Cheese Curds, 2/18: Mike Pettine got his wish with a good pass defense, but at what cost?

By any measure, the Green Bay Packers fielded a good pass defense in 2019. Perhaps not great, but at the very least a good one. Whether ranking sixth in opponents’ passer rating, 10th in pass defense DVOA, or third in interceptions, the defense did a good job not getting beaten through the air with any regularity.

Of course, the rejuvenated pass rush played a large role in that, as did defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s willingness — and perhaps need — to play light with five and six defensive backs. Those factors helped drive the Packers to field a poor run defense, ranking 23rd in DVOA and 24th in yards per carry against. But the most frustrating part was that the defense could not stop the run against certain teams in certain situations — namely, when they knew it was coming.

Pettine’s right that more often than not, you lose games by giving up plays in the passing game. But run defense must be more than an afterthought, as the Packers’ performance against the 49ers demonstrated. Now it’s on Brian Gutekunst to give him the tools to fix that part of his unit, and on him to do it.

The Green Bay Packers Finally Have A Winning Hand In Their Secondary | Forbes.com
In Mike Pettine's second year, he did what he was hoping to do in putting together a defense that was solid against the pass. The Packers finished sixth in passer rating allowed, thanks in large part to a ferocious pass rush that helped the secondary thrive.

Green Bay Packers' use of safety at nickel linebacker gets exposed | Packersnews.com (subscription required)
However, Tom Silverstein wraps up his look at the 2019 squad with the defense, and blames the light nickel and dime personnel groupings for the team's failures to stop the run down the stretch.

Kari Bernier named 22nd member of Packers FAN Hall of Fame | Packers.com
A Milwaukee native who now lives in Tennessee, Bernier is said to have watched the Packers on TV starting at the age of two. She has a therapy dog named Starr, and she becomes just the fifth person living outside of Wisconsin to be awarded with this honor.

Aaron Rodgers’ 10 best throws from the 2019 season | Packers Wire
No surprise here -- the #1 throw is the touchdown to Jamaal Williams in the back corner of the end zone against the Chiefs.

Ten wide receivers worth pursuing in free agency/2020 NFL Draft - NFL.com
Perhaps Brian Gutekunst will take a look at James Jones' list, which finds just three draft prospects among the top ten.

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Want to hear your dog swear instead of bark? The Cuss Collar will set you back $60 but is sure to end up on some viral videos soon.