4 Concerns for Green Bay Packers Entering Playoffs
By Paul Bretl
Concern No. 4 for the Green Bay Packers: The defense has been trending downward
This Green Bay Packers defense has had stretches this season where they look like a dominant unit. The three games against Arizona, Kansas City, and Seattle is what I imagine comes to mind for most. During that stretch, the Packers allowed just 601 total passing yards, 34 points, along with one passing touchdown, and four interceptions.
Overall the Green Bay defense finished the season ranked 13th in points per game allowed and 9th in total yards given up. However, those stats may not tell the entire story. Even when this defense was playing at its best, advanced metrics such as DVOA, were never that high on this unit, and their current ranking of 22nd seems much more in line with where this defense is at now.
Green Bay’s first matchup with Minnesota is really when it felt like things began to trend downward for this group. Over the final seven games, the Packers allowed 27.2 points per game, and this includes four games with 30 or more points scored on them.
The run defense has become more porous, and we’ve seen more soft coverages from the secondary, not to mention that there has been a game or two where the tackling hasn’t been the best either. Although despite these inconsistencies, where this defense has continued to shine is in generating turnovers as well as creating pressure.
I recently wrote that when it comes to turning this defense around, it’s actually the Green Bay offense that can provide them with the biggest boost by jumping out to early leads, controlling the clock, and putting games away in the second half.
Related Story. Packers Offense can give Defense the Biggest Boost. light
This defense was built to play with leads; where the opponent isn’t able to lean heavily on the run game, Green Bay can get after the quarterback, and force the opposing offense to put together time-consuming drives.
This Packers defense doesn’t have to be dominant like they were earlier in the season for Green Bay to be successful, and if they do, well, that’s on the offense then. With that said, this unit does have to be better than what we’ve seen over the last seven games.