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vince
10-15-2007, 06:16 PM
As we go into the bye week, three Packers are having the best statistical seasons in the league at their particular position. All will be Pro-Bowl bound if they keep their current play up. These guys are obviously huge reasons for the Packers 5-1 start.

1. Atari Bigby - Leads all NFL DB's in tackles with 45, also has 2 forced fumbles and a pick. This playmaking, headhunting safety is having a Pro-Bowl year so far. What a find!

2. Nick Barnett - 2nd in the NFL in tackles with 56, also has 1.5 sacks and 2 picks. His big plays have been instrumental in a number of Packer wins this year.

3. Aaron Kampman - 3rd in the league with 29 tackles, 5th in the league in sacks with 5.0. He's far and away the tackles leader among the upper echelon sackers. Jason Taylor, while inferior in both categories, is the only one close to him with 26 tackles and 4 sacks. Kampman also has a forced fumble to his credit.

Also, Harris and Woodson should get some props, who give everyone else great opportunities to fly to the ball, and you've got a defense that has given, and should continue to give, the Packers a great chance to win every week of the season.
Partial
10-15-2007, 06:18 PM
Atari Bigby has been a very pleasant surprise. I wish they'd use him on more blitzes.
hoosier
10-15-2007, 07:14 PM
As we go into the bye week, three Packers are having the best statistical seasons in the league at their particular position. All will be Pro-Bowl bound if they keep their current play up. These guys are obviously huge reasons for the Packers 5-1 start.

1. Atari Bigby - Leads all NFL DB's in tackles with 45, also has 2 forced fumbles and a pick. This playmaking, headhunting safety is having a Pro-Bowl year so far. What a find!

Bigby's been a nice surprise and an upgrade over Manuel so far, but I don't think a DB's tackles stats should be used to evaluate their play. In the end if a safety has lots of tackles that usually means (a) the front seven is missing lots of tackles or (b) his coverage is weak and his man is catching lots of passes. I would rather see Bigby evaluated for big plays (which you mention) and for how often we don't hear his name mentioned for blown coverages.
vince
10-15-2007, 08:11 PM
Bigby's been a nice surprise and an upgrade over Manuel so far, but I don't think a DB's tackles stats should be used to evaluate their play. In the end if a safety has lots of tackles that usually means (a) the front seven is missing lots of tackles or (b) his coverage is weak and his man is catching lots of passes. I would rather see Bigby evaluated for big plays (which you mention) and for how often we don't hear his name mentioned for blown coverages.I agree generically with your comment, but I think tackles are relevant for a run-stuffing strong safety like Bigby. This guy plays near the line of scrimmage a lot, supports the run defense strongly and is consistently be around the ball.

He also is notable for the two things you mention, only having been beaten over the top by Burress for six, narrowly missing a knock-down. TE's have largely had their way with this defense, and Bigby's not been without some responsibility, but Collins, Popp, and Hawk have each had greater responsibility for that in my view.

Bigby's shown playmaking ability and strong tackling ability. I'm with Partial in wanting to see him do more blitzing than he's done thus far.
RashanGary
10-15-2007, 08:29 PM
Bigby has played huge. Wist said he looked like a hell of a player before anyone noticed. Wist has a very good eye for defensive talent, IMO.

Barnett has turned around, but I think Wist was right up until last year and this year about Barnett.
Harlan Huckleby
10-15-2007, 10:18 PM
1. Atari Bigby - Leads all NFL DB's in tackles with 45,

Atari Bigby!? Didn't he get cut after the second exhibition game?
run pMc
10-16-2007, 09:54 AM
Bigby's an upgrade over Manuel, that's for sure.
Cheesehead Craig
10-16-2007, 10:25 AM
Harris doesn't have the sexy numbers, but all he does is shut down the opponents WR he is on. He's a Pro-Bowler this year already.
mmmdk
10-16-2007, 10:59 AM
I will gladly admit that duing the first 2 quaters of the Skins game; I ripped the Packer D.

Shame on me! I love the play of Kampy, Bigby, Jenkins & Woodson. The defense stepped up - my hero, AJ Hawk, had a really good game overall. I want this D, so badly, to be the backbone of the Packers. Favre is the backbone on O and he makes our WR into household names. Don't get me wrong 'cos our receivers are good. I'm just sorry that our backfield plus OL suck. Plus our ST is slipping a bit but I think they'll rebound (kinking, punting & returns - the lot). this might be the very thing that would oust the Packers in a playoff game come january. Time to step up!

I know!!! But I can't help but believe in that chance to win the Super Bowl - however cranky I may be 8-)
Merlin
10-16-2007, 12:11 PM
Atari Bigby has been a very pleasant surprise. I wish they'd use him on more blitzes.

I couldn't agree more. In pre-season he was a beast on the blitz. Although that doesn't always translate to the regular season. The guy would either get the sack or use his vertical to block/intercept the ball!
Carolina_Packer
10-16-2007, 12:20 PM
For all of you strategy-wise posters here, can you please give an example situation when it would be good to use Bigby as a blitzer? I understand baseball strategy much better than football strategy.
Green Bud Packer
10-16-2007, 12:29 PM
For all of you strategy-wise posters here, can you please give an example situation when it would be good to use Bigby as a blitzer? I understand baseball strategy much better than football strategy.

Third and long is covered in Blitzing 101.
Carolina_Packer
10-16-2007, 12:37 PM
Yup, that would be an obvious time, naturally. Is there any other situation or down? Would it be disguised, would he come up the middle or off a corner you think?
Green Bud Packer
10-16-2007, 12:41 PM
If i remember right he had success coming from the corner in the pre-season
MJZiggy
10-16-2007, 12:46 PM
Sometimes you can successfully sneak in a blitz on first down, just to remind them that you're still there...Hawk had a pretty one last year where he was kind of crouching behind the line and then just slid through untouched. That would be sweet as well...
HarveyWallbangers
10-16-2007, 01:41 PM
Ideally, you'd do it against a team without two WRs that you are overly concerned about beating you deep. Thus, you don't feel you need two deep safeties. A situation might be that the team has a TE lined up in the slot. You line up Bigby over the TE as if he's in man-to-man, but you actually are playing a zone coverage or you have a LB that ends up covering him on that side of the field. The key to getting there on a safety blitz is deception.
Carolina_Packer
10-16-2007, 01:56 PM
I guess you hope like hell in that case that 1) Bigby or the blitzer makes it close enough for a sack, or play disruption and that 2) the LB that is responsible for coverage is able to stay with the TE. Is it possible we don't blitz the safety because they are concerned about a TE being covered by one of our linebackers? And, if so, do you think they could ever put Nick Barnett into coverage and let AJ be a MLB for a play, sort of temporary role reversal? They may be equally fast, but I bet Barnett's instincts are sharper at this point.
3irty1
10-16-2007, 02:08 PM
Atari Bigby has been a very pleasant surprise. I wish they'd use him on more blitzes.

I totally agree.


Harris doesn't have the sexy numbers, but all he does is shut down the opponents WR he is on. He's a Pro-Bowler this year already.

Of course I agree!
MJZiggy
10-16-2007, 02:26 PM
_________________
Week 1 vs Reggie Brown: 1 rec 14 yards No No
Week 2 vs Plaxico Burress: 2 rec 32 yards No No
Week 3 vs Vincent Jackson: 6 rec 98 yards Doh!
Week 4 vs Troy Williamson: 2 rec 23 yards No No
Week 5 vs Mushin Muhammad: 1 rec 17 yards No No
Week 6 vs Santana Moss: 0 rec 0 yards No No

Nice sig, by the way...
packinpatland
10-16-2007, 02:36 PM
Don't remember where I read it, but someone compared Kampman's play last week to Reggie's.
Our guys are very good.
MJZiggy
10-16-2007, 03:08 PM
Don't remember where I read it, but someone compared Kampman's play last week to Reggie's.
Our guys are very good.

It was Peter King in MMQB.
oregonpackfan
10-16-2007, 03:54 PM
Don't remember where I read it, but someone compared Kampman's play last week to Reggie's.
.

Kampman had several successful "Bull Rushes" on his blocker that reminded me a lot of Reggie White.
run pMc
10-17-2007, 09:31 AM
Do you think the fact that our D plays better in the 2nd half is because of depth, training, or halftime adjustments?

(Admittedly, it's probably a combination of things, but I'm curious to know what people think is the biggest contributor and why)
Green Bud Packer
10-17-2007, 09:42 AM
Do you think the fact that our D plays better in the 2nd half is because of depth, training, or halftime adjustments?

(Admittedly, it's probably a combination of things, but I'm curious to know what people think is the biggest contributor and why)

The depth on the d-line seems to be wearing down o-lines giving us a huge late game advantage.