After 4 weeks

[LambeauLegs]

What are you thoughts? What do you like or dislike so far?


Overall I am satisfied with this team and how they have improved since the start of the season. The slow start in week one in my opinion was the team just getting use to hitting players again and getting in the flow a real game action. The other thing is there was no game tape with the new coach and systems in Chicago.

I think this team is a much better all around team not just relying on offense compared to last years team.

Offense

The offense is ranked #10 in the league which is a bit lower than we are use too but the reason for that is the Packers have the #3 ranked rushing offense at around 136.2 yards per game and only .3 yards away from the #2 ranked Vikings with Peterson.

This helps keep the clock moving and the defense off of the field. The passing offense is ranked 21st in the league but I dont think that there are any fans worried about that with Rodgers leading the offense.

The offense has been doing good but am wondering if the difference in improved rushing is because they are putting more emphasis on the run game because J Nelson is out or if it would have been this way if Jordy was around?

Offensive Players that have stepped up

Players that have made a difference have been J Jones, Montgomery, J Starks, Barclay. Things should improve when Adams gets healthy and Bulaga is back


Defense

The defense has been a huge improvement so far with a big reason being many of the players stepping up and playing up to their drafted expectations. Raji being healthy has been a great addition and his play has been amazing. I wrote a response to a few Seahawk fans in another thread who thought the Packer defense they were going to see in week #2 would be the same defense they saw in week #1 against the Bears so instead of typing it all over I will copy some of it in here.

Most people after week 1 were like oh yes look the Packer D still sucks. My thoughts were that they didnt look real good but not as bad as the stats showed and my thinking was that it was week one and takes a game or two to get back into actual hitting and getting use to playing football as it does not happen in the preseason games.

Lets see how the Packer D sits now after 4 weeks including pathetic week #1

Through 4 weeks:

Yards per game = 312 #8 in league ------ Yards per game week in week 1 were 415 Yrds
Yards per game in weeks 2 - 4 the Pack averaged 277 per game
277 yards per game would be #2 in the league right now
So week one is still hurting them in the rankings


Points allowed per game = 17.75 #3 in the league

Sacks = 17 which is #2 in the league

Passing D #7 in the league

Rushing D #21 in the league down from #32 in week #1

Time of possession defense with D holding ball 27:08 minutes per game ranks #5 in the league giving Rodgers 32:58 per game to run the offense.

More on the rush defense:

Week 1 Forte had 141 yards and Pack sucked big time
Week 2 Lynch 41 and Wilson 78 yards this is great results
Week 3 J Charles 49 yards this is great results
week 4 Kap had 57 which is much less than the last 3 visits and Hyde had 20

Next week will be a huge test it appears as Gurley had a fabulous day Sunday so another good test is coming up and will have to see what the results are.

If the Packers can continue to stop the run with the run defense in the last 3 weeks playing as on of the top 3 run D's in the league it will force them to pass into the #7 pass defense getting pressured from the team that is #2 in sacks.

Defensive Players that have stepped up

There is a long list here on defense where people we have not heard much from before are making plays. As mentioned before Raji, Neal, D Jones, Perry, J Elliot, D Randall, Palmer and the new guy Joe Thomas.

Things have looked quite good so far. The concerns I have are being able to stay healthy and I think this last game was good that way. The other concern is to continue to develop this team over time and working on how to improve this team through out the season. The Packers need to be peaking in Dec and it is only early Oct.

 

[MTP]

I'm a little worried about the lack of a downfield threat.

As the 49ers D showed yesterday, they can jam the WRs at the line, take away the quick screens and outs, and pressure Rodgers.

Green Bay's D won't be facing a such struggling passing offense every week, allowing them to stack the box on the running game.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

From a outside perspective. The GB oline has impressed me. The def seems improved overall. Capers is not making me scratch my head as much as he does most years. QB seems decent. lol

 

[LambeauLegs]

The defense is starting to get noticed a bit I was wondering how long it would take. Hopefully they will continue their good work.

Are the Packers the best defense in the league? - NFL Videos

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Best in the league??? 3thrd best in the NFCN maybe. JK but that would get this thread moving. Best in the league, no not even close. Better then average yes.

 

[Trudem]

Best in the league??? 3thrd best in the NFCN maybe. JK but that would get this thread moving. Best in the league, no not even close. Better then average yes.

I dont care where we are ranked as long as we continue to hold teams to 16 points per game.

 

[Tainthappening]

Best in the league??? 3thrd best in the NFCN maybe.

I can see Vikings ahead of Packers for defense... neither the Bears or Lions however. Both teams are giving up 27+ points/game

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I can see Vikings ahead of Packers for defense... neither the Bears or Lions however. Both teams are giving up 27+ points/game

Bears def is playing great. The stats don't tell the whole story. Were not above the Packers right now but we are better then the 27 ppg the stats show. The GB def is helped by the GB offense. The Bears Def is left exposed by the offense. I'm not sure who the top def in the N is yet. GB or the Vikes. But GB does not need a great D and the Vikes do. Time will tell.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I dont care where we are ranked as long as we continue to hold teams to 16 points per game.

Well if you do (16 ppg against), SB very likely.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Bears def is playing great. The stats don't tell the whole story. Were not above the Packers right now but we are better then the 27 ppg the stats show. The GB def is helped by the GB offense. The Bears Def is left exposed by the offense. I'm not sure who the top def in the N is yet. GB or the Vikes. But GB does not need a great D and the Vikes do. Time will tell.

The D is 3rd in the NFL in pass yards allowed, and 4th in total yards. It’s also worth noting we’re 6th in the NFL in 1st downs allowed with only 18.2 per game.

 

[packfancjh]

you say the GB defense is helped by the offense yet the defense won the last 2 games for us when the offense could barely do anything. The D is 3rd in points/gm, 4th in passing yds/gm, 2nd in sacks and 7th in yds/gm. Right now the Pack D is the best in the division

 

[LambeauRambo]

The D is 3rd in the NFL in pass yards allowed, and 4th in total yards. It’s also worth noting we’re 6th in the NFL in 1st downs allowed with only 18.2 per game.

Let me help you, there is only one stat that matters, that's wins. Here ya go.

NFC North Team W L T Pct PF PA Net Pts TD Home Road Div Pct Conf Pct Non-Conf Streak Last 5
Green Bay Packers 5 0 0 1.000 137 81 56 16 3-0 2-0 1-0 1.000 4-0 1.000 1-0 5W 5-0
Minnesota Vikings 2 2 0 .500 80 73 7 9 2-0 0-2 1-0 1.000 1-1 .500 1-1 1L 2-2
Chicago Bears 2 3 0 .400 86 142 -56 8 1-2 1-1 0-1 .000 0-3 .000 2-0 2W 2-3
Detroit Lions 0 5 0 .000 83 138 -55 11 0-2 0-3 0-1 .000 0-3 .000 0-2 5L 0-5

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Winning is the only stat that matters I agree. GB has the top D in the N right now I agree.

 

[Trudem]

D didnt show up for most of Sunday's game but we got the W. The bye week couldnt have been timed any better for this team right now.

 

[packfancjh]

we need to get healthy asap. 2 undefeated teams coming up after the bye

 

[LambeauRambo]

D didnt show up for most of Sunday's game but we got the W. The bye week couldnt have been timed any better for this team right now.

I'm sorry but the defense showed up just as much as the offense. There is 4 quarters to every game. The defense ended up playing over 80 snaps and still finished the game, the offense didn't. 3 of 9 on third downs, then the 3 3 and outs that let the Bolts back into the game with field possession. To say the defense didn't show up while not saying the same for the offense is wrong.
The defense bent and didn't break, the only thing that matters in the end is the final score and if not for one fluke run by Starks for 60 plus yards the Pack would have lost that game because the offense was stuck in the mud.

 

[Trudem]

Second and third quarter there was no Defense. Offense only showed up for two series basically.

 

[Moab]

Second and third quarter there was no Defense. Offense only showed up for two series basically.

I believe the poster above you has it correct. You can't hang your D out to dry for 80 plays against a vet QB that knows where to go with the ball.

I'm still not sure what to think about constantly rushing 5 guys. Rivers hurt them time and again with that rush. It seems that they felt rushing up the middle was a good plan, but the spacing wasn't there to get good pressure up the middle.

Oh well, they have a bye week to self scout, hopefully get healthy and ready for the last 10 games.

 

[LambeauLegs]

going into Sundays game the #1 defense in allowing points per game the Packers at 16.8 points per game is going up against the #2 defense in allowing points per game the Broncos allowing 17 points per game.

 

[LambeauRambo]

going into Sundays game the #1 defense in allowing points per game the Packers at 16.8 points per game is going up against the #2 defense in allowing points per game the Broncos allowing 17 points per game.

To early in the season to look real hard at those type of stats (imho), but at this time the Packs first 6 games looks to have been just a little, and I mean little bit tougher. All of this means nothing though, Denver is a tough place to play.