The luxury of depth, versatility in secondary gives Packers numerous game-planning options

Paul Bretl | 10/10/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Once fully healthy, the Packers have the ultimate luxury in their secondary: a number of versatile defenders for Jeff Hafley to build his game plans around.

“I think just the versatility we have in the secondary is a huge luxury,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday. “I don’t think a lot of teams have as many guys that we feel confident in to put in the game and not only put in the game but play winning football.”

Once Jaire Alexander is back in the mix, between the cornerback and safety positions, the Packers will have seven different players that they trust to play significant defensive snaps on Sundays. In addition to Alexander at corner, there is Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, and Keisean Nixon. At safety, is Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard, and Evan Williams.

More often than not, with the majority of defensive snaps coming in nickel, five defensive backs will be on the field. The next most utilized formation will be when the Packers are in their base 4-3 defense, which requires just four defensive backs. Occasionally, we may see the Packers in dime, requiring six defensive backs.

Regardless, in just about every instance, the Packers will have a surplus of options at the cornerback and safety positions.

“I think that’s a great problem to have,” said Hafley of the depth. “When Ja comes back — hopefully we’ll get Ja back soon — once he does we’ll have to figure out who we’re playing, who our opponent is, what receivers we’re playing against, can there be different packages in the game.

“We call the package that Bull was in one thing and he knows to come out on the field in that spot and when he goes to the safety position, we call it something else and he goes to the safety spot and Keisean was going into the nickel spot, right, and this week we have some other things possibly up where we say this and guys are in different spots.”

One thing–and an important thing–that this provides Hafley with is immense flexibility when putting together the game plans each week. The only givens in the secondary are that Alexander and McKinney will be on the field. Beyond that, everyone else’s playing time or what roles that they have to fill could vary week-to-week depending on the opponent.

A great example of this flexibility came this past Sunday against the Rams. After the secondary had early struggles the week prior with Minnesota’s passing game, Hafley went back to the drawing board and came back with some brand-new looks on the back end.

Still without Alexander versus the Rams, we saw Nixon move from the slot to the boundary, while opposite of him, Stokes and Valentine shared playing time. In the nickel, against the more run-heavy Rams, was a more physical presence in Bullard. Then, at safety, was McKinney and Williams.

Every NFL fan wants their team to be willing to make changes on the fly when things aren’t working, injuries take place, or based on what the matchup dictates, rather than being rigid and rolling out the same game plan each week because that’s just how things are done.

Since Hafley arrived in Green Bay back in February, we’ve heard about his willingness to make those adjustments as needed, and we saw that on display against the Rams. The circumstances of that game–matchup-wise and injury-wise–played an important part in determining how Hafley approached things from a game-planning perspective.

“I think this game is a lot about matchups and I think sometimes people take it for granted that it’s not always your Xs and Os and like I’ve talked, these blitzes you can draw up and these coverages you can draw up, ultimately it’s gonna be me against you and I have to get off the block or I have to cover you or I have to beat you on a pass rush or I have to tackle you and those are the things we gotta win, so who gives us the best chance?”

With Hafley having so many options in the secondary in regards to who sees playing time, along with where he asks several of those players to line up and what their responsibilities are, it can make game-planning for this Packers defense quite difficult. As opposing offenses try to decipher how the Packers might attack them, they have to be prepared for a number of different outcomes, and when game day arrives, they might see something completely different than what was expected.

This advantage also goes beyond just the mixing and matching of personnel. Being able to rely on a number of different players means having a variety of skill sets to work with as well, which provides Hafley with the ability to use different coverages, along with disguising looks by moving defenders around.

“Matchups is huge, right, so for example,” said Hafley, “if they’re gonna line up with two tight ends, one back and two wide receivers, so they’re getting into a bigger grouping, you wanna put a SAM linebacker on the field or do you wanna put Bull on the field and play like that nickel-SAM position. What are they doing out of it? Are they gonna spread us out? Are they gonna get big and try to run the ball? Well then maybe you wanna put the SAM on the field.

“If they come out in 11 personnel, right, one back, one tight end and three wide receivers, do they wanna spread us out and throw the ball. Then maybe do we wanna play a lot of a certain coverage? Then maybe we’ll get true nickel personnel on the field and play with more corner-like people and if we feel like we have to play against the run, do we want a bigger body, a more physical body in the game? Then what do we wanna do on third down and medium vs. third down and long based on what the tendencies are and who they put on the field. So I think matchups are really, really important. But then I also think it’s within the course of the game, how are they trying to attack us and what are we gonna do to stop it and that’s constantly going back and forth.”

Without question, it is great to have as many reliable options as the Packers do in the secondary, but with that comes its own challenges–specifically finding playing time for everyone.

The competition at several of those positions will hopefully help elevate the play of the entire unit, just as we saw along the offensive line during the second-half of the 2023 season when there were rotations at right guard and left tackle. Perhaps, as the season progresses, one of Valentine or Stokes and Bullard or Williams will get more playing time as they begin to separate themselves from the other at their respective position.

However, with that aforementioned adjustability being in Hafley’s DNA as a coach, at least for the time being, to be any set-in-stone starters–again, outside of Alexander and McKinney. Playing time could continue to ebb and flow week to week depending on what the matchup calls for, and the Packers’ recent history of rotating players on both sides of the ball tells us that they may try to find a way to keep all of these players involved to some degree with there being specific alignments that get whoever the non-starters are that week on the field.

“I think it’s our job to, if they’re playing well, to find roles for ’em and make sure that they’re on the field,” Hafley said. “But what unit gives us the best chance to win that particular game.

“I think it’s very nice to have options and I think the more guys are healthier, the more competition we’ll have, the better we’ll get, the better they’ll get and we’ll play better defense as we continue to go. But having those guys on the field and having that versatility, where they can kinda switch around positions, I think it’s huge.”

Regardless of what side of the ball you’re discussing or what position, options are always a good thing. Options mean versatility, competition, and the ability to keep the opponent off-balance. Well, the Packers have a lot of options in the secondary and as the group gets healthy and the young players gain experience, we will really start to see the value in that, just as we did in Los Angeles.

With Packers TE Luke Musgrave sidelined, Ben Sims steps into larger role

Paul Bretl | 10/10/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers are going to be without tight end Luke Musgrave for some time, which means a larger role is in store for Ben Sims, alongside of Tucker Kraft.

“I feel like I have my strengths,” Sims said at his locker on Thursday. “I want to be physical in the run game, I want to do what I can when my numbers called and I want to give these coaches the trust in me and the ability to be able to call whatever they want on the call sheet when I’m in the game.”

Musgrave had been working through an ankle injury that kept him out of practice all week leading up to the Rams game. Musgrave was active for that contest but didn’t end up playing. After going through warmups on Wednesday, Musgrave worked off to the side with a trainer and was listed as limited. Now on Thursday, Matt LaFleur said that Musgrave landing on injured reserve is “more than likely.”

“Yeah, which speaks to his toughness and competitiveness,” said LaFleur when asked if the ankle injury was sidelining Musgrave. The fact that he even suited up this last game was pretty impressive. I don’t think we understood how serious it was, and so, he’s going to be down for a minute.”

Kraft will, of course, continue to be a big factor at tight end and within the Packers’ offense, but Sims will now shoulder a much more hefty workload. This increased playing time began this past Sunday when he played 19 snaps after playing a total of 11 in the first four games. Sims didn’t have any targets, and was utilized as a run-blocker on the majority of those plays.

“I thought last week he handled himself the way we would expect him to,” LaFleur said. “And I think he’s done a nice job and I think he and Luke are different players, but I think Ben does a good job in his role.”

Sims was a late addition to the Packers roster in 2023. An undrafted rookie out of Baylor, he spent that training camp and the preseason with Minnesota before being released during roster cuts, at which time the Packers claimed him on waivers.

As the fourth tight end behind Kraft, Musgrave, and Josiah Deguara at that time, Sims played 212 snaps on offense as a rookie and 105 on special teams. Used primarily as a blocker, Sims had just six targets in the passing game, catching five of those passes for 25 yards with a score.

With Sims joining the Packers last season so late in the process, there was a lot of learning on the fly and he learned the playbook more so on a week-by-week basis depending on what the game-plan was. So now having a year in the system under his belt, including a full offseason and training camp to continue familiarizing himself with the playbook, it’s a night and day difference for Sims this season.

“I will say last year was a very week to week basis,” said Sims of the playbook. “All the game plans were words, and terminology and concepts that I’ve never really been familiar with, especially being a rookie. And then now this year it’s like I feel like I have a good understanding of what’s being thrown at us.

“I used to call it drinking water out of a fire hose and I feel like I’m not really doing that. Very confident going into these game weeks as far as knowing the plan because it’s things we’ve been doing for so long. So feeling really good about that.”

Being the No. 2 tight end option in the regular season is a different animal, but as Kraft worked his way back from a pec injury during the offseason and the first part of training camp, it’s a role that Sims did fill at that time as well. And with that came additional opportunities that helped Sims’ confidence grow–both in his understanding of the offense and in his ability to execute his assignment.

“I fee like since the first day of training camp with Tucker being out most of camp, it gave me a lot of opportunities to step up during camp and in the preseason,” Sims said. “At that point it was me and Musgrave, it’s just kind of inverted right now. We’re going to miss Luke for a little bit, but it’ll be same thing with me and Tuck running it. So I feel confident. I think there’s always a level of confidence that you should carry with yourself and I feel like I’ll be ready to go.”

Although primarily used as a blocking option during his regular season experience, during several practices over the summer, Sims flashed his ability to make an impact in the passing game, specifically as a big target up the seam. For what it’s worth, Sims did run a 4.58-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process.

So an increase in Sims’ role doesn’t only mean more snaps. He’s going to be tasked with doing more within the offense as well, whether that be being sent in motion or running routes with the opportunity to get the ball in the passing game. The LaFleur offense uses a heavy-dose of two tight end sets–that won’t be going anywhere.

“Oh,100%,” said LaFleur when asked if Sims can be more than a blocker. “Matter of fact, two days ago, or yesterday at practice he had a nice play. So I think he’s a versatile guy who can give us whatever we need.”

Kraft is still going to be what makes things go at the tight end position for the Packers. However, at a physical position where depth is important–especially in this offense–Sims’ ability to step in and make an impact will be important. Sims is confident he can do just that, and so are his teammates.

“We trade in and out of so many different personnel packages, it’s just like the next-man-up mentality,” said Kraft. “It’s so unfortunate to see one of your brothers in your room go down. Breaks my heart that he has to go through injury, but the next guy’s always ready. In the NFL, the next guy’s always just chomping at the bit, trying to get a shot. I believe in Ben. He will be ready.”

Packers run defense faces new test against dynamic Cardinals offense

Paul Bretl | 10/10/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers defense will have to contend with one of the more efficient rushing offenses this weekend, taking on the Arizona Cardinals, which features running back James Conner and quarterback Kyler Murray.

As a collective unit, the Cardinals are averaging 5.5 yards per rush this season, which is the third-best mark in football through five weeks. An explosive run is categorized as a rush of 10 or more yards. The Cardinals have 21 of those–the most in the NFL–and their explosive run play rate of 16.5 percent is also a league-best.

“I mean you gotta pick and choose how aggressive you’re gonna be on early downs,” said Jeff Hafely, “but we wanna win those early downs so we get ourselves in those situations on second. I know we’ve played better against the run and we’re continuing to improve that way.”

Leading the way for the Cardinals in terms of carries is Conner. On the season, Conner has carried the ball 82 times and is averaging 4.6 yards per attempt with three scores. Among all running backs, Conner ranks fifth in missed tackles forced, according to PFF, has the second-most rushes of 10-plus yards, and is tied for fifth in rushes of at least 15 yards.

“Conner, he’s a beast,” said Matt LaFleur on Wednesday. “He’s a big physical back that is more elusive than he leads on just in terms of, for a bigger guy.”

On the year, the Packers’ play against the run has been mixed. Outside of Jonathan Taylor, who routinely ripped off some chunk runs, the Packers, for the most part, contained Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, and Kyren Williams, but each back also generated a carry or two of at least 15 yards.

The 4.4 yards per attempt that Green Bay is allowing ranks right in the middle of the league at 16th. The 12 explosive rushes that the Packers have surrendered is right about in the middle as well.

In Jeff Hafley’s system, which primarily features four down linemen versus at least five blockers, gap integrity will, as always, remain crucial, along with the ability to flow with the gap as it moves. In addition to that, the play of the defenders at the second level to fill any gaps that do appear will be paramount as well. There has to be order and a coordinated effort amongst the defensive front in how they rush so running lanes don’t open up.

“Typically what we’re trying to do is get guys in the backfield to own their gap through their man,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich. “So if they’re aligned as  3-technique on the outside part of the guard, it’s his job as you go through the outside part of that guard and own the B-gap in between the outside part of the guard and the inside part of the tackle.

“So wherever that gap moves he’s gotta move a along it and then that allows the guys behind it to obviously scrape, get over top, get downhill, and fill the gaps that they have to fill.”

The challenge for the Packers doesn’t stop there, however, they also have to be hyper-aware of Murray and his ability to extend plays once outside of the pocket. As a ball carrier, Murray is averaging 10.7 yards per rush on 23 attempts this season. Those 247 rushing yards are the third-most among quarterbacks and Murray also has the second-most rushes of 10 or more yards.

Individually, both Conner and Murray will create problems for opposing defenses, but the Cardinals are also deliberate about their usage of RPOs and zone reads–all added stressors for the opponent, who are forced to read-and-react on the fly and sometimes all it takes is a slight hesitation that can result in a big play.

“You’ve got Kyler Murray who is able to, whether it’s a zone read that he takes to the house for 50 yards or whatever it was or just trying to contain him in the passing game, you’ve got to defend for a long time when he’s got the ball in his hands because he can throw within the timing of the pass, of the play, or he can go off schedule,” LaFleur said.

In the first two weeks of the season, the Packers faced Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson and took a more controlled pass-rush approach in those two games in an effort to keep those quarterbacks in the pocket. For the most part, the Packers were able to do that, limiting Richardson to only 37 rushing yards and Hurts to 33 yards.

Of course, LaFleur wasn’t going to delve into the specifics of whether or not the Packers would approach this game in a similar manner, but sound tackling, all 11 defenders swarming to the football, and the defensive front being disciplined with their rush lanes, along with rushing Murray as a collective group in unison will be at a premium.

“You’ve got to be smart,” LaFleur said. “You’ve got to be smart when you’re going against a quarterback of this caliber in terms of he can make you look really silly really fast. And if you give him huge rush lanes, he’s going to take advantage of it. Like I said he can beat you with his legs, he can beat you with his arm. I think he’s got a lot of talented players around him. I think they’re really doing a nice job, so it’s going to be a great test for our football team.”

The potential downside of this defensive approach, as we saw in Weeks 1 and 2, is that while you may keep the quarterback in the pocket, it makes getting consistent pressure more difficult. This then results in the quarterback having time in the pocket and puts added stress on the secondary, who has to be in coverage longer.

Murray has been a very efficient passer, completing 68 percent of his throws with seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. He’s also been willing to push the ball downfield, ranking eighth in percentage of pass attempts of at least 20-plus yards.

Cardinals rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has already showcased his big-play abilities, averaging nearly 17.0 yards per reception with four touchdowns. Tight end Trey McBride has also been a go-to target of Murray’s.

“Tremendous challenge,” said LaFleur of Harrison. “I think he’s just, he’s a long physical receiver that is capable of making great plays down the field. What’s scary is he still learning the NFL game, so I think he’s going to be a star in this league for a really long time.”

Oftentimes, success for just about any defense begins with limiting the offense’s ability in the run game. In general, when an offense can find success on the ground, there’s a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the unit. This creates short down-and-distance situations, opening up the entire playbook for the offense and forcing the defense to defend the whole field.

On the flip side, struggles in the run game puts the offense in predictable passing situations where the defense has the advantage–both from a pass rush and coverage standpoint.

“We showed the guys a bunch of clips of him just making multiple defenders miss in the pocket and his ability to create and extend and make those off schedule, chunks down the field,” LaFleur said of Murray. “He’s extremely dangerous. He’s probably playing as good as he’s ever played. I think he really looks good, so it’s going to be a great test for our defense.”

Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper earning more snaps, making big impact as blitzer

Paul Bretl | 10/8/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — A few weeks ago prior to the Packers Week 3 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley mentioned that they needed to find a way to get rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper more snaps. Since then, he’s taken on a larger role within the defense.

“We’re starting to find out there’s certain things that he does really well, and we need to take advantage of that,” said Hafley prior to Week 3.

After playing just 18 combined snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, Cooper would play 18 snaps against Tennessee. He then played 21 against Minnesota and a career-high 30 this past Sunday versus Los Angeles.

In part, the ramp-up period for Cooper was needed because of all the valuable practice time he missed during training camp, which also resulted in him not playing in any of the preseason games. This put Cooper behind to a degree. While knowing the playbook and how the answers to questions in the meeting room are important, there is no substitute for applying that information in real-time on the football field–and that’s the element that was missing for Cooper for a long period of time.

“It was a real challenge,” said Cooper about not playing in the preseason. “It’s hard to play football without actually being able to practice and going out there and getting reps and seeing what I see and preparing for each team. Coming back was one of the best things that could happen. Just a challenge I had to attack.”

Cooper’s increased workload in recent weeks has come from both Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson’s share of playing time. In recent weeks, Cooper has taken more of the nickel linebacker snaps next to Quay Walker, and what started out as a timeshare with Wilson as the third linebacker when in the base 4-3 defense has now primarily shifted to Cooper taking just about all of those snaps.

As is the case with any rookie, especially one that has missed time, there is going to be a learning curve and some growing pains that take place as the game unfold. We saw this in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles where a missed alignment by Cooper led to a big play for Saquon Barkley.

However, the best teacher is experience, which Cooper is getting more of each week, and it’s also clear as day when he’s on the field that he brings a different element to the Packers’ linebacker position with his explosiveness and elite speed.

“Man, flying around,” said Quay Walker of Cooper. “I’m just happy with where he’s at right now. I pray that he continues to grow. He’s going to be a real, real special talent that we’re going to need along the way during this season.”

Running a 4.51-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process, that type of speed brings an added coverage ability at linebacker and can allow Cooper to close gaps in the run game quickly or get side-to-sideline with relative ease. In coverage, he is holding opposing pass-catchers to under 9.0 yards per reception and ranks 26th out of 87 eligible linebackers in PFF’s run-stop rate.

But where Cooper has made his biggest impact in the early going is as a blitzer–just as we saw him do in college at Texas A&M.

On just nine pass-rush snaps this season, according to PFF, Cooper has generated three pressures, including two sacks. Out of all linebackers through five games, Cooper ranks 10th in pass rush productivity, an efficiency metric from PFF that combines sacks, hits, and hurries relative to many times the player rushes the quarterback.

“Yeah, it’s certainly impactful,” said Matt LaFleur of Cooper’s ability to blitz. “He has just got a way of wrapping … when we’re running some of those stunts in front of him, and he’s wrapping around some of those stunts, he just wraps so tight end fast and gets there in a hurry. And usually those take a little bit longer than traditional blitzes if you’re just sending somebody through a gap.”

With each passing week, as Cooper continues to take advantage of these opportunities, presumably his role on defense is going to continue to grow. But an important part of that equation is staying healthy. Although he’s appeared in all five games, he’s popped up on the injury report this season and been limited in practice at times, limiting the number of very valuable practice reps that he still needs.

“He is a dynamic athlete who is highly instinctual and is physical,” said Hafley last Thursday. “It’s just like we’ve talked about, he missed the preseason, right? Now he’s kind of been in and out, we need to go. He needs to be healthy, he needs to practice, and we need him to play and I’m excited about that when it happens.”

‘Feast or famine’ for Packers big-play reliant offense

Paul Bretl | 10/7/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers offense was able to do just enough with the help of some takeaways from the defense to secure the win over the Los Angeles Rams. The overall performance was very ‘feast or famine,’ as Matt LaFleur put it, with either big plays or short drives taking place.

“I was talking to Jordan about this in the locker room,” said LaFleur after the game, “just in terms of it seems like we’re a little bit feast or famine offensively in terms of we either get the big plays and we go score or there’s no big plays and we’re punting. We do have to get a little bit more consistency, just making sure we’re getting positive plays, staying ahead of the sticks, trying to stay out of third downs as best we can.”

Jordan Love finished the game averaging 8.6 yards per pass attempt. For some context, over the course of the season up to this point, that would be the second-highest rate in football. The catalyst behind that figure was a 66-yard catch and run touchdown to Tucker Kraft, a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed, and a 21-yard catch and run from Josh Jacobs.

So of the Packers 24 points in this game, 14 game from just two of those plays. So what about the rest of the game?

In the first half, outside of the Packers nine-play touchdown drive that was capped off with the aforementioned pass to Reed, Green Bay had five other drives, with four of them ending in three plays or fewer, resulting in three punts and a pick-six from Love.

In the second-half, the Packers turned two takeaways into touchdowns, one of which was a two-play drive with the Kraft touchdown and the other lasting seven plays. Their next two drives ended in punts, one of which was 14 plays and did eat up some valuable time and the other being just four plays.

Excluding the kneel-down on the final series, the Packers had 10 possessions in this game and six of them ended in three plays or fewer. Green Bay finished the game just 1-for-8 on third downs and didn’t convert their first third down until the fourth quarter. Typically that isn’t going to be a stat you hear when talking about the winning team.

“I think there’s so much that we need to build on,” Jordan Love said after the game. “I think we leave a lot of plays out there, and then we make some really good plays as well. I think it just comes down to consistent execution and trying to be as clean as we can for four quarters. And I don’t think we’ve done that yet. I don’t think we’ve played a full four-quarter game that’s clean.

“There’s so much stuff that we can look back on, can watch film when we get back and stuff to clean up, but I like who we have. I think we’re just going to keep building, but there’s definitely a lot of stuff to clean up.”

This isn’t a one-off performance either. Last week against the Minnesota Vikings–where certainly, the dynamic chances when trailing by early–the Packers had 10 drives that, whether they resulted in a turnover, punt or touchdown, ended in five plays or fewer.

Explosive pass plays are great–they lead to points. And the Packers’ offense entered Week 5 as the best in football at generating big plays with 37 of them. The next closest team was the Indianapolis Colts with 29. However, it’s also a tough way to live in the NFL if that is your primary means for moving the football.

“I think explosive plays lead to points,” LaFleur said. “That’s a fact. The stats are pretty staggering when you talk about explosion plays and your ability to score or, if you don’t give them up, your ability to stop people. So that’s something that we’re always hunting. It’s just the consistency, I would say, down in and down out.”

To a lesser extent in comparison to last season, this boom-or-bust approach on offense seems to be stemming from issues on early downs–particularly first down. Whether it be a run play that doesn’t go anywhere, a penalty, or an incomplete pass, whether that’s due to an off-target throw from Love or a dropped pass by the receiver, the Packers are putting themselves in disadvantageous long down-and-distance situations.

“Penalties are a consistent problem,” said LaFleur. “Certainly don’t have the answer for that right now. It’s extremely frustrating and it’s been an Achilles heel for us and it’s a big reason why we haven’t won more, in my opinion. That’s something that we have to get corrected and we better do it quick because I want to say this is probably the most penalized team that we’ve had in my six years in Green Bay.”

During these obvious passing downs, the pass rush is able to pin its ears back and the secondary has the advantage from a coverage standpoint because there usually only so much time for the quarterback and so many routes that can be ran when needing eight-plus yards.

In terms of the overall scope of the game, it becomes more difficult to marry the run-and-pass games as offenses become more pass-heavy, and the short possessions can result in a discrepancy in the number of plays ran for each team–wearing out the defense and forcing the offense to be extremely efficient with its opportunities, which isn’t going to lead to sustainable success.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers average distance to go on second down is 8.29 yards and on third down it’s 7.5 yards. In both instances, this is around a full yard more than last season.

There are certainly stretches in each of these last two games where it looks and feels like the Packers’ offense is on the cusp of really taking off. However, more than anything, accomplishing that begins with them getting out of their own way on early downs so they can consistently sustain drives and get into a rhythm on offense.

“You either get better or you get worse; you’re never staying the same,” added LaFleur. “Every week is a new challenge. I think that’s a lot of coachspeak but I believe in that. I think it all starts with your preparation and how you approach it and your willingness to put the work in to strive to get better in practice, and that gives you the confidence to go out there and make plays in the game. There’s certainly a lot of areas where we have to get better.”

S Xavier McKinney helps turn the tide for Packers in win vs. Rams

Paul Bretl | 10/6/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It was a sloppy first half of football from the Packers, particularly on offense. The third quarter began with them trailing 10-13 and the Los Angeles Rams with the football, looking to make it a score advantage.

However, on that opening second-half possession, the tide in this game began to turn with a pair of takeaways by the Green Bay defense, and in the middle of it–not surprisingly–was safety Xavier McKinney.

“Super important,” said McKinney after the game of his interception. “I mean it’s super important ’cause we needed it. We got that pick and then we went down and scored. I should’ve had another one, so I’m kinda irritated about that, but like I’ve been saying, man, we’ll get back in the lab and continue to work and next week, hopefully the ones that I drop, I get next week.”

On an excellent punch out by defensive end JJ Enagbare, it was McKinney who recovered the fumble. Then, thanks to a 66-yard catch and run touchdown from Tucker Kraft, it only took the Packers two plays to score on the following possession to take the 17-13 lead.

The Rams would then get the ball back. After picking up two first downs, they faced a third-and-10 from the Packers 48 yard line. With help from a steady push from defensive tackle Karl Brooks, quarterback Matthew Stafford had time and lofted the ball deep down the left sideline for receiver TuTu Atwell, but there was McKinney providing help over the top and making a play on the football for the interception.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” said Matt LaFleur after the game about McKinney’s play. “The guy just has a knack for the football, and he’s got great ball skills. He’s very instinctive and smart to allow him to anticipate to make plays. And then he generally makes the play. I’m sure there was one play in the second half that he would like to have back because he might have had another one right there. But certainly, he’s been obviously a very key pick up for us in free agency.”

Following that third-quarter interception, McKinney has now logged a pick in each of his first five games as a member of the Packers. In team history, no player has accomplished that feat and since the 1970 merger, McKinney is the only player in the NFL to accomplish this.

Putting McKinney in these positions regularly to make plays on the football is an elite combination of instincts and study habits that begins very early on in the week–sometimes before the coaches even have the film.

“He has great instincts and he can cover a lot of ground and his anticipation is so good,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard. “And obviously we teach that and we rep it and we try to keep that sharp, but when a guy has a feel for quarterback mechanics and his intentions, and I’ll say this, not to go on a tangent, but he’s very meticulous and he’s waiting for that quarterback tape to be sent each week.

“So he’s hitting my phone, ‘Hey, hey, hey, when we getting that?’ And so he studies, he pours into it, he invests into it, and so he’s able to withdraw some of that, too, when we get to Sunday. It’s awesome to watch.”

Obviously, the ball production is great, but McKinney’s impact goes well beyond the interceptions. His ability to line up deep, in the slot, or in the box, along with disguising pre-snap where he’s going to be, adds a layer of unpredictability to the Packers’ defense. It provides Jeff Hafely with added flexibility as he builds out the game-plan and doesn’t always allow for the offense to get a beat on where McKinney will be or what role he will have on a given play.

Along with the interceptions, that do-it-all skill set and what seems an ability to teleport around the football field with how quickly McKinney gets to the ball, he has totaled the fifth-most tackles on the team, and is essentially taking away entire zones for opposing quarterbacks to target.

According to PFF’s metrics, McKinney is being targeted once every 25.9 snaps–the fifth-best rate in football. He’s also allowing a reception on just one out of every 90.5 snaps, which is the best mark among safeties, and it’s not even close.

“He sees it so fast and he reacts so fast, like if you take your clicker and you’re watching the film,” said Hafley. “Like the thing that I always like to do is I always like to watch that wide copy when you can actually see the quarterback’s face, right, and when that quarterback hits his back step, is he going in that direction or is he still trying to hold you off?

“Like when you watch X and you freeze it and you watch it in really slow motion, he’s breaking before the hand is coming off the ball. Like that’s how well he anticipates stuff, so I would be a little bit worried throwing in the middle of the field if you were there. And then he’s got great hands and he can go up and track it and it’s not just ability because he studies it, too, now. That guy watches a lot of tape.”

Although McKinney is still just 24 years old himself, he’s the veteran leader and mentor in a young Packers’ safety room. Rookies Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo all pick McKinney’s brain and ask him questions.

“They’re looking to him for guidance and little tips here,” said Downard. “And the young guys, they open their eyes to, ‘Wow, I didn’t even think like that,’ and they get the player perspective from him. He’s starting to build credibility, and then combined with that, he’s a player on the field, so he’s making plays, which just doubles down on the fact that, ‘Maybe what this guy’s saying, he’s got some of it figured out.’ Certainly, he has developed a very strong voice on our defense and throughout our team,”

As Downard mentioned at the end, McKinney’s impact goes well beyond just the safety position. His reach extends throughout the defensive side of the football and locker room.

 “I mean having X is really cool,” said Jaire Alexander earlier this season. “He’s a vet. He’s a leader already. Come in making big plays, what more can you ask for?”

To land McKinney in free agency, the Packers signed him to a four-year $67 million contract–a move that has been worth every penny and paid dividends just five games into his first season in a variety of ways.

McKinney is a force multiplier, there is not only the impact that he makes on the game, but his presence, both on and off the field makes everyone around him better.

“I think X right now he’s the best safety in the league,” Hafley said. “So, that’s how I feel about him.”

Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks on the cusp of some big performances

Paul Bretl | 10/5/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The overall numbers through four games may not suggest it, but Packers second-year wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks is on the cusp of some potentially big performances.

“Definitely a problem for defenses, for sure,” said Adam Stenavich. “And if you look at his production his last eight games or something like that, he’s had seven touchdowns. So he’s getting that production. But he catches those balls, it might be crazy. You know what I mean? We just have to get him to that point and we’ll have some fun.”

That point that Stenavich mentions and what the Packers and Wicks want to arrive at lies in his consistency as a pass catcher. In the first four weeks, Wicks has been targeted 22 times but has caught just eight of those passes. In part, as Jordan Love shook off the rust last week, there were off-target throws for Wicks to contend with. However, Wicks also has a drop rate of 27.3 percent, according to PFF, the second-highest mark among all receivers.

During Wicks’ final season at Virginia, he dealt with drops that season as well, totaling nine in the nine games that he played, per PFF. However, that wasn’t going to stop the Packers from drafting him because, as now passing game coordinator Jason Vrable described last spring, a lot of those drops were the product of Wicks trying to turn and make a play before he caught it. A relatively simple fix that requires going back to the fundamentals. The drops Wicks has had this season seem to be of a similar ilk.

“I had some drops. I had some good catches,” said Wicks of his performance against the Vikings.” I try to critique myself on those bad plays and see what was the reason of them. It’s really nothing, for real. Drops really just taking my eyes off the ball before I finish the catch. That’s really it. It’s really nothing I need to change, stay the same, keep the same routine. Just be me.”

Yet despite the early ups and downs, Wicks remains a big part of the Packers passing game, with quarterback Jordan Love continuing to go back to him. Wicks’ 22 targets this season are tied for the most on the team with Jayden Reed. Even this past Sunday against Minnesota, Love kept looking in Wicks’ direction, targeting him 13 times. In all of football, only three receivers had more targets in Week 4.

“I think he’s very resilient,” said Love on Wednesday. “I think he has that mindset that he wants the ball and if he makes a mistake early on, I think he’s gonna be hard on himself about it and find a way to fix it and keep going, but I think that’s everybody on this team. Nobody’s gonna give up or have the game kinda be defeated after having one bad play. I think we all gotta be able to bounce back and respond.”

One of the big reasons that Wicks may be on the cusp of some huge performances and why the team remains confident in him is in his ability to get open. Wicks came to the NFL as an already fairly refined route runner with a release package at the line of scrimmage that can put most cornerbacks in a bind.

PFF has a metric called separation percentage, which tracks how often a receiver gets open by beating the coverage rather than benefitting from how the defense defends the play. So far this season, no receiver has won their routes more often than Wicks, who has gotten himself open on a whopping 82.14 percent of his routes.

“I don’t look at any of that PFF stuff,” Stenavich said, “but that doesn’t surprise me with just the way he runs routes, his ability to double people up, his ability to get out of cuts with speed, he’s a threat. He’s an excellent route-runner. And he’s shown that so far for sure.”

Week-to-week with the talent that the Packers have in the wide receiver room, we never quite know how the targets in the passing game will be distributed. However, this week against the Los Angeles Rams, it looks like the Packers will be without Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, both of whom are listed as doubtful, which means more potential opportunities for Wicks, as well as Jayden Reed, Malik Heath, and Bo Melton.

This is also a Rams defense that is surrendering a hefty 8.6 yards per pass attempt this season, which ranks last in the NFL through four weeks. The Rams have also given up 15 passing plays of at least 20 yards–the fourth-most in football–and eight passing plays of at least 30 yards, which is tied for the most.

The drops certainly can’t be overlooked and do need to be corrected, but in the grand scheme of what can be a long NFL season, they seem to be more of a blip on the radar for Wicks than a worrisome trend. Once that’s taken care of, sparked by Wicks’ ability to create separation, the recipe for some big-time production very much exists.

“Again, with the way the game was going, and he had a couple of drops, and I’ll tell you what, there’s not one guy that has better hands than Wicks,” added Stenavich. “So I think he expects himself obviously to make those plays, as we all do with him. But yeah, it’s just something he’s got to work through and I have all the confidence in the world that he’ll make those plays when they come up again, because he has usually got some pretty good hands.”

Packers rookie Javon Bullard providing steady presence next to Xavier McKinney

Paul Bretl | 10/4/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Xavier McKinney is playing elite football with four interceptions in four games. Many fans want to see more of Evan Williams on the football field after he displayed a ball-hawking presence over the summer.

However, when it comes to Javon Bullard, while we haven’t heard his name as much, he has provided a steady presence next to McKinney, which is paying dividends for the defense in a number of ways.

“I think he’s done a really good job when we’ve asked him to do multiple things,” said Jeff Hafley on Thursday. “I think he had a really good second half last week. He had a couple pressures. He had a couple TFLs were big time plays. I think he’s having a really good first four games and I think steadily see him do more and more.”

As Hafley said, those pressures and tackles for loss are high-impact plays for a defender. It’s those types of plays that chance the entire complexion of a drive for an offense–and not for the better.

But going beyond the tackles and the coverage stats, Bullard has helped bring a fast and aggressive play-style to the back-end of the Packers’ secondary. You see those qualities on display when he’s chasing down the ball carrier from behind for a tackle for loss like he did against Minnesota. Or in the physicality he brings when matched up with Philadelphia’s AJ Brown in Week 1.

For Bullard, this play-style isn’t anything new. Flip on his tape at Georgia and you’ll see it on display weekly. It’s one of the many qualities that drew the Packers to him during the pre-draft process.

“That’s a play style thing,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard about Bullard. “That’s what we expect of the safeties. That’s what we strain to get out of them. But, obviously, some guys are built different than others. He’s a tough person and he’s obviously a tough player, but those are tone-setting plays that lets the receiver know what type of day it’s going to be.”

Bullard has accumulated 19 total tackles in these four games and has been targeted only eight times. For some context, he’s on pace to be targeted 34 times this season, which in 2023, would have ranked 34th out of 56 eligible safeties–or in short, quarterbacks aren’t throwing his direction all that often.

Bullard’s full impact on this defense isn’t always going to show up on the stat sheet either. He has showcased his versatility this season, lining up deep, in the box, and in the slot. This interchangeable element adds a layer of unpredictability to Green Bay’s defense, with the offense not necessarily being able to get a great beat on where the safeties will be lined up or what responsibilities they will have.

However, the bulk of his playing time has come as the free safety, according to PFF, patrolling the post to take away any downfield opportunities from the offense. We all know that McKinney can fill whatever role the Packers need him to, but giving Hafley the ability to truly maximize McKinney’s diverse skill-set is having a player like Bullard next to him, who is playing well and the coaching staff trusts.

If there were legitimate concerns about Bullard’s play, McKinney might not have the same level of freedom to move around as much as he currently does. Instead, McKinney would more often be tasked with being the safety net over the top of the defense.

“The more that other guys can do, then the more we can move 29 around and vice-versa, as well,” said Downard. “So, it’s really just been a process of learning what these guys are good at, putting them in positions to take advantage of it and rolling that way.”

If there’s an area where there is an opportunity to get more from Bullard, it’s in the ball production category. Through four games, Bullard has only one pass breakup. However, Hafley is taking the blame for that, saying that he has to do a better job of putting Bullard in a position where he can have those opportunities to make plays on the ball, along with impacting the game with his tackling ability.

“We gotta get him around the ball more. You want to talk about what I can do better–I can put him closer to the football in certain ways because he’s really good when he’s close to the football and we need to get him more involved.”

Bullard has put the word safe in safety—an under-the-radar but very valuable quality to have at the position. He’s been reliable in whatever role he’s been asked to fill and hasn’t had the big mistakes. As described already, Bullard brings playmaking abilities to the table as well, and perhaps we will see more of that in the coming weeks. But while McKinney continues to make plays, Bullard has provided a steady presence next to him.

The arrow is certainly pointed upward with Bullard, but as Downard continues to stress with him and the entire safety group, as good as things have been, there is still room for more.

“For me, it’s, ‘I need you to take these reps and practices as seriously as you would on Sundays,” Downard said. “Because although there’s not 70,000 around you right now on a Wednesday afternoon or Thursday afternoon, you have to approach it like that because you’re going to be out in front of the world and then it’s going to become important to you.’ So, you’ve got to make it important during the week.

“So that’s been my deal with the rookies. And then you want to keep it simple for them. You want to keep it clean for them, and they have done a good job in that aspect, but they have done overall, they’ve done well. They just have to keep progressing. We’ve just got to stay on it.”

Packers pass rush needs to rebound after sub-standard performance

Paul Bretl | 10/3/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Already a quarter of the way through the 2024 NFL season, one thing became abundantly clear following the Packers performance this past Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings: they need more from their pass rush unit.

“It wasn’t up to our standard, no doubt about it,” said Matt LaFleur the day after the game. “Give them (Minnesota) credit. I do think they have a good offensive line, in particular their tackles are pretty good, but I thought collectively as a unit, they did a really nice job.”

The Vikings’ pass-blockers on Sunday were credited with allowing just eight pressures on 33 Sam Darnold dropbacks, according to PFF. For some context, a pressure rate of 24.4 percent over the first four games of the season would rank as the second-lowest mark for a quarterback.

For the most part, the big pressures that the Packers were able to generate in that game, which included a sack from Quay Walker to put Minnesota in a third-and-long and a strip sack by Keisean Nixon, were accomplished from blitzing.

“Absolutely,” said Rashan Gary on Sunday when asked if he knew what went wrong. “Especially with the last few games that we put together as a defense. Everybody being in the right spots, everybody communicating the right way. We just gotta go back, watch the plays that hit us, come back in on Monday make sure we on top of our stuff, making sure every gap that got it or any pass that got catch that we correct it.”

Overall, the Packers’ team pressure rate of 24.2 percent ranks 20th in the NFL through four weeks. Their 13 sacks are the ninth-most, however, eight of them came against Tennessee, meaning the defense has generated only five over the other three games. Right now, bolstering the Packers overall figures is a dominant showing against the Titans, coupled with three other lack-luster performances.

In part, we can look at the circumstances surrounding the Packers’ early pass rush inconsistencies. In the first two weeks against Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson, there was a more controlled pass-rush approach where the emphasis was on keeping both quarterbacks in the pocket. This, to a degree, is going to limit pressure opportunities.

Then against Minnesota, without Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine at cornerback and the defense facing Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, there were a lot of four-man rushes from Green Bay to provide additional help on the back end of the defense. The pass rush was then met by double-teams, tight end chips and help from the running backs.

“I think that’s part of it,” said LaFleur of opponents chipping the Packers’ pass rushers. “Any time you’ve got guys on the perimeter that people are worried about you’re going to get chipped. And I think going back a game, the backs were, when they were doing some of their play action fakes, they were doing a good job internally and basically creating three double teams, you know, in terms of whoever had that one-on-one matchup inside, whether it was Kenny on a guard or a center, the back was nudging him, so you essentially end up with three doubles teams and you have one one-on-one matchup that you’ve got to try to win.”

However, even with all of that being true, at the end of the day the name of the game in football is pressuring the opposing quarterback and the Packers aren’t doing that regularly.

It starts individually where currently no Packers defensive end ranks in the top-70 of PFF’s pass rush win rate metric. None of the Packers defensive tackles rank in the top-45 of their position group in that category either. This includes Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark combining for just one sack and no quarterback hits.

“This past week, as we all know, was not up to our standard and we’ve got to continue to execute it,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich. “We’ve got to get to our basics, our fundamentals and the things that we’ve got to do from, as I’ve said up here before, four equals one.

“We’ve got to rush together as a group. We’ve got to understand that, that each week is going to be different and our expectation is a very high one for this group. So, we’re going to continue to strive for it, we’re going to continue to work for it, and each week’s a new week.”

A cornerstone of Hafley’s defense is the ability to generate pressure by rushing just four down linemen in an attacking style, which then allows the defense to have an additional defender in coverage. However, if the pass rush isn’t able to generate regular pressure, that additional coverage defender doesn’t matter all that much when the secondary has to regularly defender for three or four seconds–that’s just an incredibly disadvantageous spot to be in.

Hafley has thrown different looks at opposing offensive lines, whether it be trying to contain the quarterback, stunts and twists, blitzes, or just go win your matchup-type rushes. So he’s been flexible; it’s not as if he’s running out the same game plan over and over again. However, if the results aren’t there, and there’s a balance to this, but providing the front with more help more often, whether that be schematically to create advantageous matchups or with an additional rusher to help against chips, may have to be on Hafley’s radar.

“I think it goes back and forth,” said Jeff Hafley about Gary dealing with chips. “We gotta move him around and we gotta see how teams are gonna come out and protect against us and then counter that and change things up in the game. If they’re doing one thing to take him away, we gotta find another way to get him involved. And then if they’re gonna try to find ways to take him away, then we have to have our other guys show up or we have to scheme other ways to pressure opposite him and do a lot of things schematically, which I think you guys kinda saw last week.”

This week, the Packers’ pass rush faces the Los Angeles Rams, which on paper, should provide a get-right game for this unit. The Rams offensive line unit is decimated with injuries, resulting in a group that has allowed the third-highest pressure rate, the eight-most sacks, and is 22nd in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric.

A potent pass rush is a cure-all for just about everything defensively. Steady pressure on the quarterback disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play and, of course, can lead to mistakes and turnover opportunities.

There is still a lot of season left, 13 games to be exact, but so far, this attacking front that we heard about and saw throughout training camp hasn’t been on display all that often to begin the regular season.

“I’ll tell you this: It’s a balance of what we’ve got to do,” said LaFleur. “When there’s times to unleash those guys and work those edges, we’ve got to go do that. And there’s other times where we’ve got to be extremely coordinated with the four rushing as one and try to create, whether it’s a pick game or whatever it may be, to try to create a little bit more rush from those four guys.”

Packers RB Emanuel Wilson earning the confidence of those around him, resulting in more snaps

Paul Bretl | 10/3/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Since arriving in Green Bay last offseason, Packers running back Emanuel Wilson has made the most of his opportunities, and as of late, that’s led to a significant increase in his workload.

“I think he’s done a good job and he continues to get better and when given opportunities I think he’s maximized those,” said Adam Stenavich. “So for him it’s just about being consistent down in and down out and making sure you’re doing all the little things on a day to day, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in E.”

With injuries at the running back position to AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd, the conversation around Wilson’s role on this team quickly shifted from wondering if he makes the team as the third running back to being the No. 2 option behind Josh Jacobs with a fairly hefty workload these last few weeks.

After playing 29 snaps combined between Weeks 1 and 2, Wilson played 26 snaps against Tennessee and then 30 against Minnesota. He also went from having 13 combined carries in those first two games to 22 over the last two.

“He’s done a nice job,” said Matt LaFleur. “He’s done a nice job, it’s been fun to witness just his growth and development. I think he’s really grown up over the course of a year. But he’s responded and I’m super proud of just the effort that he’s put in, in terms of how he prepares on a daily basis.

“I think Ben does a great job with that room and it’s exciting to see, because we’ve always said it from day one. The guy’s got everything in his body to be a really good running back in this league and it’s been cool to witness some of that development.”

Wilson went undrafted in 2023 out of Division-II Fort Valley State. After originally signing with the Denver Broncos following the draft, he was released and caught on with the Packers prior to training camp.

Since last preseason, it was evident the dynamic ability that Wilson possessed with the ball in his hands. In the regular season portion of his career, which has consisted of 55 rush attempts at this time, Wilson has averaged 4.7 yards per rush. This includes forcing nine missed tackles, along with five rushes of at least 10 yards and two of at least 15 yards.

Of course, there is always a certain prerequisite as a ball carrier that a running back has to have in order to see playing time. However, earning snaps goes beyond just that aspect of the game. Particularly in the LaFleur offense, the running back’s ability to impact the passing game, both as a pass-catcher and a blocker is a must.

This was an area for Wilson that was a work in progress for him–as is the case for most young running backs. However, Wilson’s increased role goes beyond there being a need at the running back position due to injuries, he’s earned the trust and confidence of the coaching staff that he can hold when asked to fill that passing game role.

“Really just playing fast,” said Wilson. “Just learning the offense the best way I can. You know, during the offseason I took time to actually study and understand the playbook and understand my role of playing. Really just being fast and being more physical.”

Wilson is currently the fourth highest-graded pass-blocking running back by PFF’s metrics. In the passing game, he’s caught 4-of-5 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, including a 30-yard screen that he took to the end zone against Tennessee.

“Absolutely,” said LaFleur when asked if he trusted Wilson in the passing game. “He’s done a nice job, he had another great one in this last game where they brought pressure inside and he stepped up and stoned the backer and that’s what we’re talking about is just all the little things that you can do, it’s not just about running 18 or 19 or inside zone or whatever it is it’s every component to playing that position from pass protection to being able to catch a screen and taking it to the house.”

Next up for Wilson and the Packers offense is a matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, who have struggled to stop the run. Through four games, Rams’ opponents are averaging 5.0 yards per attempt, which is tied for the fourth-most in football. The 12 rushes of 10-plus yards ranks 11th this season and the six rushes of at least 20 yards are tied for the third-most.

Last week, against a Bears’ offense that entered Week 4 ranked 31st in yards per rush, the Rams allowed D’Andre Swift to rush for 93 yards at 5.8 yards per attempt. Given the matchup, along with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs being out, this could be a more run-centric game plan from Green Bay.

Although Jacobs has shown that he can handle a heavy workload, over the course of a long NFL season, being mindful of the lead back’s carries and touches is something that every NFL team is mindful of. This then puts an added emphasis on having a dependable secondary option for offenses to lean on, which Wilson is showing that he can be, regardless of what the role is.

“Definitely,” said Jordan Love about Wilson continuing to have a big role. “He’s stepped up so much. Like you said, starting with preseason last year and just showing what he can do. He’s made the most of the opps he’s got for sure. Now he finds himself getting a lot of carries being right behind Josh, so I think he’s going to keep improving, keep doing what he can do and just building every day and giving the coaches confidence and the players confidence in him, but he’s taking advantage of the opportunities he’s gotten.”