26th? You're kidding me?

[Rastak]

Agreed Jack, no offense Rastak but the Vikings have signed some good players the past couple of years and it hasnt materialized into anything yet. This year may be different but the only point I am trying to make is that just because we signed some people doesnt mean they will play well together.

Go ahead throw the tomatoes.

Anyways, it will be more fun to be the underdog and piss on others parades when they arent ready.

No offense taken at all. In response to the Vikings comment, I think their defense DID improve greatly with their signings....but then their offense went straight to pot....LOL...this year they concentrated on offense so we'll see.

As for Green Bay, it does take some time to gel, Minnesota was bad for 5 games then turned it around and played quite well. I don't know much about Saunders but GB should take too long to get it going on defense I don't think.

edit: I meant shouldn't take too long.

[MJZiggy]

My opinion of ESPNothing ranks slightly below their opinion of my team, so their opinion doesn't really matter that much to me anyway.

[Fosco33]

I understand that you guys aren't happy about the lack of respect for our team, but the fact is that the Packers are, in fact, one of the worst teams in the league... Sorry, but that's reality.

Yes, I think the team is slightly improved over last years mess, but they have a long way to go to be a decent team. Favre coming back and a relatively easy schedule gives them a chance to get close to .500, but it's going to be a long haul for them to get back to respectability.

Bottom line is the Packers simply aren't a very good football team.

We'll see....

Injuries and close losses last year with a desparate QB and a D that didn't force turnovers. Seems like we've addressed the D - given the parity in the NFL it's not crazy to go worst to first.

All these preseason rankings are complete BS. Anyone that buys into them or lets it affect their analytical view of football is being controlled by ESPN.

Again we'll see....

[pbmax]

What a joke, we were #1 last year in pass defense and I know teams ran on us a lot but we were still good against the pass. We add A.J. hawk, Woodson, and Manuel and somehow we drop 25 spots? You notice how they didn't even explain why we were that low, they just gave us 26th and went on to the next team. I expect us to be no higher than 20 in any of their ranking but who really cares anyway?

We were not good against the pass. We gave up a passer rating of 86.2 to opposing QBs. Let me remind you of the Murderer's Row we faced: Harrington (twice), Orton, Grossman, Boller (BEST GAME OF HIS ENTIRE FREAKING CAREER!), Dilfer, Griese, Brooks, Batch, and Mike McMahon.

Al Harris was the only thing above average about our Pass D. We reversed the slide of the previous four years because the run D held together despite a huge number of attempts and Bates scheme (and the lack of Darren Sharper) slashed the number of big plays allowed to close to half of the previous year. This defense is not better than the unit Donatell had in 2002 and 2003, although Bates was light years ahead of Donatell scheme wise.

NFL Stats had Pack Pass D
1st in Yards Allowed
2nd in Fewest Pass Attempts Faced
14th Completion Pct. Allowed
16th in Yds. per Completion
23rd in Passing TDs allowed
25th in QB rating allowed

Pack Run D
23rd Yds allowed per game
19th Yds per attempt
8th in TDs Allowed
6th Most Rushing Attempts Against

Scoring D
20th in Points Allowed
18th in Points Allowed (without ST scores, safeties, or Int/Fum return for TD)

Football Outsders had the Packers Team Defense ranked:
22nd Overall
22nd vs. Pass
22nd vs. Rush
15th in Sacks per pass attempt

For the Pass Defense:
Rank was 22nd
vs. #1 WR 8th
vs. #2 WR 28th
vs. Other WR 26th
vs. TE 30th
vs. RB 20th

[jack's smirking revenge]

What a joke, we were #1 last year in pass defense and I know teams ran on us a lot but we were still good against the pass. We add A.J. hawk, Woodson, and Manuel and somehow we drop 25 spots? You notice how they didn't even explain why we were that low, they just gave us 26th and went on to the next team. I expect us to be no higher than 20 in any of their ranking but who really cares anyway?

We were not good against the pass. We gave up a passer rating of 86.2 to opposing QBs. Let me remind you of the Murderer's Row we faced: Harrington (twice), Orton, Grossman, Boller (BEST GAME OF HIS ENTIRE FREAKING CAREER!), Dilfer, Griese, Brooks, Batch, and Mike McMahon.

Al Harris was the only thing above average about our Pass D. We reversed the slide of the previous four years because the run D held together despite a huge number of attempts and Bates scheme (and the lack of Darren Sharper) slashed the number of big plays allowed to close to half of the previous year. This defense is not better than the unit Donatell had in 2002 and 2003, although Bates was light years ahead of Donatell.

NFL Stats had Pack Pass D
1st in Yards Allowed
2nd in Fewest Pass Attempts Faced
14th Completion Pct. Allowed
16th in Yds. per Completion
23rd in Passing TDs allowed
25th in QB rating allowed

Pack Run D
23rd Yds allowed per game
19th Yds per attempt
8th in TDs Allowed
6th Most Rushing Attempts Against

Scoring D
20th in Points Allowed
18th in Points Allowed (without ST scores, safeties, or Int/Fum return for TD)

Football Outsders had the Packers Team Defense ranked:
22nd Overall
22nd vs. Pass
22nd vs. Rush
15th in Sacks per pass attempt

For the Pass Defense:
Rank was 22nd
vs. #1 WR 8th
vs. #2 WR 28th
vs. Other WR 26th
vs. TE 30th
vs. RB 20th

Really shines a different light on that #7 ranking, doesn't it? Thanks for posting this info.

tyler

[BallHawk]

Are we an elite defense? NO

Did our ranking make us seem better than we really were? YES

Are we the 6th worst pass defense in the league? NO


So any predictions for what they put our rush defense? I'm saying 28th.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Ballhawk, what are you doing in Naples? That's just old people there. You running scams or something? Selling cemetary plots? Bilking people out of social security checks?

[PackerPro42]

Are we going off ESPN rankings or are we foing off stats?

[BallHawk]

I'm the chairman of the NBA(National Bingo Association).


On a serious note it sucks here. In season I'm surrounded by old people who drive with their head up their ass and when their not here it either rains every day or we're pounded with hurricanes. My family is considering moving to Charlotte, NC. Anybody know what it's like there? We visited it in the Spring and it looks like a nice place.

[PackerPro42]

Anything in the Carolinas rocks.

[Fosco33]

Anything in the Carolinas rocks.

LOL!

I lived in Rock Hill, SC for a summer (near Charlotte) and worked extensively in Clover, Fort Mill, Lancaster - they all sucked - big time. Charlotte was alright but I got turned off by the Deep South (bible belt, hot/humid, trailers, racism) - and this is not a generalization. Unless you're in a large city, I'd steer clear of the Carolinas.

[PackerPro42]

Yeah I'll agree with you there. My family vacations down there every year since I was three. And the small towns suck unless you know people there, which I do.

[Fosco33]

Yeah I'll agree with you there. My family vacations down there every year since I was three. And the small towns suck unless you know people there, which I do.

Good call. Small towns anywhere basically blow - unless you know people - trust me I grew up in one in WI

[wist43]

What a joke, we were #1 last year in pass defense and I know teams ran on us a lot but we were still good against the pass. We add A.J. hawk, Woodson, and Manuel and somehow we drop 25 spots? You notice how they didn't even explain why we were that low, they just gave us 26th and went on to the next team. I expect us to be no higher than 20 in any of their ranking but who really cares anyway?

We were not good against the pass. We gave up a passer rating of 86.2 to opposing QBs. Let me remind you of the Murderer's Row we faced: Harrington (twice), Orton, Grossman, Boller (BEST GAME OF HIS ENTIRE FREAKING CAREER!), Dilfer, Griese, Brooks, Batch, and Mike McMahon.

Al Harris was the only thing above average about our Pass D. We reversed the slide of the previous four years because the run D held together despite a huge number of attempts and Bates scheme (and the lack of Darren Sharper) slashed the number of big plays allowed to close to half of the previous year. This defense is not better than the unit Donatell had in 2002 and 2003, although Bates was light years ahead of Donatell scheme wise.

NFL Stats had Pack Pass D
1st in Yards Allowed
2nd in Fewest Pass Attempts Faced
14th Completion Pct. Allowed
16th in Yds. per Completion
23rd in Passing TDs allowed
25th in QB rating allowed

Pack Run D
23rd Yds allowed per game
19th Yds per attempt
8th in TDs Allowed
6th Most Rushing Attempts Against

Scoring D
20th in Points Allowed
18th in Points Allowed (without ST scores, safeties, or Int/Fum return for TD)

Football Outsders had the Packers Team Defense ranked:
22nd Overall
22nd vs. Pass
22nd vs. Rush
15th in Sacks per pass attempt

For the Pass Defense:
Rank was 22nd
vs. #1 WR 8th
vs. #2 WR 28th
vs. Other WR 26th
vs. TE 30th
vs. RB 20th

Thanks for the stats... I've seen them before, but am too busy and/or too lazy to look them up for substantiation. The Packers number 7 ranking was a mirage. They weren't that good on defense.

Clearly the back seven will be improved, but they're not going to be world beaters; and, they will still have absolutely no pass rush. Since pass defense has to include pass rush, I don't see how anyone can conclude they'll be appreciably better in pass defense overall.

Hopefully the addition of Hawk and Manuel will improve the run defense enough that opposing teams will be forced to throw more... but, understand that our #1 ranking against the pass last year was more a function of the Packers inability to stop the run than it was a function of their ability to defend the pass.

[Zool]

What a joke, we were #1 last year in pass defense and I know teams ran on us a lot but we were still good against the pass. We add A.J. hawk, Woodson, and Manuel and somehow we drop 25 spots? You notice how they didn't even explain why we were that low, they just gave us 26th and went on to the next team. I expect us to be no higher than 20 in any of their ranking but who really cares anyway?

We were not good against the pass. We gave up a passer rating of 86.2 to opposing QBs. Let me remind you of the Murderer's Row we faced: Harrington (twice), Orton, Grossman, Boller (BEST GAME OF HIS ENTIRE FREAKING CAREER!), Dilfer, Griese, Brooks, Batch, and Mike McMahon.

Al Harris was the only thing above average about our Pass D. We reversed the slide of the previous four years because the run D held together despite a huge number of attempts and Bates scheme (and the lack of Darren Sharper) slashed the number of big plays allowed to close to half of the previous year. This defense is not better than the unit Donatell had in 2002 and 2003, although Bates was light years ahead of Donatell scheme wise.

NFL Stats had Pack Pass D
1st in Yards Allowed
2nd in Fewest Pass Attempts Faced
14th Completion Pct. Allowed
16th in Yds. per Completion
23rd in Passing TDs allowed
25th in QB rating allowed

Pack Run D
23rd Yds allowed per game
19th Yds per attempt
8th in TDs Allowed
6th Most Rushing Attempts Against

Scoring D
20th in Points Allowed
18th in Points Allowed (without ST scores, safeties, or Int/Fum return for TD)

Football Outsders had the Packers Team Defense ranked:
22nd Overall
22nd vs. Pass
22nd vs. Rush
15th in Sacks per pass attempt

For the Pass Defense:
Rank was 22nd
vs. #1 WR 8th
vs. #2 WR 28th
vs. Other WR 26th
vs. TE 30th
vs. RB 20th

Thanks for the stats... I've seen them before, but am too busy and/or too lazy to look them up for substantiation. The Packers number 7 ranking was a mirage. They weren't that good on defense.

Clearly the back seven will be improved, but they're not going to be world beaters; and, they will still have absolutely no pass rush. Since pass defense has to include pass rush, I don't see how anyone can conclude they'll be appreciably better in pass defense overall.

Hopefully the addition of Hawk and Manuel will improve the run defense enough that opposing teams will be forced to throw more... but, understand that our #1 ranking against the pass last year was more a function of the Packers inability to stop the run than it was a function of their ability to defend the pass.

It was also helped out by our complete inability to play with a lead. If only someone was ambitious enough to sort out 1st half vs 2nd half stats for run defense I bet you would see disparaging numbers there. The defense can only get pounded for so long every game before they run out of gas.