The Defense and its improvement. Why?

[MadScientist]

Against Chicago, they looked like crap.
Against Seattle they looked good, but everybody is shutting down Seattle's offense. Even the Bears held them to 3 for a half, when their offense looked like JV backups.
KC was a good game, but KC's been pretty mediocre this year.
SF - Facing a QB who throws at receivers' feet will really make a defense look good.

On the other hand, Raji has looked really good. Mathews has been all over the place. Perry and Daniels are getting after the QB. Shields and the rookies are covering well and making plays. There haven't been many glaring WTF plays, and Dom simplifying the calls probably helped that.

So there's reason for optimism, but enough unknowns that we can't say how good they are for a while.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think they hit a tipping point of excellent players. Also you have a lot of young guys aging into their prime, 2 to 5 years in league.

[vince]

Here's an article by McGinn about the interior d-line setting the tone against the run and transforming the defense. Without Hawk to keep clean behind them, the d-line is more free to penetrate and make plays on ball carriers to force tougher down and distance situations and then unleash the pass rushers.

Protecting the inside linebackers was a way of life for the defensive linemen of the Green Bay Packers in their first six years under the current coaching staff.

It was the only way coordinator Dom Capers probably thought the run defense could hold up with A.J. Hawk and other lightweights stationed at inside linebacker.

For a multitude of reasons, the run defense died from Game 8 on in 2013 through Game 8 of 2014. In those 18 games, foes rushed for 156.1 per game and 5.01 per carry.

In 14 games with Matthews inside, those totals are 106.4 and 4.26. If you care to throw out the 199 yards gained by quarterbacks this year, the four-game yields are 65.3 and 4.02.

[sharpe1027]

Clay isn't overrated as a pass rusher. He's a great pass rusher. But the Packers have four other good pass rushers at OLB - while they don't have anybody that can come close to what Clay can do at ILB.

Well, I am not disagreeing he is great pass rusher, but he can still be overrated. I meant mostly based on his salary, but I admit that its hard to quantify. Since moving inside he's done a lot more to justify his salary, IMO.

[pbmax]

Well, I am not disagreeing he is great pass rusher, but he can still be overrated. I meant mostly based on his salary, but I admit that its hard to quantify. Since moving inside he's done a lot more to justify his salary, IMO.

He is overrated as a wide, OLB/DE rusher versus tackles. He is a great rusher almost anywhere else.

[pbmax]

Here's an article by McGinn about the interior d-line setting the tone against the run and transforming the defense. Without Hawk to keep clean behind them, the d-line is more free to penetrate and make plays on ball carriers to force tougher down and distance situations and then unleash the pass rushers.

I was going to write that Jim Haslett's calling card in Pittsburgh, compared to Dom and Dick was heavier ILBs. But I think I am the victim of narrative there. Levon Kirkland, even if you lined him up next to Alvin Garrett (Smurf, Fun Bunch) would make your ILB corps bigger. SO it might have been Haslett's preference, but Kirkland was drafted in 1992, started in 1993 and Haslett showed up in 1997.

So I am tempted to conclude that Bob is suffering from the same affliction here. If you don't think Capers was still protecting a man who had never played ILB professionally before when he switched his positions during the bye week last year, you may be delusional. And it should be noted no one hinted at the scheme change while Barrington was the starter. Palmer could not have been a factor since he had not even earned a job in the offseason.

The reason for the change in fortunes on run D was the difference between Matthews play and later period Hawk or Brad Jones. Not scheme.

The is also another reason penetration numbers may have gone up. Raji is back, and that is his game. He used to do that even with Hawk and Bishop behind him.

So Bob is concluding a scheme alteration based on 3 games. Its possible that Capers an Trgo are calling a different D, but I need more evidence and numbers about penetration.

[pbmax]

Also this:

After the vicious and explosive Desmond Bishop suffered what in effect was a career-ending thigh injury in August 2012, the Packers spent almost three full seasons both trying to hide and making excuses for Hawk and most of his fellow nonentities inside.

Anyone remember the run D numbers from 2011 with the vicious and explosive Bishop?

Facing the 5th fewest attempts (383), they yielded the 16th most yards (1789) for a 26th rank in yards per carry (4.7 allowed).

[gbgary]

better secondary= better pass rush. better up the middle with clay, raji, & co., has helped the run d. one other thing...heard/read many times about a new nastyness. don't know who brought that but it's cool to have. i don't want them to become cheap-shot artists like sea but as long as it's legal (not killing us with penalties) it's cool.

[pbmax]

From McGinn as well:

"We really haven't been the old two-gap deal for a while now. We feel we've got some good athletes. We want guys to make plays. We don't want them to be robots."

After he notes he has been working with Raji since his return on releasing off blocks. Trgovac has also said in the past they don't two gap nearly as much as people seem to think.

So while McGinn paraphrases Pickett as saying the overriding message from the coaches was to protect the ILBs, I am not sure that has been the case for some time.

[gbgary]

Gurley was a load today but if you take his 55 yd out he got 104 in 29 attempts...not so bad.

[sharpe1027]

He is overrated as a wide, OLB/DE rusher versus tackles. He is a great rusher almost anywhere else.

Yes.

[SMBASS]

He is overrated as a wide, OLB/DE rusher versus tackles. He is a great rusher almost anywhere else.

I agree pb. Clay usually gets fairly easily engulfed and neutralized when he has to rush against tackles straight up off of the edge. He's much more effective when you can move him around and the offense doesn't know exactly where he'll be coming from.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Clay is a great rusher wherever you put him. He's been a great rusher, and that's mostly been outside. People act like he's supposed to get a sack every play. Sometimes, the other guy blocking him is good too. Sometimes, a great rusher gets doubled. Sometimes, the opposing QB throws quickly or has a quick release. Clay deservedly got paid because he's been one of the best outside rushers in the league.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The Rams have the best pass rushing DLs in the league. Houston and Hali before are gteat. Those guys get blocked too. The way offenses are set up nowadays, it's hard to get consistent pressure. The best rushers now make a few disruptive or game changing plays per game - like Quinn's sack and forced fumble.

[sharpe1027]

Clay is a great rusher wherever you put him. He's been a great rusher, and that's mostly been outside. People act like he's supposed to get a sack every play. Sometimes, the other guy blocking him is good too. Sometimes, a great rusher gets doubled. Sometimes, the opposing QB throws quickly or has a quick release. Clay deservedly got paid because he's been one of the best outside rushers in the league.

As I said, the conversation about Clay seldom ends well. I'm not getting into it again, but he's a great rusher of the passer. I disagree that he justified his salary until they moved him inside part time. Let's just leave it alone.