Whats with the D?

[Cheesehead Craig]

Its possible Burnett and/or Peprah are still in over their head in terms of recognition and adjustments on the fly.

Agree. Collins being out was a huge blow. It's obvious that the secondary is confused in their assignments far too often.

[Fritz]

To me, the biggest worry is the lack of pass rush. If the team had a pass rush, the coverage on the back end would automatically be better.

[pbmax]

To me, the biggest worry is the lack of pass rush. If the team had a pass rush, the coverage on the back end would automatically be better.

That is the other part of this I worry about. There were fewer concerns about communication issues when the opposing QB was flat on his back. Its hard to separate the two, but clearly the lack of one has exposed the existence of the other. Though, I do believe its worse without Collins making the calls. However, unlike the pass rush, I am pretty sure that Peprah and Burnett can get the calls down before the end of the season.

[pbmax]

Here is Dom talkin' about communicatin'.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/133403908.html

[Bossman641]

That is the other part of this I worry about. There were fewer concerns about communication issues when the opposing QB was flat on his back. Its hard to separate the two, but clearly the lack of one has exposed the existence of the other. Though, I do believe its worse without Collins making the calls. However, unlike the pass rush, I am pretty sure that Peprah and Burnett can get the calls down before the end of the season.

Why is the pass rush so much worse though? It can't all be missing Jenkins.

He missed the last 4 games last year. In those games the Packers had 2 (@Det), 3 (@NE), 1 (NYG), and 6 (CHI) sacks. Wasn't he also pretty limited in the Eagles game (3 sacks)?

To me, it looks like the blitz just isn't synched up at all. There are rarely LB's or DB's having clean holes to run through. They just sort of run into a mass of bodies.

[MadScientist]

MM called the defense unclean. Maybe he's been afraid to touch them because they are unclean?

[prime311]

I'll get into some specifics, as far as I see it. Some of the same things mentioned.


1. Nick Collins injury is putting Woodson into coverage too much and this makes our blitzes more obvious and easier to pick up.
2. No Neal or Jenkins means our interior pass rush has been weak and this dominos back to the LBs.
3. More teams are playing max protect versus our defense.
4. This was especially telling Sunday, but trouble getting off the field combined with an offense scoring quickly is wearing our defense out by halftime and it shows in the 4th. This has been most glaring on the defensive line with Pickett and Raji both gassed from playing pretty much the entire game.
5. Weather and Conditions. We've been playing in perfect weather all year. Not much wind, no rain aside from the end there yesterday, domes. Our offense will get worse and defense better once we start playing in cold, snow, and wind.
6. We're the champs. Every team is going to bring it every week and i think it shows.

I think our biggest problem on defense is my #2 comment, the defensive end position and the domino affect it has on our entire defense.

[prime311]

If he's playing 90%, that's just short of insane, and I think that would be hurting his effectiveness. Going from 85% (already one of the highest in the league for a DT, I'm sure) to 90 could well end up being the straw that broke the camel's back.

I haven't seen the numbers, but I would venture a guess that the Packers D is playing a lot more snaps in general since they can't get off the field. 85% of this years snaps is probably a lot more then last years.

[mmmdk]

5. Weather and Conditions. Then came global warming and it became the Flora & Fauna Tundra.

[mmmdk]

Our offense should score in slowmotion; that'll keep the D of off the field. Or "snowmotion"!

[Upnorth]

I'll get into some specifics, as far as I see it. Some of the same things mentioned.


1. Nick Collins injury is putting Woodson into coverage too much and this makes our blitzes more obvious and easier to pick up.
2. No Neal or Jenkins means our interior pass rush has been weak and this dominos back to the LBs.
3. More teams are playing max protect versus our defense.
4. This was especially telling Sunday, but trouble getting off the field combined with an offense scoring quickly is wearing our defense out by halftime and it shows in the 4th. This has been most glaring on the defensive line with Pickett and Raji both gassed from playing pretty much the entire game.
5. Weather and Conditions. We've been playing in perfect weather all year. Not much wind, no rain aside from the end there yesterday, domes. Our offense will get worse and defense better once we start playing in cold, snow, and wind.
6. We're the champs. Every team is going to bring it every week and i think it shows.

I think our biggest problem on defense is my #2 comment, the defensive end position and the domino affect it has on our entire defense.

#1 and #2 are the biggest problems. #3 does not matter if we have collins. #4is lessened if we have neal and collins due to more three and outs with better rush and coverage. So this years injuries are having a larger impact than last years injuries. This implies less quality depth to me. Biggest loss on depth that I see was Jenkins. Did we under appreciate him?

One thing that speaks well of our Defence, passer rating of 79.3, that is quite good.

[pbmax]

Well, I am not sure about the overall numbers but I have seen plenty of Woodson blitzes and he has almost always been picked up. Teams know where and when he is coming. I think the Rams even had a screen they called for when he blitzed from the Defense's left.

That is why, much to McGinn's confusion today, I am sure Capers sent Williams and Shields versus the Chargers (and BUUUUSSSCCCHHH!) a number of times late in the game. It seemed to work as the Packers at least had people around Rivers late, even if the sacks numbers weren't there.

[mraynrand]

I was hoping a couple of times sunday to see them rush Matthews and Raji and drop 9 into coverage. Double Gates and Jackson, man underneath on three other receivers, including a RB with two safeties in zone.

[pbmax]

I was hoping a couple of times sunday to see them rush Matthews and Raji and drop 9 into coverage. Double Gates and Jackson, man underneath on three other receivers, including a RB with two safeties in zone.

I had thoughts along similar lines with the 3 and 4 man rush but I read a blog post on Cheesehead TV about delayed routes giving Capers and his fire zones fits. The idea is that you keep six or seven in to block the (expected) blitz, then leak a RB or TE out after the surge or overload is identified. They run drag routes across the formation after everyone is committed. If the underneath guys all play man, then there is no one there to defend that player. The blogger said the Lions did this last year and teams failed to pick up on it.

This year apparently, its becoming a recurring theme. To combat this with pressure, someone needs to get home quick or you have to play more zone coverage near the LOS.

I think that is why Hawk and Bishop have been doing the coverage then blitz look at times. They are reading the back/TE and if they don't go out, they blitz.

[Gunakor]

Barnett is a far better player than Hawk. You are grasping at straws,

I never compared Barnett to Hawk. If anything I compared Barnett to Bishop and said the defense got better with Bishop playing in Barnett's stead. Do you dispute what happened last season?