Pass rush improvement?

[Willard]

I believe the key to a successful season is to win the turn-over battle (shocking, I know :roll: ). Considering the offense's generosity in giving the ball away, the defense really needs to step up their take-aways. Wicked pressure on the opposing QB is the best way to accomplish this.

I like our DT rotation, but am not convinced they will create significant pressure. I am just hoping they can stuff the run, which will lead to third-and-longs. This creates a takeaway-rich environment.

I was hoping for an upgrade at DE this off-season, but no significant moves were made. So what are the options?

KGB will be better because of Rock's weight training regimen?

Kampman will continue to improve his pressures as he has every year?

Petersen and or Montgomery will make huge strides and get on the field a lot more?

One of the longshots (i.e., Hunter) will shock the world and become a playa?

Sanders will need to blitz LB/S/CB to generate pressure putting more pressure on the secondary?

Of all these scenarios I think the final one (blitzing) is the likely answer. What a luxury it would be if our front 4 could consistently harass opposing QBs (like they do in Chicago)! But can the Pack really get 20 sacks out of KGB and Kampman?

I would love to get a TC update on how our pass rush looks with the front 4, and also what blitzing schemes Sanders is working on. Anybody?[/url]

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

But can the Pack really get 20 sacks out of KGB and Kampman?

They usually do, but the sad thing is their coverage sacks. You never see one of them just destory the other teams o-line men.

[MadtownPacker]

This is my only concern on D. In the last couple of years opposing QBs have had all day to sit back and scan the field. This has accounted for all the scrub QBs having career days against the Pack. I dont care what they gotta do, send the house, just dont let these guys stand back there all day.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

This is my only concern on D. In the last couple of years opposing QBs have had all day to sit back and scan the field. This has accounted for all the scrub QBs having career days against the Pack. I dont care what they gotta do, send the house, just dont let these guys stand back there all day.

Slowik tried that and we went 1-4 and didn't turn it around in 2004 until he stopped. Our best bet is to stay with Bates scheme.

[MadtownPacker]

Yeah but Slowit didnt call them at the right times. Aint no good on every play.

Hawk or Hodge on a LB blitz would be nice cuz Barnett sucks at getting to the ball. Carroll is also very good when his number is called but he will be too busy shutting down #1 receivers. :mrgreen:

[packers11]

Our rush to qb will be a lot better..... 4 words : Hawk,Barnett,Hodge/Taylor ..... All very good LB's , you watch the steelers game vs colts in playoffs... All they did was blitz a different lb everytime..... Worked like a charm, and finally we have a GOOD lb crew :D

[HarveyWallbangers]

KGB will be better because of Rock's weight training regimen?

I don't think so. He is what he is. A hard working, fast, undersized DE that doesn't have the frame to get bigger. I saw him in training camp footage on the NFL Channel yesterday, and he didn't look any bigger.

[ahaha]

Shutting down the run could be huge. It's not like we don't have any players with pass-rush ability--KGB, Jenkins, Kampman, Hawk and Poppinga on blitzes hopefully. There is a big difference between 3rd & 9 and 3rd & 3.

[MadtownPacker]

Yeah KGB is what he is, one trick pony. If the D can finally create some 3rd & 10+ situations then KGB will have a dozen or so sacks for sure. Ones that wont be in garbage time either.

[BF4MVP]

Woodson getting ten picks should improve the D's turnover stat. :D

[BallHawk]

Yeah, I defintely think we will improve thanks to the LB's. Last year we were almost last in the league in INTs with 10. If we want to create turnovers we need to have the pressure on the QB. We don't have the same quality of LBs as the Steelers, but I would consider our LB core in the top half of the league. I don't know how aggresive Sanders plans on being, but I'm confident we will defintely create more turnovers than last year.

[Partial]

Yeah, I defintely think we will improve thanks to the LB's. Last year we were almost last in the league in INTs with 10. If we want to create turnovers we need to have the pressure on the QB. We don't have the same quality of LBs as the Steelers, but I would consider our LB core in the top half of the league. I don't know how aggresive Sanders plans on being, but I'm confident we will defintely create more turnovers than last year.

I would not be so sure. AJ Hawk is going to be one of the better ones in the league the moment he steps on the field. Barnett is pretty average in my opinion, but maybe will be better since teams cannot gameplan simply around him anymore. I look forward to seeing Hodge and the rest of the LB group more than anything else at practice next week

[Willard]

Our rush to qb will be a lot better..... 4 words : Hawk,Barnett,Hodge/Taylor ..... All very good LB's , you watch the steelers game vs colts in playoffs... All they did was blitz a different lb everytime..... Worked like a charm, and finally we have a GOOD lb crew :D

I do remember reading about MM's (or was it TT's?) respect for the style of defense played by Pittsburg. So how do they do it?

Pittsburg had 47 sacks (compared to 35 for the Pack), led by 2 linebackers: Joey Porter had 10.5 and Clark Haggans had 9. Their top DL (Kimo von Oelhoffen) only had 3.5.

In contrast the DEs led the Pack. KGB had 8, Kampman had 6.5. Peterson and Jenkins each had 3 as did Al Harris. The top LB was Poppinga with 2 in limited playing time.

The Bates' Scheme seems quite conservative. Perhaps with better talent (and more confidence in our corners) Sanders can unleash the dogs!

[Partial]

Sanders said he intends to play the same scheme but more agressively this year. In addition to this, Hawk and Hodge are both very good blitzers. Chuck is also going to be a very good blitzer from the slot and they had better use this because he is the same style of player as LeRoy. These facts paired with the fact they are a much more physical and hard hitting team this year should be benifical and wear teams down sooner

[Rastak]

Woodson getting ten picks should improve the D's turnover stat. :D


The last time he had more than 4? 1998...and year he had 5, his career high.

[woodbuck27]

The deal with Jim Bates scheme it seems to me. Was to push the middle, strong resistance from the middle of OUR DL . The idea was to force the Oppositions runs wide and allow OUR slow LBers an opportunity to make tackles along the sidelines, but that gave away five to seven yard gains alot of the time. Not too good.

We were always backing into crunch time. Again - really not good !

With the type of players (improved talent) we have this season. I expect to see a more attack oriented approach on Defense. The blitz has to be a surprise not the rule.

We have better skills in Charles Woodson if he stays healthy (is my concern) as he may be his own worst enemy. We have to utilize him on a priority basis.I really don't like the fact he's been slated as OUR #1 punt returner. Because he'll try to light up the house everytime he gets the ball, and that aggressive style could mean another serious, lost for the balance injury. ( ie - his third broken leg in three seasons - not cool ). He's not Audie Murphy ! We are a football team.

Hawk should improve Barnett's game, as he will have to be accounted for not just Nick Barnett, and then add Abdul Hodge who is very aggressive to the ball carrier, and another step up from Kampman, Jenkins and maybe (Peterson and/or Montgomery) and we will be exciting on "D".

I like what i'm hearing early from OUR DB's. Where is Nick Collins. Havn't read boo about his TC?

Essentially, I really believe, if we deal well with adversity, that OUR defense will make a nice step forward this season. I'm not to overly wild with excitement on the FA's that Ted Thompson brought in, but they should help to improve us.

I am excited with Hawk and Hodge. Certainly Will Blackmon (when healthy) and the youthful prospects in Tyrone Culver/Tra Boger/Atari Bigby as well.

Anyone??? How is DT Johnny Jolly looking so far?? Why did I think that he had some potential at DE??

We are going to have to cut some decent people on Defense. OUR Defense is really going to be fun to watch in 2006.

[pack4to84]

I keep hearing how bad or DL was last year, but the DL had just 1.5 sack less the Chicagos DL in 120 less passing attempts. I know Chicago DL got a lot more pressure, but getting the sacks should count more.

Ogunleye 10.0---KGB 8.0
Brown 6.0---------Kampman 6.5
T.johnson 5.0----Jenkins 3.0
T.Harris 3.0-------Peterson 3.0
Boone 1.5--------Cole 2.0
haynes 1..5------C.Williams 2.0
Idonije 1.0-------G.Jackson 1.0
-------------------Montgomery 1.0
-----------------------------------
Chi 28----------GB 26.5

Pickett had 2.0 for St.L and Allen had 2.0 N.Y

[red]

i agree that kgb is a one trick pony, they have to teach him an inside move.

he has the one move around the outside where he comes into the pocket from the rear, and if the qb makes the mistake of dropping back to far he runs into kgb.

the sacks aren't the biggest problem for me, its the pressure. it almost seemed like if the DE's weren't there to get the sack, they weren't getting any pressure at all. kampman needs some of the blame for this too. the bears DE's were always causing chaos and putting pressure on the qbs. that forced the qbs to worry more about the de's then the cbs, and make the mistakes

our DE's scare me a lot this year, like they did last year. if KGB isn't getting that speed rush sack, he isn't doing anything. kampman is a good tackler and he was everywhere against the vikings last year (i think it was them), but he doesn't get to the qb much

it sounds like kedrick allen might be able to get up the middle, which would be great, but if you have 2 of the higher paid DE's in the nfl, they better be able to get something done

we will need to blitz this year IMO, to get pressure on the bs, the good news is, it looks like we have the LB's and cb's to do what our d-line can't

[Willard]

I keep hearing how bad or DL was last year, but the DL had just 1 sack less the Chicagos DL in 120 less passing attempts. I know Chicago DL got a lot more pressure, but getting the sacks should count more.

Ogunleye 10.0---KGB 8.0
Brown 6.0---------Kampman 6.5
T.johnson 5.0----Jenkins 3.0
T.Harris 3.0-------Peterson 3.0
Boone 1.5--------Cole 2.0
haynes 1..5------C.Williams 2.0
Idonije 1.0-------G.Jackson 1.0
-------------------Montgomery 1.0
-----------------------------------
Chi 28----------GB 26.5

When I first saw this post I did not see the actual player stats, and frankly I did not believe you! (Did you edit later?). Anyhow, I confirmed your numbers. The Packers DL had a sack every 16.2 pass plays last year. The Bears heralded DL has a sack every 19.6 pass plays last years. The Pack's DL recovered 6 fumbles compared to only 4 for the Bears' DL. Very interesting!

The most damning statistic is that the Packers only generated 10 interceptions compared to 24 by the Bears' defense (6 against the Pack :evil: ). This suggests more consistent pressure even if the sacks aren't there (like when they tee'd off aon Favre a millisecond after he released the ball on numerous occasions).

Still, last year was by no means a bad year for our DL. With potentially 2 new starting DTs this year, another year of improvement from Kampman as well as more production out of Montgomery and Peterson at DE -- I think people will start talking about the Pack's D in positive terms by the bye week.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The last time he had more than 4? 1998...and year he had 5, his career high.

He ain't getting 10, but you could have said the same thing about Antoine Winfield before he came to the Vikings. His interception totals in each season were 2, 1, 2, 0, and 1 for a grand total of 6 in 5 years. He had 3 in 2004 and 4 in 2005. I don't even care if Woodson gets a ton of picks. That's often VERY overrated. Look at Chris Gamble. Tory James had 17 picks the last 3 years, and the Bengals have been trying like hell to replace him (drafting Keiwan Ratliff and then Joseph this year). Champ Bailey hadn't had more than 3 in a season since 2000--until last year.

[Rastak]

The last time he had more than 4? 1998...and year he had 5, his career high.

He ain't getting 10, but you could have said the same thing about Antoine Winfield before he came to the Vikings. His interception totals in each season were 2, 1, 2, 0, and 1 for a grand total of 6 in 5 years. He had 3 in 2004 and 4 in 2005. I don't even care if Woodson gets a ton of picks. That's often VERY overrated. Look at Chris Gamble. Tory James had 17 picks the last 3 years, and the Bengals have been trying like hell to replace him (drafting Keiwan Ratliff and then Joseph this year). Champ Bailey hadn't had more than 3 in a season since 2000--until last year.


Yup, Winfield doesn't have a ton of picks, that's Sharper's job... :smile:
I do disagree with you that turnovers aren't important...I think they are, all of them.

[HarveyWallbangers]

It's only one of a number of factors. Winfield has 13 interceptions in 102 career games. Smoot has 18 interceptions in 71 career games. Winfield is much better. Always has been. Always will be.

[4and12to12and4]

hey woodbuck, why do you spell defense with a c ... are you a brit?

[HarveyWallbangers]

No, he's a Canuck.

[Rastak]

It's only one of a number of factors. Winfield has 13 interceptions in 102 career games. Smoot has 18 interceptions in 71 career games. Winfield is much better. Always has been. Always will be.


No argument here Harv....

[woodbuck27]

hey woodbuck, why do you spell defense with a c ... are you a brit?

I am a Canadian of course, but raised in very a British stlye school system in Eastern Canada but I'd never do well in a spelling bee,haha.

I'll check my Webster's Dictionary ( Canadian Edition ). . .

mmmmm by Golly. It's spelled defense and I pronounce it with a hard 'c' and soft 'e'.

Thanks. Likely spelled that incorrectly, all my life.

[Creepy]

The DL had pressure, but the WR were open so fast last year they couldnt' get there. With the DBs we have now and a better LB group I don't see receivers being open as fast as last year. That adiitional .5 to 1 second will make more sacks, and ints. This defense will rock this year.

[woodbuck27]

" This defense will rock this year. " Creepy

HOLD THE FAITH PACKER FANS !!

FUTURE - NEWS BULLETIN !!!! . . .

PACKERS DEFENSE ROCKS IN 2006 !