha Ha is really coming on in year 2. Hyde is playing like a savy vet. Banjo has developed. Elliott. Palmer. Mulumba. All of these players significant contributors.

Raji, Datone & Perry playing their best ball in years helps. But, Dom has a ton of pieces to work with now. He helped develop all of them.

I'll add, one of the metrics Dom cares most about is scoring D. Yet, we are showing well in a lot of other areas. This is a very solid D he has put together.

Hyde is our William Gay. People pick on him. He is not playing well. The rooks and maybe even Gunter need more snaps.

I like Gunter a lot. But Hyde is already on pace to surpass his numbers from year 2. He's pressed into different action with Burnett having been out multiple weeks. He's not a burner, but he's been pretty dependable.

Gunter will become a fixture in time. I'm sure of that. Phenomenal depth in our secondary.

If Heyward walks in the offseason we still have:

 

Shields -2018

Randall -2019

Rollins - 2019

Goodson - 2018

Guntner -2018

(Heyward is FA)

 

Burnett - 2018

HaHa - 2018

Hyde - 2017

(Banjo is a FA)

 

Plus whomever TT adds in the draft and (undrafted) free agency.

I can see them letting Hayward go in order to get Rollins playing full time

Hayward will get a rich offer like House did and have to go. We continue to be a farm system for teams that can't draft and develop.

Or, maybe Hayward completely lights it up throughout the remainder of the season and proves too good to let go. We are just incredibly deep at DB. Gotta love it.

 

I've been thinking this is his last year here for a while, since the draft. But, you never know. He's young, and had one hell of a rookie season. Unforgettable.

Fortunately, the vast majority of NFL GMs are morons. So they'll continue to throw wads of money at guys like Tramon, House, and Heyward while missing the fact the guy they should be throwing wads of money at is Joe Whitt Jr.  

Hayward will be the one who determines whether he stays or goes. Thompson pays players for playing well and producing well, both of which Hayward has been up and down with over his career. He's played really well at times and he's played poorly, he's produced good numbers and he's produced nothing. Seeing as how there are two young, hungry, very capable players behind Hayward, I'm guessing Thompson will
stick to his guns with Hayward's contract. If Hayward doesn't come close to what Thompson wants to pay then he will be free to move on. He might get a fat deal somewhere else, like House, but I don't think he gets it in GB. JMO though.

I'm looking forward to someone giving a contract to Tolzien that becomes a comp pick after he pulls a Flynn.  

 

There are some really bad organizations in the NFL right now.  

Not sure how many saw this, but a great article on our secondary.

Heading into the San Diego game, Whitt said Randall was allowing a completion percentage of 27%.

 

"If you're a good corner, you're around 41, 42%. That's really, really good," Whitt said. "The one year I did (a study on) Revis, I've seen him at 37%. He's the only one in the 30s. This kid is at 27%.

 

"He's not going to be able to keep that going, but for five games, that's pretty crazy."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports...658z1-336736361.html

 

The more I think about it, no matter how well Hayward plays this year, he will be let loose, as the cost could be higher than Thompson needs to pay. He doesn't need to keep him, not with this crew behind him. And, for how long will they remain behind the likes of Hayward and Hyde...?

 

We might be better off running Randall & Rollins full time.

Hayward is a decent player who's struggled with injuries and Rollins has a ton of upside. Not a particularly close call as far as I'm concerned.

Just keep playing well. They'll need to vs. The Bronco WRs

So, when are we cutting him? I heard, after the KC game that he wasn't pulling his weight for the team.

 

Yes, some really bad QB play int he NFL, and it's a passing league. For example, for QBs with at least 70 pass attempts this year (I used 70 to include Romo and Roethlisberger in the list):

 

Passer rating?

The great Peyton Manning is ranked 35th  (still only 32 teams in the NFL)

Rodgers is 2nd

 

Comp pct?

The great Peyton Manning is ranked 26th

Rodgers is 9th

 

Another QB category that relates to Team success, Yards/Attempt?

The great Peyton Manning is ranked 35th  (still only 32 teams in the NFL)

Rodgers is 4th

 

Yards/Completion?

The great Peyton Manning is ranked 29th

Rodgers is 8th

 

** This could also go in the Denver Week or Broncos Last Call threads

 

 

I'm really surprised we even have a Peyton Manning to watch this year.  I thought it was obvious he no longer possessed the skills to be a viable QB early on last year.  Once the temps drop, I fully expect to see this in Denver.

 

What else is Manning going to do?

 

 

eat Chicken Parmagiana?

We are #1 in Scoring Defense in the NFL at 101 pts. (16.8 per game) followed by DEN at #2 with 102 (17.0 per game).

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statist...nts/position/defense

 

I know that is an important stat to Dom Capers. The most important.

 

Really, Denver's D has faced a bunch of questionable teams in terms of ability to move the ball and score. I think this tips in our favor.

Someone else pointed out, maybe Goaline, that if you take away Mannings pick 6's then Denver is the clear #1.

Don't kid yourself. Denver's D is fast and nasty. Best D that Rodgers will face in 2015. 

 

Silver lining is Denver will be a nice prep for Carolina. 

 

I'd love to see GB grease out a 17-13 or a  20-17 roadie. 

 

I did that a few times in my 20's.  Usually following a round of excessive drinking, chorizo and nacho cheese in a can. 

Nope, not I. 

No doubt Denver defense is good. I'm simply saying they haven't been tested to the level that they should be tested vs. The Packer offense.

Now the Packer offense has sputtered lately. Let's see if they "get that fixed" on Sunday Night.

The Broncos have acquired their record from defensive scores not just turnovers.

Let's see if the Packers fumble & INT their way through the game to help poor Peyton Manning out.

A longer look at Clay Matthews' switch to ILB and now rover supreme from ESPN the Magazine.

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_...er-moving-linebacker

Beat me to it.  Great article on the switch, and the productivity that the switch has had on the entire D.  

I realize the switch was the best move for our D but I now truly believe he is better suited as ILB where he can move all over the field.  Watching him line up over the center and rush the A-gap or cover the tight end...he's even more difficult to track and a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators.  I know he still lines up at OLB but at ILB and the flexibility this offers, gets him even more involved on defense.

That switch with Clay occurred during the bye week in a (successful) attempt to improve a defense that was struggling. This year I expect MM to do the same with an offense that has been rather anemic to date. If the Packers can somehow get to 24 they should win the game.

What Crusher said. Thing of beauty that sack of Foles in less than two seconds, right up the A gap and no one accounted for him.

That was couch jumper.  I first thought he jumped offsides - by a lot.  Don't see a play like that much in the nfl.