Defense, defense, defense!
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 12:27 AM CST
54 comments
I'm not sure about you guys, but I never thought our defense would be our strongest unit this year. I thought we might be in a bit of trouble with Kampman and Harris going down, but so far guys have been able to come in and step up. What's most impressive to me is the play of Brad Jones. When he initially started at LOLB for Kampman against Dallas, he was great in coverage but was lacking rushing the passer. It's been kind of a common theme on this blog the past few weeks that our pass rush needs to improve. Specifically, at LOLB. Well Jones sure answered the call tonight.
He had a sack and got pressure on Flacco many times while going against a very good RT in Michael Oher. What really surprised me was the pressure we were able to put on the Ravens tonight. We collapsed the pocket a number of times, and even had some success getting to Flacco when only rushing three guys.
How about B.J. Raji!? The trend of Raji making big time plays is becoming more and more noticeable. The more playing time he gets, the more big plays we see out him. His size and athleticism continue to impress me, and I really have no doubt he is going to turn into a top 3-4 d-lineman barring any injuries.
And there is one more fellow rookie that continues to impress...Clay freakin' Matthews. And too think I was actually a bit skeptical about TT trading up to draft him..He had 2 sacks tonight, giving him 7 on the year and seems to improve more and more every week. He has been good rushing the passer all year but what is most impressive about him is his all round ability. He can cover, he can stuff the run, and he has the rare ability to finish plays off plays.
How about Thompson's 2008 draft? It has resulted in 3 defensive starters, who all appear to have very bright futures with our team. So much for him "not being able to evaluate talent" or "not being able to draft" right?
Then factor in Woodson (who really should be considered for the MVP award), Jenkins, and Collins. This defense really is the real deal and I think we've done enought against two very good offenses to prove that.
P.S.- Don't look now but Hawk is actually starting to look like a very good LB...
0 recs |
54 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Like I said in the Game thread
Watching the play where BJ Raji put Ben Grubbs on skates for a tackle for loss was eye popping. Grubbs is a pro bowl caliber guard who I saw dominate Albert Haynesworth in a game last year.
The D-line may be our best unit on this team.
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey
Yep
The play were he shedded Grubbs block and tackled Rice was also very impressive. When we have him out there most of the time along with Pickett and Jenkins our d-line is going to be scary good..no disrespect to Jolly.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 1:17 AM CST up reply actions
Nice post ...
And as a benefit , its Jarlsberg bait :)
AGREED!
The best thing the Packers did for this season was to sign Dom Capers. And they’ve assembled a pretty good cast of characters for him to work with too.
Our D isn’t just on paper — it’s for real.
They really kicked bu++ tonight, even if they also collected an almost historic number of penalties. (That’s a subject for a different post.)
I’d also like to put in a plug for Finley. He’s a new guy, and he’s made his mistakes ……… but I’ve had a soft spot for him ever since I heard of him. I hope his knee heals soon and he gets more chances to prove himself. Rodgers seems to have established a rapport with him.
Finley
Is an animal. I might be going overboard but I think he has the ability to eventually be mentioned with the Witten’s, Gate’s, and Gonzalez’s of the league. He is a tremedous combination of size, speed, and athleticism.
Another thing we may want to consider…playing Ahman Green more. He is obviously great at picking up blitzes and catching the ball out of the backfield but he still looks like he can run the ball effectively. Grant tends to dance around at the line at times and is soft at the point of a collision. Green gets up field and usually falls forward, which really can make a huge difference.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 1:26 AM CST up reply actions
I think so too
He split carries in his time in Houston and was not playing football for 2 years after leaving Houston. His legs look fresh, and he is better in all aspects then Grant and Jackson.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 10:12 AM CST up reply actions
He’s surprised me so far with how well he’s played lately. I think the key is using him sparingly though.
You could be right. I just get sick of seeing Grant hesitate and end up with gains of 0-2 yards. Grant also NEVER falls forward. He must not have very good lower body strength. It seems like he gets lit up a few times every game.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 11:02 AM CST up reply actions
Absolutely right! --
But after all the nagging injuries they’ve seen this year, I just worried that he might be out for a while. I like Finley a lot and hope he’s back for the Bears!
The greatest thing is, even with all the injuries they’ve had, they still seem to get the right guys in the right places to keep winning. Whether you like his ways or not, that says something for Thompson and his recruiting ………
Yes he did. And he scored two TDs after coming back.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
I think one was before.
And one was after. I could be wrong. (Haha, sorry I’ve just ney-seyed two of your posts)
Your right. For some reason I thought he had both of his 2 Td’s in the 2nd half.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 2:42 PM CST up reply actions
I agree, but there's one flaw with our defense
They tend to give up more touchdowns than field goals when the opponent is in the red zone.
The stats back this up too
According to this site we are 26th in the league in Defensive Red Zone Scoring Percentage. It doesn’t break down between TD’s and FG’s as far as I can see but that is not a great stat no matter how you slice it.
Frye is honestly gotta be one of the top 10 3rd Stringers in all of the NFL right now--colbyb
Wonder if you could correlate that...
to how often we give the opposing team the ball on their side of the field whether it be by ST or offensive mishaps. We have been doing that a lot this year it seems.
Looking to buy: General Manager Deputy Badge
by Bush League All Star on Dec 10, 2009 12:40 AM CST up reply actions
Possibly. I know we did this against the Bengals, Bucs 2x, and Vikes just off the top of my head.
by packallday555 on Dec 10, 2009 10:39 AM CST up reply actions
The D is the real deal
Matthews is amazing. He’s a big-time playmaker on this defense. It’s going to be tough for offenses to scheme against a defense with so many playmakers. Raji is picking up steam and making huge plays. Jenkins is an animal. Matthews looks great. Woodson is the defensive player of the year. Collins is one of the best safetys in the league. So many playmakers….
Something that might get lost in all of this is Bigby. He’s been incredibly solid at safety for the Packers.
Special Teams
Chillar looked really good on special teams tonight.
Crosby should start considering the real estate markets outside of Green Bay if he keeps this crap up.
Why the heck did we kickoff to Webb?? Ridiculous! The pooch kicks were effective. I’d rather give the ball consistently on the 30-35 than risk giving it up deep in our territory on a big return. Horrible call on the coaching staff’s part.
BUT --
Tramon Williams needs to start using his brain a bit more, and cutting down on penalties. I know it’s hard for him to fill the shoes of those who came before him, but still, he just needs to chill a bit. He’s good, no question. But if we’re going to make it through the playoffs, he’s got to learn some discipline.
Yeah I was very disappointed with his play yesterday. While at least one of the penalties was extremely ticky tacky, he was armbarring a LOT and that was against pretty mediocre competition. What happens when he has to cover Boldin or Fitzgerald?!?!
That’s going to be scary. We’ll just have to hope we can Warner to move around a bit back there.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 10:19 AM CST up reply actions
kick it out of bounds
I am pretty sure (with no statistical proof) that our ST’s would be rated higher and we would have a better record if Crosby would line up and kickoff out of bounds every time.
the other team gets it at their 45, correct?
seriously, just kick it out of bounds.
that is even better
Brandon or Mitchell, figure this stat out.
If the Pack had kicked every single kickoff out of bounds, what would their ranking be in ST?
Just a guess, but I bet it is higher then what it currently is.
They're not that bad
According to NFL.com, the average start is the 24. 13% of Packer kickoffs have been touchbacks. They’re the 3rd worst unit in the NFL (according to FO), but they are no Pittsburgh, who are 3 times as bad according to Football Outsiders, and have allowed 4 returns for TDs.
No love for chuck's tackle on first and goal before the interception.
It probably saved a touchdown and was one of the most amazing tackles I have ever seen.
I wanted to talk more about the rookies but yes that was a HUGE play. He really should be up for MVP nominations. He does it all. He’s played Cb, saftey, and LB this year in our scheme and been very effective doing all of them.
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 10:15 AM CST up reply actions
GREAT POINT!
That tackle was absolutely huge! And one that I don’t think anyone else can make, certainly from the secondary. His legend just grows with every game now.
Frye is honestly gotta be one of the top 10 3rd Stringers in all of the NFL right now--colbyb
Great article...
I totally agree with you …. the three rookies make this potential TT’s best draft.
The only thing that worries—and it really worries me— is the past defense. We had so many PI calls and secondary break downs, I am wondering how Tramon Williams,Bush, Underwood will hold up against a team with REAL receving threats that go 4 or 5 deep, like New Orleans, Arizona and, to a lesser extent, Minnesota (the three teams ahead of us)
Somehow Tramon and Jarrett Bush have to step up their level BUT if we can pressure the opposing QB like we did against Baltimore, then that will cover up our inadequacies in the secondary
I think Williams is ok for the most part. He was actually in good position on both of his PI’s. Had he not panicked and grabbed the guys arm both likely would have been incompletions. Even Bush looked a tad bit better this game. He actually made to good plays, which is a huge improvement for him. But it was against the Ravens 3rd Wr.
Somehow Tramon and Jarrett Bush have to step up their level BUT if we can pressure the opposing QB like we did against Baltimore, then that will cover up our inadequacies in the secondary
Yeah, pressuring the Qb is key and we were actually able to last night. The problem was the Ravens eventually just starting Flacco chuck it up deep in hopes for a big gain or a PI call (which was a great chance with the way the refs were calling the game).
by packallday555 on Dec 8, 2009 10:19 AM CST up reply actions
Don't mean to kill the mood but...
I just read an article that says Pickett and Raji were both hurt in the Ravens game. Pickett went out with a hamstring injury and never returned. Raji went out with what is thought to be a knee sprain but was able to return.
It sounded like Pickett may be 50-50 and Raji will likely play. I guess one positive of Pickett being out is we would see Raji at the NT, which is thought to be his best positon but the negatives of him being out would far outweigh this rather minimal positve. It would hurt the rotation, and likely wear down our front 3 a lot more.
It is early in the week though, so we’ll have to wait and see what later reports say. But if one of them is out, at least it’s against the Bears..
Bears have the worst starting left guard in the league his name is Omiyale
Olin Kreutz has lost about 18 steps and is now one of the worst centers in the league. Kind of a pity considering his career. Their Right Guard is Garza, who is good but not great. Their line will look quite a bit different next year with only 2 to 3 returning starters.
by Donald Driver on Dec 9, 2009 2:58 AM CST up reply actions
Any updates on resigning Johny Jolly and Nick Collins? last I heard they weren’t talking. We need both of them badly. Jolly is an excellent 3-4 DE!!! Don’t get me started on Nick Collins.
Sign them!
I agree 100%. If TT lets Collins go then he ought to be taken out to the middle of Lambeau field and shot by a firing squad. Jolly needs the same consideration. Throw some damn money at them if you have to, but get them signed!
by pvilleWIcheezhed on Dec 10, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions
We’ll definitely sign Collins, I hope. He is becoming an elite level FS.
Pickett and Jolly are both FAs after this year and I’m interested to see what happens with them. Raji will likely become a starter next year either at NT or LE, and I’m curious as to what kind of effect that has on Pickett and Jolly’s decisions to return to our team.
A large part of our run defense being so stout this year is our d-line. Having 4 starting caliber guys who can rotate, keeping one another fresh is a big advantage. It will be interesting to see what happens and I hope both will resign with us.
by packallday555 on Dec 10, 2009 12:56 PM CST up reply actions
I think they
can and will keep them (pickett, Jolly) and maybe pick up an extra in the draft. I say this because running a 3-4 you should go into each game carrying 5 DL in case of injuries and rotation. This is what also makes a 3-4 a little cheaper to maintain because linebackers don’t carry a price tag like DE get in a 4-3. An example—Jarrod Alan gets more to rush the passer than Aaron Rodgers gets to run an entire offense. Another rather too painfull for me to talk about example would be Aarron Kampman ( 6 million) Brad Jones 300,000. If anything I think the Key free agent coming up next year is Kampman. I have no clue what they will do, but I have a feeling he won’t be in GB. Here is a link from the Jurnal Sentenal on 2009 salaries—— very interesting. I can’t believe how much Jerrett Bush is getting.
Agreed
Someone pointed out a while ago how nice it would be to have Harrell actually play as he would probably be a good 3-4 DE but the guy is NEVER healthy so who knows.
I think Kampman definitely goes next year. I hope we franchise him and trade him. I know we won’t get as much as we orginally might have thought but it’s better to get something for him, then have him go to another team for nothing.
Bush is getting like $1 mill+ isn’t he? Absolutely ridiculous.
by packallday555 on Dec 12, 2009 1:10 AM CST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Acme Packing Company
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
