Paul Bretl | 12/4/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Following a performance out of the bye week against the Chicago Bears that, as Jeff Hafley put it, was “not to our standard,” the Packers defense has made a quick turnaround over the last two games versus San Francisco and Miami.
However, even while the game in Chicago didn’t unfold exactly how the defense wanted it to, with them struggling to stop the run and get off the field on third downs, Hafley did come out of that game with a positive–the defenders were in good positions to make plays, “Maybe as good as we’ve been all year within our scheme,” Hafley said.
Of course, at the end of the day, the plays have to be made, but that underlying takeaway was a sign of things to come for the defense in the coming games and, perhaps most importantly, showcased the growth and comfort that the defensive players were gaining in this new scheme.
“I think there’s a lot of guys starting to hit that stride,” said Jeff Hafley on Monday. “I think guys are gaining confidence in themselves, they’re gaining confidence in the scheme because they know what they’re doing and they’re getting more confidence in what they’re doing and when you have more reps over time that usually happens.”
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Although we all want results in whatever it is that we do as quickly as possible, switching over to a new defensive scheme takes time–far more time than just OTAs and training camp. While, yes, all of the installs are made during that time of the year, as we’ve heard Matt LaFleur reference in the past, it’s one thing to know the playbook, it’s another thing to be able to go out and execute your responsibility on the field when everything is moving at lightning speed.
And even when a player may be comfortable with what they’re being asked to do, each offense every week is going to attack the defense differently, giving the defenders new looks that they have to react to in real-time within the scope of what is being asked of them. It’s also not as if the playbook implemented in August is the same playbook now either. As Hafley has said, it’s constantly evolving and changing as the season progresses, adapting to the challenges that the upcoming opponent presents and so the Green Bay defense doesn’t become predictable.
Think about it this way–you start a new job, and while what’s being asked of you on a weekly basis is within the scope of what the job description entailed, there are constant moving parts that can put new responsibilities on your plate depending on what the week looks like. Some of these changes may be dictated by your department, or perhaps, it’s another part of the organization that you have to adjust to. For most, there is going to be a learning curve that comes with all of this.
“You watch these guys,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, “first year in a system, regardless of what system you’re running, obviously the common thought is it’s a simpler system so they should play faster. And once they learn the details and the rules, then they can play fast, but there’s a process to that, and it still is very detailed. So while we might not be doing quite as many techniques, the techniques that we are using are very detailed. That’s the best way to put it, I guess from being in a couple different systems and this one most recently.”
The overall play from the Packers’ defense these last few games and coming out of the bye week, which came at the halfway point in the season, is one sign that the comfort and confidence level of the collective unit within Hafley’s scheme is increasing. Even with some of the execution issues that popped up against the Bears, the defense is surrendering just 15.3 points per game over the last three weeks, which includes stifling Christian McCaffrey, De’Von Achane, and a Miami offense that had been averaging 29.0 points per contest in their previous five games.
But the individual performances during this span of games, particularly from players who have had quiet stretches this season, may be the best example of the growth that is taking place.
Linebacker Quay Walker has put together what have easily been his best two performances of the season. He’s positioned well in coverage, knifing through blockers, flowing sidelined-to-sideline, and making plays at the line of scrimmage. Lukas Van Ness, meanwhile, has been one of the most efficient and productive pass rushers in recent weeks, according to PFF’s pass-rush productivity metric, recording five pressures, three sacks, and a forced fumble in the last two games.
“If you guys were able to watch him in practice right now, he’s practicing with a whole different level of confidence,” Hafley said of Walker. “You can hear it, just by how loud he is when he’s communicating, how he’s lining up, how he’s moving around, and Van Ness is doing the same thing.
“I appreciate the patience but it’s a matter of time before these guys in year one with new techniques and a new system and new calls and getting more comfortable, and the whole goal is to play better and better each week where the last game of the year we’re playing as good football as we have.”
Keisean Nixon has continued to settle in on the boundary as he gains more reps in that role. He wasn’t targeted at all against San Francisco and was sticky in coverage versus Miami, holding the Dolphins’ receivers to just 7.3 yards per catch, along with recording a pass breakup.
It’s also not as if the players are the only ones doing the learning. The coaching staff is doing the same from the perspective of learning each player’s skill set, specifically, what they do best and how to leverage those abilities within the scheme and weekly gameplan.
“Being a coach, you’ve got to find out what those guys are good at,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich. “You give them a whole bunch of different things to work on and then you kind of hone in on what you believe and what the kid or the player believes that we can get better at.”
All offseason, we frequently heard the terms “fast and physical,” which is the play-style and mentality that Hafley wants his defense to exude. In part, that’s a mentality, but achieving that type of play also stems from confidence and the preparation that goes into each week.
Overthinking can be debilitating not only in football but also in sports in general. As running backs coach Ben Sirmans says, if you think, you stink. When overthinking, oftentimes, a player will slow down rather than reading and simply reacting to what’s unfolding. That overthinking can occur when something is new and trying to process what is happening in real time while still playing within the scope of what your role calls for.
However, on the flip side, when there is confidence and a truly deep understanding of what you’re being asked to do, there is less thinking and just more reacting to what the offense is doing. This ultimately unlocks that fast and physical play-style.
For whatever reason, Hafley’s defense was dubbed a simple system. But that’s not the case at all. Perhaps there is less on the plates of the defenders compared to other schemes, but there is incredible nuance and detail to what they are being asked to do, and like with anything, mastering it takes time.
“The guys have stacked up all those reps throughout OTAs, throughout training camp, you find out what you’re good at, you find out what the guys are comfortable with, you find out the skill sets of all the different DBs that are playing together, and then you go,” Downard said. “And just I think the more and more reps you have, the better you get at something. I think that’s what we’re starting to see, and it’s tying it all in.
“It goes back to just doing your job. All 11, just do your job. We’ve seen that and we’ve just got to keep it going the same way, and keep emphasizing the ball and the play style, and the brand, because I really think that’s showing up as of late, and it needs to show up, especially as we go into these later months in the season. That’s the difference in these games.”
Time and reps were always going to be vital components for this defense to be firing on all cylinders. The good news is that you don’t need to be playing your best ball in September or even October or November. The key is to continue building and being on a constant upward trajectory so that when those final weeks and the playoffs roll around, you’re playing your best football. And right now, the Packers’ defense, while certainly not there yet, is on that path.
“The whole goal is to play better and better each week where the last game of the year we’re playing as good football as we have,” said Hafley.