close
close

The Packers defense is taking shape and taking a big step towards shutting down the Cardinals

Posted on by Kennedy
The Packers defense is taking shape and taking a big step towards shutting down the Cardinals

play

GREEN BAY – It looks like Jeff Hafley is getting a feel for how his players fit into his defensive system.

The Green Bay Packers' first-year coordinator just passed the one-third mark of the schedule, and his team turned in its best performance of the season with a 34-13 victory over Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

What stood out about Hafley's plan and approach when he was hired last February was the aggressive, disruptive play he wanted from his defensive front. But what has emerged more than the Packers' defensive identity in recent weeks is the versatile players and diverse groupings Hafley has at his disposal at defensive back and linebacker.

It was all on display Sunday as the Packers kept the dangerous Murray at bay with their stunning win. Hafley threw all possible combinations of base and nickel personnel depending on who Arizona had on the field as well as the down and distance the Packers were defending.

At some point this season, Hafley could decide on a nickel group that he wants on the field at all times. On the other hand, it could be that he prefers to play like he did against the Cardinals. That means he mixes his use of safeties (Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams), nickel cornerbacks (Keisean Nixon and Bullard), outside cornerbacks (Jaire Alexander, Nixon and Eric Stokes) and linebackers (Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper). , Isaiah). McDuffie and Eric Wilson), depending on the offense he faces each week

“We feel like we have a lot of good players, so we wanted to get them all involved,” said coach Matt LaFleur when asked how much Hafley rotated on Sunday.

The result was a near-loss for Murray and the Cardinals, who had just last week come from a 13-point halftime deficit to win in San Francisco.

Murray has had his fair share of ups and downs in his career due to injuries (17 missed games in five-plus seasons) and inconsistent play. But he's a dangerous quarterback who, when he gets going, can win games on his own with his exceptional running ability and lively arm.

However, Hafley's defense essentially incapacitated Murray. Keeping him at 13 points is the bottom line most meaningful number. What's also notable is that the Cardinals gained 104 of the 303 total yards after the Packers essentially tied the game with a 31-13 lead late in the third quarter.

What stood out most was that Murray didn't make big plays outside the pocket, either running or passing. He ran seven times on scrambles and read options but managed just 14 yards. Most tellingly, none of those runs converted into a first down.

The Packers didn't sack Murray, but their defensive line did its part by holding their rushing lanes but not giving him time to throw all day. He did break out a few times, but because Hafley used zone coverage all game, his linebackers and defensive backs – mostly Cooper, Walker and Bullard – were evenly spaced across the field, facing Murray and athletic enough to get close quickly. to chase him he was out after only short wins.

“Overall, I feel like we did a great job the whole game of pressuring him and keeping him in a cage,” defensive end Rashan Gary said. “Obviously he got out a few times, but I feel like that was a big part of the game, keeping him in the cage, making him a quarterback and not letting him out of the pocket too much because when he gets in “If he’s able to get out of the pocket, he’ll be able to extend drives and get his playmakers the ball.”

Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams continue their rapid growth as rookies

Hafley has plenty of options personnel-wise, thanks in large part to the three rookies who are becoming key parts of the Packers defense: Cooper, Bullard and Williams. They've already had a profound impact, and it's hard to imagine it becoming even greater in the coming weeks as they get more playing time.

“Speed, speed, speed, speed, speed,” Gary said of what the three brought to his side of the ball. “Young people who are hungry.”

Murray has incredible change of direction, but twice Bullard came out of zone coverage as a nickelback, didn't shy away from a juke and comfortably chased the quarterback out of bounds.

Cooper had no sacks or quarterback hits as a blitzer in this game, but he had seven temporary tackles and added a downhill play element to the Packers' run defense.

And Williams had the biggest impact of all three with two big plays.

One of those was a third-and-one late in the second quarter when the Cardinals were down 17-0 and desperately trying to get back into the game. Williams came from safety and was on the edge as a run defender or blitzer. Murray held the ball on a read option, but Williams stayed home and dropped it, resulting in a 2-yard loss.

“Knew he wanted the ball in his hands, he wants him to play in that scenario,” Williams said after the game. “So yeah, I had a good feeling it might have been because of that presnap. Any time you get a running back on your side and you're an edge blitzer and the quarterback gives you the opening and the read – that's exactly what happened. As far as his running chances were concerned, he didn't really have anything in the game yet. I assumed he really wanted to create something with his feet.”

Then in the fourth quarter, Williams put the game away as the Cardinals pushed downfield for possible points late in the third quarter. Murray had thrown a 16-yard pass to receiver Greg Dortch, and while his teammates made the tackle, Williams knocked the ball loose. Jaire Alexander recovered and removed any doubts that existed about the outcome.

“He’s a heck of a player,” safety Xaveir McKinney said of Williams. “I’ve been saying that since I was asked about him (in training camp). He is a very smart player, he is a playmaker, he knows how to get the ball, he knows how to cause turnovers. It’s always good to see a young player who doesn’t have a lot of experience but plays like he does.”

Jeff Hafley is able to combine defenders in different positions

What will be important to watch in the coming weeks is how Hafley uses these three rookies, as it will become increasingly difficult to keep them off the field.

On Sunday, Hafley had a top group that included Nixon in the slot, Bullard at safety and Stokes at outside cornerback. Another top group that Hafley played in for most of this game included Bullard in the slot, Williams at safety and Nixon at outside corner.

Hafley then rotated Cooper at linebacker and McDuffie at one spot in nickel, with Cooper appearing to play more as the game progressed. And in the base defense with three linebackers, Cooper sometimes replaced McDuffie on the weak side and sometimes Wilson on the strong side.

It's an amazing mix of personnel, but the Packers' back seven didn't appear to have any major lapses in duties.

“I think we understand the scheme really well at this point,” McKinney said. “We have people who learn things really quickly, even the young guys. I don’t think it’s too complicated for us.”

Of course it won't be like this every week. Hafley's defense continued its turnover hype Sunday with three more offenses, all of which relied on fumbles. The Packers now have 17 turnovers in six games after managing just 18 all of last season. They can't rely on getting something to take home at every game.

Analysis: Aaron Jones can't say the Packers' running game has gotten better, just in a different way

Plus, the NFL season is long and there will be a lot of ups and downs over the next three months. Hafley needs to continue refining what works best and what lineups he needs on the field in a given game. These novice playmakers also sometimes make rookie mistakes that can cost games.

But barely past the one-third mark of the season, there were tangible signs on Sunday that the Packers really improved their defense last offseason.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *