The Packers are 3-1 with the defense allowing 20.8 points a game and ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing defense allowing just 42.8 yards a game, 24th in passing defense (274.5) and 9th overall (317.2).
Under Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers the defense has been ranked 2015-15th (346.7), 2014-15th (346.4), 2013-25th (372.2), 2012-11th (336.8), 2011-32nd (411.6), 2010-5th (309.1) and 2009-2nd (284.4).
General Manager Ted Thompson has been trying to improve the defense through the draft with 15 draft picks, including 6 No. 1 picks, 1 No. 2, 2 No. 3, 3 No. 4, 1 No. 5, and 2 No. 6. The remaining 12 of the 27 defensive players are undrafted (9) or street free agents (3), including acquiring former Panthers No. 1 pick Julius Peppers as a street free agent from the Bears. On the practice squad there is a No. 4 pick and a three undrafted free agents.
The improvement is evident so far holding the undefeated Vikings to 17 points. However, with the patented second half swoon the Jaguars scored 23 points and the Lions 24.
Next up the high scoring Cowboys (4-1) come to Lambeau Sunday averaging 25.8 a game with a rookie No. 4 pick quarterback.
Pro Football Talk is out with the weekly power rankings and the Packers are still ranked at No. 3 with these comments: Defensive improvements are making up for an inconsistent offense.
Sunday night the Packers were almost at full strength with only right cornerback Sam Shields (concussion) and left cornerback Damarious Randall (groin) on the sidelines. Despite second string cornerbacks the Packers gave up only 3 field goals and, of course, a late TD.
Through the first four games Capers is playing a 2-4 5 defensive scheme, despite the official depth chart saying its 3-4-4.
Letroy Guion and Mike Daniels are the 2 down linemen. With Mike Pennel coming off suspension that means most likely defensive tackle Brian Price will be cut and re-signed to the practice squad. Then we'll see if he maintains that scheme or goes to a 3-man line with Pennell at left defensive end, Guion at nose tackle and Daniels at right defensive end.
The depth on the line is rookie No. 4 pick Dean Lowry, who according to the official Packers depth chart is the starter at left defensive end, but he hasn't started a game yet. Go figure. At defensive tackle there is 2016 No. 1 draft pick Kenny Clark and 2015 No. 6 pick Christian Ringo.
I'm guessing the 2-4-5 will remain the scheme for the season with Pennel rotating with Guion and Daniels. Lowry, Clark and Ringo will see sparse playing time.
The starting outside linebackers are No. 1 draft picks Clay Matthews on the right and Nick Perry on the left. Perry, knock on wood, is playing well and leads the team with 4.5 sacks. Matthews has 3 sacks, but hasn't returned to his disruptive self and looks more ordinary than extraordinary.
Peppers has been relegated to pass rushing specialist and he has 1.5 sacks with 5 tackles (2 solo). The reasoning behind Peppers not starting was to keep him fresh because it seems the Packers coaches thought the way I did that he disappeared at times last year.
Well it seems Peppers still disappears even with all the rest. Since they are paying him starters' money he should have stayed the starter, or been cut freeing up money to sign more rookies. However, with Perry's injury history Peppers may still be needed to be a starter.
The other backups are 2013 No. 1 pick Datone Jones behind Matthews with rookie No. 3 pick Kyle Fackrell and undrafted free agent Jayrone Elliott the 3rd stringers. Fackrell seems to be more of a situational pass rusher than Peppers with 2 sacks, including a sack and forced fumble against the Giants. Elliott also played well late in the game. If you're counting that means Ted Thompson kept 6 outside linebackers.
The starting inside linebackers are 2015 No. 4 pick Jake Ryan and 2016 No. 4 pick Blake Martinez. 2014 Undrafted free agent Joe Thomas is the lone backup. All 3 play with Thomas coming in on passing situations.
While for the first time in a long while the linebackers are the leading tacklers instead of the safeties I'm not sold on Ryan and Martinez. Neither is a big hitter, but up to now the Packers are leading the lead in run defense, so they must be doing something right.
2015 undrafted free agent LaDarius Gunter has been the starter at right corner while Sam Shields is out. I think he might have won the job. Shields may be near the end with his 4th official concussion. He missed 1 game in 2011 with this first, missed 2 games in 2014, 4 games in 2015 and has now missed 3 games this year.
2015 No. 1 pick Damarious Randall was great last year as a rookie, but has been burned on a regular basis this season. It has got so bad that opposing quarterbacks go after him and have ignored Gunter on the other side. I think he will rebound, but a groin injury has sidelined him forcing a move the Packers didn't want to make.
2015 No. 2 pick Quinten Rollins replaced Randall at left corner against the Giants with 2013 No. 5 pick Micah Hyde moving into the slot. Hyde has played there before and is not bad, but Rollins has replaced Casey Haywood in the slot with good results. He played relatively well against the Giants, but Odell Beckham, Jr. did catch 5 balls on him.
The reserves are 2016 undrafted free agent Josh Hawkins and 2014 No. 6 Demitri Goodson, who is also eligible after coming off suspension. I suspect one of the rookie safeties will be cut and re-signed to the practice to activate him.
The Packers secondary is better with Randall on the outside and Rollins in the slot. When Shields is healthy he is fast, but he does get beat and caught on because he is short (5-11, 184). Gunter is 6-2, 201 and may be the next Shields, who was also an undrafted free agent.
The safeties are 2014 No. 1 pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at free and 2010 No. 3 pick Morgan Burnett at strong. Clinton-Dix has all the tools, but he hasn't turned the corner into a premier safety yet. He became the starter the last 10 games of 2014 and has been ever since, but he only had 1 interception his rookie season and 3 last year. He has none this year.
Clinton-Dix was drafted to be the next Nick Collins and he may still be considering it took Collins four seasons to become elite. He had also had 1 interception his rookie season and 3 his next and none his third, but broke out with 7, 6 and 4 his next three years before suffering his career-ending neck injury in 2011.
Burnett is the dean of the secondary only because he is the oldest. He also hasn't lived up to expectations and has been injury prone lately. He missed 3 games in 2013 with a hamstring injury, 1 game in 2014 with a calf injury and 5 games last year with the same calf. This year he missed training camp with a back injury and missed the Lions game with a groin injury. He is the 6th leading tackler on the Packers with 16 tackles (13 solo) and 1 sack.
The backups are Hyde, 2013 Jaguars street free agent Chris Banjo and 2016 undrafted free agents Kentrell Brice and Marwin Evans.
Finally let's look at the defense as a whole and you'll find it has to be the youngest in the league and the youngest the Packers have even fielded. Ted Thompson doesn't value experience because veterans cost too much.
Here's the breakdown on the active roster, including the suspensions:
(5 over 7 years experience; 2 with 5; 2 with 4; 5 with 3; 5 with 2; 1 with 1; 7 rookies). *starters
1. Peppers (age 36 - 15 years) (SFA-#1)
2. Matthews (30 - 8)* (#1)
3. Guion (29 - 9)* (SFA)
4. Shields (28 - 7)* (UFA)
5. Burnett (27 - 7)* (#3)
6. Daniels (27 - 5)* (#4)
7. Goodson (27 - 3) (#6)
8. Banjo (26 - 3) (SFA)
9. Jones (26 - 4) (#1)
10. Perry (26 - 5)* (#1)
11. Hyde (25 - 4) (#5)
12. Pennel (25 - 3) (UFA)
13. Thomas (25 - 2) (UFA)
14. Elliott (24 - 3) (UFA)
15. Fackrell (24 - R) (#3)
16. Gunter (24 - 2) (UFA)
17. Randall (24 - 2)* (#1)
18. Ringo (24 - 1) (#6)
19. Rollins (24 - 2)* (#2)
20. Ryan (24 - 2)* (#4)
21. Clinton-Dix (23 - 3)* (#1)
22. Evans (23 - R) (UFA)
23. Hawkins (23 - R) (UFA)
24. Brice (22 - R) (UFA)
25. Martinez (22 - R)* (#4)
26. Price (22 - R) (UFA)
27. Clark (22 - R) (#1)
Practice Squad:
1. ILB Carl Bradford (24 - 2) (#4)
2. S Jermaine Whitehead (23 - 1) (UFA)
3. CB Herb Waters (23 - R) (UFA)
4. OLB Reggie Gilbert (23 - R) (UFA)
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