Packers defense comes under fire

I will say this...the Packers Rush defense is VASTLY improved this year from last. The only thing I can find that the Packers don't do well is get after the QB...only 12 sacks all year.

Remember, when looking at Packer defensive stats for this season 3 of those 7 games were against the Rams, Lions, and Browns - and a 4th against the Bears when Cutler had a horrible game - comparatively look at the defensive stats against the Bengals and the 2 Viking games.

Pack will be back.... I think this defense will pick up and make plays down the stretch

The so called improvement couldn't have anything to do with the weak teams they have played could it? Detroit, Cleveland and St.Louis. Not actually Super bowl contenders. And this week they get that Tampa Bay powerhouse. When they play a decent team IE: Minnesota, they don't look so improved. Numbers can't be misleading!
Second half of the season they will be playing some better teams, then we'll see how much they actually have improved.

Just read this from Tom Silverstein of the Milw. Journal Sentinel:

"Yes, the Packers rank tied for fourth in total defense (283.4 yards per game allowed), but if you took away performances against the horrible Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, the Packers would rank 21st (338 per game)."

That is one rank less than 2008.

Man, is every Packer fan on the ledge or what? I guess Detroit and Cleveland don't count, huh? You still have to show up and take care of business.... that is what playoff teams do.

Or is this season over because Favre beat you twice? Who cares, move on... Still have nine games to play. You guys sound like the players in the locker room after the Minny beat down.

so what if the Packers played the Rams, Lions and Browns? So did the Vikings. And the Packers shut them down better than the Vikings did.

The Packers defense has some work to do. But they are obviously much improved and one of the top overall units in the NFL right now. Every team in the NFL has played a few cupcake games and a few tough ones.

Give Capers a full year and another offseason to get the defense shaped and ready and you'll start seeing some huge returns. Remember that we've been building the defense for the 4-3 for years. May take a bit to find a few more 3-4 pieces.

The Lions scored 27 on the Saints, 24 on the Bear, and 20 against the Steelers.

matt bowen comment earlier in Summer: "Cubs are going to the series DC." Niiiiiice.


with regards to my pack, we shall see how the D does for the rest of the season. You get your schedule, and you have to make the best of it. Both the offense and defense love playing bad teams and excel at it. I expect a Maddenesque game from Rodgers this weekend as he loves bad defenses but can't win against good ones.

Rodgers is 10-13 as a starter, and packer fans, please defend him because I am losing confidence that he can ever win the big game. As bad as the D was on Sunday and it was bad, the Pack still had a chance to win the game down by 4 at the Vikes 35, and Rodgers just falls short...time and time and time again

Dan, I'd give Rodgers another year to work that out. Part of it is the lack of pass blocking, part of it is the lack of running game. Rodgers does need to improve his decision making. But in the grand scheme of things, he's still a young QB.

I think he will improve more next season. And get him a decent LT and a running back capable of putting up yards the first half of the game and you'll see different results. Rodgers has the tools and the smarts to put it together. I think he just needs to settle down and have more confidence in himself.

I agree that much of this is frustration after losing to the Vikings twice, but there are some key players on this defense who don't seem to be a good fit for the 3-4. Cullen Jenkins is one of them. His pass-rushing skills are not being utilized in this defense. In a recent story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel there was this quote from an NFL personnel man: "You're using a horse to do a mule's job. He's a good football player in the 3-4 and he's a very good football player in the 4-3." Mike McCarthy recently called Jenkins the best football player on the team, but they're not putting him in position to maximize his potential, in my opinion. The same holds true for Aaron Kampman. They're giving him more opportunities to rush with his hand down, but he still looks like a bad fit as a 3-4 OLB. Finally, they've used BJ Raji as a 3-4 end when he looks more like a pure 3-4 NT. I know his ankle has been a problem all year and Ryan Pickett has played well, but I'm guessing the Packers drafted Raji #9 overall to be a force in the middle, a la Casey Hampton, and will look for him to fill that role next year. I think the Packers still have work to do in finding the right pieces for the 3-4, and will make some more moves in the offseason.

They've got the talent and the scheme is fine. They should get better and better as the season moves along.

My concern is how this team fails to show up in games they need to win. There hasn't been a single "statement game" win in McCarthy's tenure. He's a good teacher, and he's designed a good offensive scheme, but he either needs to grow as a leader (and soon), or I'd be fine with firing him. Some people are better suited as coordinators than head coaches. There's no shame in that.

Look, I've always liked McCarthy, but I've lost faith that this team will ever show up when the lights are bright and the going gets tough. McCarthy's teams always, always come out soft and un-prepared in big games. I'm getting to the point where I've just seen enough.