I am a longtime reader and first time poster.
I come with no agenda, but I do have a serious question. What has been the problem with the D since the Super Bowl?
Is it the absence of Nick Collins? Because if it is, how does GB go about overcoming his absence (or is that an impossible task)?
Too many injuries, too soft, bad coaching, not enough talent? I am at a loss and can't explain it, but would love to hear what others think is causing the D not to play championship level.
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Good freakin Question. I'd like to know too!
Inability to tackle.
Inability to cover.
Inability to cause a TO.
Inability to rush the QB.
Inability to stop 3rd downs.
Inability to stop the other team from scoring.
They need to stop playing like the Keystone Cops, especially in the secondary.
Their best cover corner hasn't been the same since pulling that hammy. And now it looks like he pulled it again. He was also the one DB who would generate this thing called turnovers. This defense has no idea what those are any longer.
CMIII AND Perry being out also took it's toll particularly in the Bore game. No pass rush and CMIII is a shell of himself with one wing.
375 yards rushing in 2 games. Dropped GB to 12th overall in rush D thanks to just 2 games.
Can't get turnovers. Can't get off the field. Can't tackle.
I was going to say giving up 3rd down conversions was for sure a big problem, but we're top 10 there. We know we need to improve because we watch, but there aren't that many statistical measurements that support the bad defense argument.
2nd half points allowed?
| Opponent | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
| Washington Redskins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | 36 | 51 | 83 | 0 |
Other than the Vikes and Bears games every opponent this year scored more in the 2nd half compared to the 1st.
GB was ranked number 3 in the NFL against the rush prior to last Monday night vs.Chicago. Following the Eagles game they are now ranked 12th. 375 rushing yards given up the last two weeks.
It's not like they were facing scrubs prior to Chicago either. Gore, Kaep, Bush, Alfred Morris, Peterson.
What happened the last two weeks for the run D to give up more than double what they'd been averaging? Especially in both 4th quarters when everyone knew what was coming? Might be time to get Wilson off the inactive list.
Without checking the stats I'd guess that during the last two weeks teams are running more against the Packers because they have the lead and don't have to try and pass to score more points.
Heck the Eagles only completed 12 passes during the entire game.
Aaron Rodgers, right?
On Sunday it looked the DB's just had trouble locating the football. There have been some blown coverages with shifting personnel. But they were busting coverages during the 15-1 season. At times it seemed like the whole defense got down right discouraged the last 2 games.
Aaron Rodgers, right?
It certainly isn't because TT is so much better than any other GM and can find all kinds of quality players that aren't even drafted and built a team so good that even without AR they can go 11-5.
Greg Jennings was right. We are brainwashed into thinking the Packers do everything so much better than every other team.
Without AR we are the frickin' Jaguars.
Not really 
Inability to tackle.
Inability to cover.
Inability to cause a TO.
Inability to rush the QB.
Inability to stop 3rd downs.
Inability to stop the other team from scoring.
Other than that they have been spectacular.
defense has a lot of problems. there isn't really one area we can hang our hats on. Run defense was dominant for the first 8 weeks and now they've fallen off. Went from 4th to 12th in total run defense in 2 games.
IMO the pass coverage as looked so bad because of the pass rush. If we could get pressure on the passer our secondary would look a heck of a lot better.
Just all around crap show on defense.
I'm pretty happy, and I have hope for the rest of this season. Get to Detroit 2-2 without Rodgers and things will look much, much better.
Lot of football left.
Richard Seymour is sitting at home. 49ers, Lions, and Falcons all placed calls a few weeks back. word was he was looking for $5 million. Wonder if that's changed.
Not quite desperate times but were in the neighborhood.
I'd say that the decline of the defense has as much to do with the absence of Charles Woodson as it does the absence of Nick Collins. It is not easy to replace two perennial Pro Bowl players (one of whom should get serious consideration in Canton). Is it any coincidence that the frequency of interceptions has gone from best in the league to worst in the league?
Woodson was obviously over the hill by last season, but the Packers have not been able to replicate his play-making abilities. I think the coaches were relying on Casey Hayward having a big season and perhaps grow into that role, but injuries have derailed his season.
Losing Matthews and Perry has not helped matters either.
The problems of this defense have been apparent for several years now. They can't rush the passer consistently and are weak down the middle of the field. I'd add that they have a predictable scheme -- good QBs and coordinators know what's coming and can see the inside blitz or the blitz from the slot before it comes.
Only two things have really changed recently:
1) They used to be able to create turnovers that masked their weakness. Some of that was luck.
2) They don't have a QB who will mask their weakness. Before Rodgers got hurt, what did the Packers do, score on their last 11 drives or something?
Without AR we are the frickin' Jaguars.
Yeah, except the Jaguars won yesterday smartass. 
Watched the NFL highlights and the ticker has all the stats. Interception leader on Detoilet has 5 by himself. packers have 3 total. That's 3 in 10 games! Unreal
Without AR we are the frickin' Jaguars.
Yeah, except the Jaguars won yesterday smartass.
That isn't nice at all. I'm taking away your game thread privileges.
Chicago has 12 INT's and 14 sacks. Green Bay has 28 sacks and 3 INT's. Secondary has to play better.
GB has been pretty good at protecting the ball. Only 12 giveaways. Problem is they've only forced 8 turnovers.
Attrition. Losing starting OLB's in a 34 is like losing your DE's in a 43. You can get by with some smoke and mirrors for a week or 2 with some unknowns and suprises but OC's are too smart not to figure that out quickly.
"Next man up" works when you have enough good players left to cover for the deficiencies of the back-ups. But at some point you have back-ups trying to cover for back-ups. Please show me a scheme that can be successful in this situation?
Watched the NFL highlights and the ticker has all the stats. Interception leader on Detoilet has 5 by himself. packers have 3 total. That's 3 in 10 games! Unreal
Err, 9.
Even when healthy, this scheme hasn't been very effective since the Super Bowl.
toupee or not toupee - that is the question
Hootie and the Blowfish's song 'Sad Capers' shoulda been played as exit music
yesterday
Watched the NFL highlights and the ticker has all the stats. Interception leader on Detoilet has 5 by himself. packers have 3 total. That's 3 in 10 games! Unreal
Err, 9. My Bad! Well it will be 10 this Sunday!
LOL, your point still came through.
My opinion: Dom was bringing the house on blitzes during our winning streak, but was spooked when the Bears Qb on that first drive threw a perfect TD pass just after Neal missed bringing him down. Really stupid because the Cowboys were in Foles' face all day and he was less than ordinary. Bringing blitzes from the corner (really, MD Jennings would be better off there than in the secondary, just like Jarrett Bush) or from Hawk in the middle worked in the past, and we can't count on our front four to get the pressure right now, for whatever reason. We need to blitz to cover up for our DBs.
They need to stop playing like the Keystone Cops, especially in the secondary.
This is what I was thinking, the defense is a cluster****.
, but there aren't that many statistical measurements that support the bad defense argument.
Except for 9 minute plus drives by the opposition in the 4th quarter 2 weeks in a row.
At some point, the defense needs to bring their A-game, and they just haven't. Here are some changes that could be made within reason (firing Capers now is not reasonable):
Start Lattimore. He's shown he can play and provide a much needed toughness and nastiness. He needs reps.
Play more base packages. Capers loves nickel packages using a CB like Woodson, Hayward or Hyde in a Joker role - I get it. But playing a more conventional 3 DL front allows more varieties of stunts and twists at the line to keep opposing offenses guessing where pressure will come - our biggest problem is pressure. Caper's cross dog blitzes with the ILBs and outside CB blitzes are so predictable. Also, we have a deep DL rotation - use them.
We're stuck with the safeties we have, and it's not pretty. More pressure up front would help cover that up somewhat.
1. The linebackers are a mess. This is where the primary pass rush comes from and where most of the tackles should come from. When a gimpy Mike Neal is your healthiest rush 'backer, you have issues. On the inside AJ Hawk is not good, but he's the only guy you know will be healthy enough to go on Sunday.
2. The defensive backs all went to the School for People Who Don't Cover Good (and Don't Tackle or Catch Good Either). They've left a number of picks on the field this year and even when in good position aren't making plays on the ball very well.
3. The Half-Ton-Trio is starting to wear down some. Pickett's not young, Jolly's likely not in great shape yet and Raji is wildly inconsistent at times. Daniels and Jones are good for passing downs but Philly, for example, ran the ball a lot while only taking occasional shots downfield.
Play less doctor. Play more Banjo.
The offense has to help with sustained drives. The Packers have been out-scored significantly in the 2nd half of games, some of that has to be on the offense.
At the start of the season read article where the 3 DL were to handle the OL & leave the tackling/blitz to the LBers. Raji at that time said he'd comply with this scheme but would miss getting "sacks". Since the 2ndary are so inept the only other choice imo is change the scheme & bring more rushers on pass plays. I like to see if Raji could get a "sack".
I think it comes down to play makers. How many do we have? Clay Matthews is the only one that can and will make a play when it needs to be made. The difference between this D and the 2010 D is play makers. In 2010 when we needed a play we had CM3, Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, and Cullen Jenkins. Those guys stepped up and either sacked the QB, ran the ball carrier down from across the field, made an unbelievable tackle, or took the ball away. We got great performances from guys like Raji, Walden, Tramon, etc. because teams were so worried about those play makers. Those guys are role players, they have a role in this D and it's not to be THE guy. Just like every Dom Capers defense, the D is built to create opportunities for guys like Kevin Greene, Rod Woodson, Greg Lloyd, Tony Brackens, Charles Woodson, CM3, etc. You have a bunch of role players who consistently do their job well, but you have to have that Charles Woodson who makes the play. Counting on role players like Brad Jones or MD Jennings or Ryan Pickett to be THAT guy isn't going to work.
What's the fix? Find another Nick Collins. You have CBs who can cover and tackle, but you don't have any support on the back end for them. They don't trust they're going to get help so they over think. Look for a Nick Collins in round 1 or 2, a pure cover Safety. That's a huge step. That's easy to say though, harder to find. Also they need Datone to take a major step between this year and next.
