Our Defense

NYG started almost every drive near the 50 yard line. They got 3 FG and 1 TD out of the excellent field position our ST gave them all night. Our defense really stepped up and shut them down. I think Dom will use the deep cover two strategy in the next few games until Shields and Randall come back from injury.

The throw to the TE was the most obvious, but Manning missed on quite a few throws and was generally terrible (both QBs were). Something tells me stopping the run is going to be a significant challenge in the next  game and the safeties will need to be closer to the LOS.

Funny, I know from my own coaching that sometimes you are forced to change things due to injury, etc. & then end up asking yourself, "why haven't we been doing this all along?" 

Defense was great last night (and a little lucky).

Dom Capers sucks

Didn't you like his scheme just a little bit? 

Eli can't throw on the move, so you don't need to sack him, just get him off his spot. 

EKB posting Capers sucks, means he liked what he saw from the Wizard.

I think teams are beginning to game plan to NOT run the ball vs the Packers.

Run D will be tested next week.

Defensive snap count vs NYG.

Clay Matthews played just half the snaps in Sunday's win over the Giants. He said... https://t.co/sHeLdAJlhl pic.twitter.com/uWPl4L7kPY

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 10, 2016

Couple things different about this D:

1. When is the last time we saw a ILB group this deep and this talented? The 90's SB teams? You could argue maybe that '03 group of Barnett, Diggs, and Navies were as good. That's not overestimating this group, it's an indictment of how poor the ILB play has been in GB for close to 20 years! This group is stout though, good run defenders, and solid in pass D. They're still young and have made some rookie mistakes, but they're crushing it right now. Talent at ILB makes a yuge difference, think about where our past starters now...Hawk just got plucked off the scrap heap, Palmer is toiling away as a ST player in TN and I'm not sure where the other scrubs are. 

2. This pass rush group might be the deepest we have seen in GB in a long time. Fackrell and Elliot are killing it coming off the bench. It's saying something when Julius Peppers is one of your least productive players. 

Grave Digger,  I completely agree with the play of the ILBs.  I think a lot of attention in Capers scheme goes to the OLBs and their blitzing but in my opinion it is the ILB play that makes that scheme successful.

Welcome back to the rotation Mike Pennel.

Interesting to note that Dom used four safeties: Burnett, Ha-Ha, Hyde (these three played all defensive snaps) and Brice. Gunter, Rollins, Brice all played well. Roll 'em out again, Dom!

I swear Fackrell and Martinez played more than a quarter of the snaps.

Vs Peppers, who was nearly invisible

I was thinking Hyde played mostly Slot CB though, covering Cruz or Shepard. 

Grave Digger posted:

Couple things different about this D:

1. When is the last time we saw a ILB group this deep and this talented? The 90's SB teams? You could argue maybe that '03 group of Barnett, Diggs, and Navies were as good. That's not overestimating this group, it's an indictment of how poor the ILB play has been in GB for close to 20 years! This group is stout though, good run defenders, and solid in pass D. They're still young and have made some rookie mistakes, but they're crushing it right now. Talent at ILB makes a yuge difference, think about where our past starters now...Hawk just got plucked off the scrap heap, Palmer is toiling away as a ST player in TN and I'm not sure where the other scrubs are. 

2. This pass rush group might be the deepest we have seen in GB in a long time. Fackrell and Elliot are killing it coming off the bench. It's saying something when Julius Peppers is one of your least productive players. 

Could not agree more with this post about finally getting some talent at ILB.

It is so fun seeing Jake Ryan & Blake Martinez making plays at the line of scrimmage or even on the other side of the line of scrimmage after years and years and years of watching "Mr. Assignment Sure" waiting for the play to come to him 5-10 yards downfield and then jumping on the pile. And the guys who played next to Hawk - Brad Jones, DJ Smith, Terrell Manning, Jamari Lattimore, Nate Palmer, what a collection of crap.

And Joe Thomas is the best cover ILBer since when?

Really fun to see these young guys making plays and hope they keep it up. 

One thing that helped the D was the Giants have a turnstile at LT. He might be the worst one they will see all season. Everyone got their kicks on highway 74 last night...

Yeah, just think, he was the BACKUP to the injured Marshall Newhouse!

*Ahem* TJ Clemmings *ahem*

Also, Softshoe Newhouse plays RT for the Giants usually, Ereck Flowers plays LT. 

Music City posted:

One thing that helped the D was the Giants have a turnstile at LT. He might be the worst one they will see all season. Everyone got their kicks on highway 74 last night...

Yes, but our pass rush was just as good, if not better in first three games but we still got torched in the air. 2 deep safeties made a difference. 

Ryan, Martinez, Thomas, Elliott, Perry and Fackrell are better than anyone not named Clay or Desmond in the past 10 years.  Crazy how much that helps every facet of your defense.  Seriously, 6 guys on this roster that could/should have started on any of our defenses since about 2007.  You could argue Barnett but I was never a fan of his. 

The scheme definitely helped and will likely be a consideration for games moving forward. I'm wondering if given Randall's struggles, there wasn't also some addition by subtraction in the personnel.

2 deep with 5 DBs playing every snap. Getting Pennel back will only help with Eliot coming in. They'll need the fresh bodies.

Impressive GB:

They really didn't play a single down of "base" defense in the game, and played over a quarter of it in Dime.  

Agree.  Why not play exclusively nickel if the run defense is that good?  Isn't that what the 2010 defense did?  

Dallas o-line, Elliot and Dak will be a good test for the run defense.  

Tom Silverstein@tomsilverstein: Capers: I thought our guys battled. Overcame some tough field position.

Translation. This ****ing schmuck punter guy has to go before he actually costs us a game. 

Capers said Gunter ended up taking a lot of snaps against OBJ. I wonder if they wonder about Rollins. I do think Rollins was making that pick in the 4th until Victor Cruz pulled his ass to the ground (no call). Would have done wonders for the kids psyche. Either way. Perfect coverage. 

Isn't it acceptable for Cruz to do that to prevent an INT?

I was more torked by the non-call on the PI of Jordy at the goalline late in the game where the defender grabbed him around the waist and twisted him. My wife was wondering why those foolish announcers weren't commenting on that...

Regarding Rollins and OBJ, I think GB sees him as more of a slot guy like Hayward. IIRC Rollins had a lot of coverage on Cruz. Who caught nothing. 

The young CB's have us on a roller coaster of ups and downs.   I'm trying to remember that's to be expected and actually a positive that we get ups.   With  young CB's who don't pan out, you don't get as many ups as we have seen out of all 3 of ours.   

The best positive is that they have all demonstrated the ability to turn and find the ball.   I don't know if it's Whit or if it's talent, but we've been blessed with CB's who get that done better than most.   You can be stride for stride, but it doesn't mean a damn thing if you can't find the ball.

McGinn: Rating the Packers vs. Giants

Capers’ blitz rate was a lowly 17.1%, and not once did he send more than five. Minus Sam Shields (concussion) and Damarious Randall (groin), Capers used a two-high safety look much more than usual to assist his backup cornerbacks. Based on LaDarius Gunter’s showing, he might have earned a starting job. Odell Beckham Jr. deployed to Gunter’s right side 27 times, and Gunter played press coverage 19 times and off coverage eight times. When Beckham went left 23 times, Rollins played press coverage on 14 and off coverage on nine. In most cases, they were able to play aggressively underneath even against a supreme talent like Beckham because of the safety help. Nevertheless, Beckham didn’t catch a ball on Gunter (56) and he had a manageable three for 42 against Rollins (56). Beckham tried a ton of double moves against Gunter but nothing much worked. Gunter’s size and physical style gave Beckham some problems.

Pretty good case to be made that Gunter has been the best corner since Sam went out.

when I didn't hear Gunter's name all nite I figured he must have been doing a good job - way to go kid!!

Cruz didn't make one catch all night. Somebody was doing their job at DB!

Gunter played well, but he's the least exploitable right now due to his lack of playing time and lack of film. Once offenses peg his weaknesses then we will see some errors like we have seen with Randall. That is unless he's the second coming of Richard Sherman, then he will continue to be good.

Richard Sherman is protected by Earl Thomas & Kam Chancellor. 

Gunter is protected by Burnett & HaHa.

I believe Gunter already IS Richard Sherman. 

An average CB that can be toasted if he isn't protected by his safeties. 

This D won't be an every week thing though, when Shields and Randall are back then our CBs will again be on islands. The Wiz wants Haha and Burnett near the line more often than not. Then again if he can generate the pressure he wants and stop the run with just his front 7 then maybe he will stick with the 2 deep look. 

Curious as to why Capers doesn't use Haha and Burnett in this role more consistently.  The LOS looked no different with Burnett and Haha not involved.  Our front seven (or six, since we were in nickel) owned it.  So why not have them play two deep going forward?