An Unusual 3rd & Long Defensive Package

[The Shadow]

Did we not set the all-time NFL record for most putrid defense last year - playing a 2 man line 138% of the time?? Or am I mistaken?? Good grief, we gave up an avg of 411 yds/game last year.

I understand that most Packer fans consider pressuring the QB to be impolite, but I'm old school - to me, defense is about pressure first, coverage second. The NY Giants secondary is average at best - but they put up one hellish pass rush. Page 1 of my playbook is send all 11, and make compromises to dropping into coverage from there.

Why did we even bother drafting any front seven guys this year, if all Dom is going to do is put 2 smallish DL on the field with 9 merengue dancers??

I think pressure is actually the POINT : penetrating, slippery & quick guys versus fat, slow guys that just get locked on to offensive linemen too easily.

[wist43]

I think pressure is actually the POINT : penetrating, slippery & quick guys versus fat, slow guys that just get locked on to offensive linemen too easily.

I wanted to go to a 3-4 years ago b/c of the flexibility it offers in terms of presenting multiple fronts and disguised blitzes; but Dom doesn't play a 3-4, he plays - who the fuck knows what he plays, lol... it's a surefire mess though - as witnessed by giving up 6,585 yards!!!!

Everyone talks about how awesome our offense was last year - and they were awesome; but if they were awesome in gaining 6,482 yards - how putrid would that make our defense that gave up 6,585 yards??

The 2-whatever is fooling no one - I can sit on my couch and know who is coming. Beyond that, he burned Raji out last year, and effectively sapped him of his effectiveness as an inside rusher.

We need beef on the field to get push up the middle, in combination with an outside threat, mixed in with the blitz. We need to keep a good rotation going with all of those DL to keep them fresh, and taylor game plans to attack the weaknesses of the OL we're facing.

If we're facing an OL of ballarina's... push the pocket with Raji and Worthy; if we're facing an interior OL that is made up of behemoths who are susceptible to speed and quickness?? enter any combination of Daniels, Raji, Wilson, and Worthy - all the while pressing the edge with Perry on one side, and Matthews/blitzing on the other side.

It's time to dump the gimmicky 2-whatever, and get back to playing some tough, aggressive 3-4 defense.

[pbmax]

wist, there is no arguing with your general points, but the details leave something to be desired.

You say Raji was worn out last year, despite playing fewer percentage of the overall snaps than the Super Bowl year. You then suggest to play more 3 man D line, meaning he will be out there more often.

You want a rotation, but you had one last year. With only 6 D line, there is only so much rotation to be had with a 3 man line.

You want 3 D line and Perry and Matthews pressuring. That a 5 man line on the pocket, meaning you will be dropping someone into coverage. Who do you want to drop into coverage? Matthews, the best rusher? Perry, the worst OLB coverage guy? 3 D lineman on a passing down means one of the three best pass rushers will be in coverage unless its a blitz.

I do agree that a static 2-4-5 means there is no guessing who is coming because its a four man line. But that is also the package that Capers blitzes out of the most. Meaning it is not as predictable as it would look on a chalkboard.

Lastly, no serious analysis of football performance looks at total yardage. The Packers were far better on a points per game basis last year than the yardage would indicate. It wasn't good enough, but it wasn't league worst nor did it set a record.

[wist43]

wist, there is no arguing with your general points, but the details leave something to be desired.

You say Raji was worn out last year, despite playing fewer percentage of the overall snaps than the Super Bowl year. You then suggest to play more 3 man D line, meaning he will be out there more often.

You sound like a politician - spend more, but in terms of percentage it's less?? I distinctly remember reading an article in which both Raji and Capers both said he wore down, both b/c of the amount of snaps he took; and specifically the number of snaps he took on the nose.

Raji's most natural position is 3-technique; on the nose, he's constantly having to deal with double teams, he wears down, and his burst and quickness are wasted. I put most of the blame for that on Capers, some on Thompson for not providing enough DL.

You want a rotation, but you had one last year. With only 6 D line, there is only so much rotation to be had with a 3 man line.

I wouldn't necessarily mind keeping only 6 DL if we were LB rich and explosive on that level; but outside of Matthews and Raji, our front seven was a dead unit - as witnessed by our pathetic sack and pressure numbers. We simply didn't have any firepower anywhere in the front seven.

You want 3 D line and Perry and Matthews pressuring. That a 5 man line on the pocket, meaning you will be dropping someone into coverage. Who do you want to drop into coverage? Matthews, the best rusher? Perry, the worst OLB coverage guy? 3 D lineman on a passing down means one of the three best pass rushers will be in coverage unless its a blitz.

It's all about confusion and disguising who you're bringing... of course dropping Matthews or Perry is a viable call. Drop Matthews to cover the flat while bringing a corner or a safety?? Lining up static and bringing the same rush will get picked up every time.

I do agree that a static 2-4-5 means there is no guessing who is coming because its a four man line. But that is also the package that Capers blitzes out of the most. Meaning it is not as predictable as it would look on a chalkboard.

We're simply not generating pressure out of 2 man fronts - we have more talent up front this year thanks to a good draft, so maybe the results will improve, but the fact is we generated only 6 sacks in the last 7 games - including playoffs.

I'll repeat that most unpleasant stat - 6 stinking sacks, in the last 7 games, including playoffs!!!

Lastly, no serious analysis of football performance looks at total yardage. The Packers were far better on a points per game basis last year than the yardage would indicate. It wasn't good enough, but it wasn't league worst nor did it set a record.

I don't usually put too much stock in yardage numbers - but 6,585 yards is both ridiculous and embarrassing; and we did surrender more passing yds than any team in league history - at least according to Pro Football Weekly.

Of course some of that is a function of teams playing catch up to our offense; but there's no hiding the pathetic sack and pressure numbers - which of course lead to a comfortable pocket for opposing QB's, which of course leads to all the yards and eventually points. The only thing that saved us from setting league worst records in just about every defensive passing catagory were the INT's.

[pbmax]

If a rate calculation puts you off discussing the defense, its going to be hard to debate this point. But the defense has only a partial ability to influence how many plays it faces. Even a great defense, forcing a 3 and out every time, stands to face an increased number when it plays with a quick strike high scoring offense. Unless that offense commands time of possession in an extraordinary fashion. In fact, the Packers already lead the league in the most effective way to face less snaps, turnovers, and still faced a huge number of plays.

So to use Raji less, to put into place a system by which his snaps stand the largest chance of being reduced, he has to play a fewer percentage of plays.

Your proposal to use more 3 man lines in is direct opposition to your maxim that he must be kept fresh.

I tend to agree he is a more natural 3 tech, and he plays a substantial amount of snaps there in that Eagle Oakie. But he plays very few snaps at 5 tech. Since Capers seems to feel he is better at 0/1 tech or 3 tech than 5 tech, he has moved Pickett to 5tech and nothing that has come out of camp suggests that will change.

A rotation would help, but they always try to rotate. A more effective rotation (better players) would help more. But your 3 man line means more D line snaps for all lineman, rotation or not.

As it stands, I suspect they will use a small percentage more base due to McCarthy's earlier statement this year and the problem they had versus the run. But I also expect that the 2 man lines will be better because the drafted players and Muir (maybe Neal) will be effective enough to get Raji off the field. I hope, anyway.

[wist43]

I loved the draft - and I want those guys on the field in a steady rotation, thereby keeping everyone fresh.

As for Raji, my main complaint is not against Raji, it is against how Capers is using both him and Pickett. They're being used exactly opposite of how each should be used. Pickett is good just about anywhere in the base, but Raji needs to be used as a 5-technique in base, and as an inside rusher on passing downs. Dom apparently has no intention of doing that. It's obvious Raji doesn't take on double teams well, and it's obvious he wears down playing the nose - yet Dom seems to have blinders on to those facts.

Raji is being wasted by the way Dom is playing him, and it's hurting the defense. I would suspect that eventually Raji's attitude will be affected - wouldn't blame him in the least if he's just looking to play out his contract and get out of Green Bay.

Again, 6 sacks in the last 7 games - including playoffs. There's no defense for that fact.

[pbmax]

I would agree Pickett is better at Nose, but disagree that Raji is better at 5 tech. He looked very out of place there is 2009.