The Defense and its improvement. Why?

[Patler]

All true, but I would start with Peppers being a threat beyond any other pass rusher they previously employed opposite Matthews.

But your points are still relevant since even Peppers presence didn't lead to a lot of Clay sacks until he moved into the middle.

Neal was healthy last year (mostly) and this year he and Perry are healthy. Plus Elliot. Plus a healthy Jones.

I thought about Peppers, but discounted him for purposes of this discussion, because he was here last year, doing what he does. Peppers doesn't explain the difference from last year to this, but differences in those around him do.

[Pugger]

Matthews now causes more confusion than ever before. The defense was better when they flipped him between right and left for a while; now he can show up anywhere.

With Matthews in the middle, he has an impact to some extent on almost every running play, he is that fast and that good. Even if he is not involved in the tackle, he takes up blockers. He attracts attention and takes it away from others.

Raji being back makes the DL rotation better.
Raji having found the fountain of youth, and playing like he did in 2010 makes it even better.

Jayrone Elliot has simple made plays, even big plays. The kinds of plays that influence outcomes. I don't know if he can continue to do it, but so far it has made a difference.

Nick Perry being healthy (apparently) has made an effect. He has made at least one play of note in every game, even with relatively limited snaps.

Pass defense from middle linebackers through the first 4 games is much, much better than it was last year.

DBs are playing well, with no drop off from last year. The rookies so far have not played like rookies.

Perhaps overlooked, but a factor nonetheless: The offense has been more methodical, with fewer long strikes. This keeps the defense off the field, keeps them rested and requires them to play less.

I'd add having several D linemen to rotate in and out of their keeping them fresh has helped our defense too.

[George Cumby]

So losing Jordy made the D better? i know that's an over simplification, but that's a conclusion that could be drawn from your last point.......

[sharpe1027]

So losing Jordy made the D better? i know that's an over simplification, but that's a conclusion that could be drawn from your last point.......

Statistically speaking, probably.

Often teams with supposedly great defenses (low total yards and points/game) are coupled with time-consuming grind it out offenses. These teams generally try to shorten the game by keeping the total plays down, leveling the playing field against better teams. The converse is also true, often teams with high-powered offenses have defenses with poor statistics in total yards and points/game. There are exceptions.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Clay isn't overrated as a pass rusher. He's a great pass rusher. But the Packers have four other good pass rushers at OLB - while they don't have anybody that can come close to what Clay can do at ILB.

[sharpe1027]

Clay isn't overrated as a pass rusher. He's a great pass rusher. But the Packers have four other good pass rushers at OLB - while they don't have anybody that can come close to what Clay can do at ILB.

Well, I am not disagreeing he is great pass rusher, but he can still be overrated. I meant mostly based on his salary, but I admit that its hard to quantify. Since moving inside he's done a lot more to justify his salary, IMO.

[pbmax]

Well, I am not disagreeing he is great pass rusher, but he can still be overrated. I meant mostly based on his salary, but I admit that its hard to quantify. Since moving inside he's done a lot more to justify his salary, IMO.

He is overrated as a wide, OLB/DE rusher versus tackles. He is a great rusher almost anywhere else.

[sharpe1027]

He is overrated as a wide, OLB/DE rusher versus tackles. He is a great rusher almost anywhere else.

Yes.

[SMBASS]

He is overrated as a wide, OLB/DE rusher versus tackles. He is a great rusher almost anywhere else.

I agree pb. Clay usually gets fairly easily engulfed and neutralized when he has to rush against tackles straight up off of the edge. He's much more effective when you can move him around and the offense doesn't know exactly where he'll be coming from.

[smuggler]

I think the obvious answer is the play of both Raji and Pennell. The the down linemen are playing as I have not seen since we went to the 3-4.

[pbmax]

I think the obvious answer is the play of both Raji and Pennell. The the down linemen are playing as I have not seen since we went to the 3-4.

Pennel hasn't supplied pass rush though. But I do think this fits into the run D has improved so the pass rush has had more of an impact. The interior run D hasn't been this good since 09 and 10.

[vince]

I don't know how obvious it is smug, but I think that's a big one. There's more speed and impact with the linebacking crew for sure, but a lot of times it's the inside guys who make them shine.

Taking on double-teams and stuffing runs on early downs has consistently forced more advantageous down and distance situations. They've also been good engaging two linemen rushing and making it really tough for them to pick up stunting/blitzing backers. Guion's really good at that too, which is why he immediately came in and took most of Pennel's snaps last week.

If they can do their job this week, hopefully they'll be able to help the rest of the D keep Gurley from getting any space to get going. And Foles can't run, but he can move in the pocket to buy time and do damage if allowed. If the inside guys can push and shrink the pocket so the outside guys and backers can finish, this could be a solid win. But if Gurley gets space and Foles buys time sliding around in the pocket, the Rams could make this one really tough.

You can say it every game to some extent, but this game especially, how the interior lines match up may determine the outcome. Of course Rodgers makes everything a hell of a lot tougher on the opponent's d-line so hopefully that's the difference.

[Patler]

The defense has improved markedly it would seem.

Why is that?

Maybe part of the answer is McCarthy.
Maybe he gives an OC's perspective to the defensive planning, making them better prepared:

He says he now spends more time during the week in defensive and special teams meetings. He also meets longer with each coordinator individually to go over the game plan, especially in their final talk on Friday afternoons.

And every week on either Wednesday or Thursday, McCarthy delivers a short presentation in the team defensive meeting to offer his perspective on the offense its facing that week. He never had time to study that as a play caller.

[vince]

Nice. That's gotta help. It does seem that the D hasn't been caught in bad situations very often. In fact, I'd say you could say they've had pretty solid schemes most games. I thought I read somewhere that the team's analytics guy retired. They should hire two people to replace him.

[smuggler]

Urlacher had better top speed at his peak. Clay with better balance and quickness. Hard to compare any coverage LB favorably to Urlacher, but Clay is the better pass rusher.

Neither are big hitters or particularly noteworthy for their tackling. IMO Clay is the better overall player, but Urlacher didn't suffer injuries as often. Can't fault the comparison.

[MadScientist]

Against Chicago, they looked like crap.
Against Seattle they looked good, but everybody is shutting down Seattle's offense. Even the Bears held them to 3 for a half, when their offense looked like JV backups.
KC was a good game, but KC's been pretty mediocre this year.
SF - Facing a QB who throws at receivers' feet will really make a defense look good.

On the other hand, Raji has looked really good. Mathews has been all over the place. Perry and Daniels are getting after the QB. Shields and the rookies are covering well and making plays. There haven't been many glaring WTF plays, and Dom simplifying the calls probably helped that.

So there's reason for optimism, but enough unknowns that we can't say how good they are for a while.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think they hit a tipping point of excellent players. Also you have a lot of young guys aging into their prime, 2 to 5 years in league.

[vince]

Here's an article by McGinn about the interior d-line setting the tone against the run and transforming the defense. Without Hawk to keep clean behind them, the d-line is more free to penetrate and make plays on ball carriers to force tougher down and distance situations and then unleash the pass rushers.

Protecting the inside linebackers was a way of life for the defensive linemen of the Green Bay Packers in their first six years under the current coaching staff.

It was the only way coordinator Dom Capers probably thought the run defense could hold up with A.J. Hawk and other lightweights stationed at inside linebacker.

For a multitude of reasons, the run defense died from Game 8 on in 2013 through Game 8 of 2014. In those 18 games, foes rushed for 156.1 per game and 5.01 per carry.

In 14 games with Matthews inside, those totals are 106.4 and 4.26. If you care to throw out the 199 yards gained by quarterbacks this year, the four-game yields are 65.3 and 4.02.

[pbmax]

Here's an article by McGinn about the interior d-line setting the tone against the run and transforming the defense. Without Hawk to keep clean behind them, the d-line is more free to penetrate and make plays on ball carriers to force tougher down and distance situations and then unleash the pass rushers.

I was going to write that Jim Haslett's calling card in Pittsburgh, compared to Dom and Dick was heavier ILBs. But I think I am the victim of narrative there. Levon Kirkland, even if you lined him up next to Alvin Garrett (Smurf, Fun Bunch) would make your ILB corps bigger. SO it might have been Haslett's preference, but Kirkland was drafted in 1992, started in 1993 and Haslett showed up in 1997.

So I am tempted to conclude that Bob is suffering from the same affliction here. If you don't think Capers was still protecting a man who had never played ILB professionally before when he switched his positions during the bye week last year, you may be delusional. And it should be noted no one hinted at the scheme change while Barrington was the starter. Palmer could not have been a factor since he had not even earned a job in the offseason.

The reason for the change in fortunes on run D was the difference between Matthews play and later period Hawk or Brad Jones. Not scheme.

The is also another reason penetration numbers may have gone up. Raji is back, and that is his game. He used to do that even with Hawk and Bishop behind him.

So Bob is concluding a scheme alteration based on 3 games. Its possible that Capers an Trgo are calling a different D, but I need more evidence and numbers about penetration.

[pbmax]

Also this:

After the vicious and explosive Desmond Bishop suffered what in effect was a career-ending thigh injury in August 2012, the Packers spent almost three full seasons both trying to hide and making excuses for Hawk and most of his fellow nonentities inside.

Anyone remember the run D numbers from 2011 with the vicious and explosive Bishop?

Facing the 5th fewest attempts (383), they yielded the 16th most yards (1789) for a 26th rank in yards per carry (4.7 allowed).