Defensive Issues

[Fritz]

CHFF talks a lot about wide receivers as "hood ornaments." Atlanta paid a heavy price for a new hood ornament.

[hoosier]

It will be interesting to see how the Packers' secondary and pass-rush problems match up with the Falcons' protection problems. It's the age-old problem of the stoppable force meeting the moveable object.

[Upnorth]

It will be interesting to see how the Packers' secondary and pass-rush problems match up with the Falcons' protection problems. It's the age-old problem of the stoppable force meeting the moveable object.

LOL

[RashanGary]

I'm not too worried about the defense. For whatever reason, I think they're good.

[rbaloha1]

I'm not too worried about the defense. For whatever reason, I think they're good.

Is Justin Harrell returning -- is that why you are unworried?

[rbaloha1]

It will be interesting to see how the Packers' secondary and pass-rush problems match up with the Falcons' protection problems. It's the age-old problem of the stoppable force meeting the moveable object.

Good point.

[rbaloha1]

From what I've seen of the Falcons this year, they've tried to go vertical a lot more but have not been very good at it.

The board underestimated Newton -- we all know the results. Roddy White is big time. TG can still play. JJ is big and cause match-up problems.

Falcons want revenge. Expect a shoot-out with the Packers winning.

[Smeefers]

The board underestimated Newton -- we all know the results. Roddy White is big time. TG can still play. JJ is big and cause match-up problems.

Falcons want revenge. Expect a shoot-out with the Packers winning.

Come on now, the Falcons are no Cam Newton.

[Gunakor]

The worst two pass defenses in the NFL are Green Bay and New England. What else do these two teams have in common?

Much ado about nothing IMO. The other team is trying to win too. They have to throw early and often to stay in the game. We have the 2nd worst pass defense and the second best run defense, both due to the fact that our offense is on pace to obliterate the franchise scoring record for a season that they set last year. Maybe if AR and company would quit putting so many points on the board our opponents wouldn't throw at us so much, but we wouldn't want that either. Much ado about nothing so long as we have the bigger tally when the clock says zero. The means don't have to justify the ends.

[vince]

The worst two pass defenses in the NFL are Green Bay and New England. What else do these two teams have in common?

Much ado about nothing IMO. The other team is trying to win too. They have to throw early and often to stay in the game. We have the 2nd worst pass defense and the second best run defense, both due to the fact that our offense is on pace to obliterate the franchise scoring record for a season that they set last year. Maybe if AR and company would quit putting so many points on the board our opponents wouldn't throw at us so much, but we wouldn't want that either. Much ado about nothing so long as we have the bigger tally when the clock says zero. The means don't have to justify the ends.

I agree with this to a large extent, although Capers, McCarthy, and the players all say they still have a lot of work to do. It's a little ado about something. Playing with the lead does cause Capers to call a more conservative game and sort of concede yards while forcing the opponent to run time off the clock, but just because the other team has to pass in order to stay in the game doesn't mean the defense has to make mistakes and bite on fleaflickers, etc.. They're not as good without Neal, Zombo and Collins. Maybe So'oto can be disruptive in spurts. Defense today is about points and turnovers. They're in teh middle of the pack in points allowed and at the top in turnovers. If they keep that up, and even improve some by not allowing as many big plays, they'll be fine. It's hard to foresee anyone slowing this offense down at this point. The D needs to be good enough and so far they have been.

[mmmdk]

I can say this for sure; if Packers lose to the Falcons on SNF then this thread will get red hot!

[hoosier]

I agree with this to a large extent, although Capers, McCarthy, and the players all say they still have a lot of work to do. It's a little ado about something. Playing with the lead does cause Capers to call a more conservative game and sort of concede yards while forcing the opponent to run time off the clock, but just because the other team has to pass in order to stay in the game doesn't mean the defense has to make mistakes and bite on fleaflickers, etc.. They're not as good without Neal, Zombo and Collins. Maybe So'oto can be disruptive in spurts. Defense today is about points and turnovers. They're in teh middle of the pack in points allowed and at the top in turnovers. If they keep that up, and even improve some by not allowing as many big plays, they'll be fine. It's hard to foresee anyone slowing this offense down at this point. The D needs to be good enough and so far they have been.

Agree with all of this except the bolded sentence, which I think requires more nuance. The offense will clearly carry the Packers this year, and nobody is going to develop a way of stopping it on a regular basis. But there will be times, and maybe even entire games, when the offense isn't clicking or someone does manage to throw a monkeywrench in the well oiled machine. Assuming they have the kind of success we all expect of them during the regular season, the question will be how to avoid a situation like what happened to that Patriots team against the NYG in the SB. They were also a juggernaut that wasn't stopped once during the regular season, and whose defense was just good enough...until they ran into a team that could expose their Achilles heel in pass protection. The Packers have a good enough offense and enough holes that I can easily imagine them following in the 2007 Patriots path--blow through the regular season and then get tripped up in the playoffs.

[ThunderDan]

I can say this for sure; if Packers lose to the Falcons on SNF then this thread will get red hot!

Why mmmdk? We lost to ATL in ATL last year and won the Super Bowl. We would still be 4-1 if we lost on Sunday. That wouldn't be the end of the world for the Packers.

I don't think we will lose, but this is one of the games before the start of the season I thought they could very likely lose. ATL is a good football team. It is hard to go 12-4 or better for a season in the NFL.

[denverYooper]

Guys, don't worry! Aikman has the Packers D 10th in the Aikman efficiency ratings!

$$ ":

The 4-0 Packers (10th in the Aikmans, 28th in the NFL) and the 3-1 49ers (2nd in the Aikmans, 17th in the NFL) are the top “Aikman” defenses at the moment in the sense that they rank the most spots higher in the current Aikmans than they do when measured just by yards.

The man has sure a way with words.

[rbaloha1]

I can say this for sure; if Packers lose to the Falcons on SNF then this thread will get red hot!

Maybe a loss wakes-up the defense.