http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-season-by-the-numbers-2b8e0bo-187406961.html
A few days after the 2011 season, coach Mike McCarthy pledged that the team's inferior tackling would improve substantially in 2012. The numbers show that it did.
The Packers' defense missed 100 tackles in 18 games, a marked improvement from 140 misses in 17 games last season.
On special teams, the reduction in misses from 37 to 19 was dramatic.
Charles Woodson, who led the team in misses a year ago with 18, had just four this season in 49.8% playing time. Sam Shields lowered his misses from 12 to three.
Tramon Williams and Morgan Burnett each missed 11 tackles. They were followed by A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones, nine; Casey Hayward, eight; M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian, B.J. Raji and Erik Walden, six; Mike Daniels, four; Davon House, D.J. Smith and Jerel Worthy, three; Jarrett Bush, Clay Matthews and Dezman Moses, two; and Ryan Pickett and C.J. Wilson, one.
Three players didn't miss a tackle: Mike Neal, Nick Perry and Frank Zombo.
The Packers registered 41 tackles for loss in 18 games, about on par with the past two seasons.
In 2009, Dom Capers' first season as coordinator, the unit had 64 tackles for loss in 17 games.
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As a unit, the D-line had 64½ pressures, an improvement from 37 last season but still well down from 101½ in 2010. The linebackers dipped from 130 to 122½; the secondary from 17 to 15.
Coordinator Dom Capers blitzed five or more on 35.4% of dropbacks, a decrease from 42.2% last season. His rate in 2011 was the highest since the Journal Sentinel began tracking rush numbers in 1998.
Capers blitzed six on 3.3% of dropbacks, down from 4.5% in 2009, 3.7% in '10 and 5.7% in '11. He never sent more than six.
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The Packers' offensive line was charged with 35 of the team's 55 sacks in 18 games, or 63.6%. Last year, the unit allowed 24½ of 45, or 54.4%.
Aaron Rodgers was responsible for the most sacks with 14. Since becoming a starter five years ago, he has been charged with 9½ sacks in 2008, 16½ in '09, 13½ in '10 and 6½ in '11.
Marshall Newhouse allowed 11 sacks, one-half more than his team-high total of 10½ a year ago. It is the most given up by a Green Bay O-lineman since Tony Mandarich yielded 12½ in '90.
In the regular season, the Packers ranked 28th in sack percentage. Since a third-place finish in 2007, they have ranked 18th in '08, 29th in '09, 20th in '10 and 22nd in '11.
When the Packers won the Super Bowl in 1996, they ranked 18th in sack percentage. From 1997-2006, they never ranked worse than 10th ('98).
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Meanwhile, the Packers gave up 116 "bad" runs in 480 rushing attempts, a 24.2% rate that was almost identical to last year. A bad run is defined as a gain of 1 yard or less excluding short-yardage, goal-line and kneel-down plays.
Saturday was charged with 18, followed by Lang (14½), Newhouse (13½), Jermichael Finley (9½), Dietrich-Smith (8½), Bulaga (seven), Tom Crabtree (seven), Sitton (6½), Barclay (four), Green (3½), John Kuhn (3½), Ryan Taylor (3½) and Cedric Benson (three).
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The target of 75 passes, Jennings dropped one - a short pass in the end zone in the second Minnesota game - for a drop rate of 1.33%. His previous best rate was 3.77% (six of 159) in 2010.
James Jones, with three drops in 108 targets, had a career-best rate of 2.78% after finishing with 10.53% last year.
Elsewhere at wide receiver, Nelson dropped six of 84 (7.14%)
Randall Cobb dropped a team-high 10 of 110 (9%). Jarrett Boykin didn't drop any of six, but Donald Driver dropped three of 13 (23.1%). Driver's last outstanding catching season was 2007 (two of 134).
At tight end, Jermichael Finley dropped six of 95 (6.3%),
D.J. Williams dropped one of 14 (7.1%), Tom Crabtree dropped two of 13 (15.4%) and Ryan Taylor didn't drop any of two.
As units, the wide receivers dropped 23 of 396 (5.81%), the tight ends nine of 124 (7.26%) and the running backs six of 86 (7%).
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In 2011, the Packers allowed 85 plays of 20 yards or more in 17 games, more than they had given up in any season since the Journal Sentinel began tracking the statistic in 1994.
This year, they allowed 71 in 18 games, a total that still was higher than any season from 2005-'10.
A total of 55 of the 20-plus plays were passes and 16 were runs. From 1994 to the present, the total of 16 runs joins 2004 as the most allowed in a season.
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This season, the Packers took a step backward, tying for 19th in penalties (103) and ranking 24th in penalty yards (923).
The problem was on defense, where the penalty total for all games increased from 19 in 2011 to 48. That was the highest total in Green Bay since 2007 (64).
After not having a single penalty in 17 games last year, the D-line had 13 this season. B.J. Raji led with four, followed by Mike Neal and Jerel Worthy with three.
The offense had 43 penalties, its fewest since 2007.
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The Packers finished the regular season tied for second in fewest giveaways with 16 after having finished second in 2011 with a club-record 14 and leading the NFL in 2009 with 16.
Meanwhile, they slipped from a tie for first to a tie for 18th in takeaways with 23, down from 38 a year ago. The Packers recovered merely five opponents' fumbles, their lowest total since 1995.
In all, the Packers ranked 10th in turnover differential at plus-7. They were plus-2 in the playoffs.
Counting all games, coach Mike McCarthy is plus-77 in seven seasons. He is plus-76 in 112 regular-season games and plus-1 in 10 playoff games.
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In all, the Packers had 70 gains of 20 yards or more in 18 games compared with 78 in 17 games in 2011, 83 in 20 in '10, 76 in 17 in '09, 57 in 16 in '08, 76 in 18 in '07 and 54 in 16 in '06.
Counting just the regular season, Rodgers led the league in passer rating for the second straight year with a mark of 108.0. His rating in all games was 106.8.
The average release time of Rodgers' nine interceptions was 3.11 seconds, up from 2.60 last year but down from 3.89 in 2009 and 3.18 in '10.
