It seems like everything I read centers around the defense being better and they shoud be but there are certainly no guarantee's. People seem to sometimes forget that MLF seems to show up unprepared and finds a way to lose in the playoffs as well, Hopefyully this year is the turning point.
It all depends on the pass rush.
They are paying Rashan Gary a lot of money to be the main guy. He has 31.5 sacks in 73 career games. That's not bad, but it's not what they need to be a dominant defense.
Luke Van Ness has not looked like someone who should have been drafted 13th overall. He had 4 sacks last year. Again, it doesn't mean he's a bust, but they need a lot more than that.
These two guys probably need to combine for at least 20 sacks this year for the defense to be elite.
Just one more of myriad of reasons Haf is NOT Joe Barry...
Fun game of 'Where the hell is McKinney bailing'
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) October 16, 2024
Lining up on LOS often in these pressure looks for Hafley - but can be ANYWHERE post snap. Nice to have fast/smart safeties back there in GB!
Packers defense is putting MUCH more mental stress on opponents so far thru 6 weeks pic.twitter.com/zipNr62AY9
@Chongo posted:Just one more of myriad of reasons Haf is NOT Joe Barry...
Fun game of 'Where the hell is McKinney bailing'
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) October 16, 2024
Lining up on LOS often in these pressure looks for Hafley - but can be ANYWHERE post snap. Nice to have fast/smart safeties back there in GB!
Packers defense is putting MUCH more mental stress on opponents so far thru 6 weeks pic.twitter.com/zipNr62AY9
The only mental stress Joe Barry ever put on was put on the fans.
@titmfatied posted:
The guy could win the Super Bowl & still never win Coach of the Year....and that's fine by me
Got a game ball today.
2nd half points:
PHI 17
IND 3
TEN 7
MIN 3
LAR 6
ARI 3
HOU 3
Can they adjust the offense to be better in the second half, too?
Which would only make Robert Saleh Packers DC even funnier. https://t.co/Jf3dl9v1a6
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) October 21, 2024
I've flung a lot of poo at Hafley the last couple of weeks or more, so some contrition is due.
The defense has played very well, and what we saw today is much closer to what he promised it would be.
They still have plenty of warts, and much to work on, but they are a good defense.
Holding any opponent to < 200 yards of total offense and < 100 yards passing is remarkable in today's NFL.
Ditto for second half points allowed.
Excluding the Eagles game, 25 points total over 6 games is slightly over 4 per game/avg. IOW, basically a FG. That's impressive!
Packers would be undefeated if it weren't for all the Dick-Steppin. You'd think Arnold Palmer was on the roster.
Hafley has made adjustments in both players and schemes, but I'm still concerned that we can't get enough pressure with only the front 4. We have no real "game wrecker" in that group.
@DocBenni posted:I'm still concerned that we can't get enough pressure with only the front 4. We have no real "game wrecker" in that group.
As you saw, he brought pressure anyway by blitzing X or 1 of the LB'ers or 1 time Keisean Nixon.
Rashaan Gary also had his best day this season. It's a WIP and I'm looking at the DL coach with a critical eye. 🤨🕵🏼
Seems the D is trending up. Maybe a combo platter of guys understanding their roles and the coaches understanding where and how best to use guys.
A wild stat:
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) October 21, 2024
The Packers sent five or more pass rushers on only 17.2% of C.J. Stroud's dropbacks. The lowest team blitz % in the NFL is 17.1
Yet the Packers pressured Stroud on 51.7% of his dropbacks. The highest team pressure % in the NFL is 42.6.
Scheming & winning 1-on-1s.
I think Hafley is a real good coach, like one of the best that the players all relate to and the Pack better win a Super Bowl with him as DC, because he's going to be a HC within the next year or 2.
But what about all the droolers comparing him to Barry
Firejeffhafley.com
Preparing for the next Packers loss.
Joe Barry will never be a DC again, IMO. Yeah I'm sure he's doing a great job with Miami's linebackers & as a run game coordinator.
The circled column is the Dolphins. The column on the far right is Dolphins opponents.
Anyone comparing Hafley to Barry don't know ball.
Dolphins are currently ranked 18th in the league in rushing. If Devone Achane was on the Packers, he'd have stats similar to Jacobs. Maybe better due to his speed
Attachments
Not to beat a dead horse, but another week, another example of how the Haf-fense isn't anywhere near the Dinglebarry-fense...
Look at how many different things are going in this one play, he's showing rushing 4, but he's got Coop creeping up to make QB think he might be bringing 5...but he's showing nickel. He's got Bullard lined up in in the WLB spot, and he's got E-Dub lined up deep with X.
Kenny comes with the line stunt, and effectively applies the inside pass rush to speed things up.
Guys are active and moving, but it all seems very coordinated, because no one blows an assignment. They jam things up effectively with only rushing 4 guys, and allow Eric Wilson to come in clean and make the tackle. Wilson isn't the most athletic of guys either...Haf is using the tools he has at his disposal effectively.
This is NFL Big Boy defense...why everyone isn't running something similar is beyond me...especially when you've got someone like Dinglebarry occupying a DC spot running a 1991 NFL defensive scheme.
Enjoy Haf while we have him...don't seem him here much more than one more year if things continue to progress. But the mold has been set...go find someone like him that is an expert at disguising things. In this brief sampling, it's quite obvious Gutey's drafting wasn't the problem with the D...there is more than enough talent to be one of the top units in the NFL.
Wilson next to Cooper in nickel is easily as functional as they've been at linebacker pic.twitter.com/XZttcU3Cv9
— Ross Uglem (@RossUglem) October 21, 2024
Hafley also has the element of surprise that comes with a first year DC. He/his D will get better in the scheme with each additional game. But the opposing O's will also get more tape.
If Hafley leaves for a H C job the Packers could promote from with it. Both Sean Duggan and Vince Oghobaase spent 4 years at Boston College with Hafley. They should know exactly what to do by now. Also Derrick Ansley served as D C with the Chargers before joining Green Bay but he will have only 1 or 2 years under Hafley. .
Providing that Hafley does not take those guys with him if he eventually gets a HC gig.
If the Packers name one of them as D C he can't take him as his D C> That would be a lateral move so Green Bay could keep whomever it could be.
Several analysts have pointed out that Hafley is doing something very similar to what Flores is doing in Minnesota. Unbelievable the job his defense did on Stroud.
Before we send him off to fame and fortune as a HC of a crummy team let’s win a couple titles here.
@Pikes Peak posted:Before we send him off to fame and fortune as a HC of a crummy team let’s win a couple titles here.
The Packers need to win something here so that in a couple of years when Mayo gets fired from the Patriots, Hafley can go back to Boston with a ring.
@ammo posted:If Hafley leaves for a H C job the Packers could promote from with it. Both Sean Duggan and Vince Oghobaase spent 4 years at Boston College with Hafley. They should know exactly what to do by now. Also Derrick Ansley served as D C with the Chargers before joining Green Bay but he will have only 1 or 2 years under Hafley. .
Also opens the door for Saleh?
Wow. Seven games into the season and we’re already guessing at Hafley’s next destination and his staff, as well as his successor.
I’d just as soon enjoy the ride this team is on at the moment. We’re onto Jacksonville!
He's already a head coach? Man, that was fast. Haf, we hardly knew ya.
Top 5 defense
1. LB Eric Wilson: 82.7
2. LB Quay Walker: 76.8
3. DE Rashan Gary: 74.0
4. S Xavier McKinney: 69.1
5. S Javon Bullard: 66.1
Wilson produced a team-high four stops, including two sacks and two other tackles for loss, and he broke up a pass on third down. Walker had a tackle and was solid in coverage over 13 snaps before exiting with a concussion. Gary produced a team-high six pressures, including two quarterback hits and his first sack since Week 1. He also had two run stops. McKinney got home on both of his blitz attempts, including one ending in a third-down sack. Bullard was solid against the run and finished with three stops.
Nice to see Gary make an appearance and credit to Hafley for moving him around. McKinney continues to shine and Bullard is solid for a rookie.
Bottom 5 defense
1. DE Lukas Van Ness: 30.2
2. LB Edgerrin Cooper: 34.4
3. DL TJ Slaton: 35.1
4. DE Preston Smith: 37.5
5. DL Colby Wooden: 55.5
Cooper missed two tackles, gave up two completions into his coverage and earned a poor run defense grade. Slaton played 22 snaps against the run but missed two tackles and earned a poor run defense grade. Smith was on the field for a season low 28 snaps, and he didn’t register a single pressure. Wooden had a quarterback hit but wasn’t effective against the run.
Have to maybe accept that Preston may have hit the wall and that, 4 years in, Slaton is just a JAG.
I don't care about Cooper's poor grade yesterday as he has made plenty of good plays for a rookie as well.
As for LVN, PFF states: Van Ness played 32 snaps, including 22 as a pass-rushers, but wasn’t credited with a pressure. He also missed two tackles.
LVN's PFF grade is now at 46.6, compared to Gary at 67.3 and Enagbare at 64,7. Even Preston is at 57.8.
Could Brenton Cox or Arron Mosby really offer anyone less than LVN at this point?
Don't think Hafley is leaving anytime soon. He left college on his own volition so he's not going back there. And even if he keeps this up, he'll have 1 season as DC in the pros. Never put anything past the Panthers or Jets but it'd be nuts to hand Hafley a head coaching job so soon.
Something I'm really enjoying with Hafley that drove me crazy under Barry and Capers - he calls the defense the same way for 4 quarters. Dallas and San Fran were great examples last playoffs - first half the defense plays so well and suffocates the offense. Then second half it's like they change it up to be safer and more conservative. Hafley seems to call a defense regardless of the score, which he should.
The nice thing is we’ve finally seen the promised aggressive defense since the second half of the Vikings game against good teams and it’s paying dividends.
@SteveLuke posted:Could Brenton Cox or Arron Mosby really offer anyone less than LVN at this point?
Yes. I think LVN does a good job sealing the edge against some of these running QBs. Kyler Murray was really frustrated when they played the Packers and you saw last night what happens when Kyler gets outside. He gallops for 44 and a TD.
I would definitely like to see more pressure on the QB from him. 1 step at a time. I think he'll get there. It's early in his career. Let's see if he improves as the season moves along.
We're 6 games into Hafley's NFL DC career. Let's see how the rest of the season unfolds before worrying about losing him.
I love this defense.
— Ross Uglem (@RossUglem) October 22, 2024
I also love that some Packers fans see the 13th ranked defense after the Barry/Pettine experience and are like “is this the 2000 Ravens?” https://t.co/6a0DOPATWn