Defenses we have to learn to beat.

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The Packers have been the NFL's winningest club over the past dozen years, regular and postseason combined. Since 2000 they are 93-56. including the 2-1 start his year.
But within that impressive body of work there are a group of teams that the Pack has really struggled with. Against these opponents the Green Bay record since 2000 is only 8-19, including 0-3 in playoffs.
What these teams have in common are the defenses they play. Defenses developed in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay but carried over by coaches who have moved from those programs to Chicago, St.Louis, Indianapolis and the NY Giants.
One is the defensive scheme perfected with the Eagles by their great long time coordinator Jim Johnson, which fomer assistant Joe Spagnola took to the Giants when they beat the Pack in the NFC Championship last Jan.
The other is the Tampa 2 developed by Tony Dungy when he was head coach of the Bucs and still played there under coordinator Monte Kiffin, but employed by Lovie Smith since he has been hc of the Bears and when he was coordinator of the Rams when they whipped the Packers in the '01 playoff.
Time after time the Packers have had fine seasons ruined against these two defensive systems. The normally efficient Packers offense gets shut down and dismantled. They drop off dramatically in their yardage, efficiency, and scoring from the norms of the season and see significant increases in turnovers.
These are fast, athletic, attacking defenses geared specifically to counter the West Coast type offense. And so far, a succession of Packers head coaches and offensive coordinators have had little success in beating them.
And this Sunday the Packers will visit the capital of one of those defenses,where they are just 1-5 sinc 1998.
When the Packers have won against these defenses they've been able to run the ball effectively and have protected the ball. But when forced to throw by the run game being taken away all hell can break loose.
It'll be interesting to see whether there's going to be any difference in having Aaron Rodgers instead of Brett Favre at qb against these defenses. Favre's "gunslinger" personality at times may have played into the strengths of the Tampa 2 defense. With Rodgers' greater patience and preference for the higher percentage play it may work better.
Either Mike McCarthy, Joe Philbin and Rodgers will figure it out or Sunday afternoon we'll be shaking our heads at having been done again.
 

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