The Green Bay Packers’ secondary must be second to none
Talent must translate
Mike Pettine’s defense relies heavily on the secondary being able to hold up in man coverage. That puts a lot of stress on the first and second-year players, as there is not much room for error.
It’s not a question of their athletic abilities. Each member of the secondary is capable of holding their own in man coverage. However, it’s a question of if they can lock down opposing receivers long enough for the pass-rushers to apply pressure.
With that, it’s also about how well they can cover in general. To make a push in the playoffs, there can’t be any instances such as this.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/855395894035795969
It’s also important for the secondary to limit yards per attempt. Last season, the Packers ranked 30th in the league allowing 7.9 yards per pass attempt. Not much needs to be said about how inexcusable that is. You also don’t need to be an analyst to know allowing that many yards on average won’t qualify you as a successful secondary group.
Also, there isn’t a reason the secondary can’t produce more than 11 interceptions this season, which was their number last season. Limiting the opponent’s opportunities and creating more chances for Rodgers and company on offense is crucial in making a Super Bowl run.
The true testament to the secondary will be the play of 35-year-old Williams. Sure, Alexander and Jackson have impressed Rodgers in camp. King seems to be healthier however, he’s coming off of a serious shoulder injury that is being monitored.
While many expected Williams to be a role player, Rodgers has different thoughts. He mentioned how he believes Williams is the best “on that side of the ball” as well as being one of the better locker room guys. If Rodgers’ words mean anything it’s that Williams will be no role player, he’s in Green Bay to make an impact. If he can show age is just a number than Williams will be the lead dog in revamping the Packers secondary.
Consider past Super Bowl champions and the secondaries they had. Seattle had the legion of boom. The Patriots and Broncos had all-around stellar defenses. Philadelphia finished near the top in nearly every defensive statistic.
Then consider the Packers 2011 Super Bowl run. They finished third in the league in opponent completion percentage and second in interceptions. If history does repeat itself then it’s clear the Packers secondary must be second to none in order to make a Super Bowl run.