Can the Packers’ Defense Finally Become a Top 10 Unit?
Fans have always wondered, what would Aaron Rodgers’ career look like if he had a top-10 unit every year. Time after time, the defense would fail at the worst time, crushing Packers fans’ hopes of winning more Super Bowls. The last time the Pack had a top-10-ranked defense was in 2010, when they last won the Super Bowl. Green Bay has gone through many defensive coordinators from Dom Capers, Mike Pettine, Joe Barry, and now Jeff Hafley. The offense is not a problem for this current team, and hopefully, the defense can become reliable too.
The offseason brought many changes to the defense. Major moves include Joe Barry leaving, the signing of Xavier McKinney, and many draft picks going to defensive selections. The new defensive scheme changes from Barry’s less aggressive approach to Hafley’s very aggressive and strong approach. Joe Barry was very loved in the locker room for Green Bay and for good reason, but he was not a good defensive coordinator. The defense ranked 17th in yards per game and top 15 in scoring defense. A notorious moment from Barry includes putting Preston Smith in coverage guarding Davante Adams and many other questionable decisions. When he left, fans were very excited for a new coordinator and so far he is doing a good job turning this defense around. In two weeks, the Packers led the league with five interceptions, and they did a great job shutting down the Colts’ high-powered offense. The defense looked a little shaky against the Eagles, but the field conditions and wet conditions did not help either.
The difference can be seen already, with the secondary and linebackers playing very well and doing a great job limiting splash plays. The only worry so far is the pass rush which has been non-existent so far and hopefully, this will change against the Titans who have one of the league’s worst offensive lines and a turnover-happy quarterback under center. If Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, and Preston Smith can get it going the Pack will easily take care of business in Week Three. Another player that needs to play better is Quay Walker, who made huge strides last year but seems lost so far. He had a couple of bad plays against the Eagles, and he somehow dropped an interception thrown right to him which would have sealed the game early against the Colts. With some time and patience, this defense could become extremely scary and could make the difference between a Wild-Card loss and a deep run in the playoffs.
