Guiness
09-27-2011, 11:37 PM
An interesting (if light) article on the Packer's use of the nickel D. The results pointed out really don't follow convention - holding rushers to 165 yards over 3 games, but allowing two 400 yard and a 300 yard passer!
The article made a good point - the Pack put 7 points on the board in the opening possession against Chicago, pretty much guaranteeing they were going to be throwing, nickel D or not.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15651074/packers-getting-their-moneys-worth-from-nickel-defense
Packers getting their money's worth from nickel defense
The Sports Xchange
Sep. 27, 2011 Probably no other team employs a nickel defense as frequently as the Packers (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/page/GB/green-bay-packers) do, but the secondary-heavy scheme that is designed to guard better against the pass has been more effective for Green Bay in stopping the run.
"I think it's extremely important because most people, when they see you trot nickel out there, they'll say, 'Let's run the ball against it,'" Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "You've got to have an element to where you think you can play five defensive backs, which helps you on the pass, and still play the run. If we can't play the run out of nickel, then we won't play it nearly as much as we do in first and second down."
Despite being the second-worst defense in the league against the pass, allowing an average of 359.3 yards per game, the unbeaten Packers are the NFL's best against the run after the first three weeks. Opponents have amassed all of 165 yards in 54 rushing attempts, an average of just 3.1 yards per carry.
Green Bay allowed only 13 rushing yards in its 27-17 win at Chicago on Sunday and nearly shut out Bears featured back Matt Forte in the process. Forte ground out but two yards in nine carries.
Interestingly, the Packers played all but a smattering of snaps in that game in nickel with five defensive backs and two or three defensive linemen.
They dominated the Bears up front, getting big-time contributions from All-Pro outside linebacker Clay Matthews (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/504552/clay-matthews), the team's top pass rusher the last two seasons. Matthews dumped Forte two times behind the line of scrimmage for negative runs.
"Nickel defense, it's like anything, fundamentally it's the gap control," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think Clay Matthews is playing the run clearly better this year than he has his first two years. (Fellow outside linebacker) Erik Walden (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/1615618/erik-walden) is playing much better. You'll see some excellent pictures of them on tackles on even bigger tight ends where they're doing a great job controlling the C-gap and playing their run calls as far as the run-pressure calls. Our inside guys are just anchors. They're doing a good job of absorbing (inside linebackers Desmond) Bishop and A.J. (Hawk) onto the ball."
The Packers, who will host Denver on Sunday, have been next to impenetrable for opposing running backs. Carolina's formidable duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for only 18 yards in 11 carries in Green Bay's Week 2 road win.
All told, running backs have gained just 98 yards in 40 rushing attempts against the Packers in the first three games. That is measly average of 2.5 yards per carry against a mostly unchanged defense that ranked 18th against the run last season, giving up an average of 114.9 yards per game, on the heels of a No. 1 ranking in 2009.
Capers credited the Green Bay offense, which has built sizable leads in each of the games, for helping to keep the rushing yards generated by teams to a bare minimum thus far.
"Because of our offense and getting up in games, we've been in a lot of two-minute situations (on defense)," Capers said. "I think we've had eight two-minute drives, so that obviously affects the way you play and your pass defense. There's been a lot of (passing) yardage against us in those two-minute situations."
The article made a good point - the Pack put 7 points on the board in the opening possession against Chicago, pretty much guaranteeing they were going to be throwing, nickel D or not.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15651074/packers-getting-their-moneys-worth-from-nickel-defense
Packers getting their money's worth from nickel defense
The Sports Xchange
Sep. 27, 2011 Probably no other team employs a nickel defense as frequently as the Packers (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/page/GB/green-bay-packers) do, but the secondary-heavy scheme that is designed to guard better against the pass has been more effective for Green Bay in stopping the run.
"I think it's extremely important because most people, when they see you trot nickel out there, they'll say, 'Let's run the ball against it,'" Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "You've got to have an element to where you think you can play five defensive backs, which helps you on the pass, and still play the run. If we can't play the run out of nickel, then we won't play it nearly as much as we do in first and second down."
Despite being the second-worst defense in the league against the pass, allowing an average of 359.3 yards per game, the unbeaten Packers are the NFL's best against the run after the first three weeks. Opponents have amassed all of 165 yards in 54 rushing attempts, an average of just 3.1 yards per carry.
Green Bay allowed only 13 rushing yards in its 27-17 win at Chicago on Sunday and nearly shut out Bears featured back Matt Forte in the process. Forte ground out but two yards in nine carries.
Interestingly, the Packers played all but a smattering of snaps in that game in nickel with five defensive backs and two or three defensive linemen.
They dominated the Bears up front, getting big-time contributions from All-Pro outside linebacker Clay Matthews (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/504552/clay-matthews), the team's top pass rusher the last two seasons. Matthews dumped Forte two times behind the line of scrimmage for negative runs.
"Nickel defense, it's like anything, fundamentally it's the gap control," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think Clay Matthews is playing the run clearly better this year than he has his first two years. (Fellow outside linebacker) Erik Walden (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/1615618/erik-walden) is playing much better. You'll see some excellent pictures of them on tackles on even bigger tight ends where they're doing a great job controlling the C-gap and playing their run calls as far as the run-pressure calls. Our inside guys are just anchors. They're doing a good job of absorbing (inside linebackers Desmond) Bishop and A.J. (Hawk) onto the ball."
The Packers, who will host Denver on Sunday, have been next to impenetrable for opposing running backs. Carolina's formidable duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for only 18 yards in 11 carries in Green Bay's Week 2 road win.
All told, running backs have gained just 98 yards in 40 rushing attempts against the Packers in the first three games. That is measly average of 2.5 yards per carry against a mostly unchanged defense that ranked 18th against the run last season, giving up an average of 114.9 yards per game, on the heels of a No. 1 ranking in 2009.
Capers credited the Green Bay offense, which has built sizable leads in each of the games, for helping to keep the rushing yards generated by teams to a bare minimum thus far.
"Because of our offense and getting up in games, we've been in a lot of two-minute situations (on defense)," Capers said. "I think we've had eight two-minute drives, so that obviously affects the way you play and your pass defense. There's been a lot of (passing) yardage against us in those two-minute situations."