@Pikes Peak posted:It’s always intrigued me with this kinda stuff, why did this guy pick week 11, why not12 , why not two?
Because he’s cherry-picking to make the numbers look better.
@Boris posted:Since Week 11, the Packers have scored the second-most points in the NFL and allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL. Have an NFL best +90 point differential over the last 6 weeks.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) December 24, 2024
Shades of '96?
@DH13 posted:This is something I've noticed on this streak, about the D. How there is often multiple guys around the ball and around the tackle.
Hafley, during film session, pauses the film.....when he pauses it, if you're not in the frame.... you're not doing your job. He points it out in front of the whole team. Everyone knows their job and they try to make everyone interchangeable and there is no communication issues, like Barry or Pettine or Capers.
Do your job. Very Belichick like.
Yes cherry picking but showing the defense down the stretch as they head into the playoffs. Last 6 weeks before Thanksgiving until now.
Numbers a little skewed due to the shutout they just pitched but even if you take the shutout, out of the equation it's still damn good defense. Can't really ask for more than that in this current NFL which is clearly geared towards the offense.
I mean, how many holding calls on Rashaan Gary should've been called on Monday Night? Defense has to keep fighting through all the
Attachments
That could be a good drinking game. Every time Gary is choked with no call you do a shot of Malort.
I'm sitting out of that game. 
I noticed that guy made a point on the Cox sack highlight, saying "... while being held...". Of course, it was obvious, yet no flag.
Not that it would've made a difference, but still, make the call and give the team the option to accept/decline.
Packers need an edge rusher with the last name Ball!
Or playing a QB named Ball. "Cox Gets Ball Sack!"
@ilcuqui posted:One thing I’ve noticed about the defense under Hafley, especially in the secondary, is that the number of busted coverages and miscommunication seems close to non-existent. With two rookies starting most of the season (Williams and Bullard). Strange to see that since in every defense since Charles Woodson left regardless of coordinator there have ALWAYS been coverage busts! Good coaching, for sure, and having X playing centerfield certainly helps!
Finally investing in safeties and off-ball linebackers seems to have been a good thing, go figure.
All the new HC chatter flying around. One name I haven't heard mentioned is Hafley.
I think we have a DC next year. 
The D has improved but not to the point where Hafley can be a HC mention. I think Flores and Glenn are two DCs who are going places next year. It seems to be a good DC-to-HC year, as most recently it's been OC to HC.
You can have the best defense in the word. But unless you can beat the top teams you're in the 2nd tier of HC candidates most of the time.
Don't look now but we ended the regular season 5th in total defense, 6th in points allowed, 4th in takeaways, and 10th in sack percentage. Best numbers since 2010 team that was 5th in total, 2nd in points, and 6th in takeaways. Couldn't find sack % but we had 40 total that year, I think we have 44 this season.
For this D to really improve, we need 3 or 4 more Edgerrin Coopers on the team. We need a consistently better pass rush. I'm willing to give LVN another year, but he had better produce. I think we draft a replacement or go to FA there, just to light a fire under LVN. We need consistently better DB play. I like X and Williams at Safety, with Bullard in the slot. I like Jaire, when he can play. I like Nixon and since Jaire's been out, he is our best CB, IMO. I like Valentine, as well. Kitan Oladapo may provide some solid play, but he needs to see the field, more often. Hafley promised some new schemes/packages for Cooper, this past week. Did we see any of them? Look what the Detroit DC did with his decimated Defense, against the vikings. I want to see that kind of effort, with our Defense.
The D has definitely improved. Trust your eyes. However I can't tell you why DB's were playing 15yrds off on the final 3rd down yesterday though. That seemed out of character compared to what we had seen all season. Hafley may had guessed they'd take a shot at the EZ there? 
But the lack of a consistent pass rush without blitzing is still a real problem and puts a restrictor plate on the overall D. That's on Gute. You look at what both MIN and DET were doing last night and you hate to admit that our rosters need help on both sides of the ball. We're good enough to beat most teams but not the best teams.
With a good amount of cap freed up, Gute should have a decent selection of FA this offseason.
@Pikes Peak posted:Stats are stats. Geta stop when needed.
I do see that as a deficiency with every phase ... not making "the play" when "the play" is needed. The defense made that play yesterday creating the fumble. All the offense had to do was make one First down and the Bears wouldn't have gotten the ball back. The defense did their job yesterday, the offense and special teams did not.
@DH13 posted:The D has definitely improved. Trust your eyes. However I can't tell you why DB's were playing 15yrds off on the final 3rd down yesterday though. That seemed out of character compared to what we had seen all season. Hafley may had guessed they'd take a shot at the EZ there?
MLF addressed it his presser and said they played it that way because they didn't think Chicago could get to the LOS and spike the ball with a completion that far down the field. He also said that they teach their defenders to "slow play" getting off the receiver after they go down, which they didn't do. He was wrong.
@mrtundra posted:Hafley promised some new schemes/packages for Cooper, this past week. Did we see any of them?
The only thing I noticed about Cooper was that I didn't notice him. Until I think the Q3. I mentioned in the game thread that he was quiet yesterday so whatever those new packages were seemed to take him out of the fray.
This is Y1 for Hafley's scheme and also Y1 for Gute drafting for it. Hafley has had to make due with personnel that's played in a 3-4 for much if not all of their professional careers. Gary and LVN may simply not be good fits for it. We've seen it happen before and it's not uncommon for EDGE/OLB to not translate well from one scheme to the other. I would not be surprised at all if they were dealt (even for something greater than zero) and/or at least 1 higher priced FA was brought in to replace them. Gute has shown he's not shy about big moves like that and they are clearly needed.
I don't really understand how much different it is for edge rushers (on passing downs) in a 4-3 or a 3-4? I mean they are basically in the same spot (just outside the tackle) and trying to do the same thing (beat the tackle).....what am I missing?
@FLPACKER posted:MLF addressed it his presser and said they played it that way because they didn't think Chicago could get to the LOS and spike the ball with a completion that far down the field. He also said that they teach their defenders to "slow play" getting off the receiver after they go down, which they didn't do. He was wrong.
Maybe an MLF team couldn't, but the Bears clearly were prepared to do it.
The fact they called timeout to back off the tighter coverage to play that was embarrassing. Together with the punt return TD trick play, the time management fiasco in the last minute, and the jet sweep on 4th down, the Packers staff got badly outcoached by a staff that will find it difficult to find jobs anywhere next year.
3rd & 6 at GB 46
(0:20 - 4th) (Shotgun) C.Williams pass short right to D.Moore to GB 34 for 12 yards (K.Nixon).PENALTY on CHI-D.Moore, Illegal Shift, 5 yards, enforced at GB 46 - No Play.3rd & 11 at CHI 49
(0:15 - 4th) Timeout #2 by GB at 00:15.3rd & 11 at CHI 49
(0:15 - 4th) (Shotgun) C.Williams pass short middle to D.Moore to GB 33 for 18 yards (C.Valentine).
Hand on the ground vs standing up. The reads and angles are different because their roles slightly differ in who/what they are responsible for. OLB have more space to deal with when attacking the blocker. The DE is usually at contact right out of his stance. Google will be more helpful than me.
But regardless of the reason, it happens that guys don't translate from one to the other. I don't think it's as big an issue today as it used to be because so many defenses now use concepts from both schemes. I'm harping on it more out of giving our guys the benefit of the doubt because Gary was wrecking offenses before the injury and before Hafley.
MLF said in his presser that the team views that as a 12 second play (Bears had 15 seconds).
Just a poor call from Hafley.
@michiganjoe posted:MLF said in his presser that the team views that as a 12 second play (Bears had 15 seconds).
Just a poor call from Hafley.
Hafley had another coverage called and MLF called timeout (or Hafley second guessed himself and called timeout). The only reason to do that is that is if you want to direct the defense to play back.
@MichiganPacker2 posted:Maybe an MLF couldn't, but the Bears clearly were prepared to do it.
The fact they called timeout to back off the tighter coverage to play that was embarrassing. Together with the punt return TD trick play, the time management fiasco in the last minute, and the jet sweep on 4th down, the Packers staff got badly outcoached by a staff that will find it difficult to find jobs anywhere next year.
3rd & 6 at GB 46
(0:20 - 4th) (Shotgun) C.Williams pass short right to D.Moore to GB 34 for 12 yards (K.Nixon).PENALTY on CHI-D.Moore, Illegal Shift, 5 yards, enforced at GB 46 - No Play.3rd & 11 at CHI 49
(0:15 - 4th) Timeout #2 by GB at 00:15.3rd & 11 at CHI 49
(0:15 - 4th) (Shotgun) C.Williams pass short middle to D.Moore to GB 33 for 18 yards (C.Valentine).
It wasn't even that great of a play call. They lined up the trips to the right to draw all the attention away from THEIR BEST WR so they could man him up vs...Carrington Valentine.
I said in the game thread that CHI was clearly operating without a professional offensive play caller yesterday or there would have been greater degress of embarrassment. So many of their plays just looked like they weren't even trying. But hey, let's isolate our best pass catcher when we need one more play to get into FG range!
Matt LaFleur on the last defensive alignment: “Obviously can’t be in that call in that situation … ultimately that’s on me.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 6, 2025
LaFleur said the Packers needed a low hole player at the line to gain.
@Boris posted:Why is that on him too?!
I believe that's a "loyalty" mechanism. He clearly believes in the "buck stops with me" approach and is unwilling to call out players or coaches. Is this a positive or negative - who knows? Perspective, I guess.
The ending of the game yesterday was very reminiscent of the Giants game last year.
Whatever the reasons (including penalties and poor play) were, the defense gave up nearly 50 yards over 6 plays. That's a defensive breakdown no matter how it's measured.
And that's exactly what Green Bay's defenses have done since the MM/Capers era.
Stats be damned, a defense can't shut a team down all game long, then allow a last-minute score to lose.
If Hafley is going to "fix" anything, that would be a good place to start.
To be fair to the guy, the D has been able to make those stops more often than pre-Hafley. Where they haven't has mostly been vs teams that were just better, had too much talent on offense. That would be MIN and DET. Sunday was just a herky jerky clown show across the board. They seemed destined to f that game up from the trick punt return on.
Stopping the teams with more offensive talent than we can handle on D requires a better pass rush. You still have to make the right D calls (unlike sunday) and players need to make better situational decisions but not having a pass rush that can get to the QB will always limit a D.
The Lions managed to play tight man coverage with backups. Why do we have to play soft zone just because JA is out?
We have the youngest team, next year is the year for that.
Because DET was still able to get to Darnold. That is why.