Defensive Resurgence

Dom Capers suddenly has answers

Whether it was Mike McCarthy looking over his shoulder last season, a séance with Phil Bengston or Fritz Shurmur or a head injury from a fall down the stairs or a combination of all three Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers has seen the light and for the last four games the Packers defense has been playing the best since the Super Bowl season.

 

Starting with Seattle the Packers defense has been on the whole very solid. Marshawn Lynn was held to 41 yards on 15 carries (2.7 average) and Russell Wilson 19-of-30 for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns and one interception while being sacked twice officially, but the loss was only for one yard so those were actually being caught behind the line of scrimmage when he attempted to scramble. For the game Wilson was their leading rusher with 78 yards on 10 carries.

However there was still some old problems that keeps emerging. First the lull at the start of the third quarter when the Seahawks opened with an 80-yard drive and Wilson's 5-yard touchdown pass. During the drive the Packers gave up three big plays, a 24-yard pass to open the drive, a 17-yard pass on a 3rd-and-11 followed by a 10-yard pass on 1st down.

 

After a 3-and-out the Seahawks were driving again going 54 yards on five plays ending in Wilson's second TD pass. During that drive four more big plays, an 11-yard pass on the first play, Wilson running for 17 yards on the next, a 13-yard pass on 2nd-and-10 and finally the 13-yard TD pass.

 

However, instead of continued befuddlement the defense stiffened and finished the game strong holding the Seahawks to 17 points.

Against the Chiefs the defense gave up just seven points until the Chiefs scored a TD with 56 seconds left in the third quarter. Once again the Packers Capers doesn't seem to want a dominating a performance as the Packers gave up two more TDs in the fourth quarter to make the game a lot closer than it really was, 38-28. Thank goodness the Packers offense was going good at that time.

 

Jamal Charles was held to 49 yards on 11 carries and Alex Smith completed 24-of-40 passes for 290 yards (mostly late) and 1 TD and 1 interception. The Packers began their current sack parade with seven.

 

But again another old problem raised its ugly head. The defense gave up too many big plays, including 61-yard, 38-yard, 16-yard and 13-yard pass completions and a 19-yard run by Smith.

 

And to just show you how the Packer defense can be a cure all for any problems an opposing team may have the Chiefs were allowed to complete their first TD pass to wide receiver since 2013. I would have liked that frustration to be relieved by some other team.

 

Then the Packer offense got complacent and went on cruise control for the next two games. The third game in a row against an old nemesis Collin Kaepernick and the San Francisco was a great game that the defense needed to play since the offense could only put up 17 points in a 17-3 win.

 

Carlos Hyde was held to 20 yards on 8 carries and Kaepernick was held to 57 yards on 10 scrambles. Kaepernick was horrible as a passer and that helped the Packer effort completing 13-of-25 passes for 160 yards with no TDs and one interception.

 

Although he gained 12 yards on his play he was held in check and not allowed to roam as he did in the three previous games against the Packers and was sacked six times. However, once again big plays were given up, including a 38-yard pass, a 19-yard pass and a 12-yard pass. Kaepernick's first run was the longest of the game.

 

Against the Rams the Packers offense was even more complacent and needed another strong defensive performance to remain undefeated after a 24-10 win, which included a defensive pick-6, so the offense once again scored only 17 points.

 

The Rams had a decent second quarter to pull within four-points at the half 14-10. For a change the defense pitched a second half shutout with two key interceptions and two sacks, but many quarterback hits that led to the two interceptions.

 

For the game the Packers picked off four passes and had three sacks, but more importantly 12 quarterback hits and 3 tackles for 18 yards in losses.

 

This time the turnovers were key because the defense fell back to old norms. Todd "Gurley Man" rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries, including a 55-yard run.

 

Nick Foles had a tough game passing (11-of-30 passes for 141 yards), but hit many big plays, including passes of 68, 20, 17, 12 and 10-yards.

 

I would be more happy going into the Chargers game Sunday if the Packers defense had had a better statistical game. You can't depend on turnovers, two inside the 10 yard line, to win games, but that's what happened against the Rams and at Lambeau Field no less.

 

Morgan Burnett posing

The Packers host a Charger team that can't seem to catch a break coming off a late-game loss to the Steelers. Let's hope the Packer defense with Morgan Burnett back at strong safety, at least part-time, and Letroy Guion fully back into the swing of things with B.J. Raji mostly liking held out with a groin injury will put in a dominating performance, especially the pass rush with the Chargers having offensive line issues.

 

I think the Packers offense........wait I will address how I feel the offense will play Sunday in another post.