Say What You Want About The D....

[realcaliforniacheese]

But they did it again. Down by 14 after the first quarter, goose eggs the rest of the game. These guys are coming up when they need to. Clay, Williams and Woodson not %100. I think the Safeties are improving, shields play was better, didn't hurt that Jones went out in the second half, I think that freed them up to do more blitzes.

Get Neal back after the bye, get our guys all healthy and we have the potential to dominate going down the stretch and into the playoffs.

 

[slaughter25]

I dont know about dominate. But if these guys cant continue to get healthy they will definitely move out of the cellar of defensive rankings for the year. They looked porous in coverage and were getting beat in the trenches early, which still shows they are capable of playing on both ends of the spectrum. I also think atlanta moved away from a gameplan that was working really well, whether or not that was because we forced them to or because of a few key mistakes I would venture to say is more of a grey area.

 

[Kitten]

They really stepped it up in the 2nd half. Last night's game ball could of gone to the D as well as 4 other players. That 2nd half was perhaps the best I've seen the D play so far this year. The pass rush started to come back and they started to get pressure on Ryan to rattle him. It was far from a perfect game from beginning to end, but by far a vast improvement over what we've seen of them. The 2 picks were awesome! It makes me wonder what Dom Capers said to them during halftime. That must of been one hell of a speech, worthy of Aragorn. I would of just told him to beat them all with wooden spoons, that's what we Italians do.

 

[cheeseheadfanatic87]

I was impressed with the defense last night and felt like they played the most complete game so far against a dangerous Atlanta team that does not lose in Atlanta(I think they said 21-2 record), good to see a nice win.

 

[Havners Heroes]

Capers and McCarthy showed an outstanding ability to make adjustments. Capers stopped playing his hand with his defenses, so Matt Ryan was unable to pinpoint what the Packers were going to do before the snap. Plus the Packers started playing more bump and run. Both of those made all the difference.

By the way, I was really laughing at the reactions of some of the people in the shoutbox during the game. One person said that Clay Matthews should be benched and was calling Capers a fraud... hilarious stuff.

 

[realcaliforniacheese]

Three goose eggs

 

[7thFloorRA]

Something happened at halftime and it made quite an impact.

 

[peteralan71]

I thought the D looked awful in the first half. Couldn't cover anybody. Couldn't get any pressure on Matty Ice. Couldn't handle a single-team, let alone a double-team. Raji was shaking his head half of the game. He knew he was getting his *** handed to him. They all were.

The second half was another story. The D stepped up, making the 3rd down stops when needed, and didn't allow any points. Them holding the Falcons to 0 after the initial 14 was probably my favorite part of the night and I chalk it up to both in-game changes on the part of Capers as well as great leadership and will on behalf of the defense as a whole.

 

[Croak]

It looked to me like the D were taking their positions and just trying to make plays in the first half. In the second half Capers had them moving before the snap to confuse Ryan. They switched from playing off to playing bump and run as well. I think this is the first time this season that their "disguise" movements were really noticeable in a game. I think it works for them and they should use it more often.

 

[PackersRS]

In TT and Capers I trust. This D has too much talent and too much good coaching to not be elite this year.

 

[FrankRizzo]

I love Raji!

On the other hand, I love the comments of Raji afterwards.
"They have a long way to go," Raji said of being a Packers rival. "For it to be a rivalry, you have to win meaningful games. They're just another opponent. They have a long way to go.
"I wouldn't talk like this, but when people don't respect you, I don't take it lying down. Those people don't respect us, so in turn I'm not going to give them any respect."
"Now that we abused them, for the second time in a row, at their home, there's nothing really to do," Raji said. "If they want to play us again, tell them to come up to Lambeau. That's it. That's how we're doing it."

 

[GeeDogWarrior]

1st half/or quarter sucked.
2nd half = Our Superbowl Defense from 2010.
Kevin Green, Dom Capers, Mike Trgovac, and Mike McCarthy with about 10 minutes during half time tend to have that kind of affect on players. Nice to see the D step up.
Love Raji talkin' smack.

 

[Jules]

This is why I have been saying your D gets picked on too much. The Pack D is clutch. I feel it will come up when needed, usually.

Your whole team seems clutch to me with playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Good stuff to watch as a football fan.

 

[bozz_2006]

The only stat that matters is points for vs. points against. Where do we rank in points allowed? We're 5-0.

 

[PackersRS]

This is why I have been saying your D gets picked on too much. The Pack D is clutch. I feel it will come up when needed, usually.

Your whole team seems clutch to me with playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Good stuff to watch as a football fan.

3 years ago they were a bunch of stupid youngs who needed more veterans and who lacked "clutchness". Rodgers "couldn't win close games" and the D lacked hearth.

Really funny what a season like last year can do to a team.

They're the most talented team in football, they have a great coaching staff, they're young in almost all important positions. They've overcame such dificulties last year, having 15 players on IR and having to go through the playoffs at away.

There's nothing this team can't overcome. There's not a single situation that this team isn't able to surpass. The only thing they haven't done is win in the cold, but they have a QB that can make every throw in bad conditions and that doesn't turn the ball over, and they've won close games, and they've won low scoring games. They are focused, they don't get overcome with joy, they don't get overcome with sorrow. Plus, their core fundamentals on offense is ball security and in defense is takeaways. They usually are the winners in the turnover battle, and that's key to wins in the NFL.

This sounds like gloating, but it really is just a natural conclusion. Any given sunday is specially true in the NFL, we've seen plenty of it. And though they have been injuried before and have come up big, if some key injuries like Aaron Rodgers on offense or a couple of key defense injuries, like Matthews and Woodson happen at the same time could derail their season.

But I really think that, thinking this through, just with how they've gotten to where they are and the way they were build, that this Packers team is destined for sustained greatness.