GREEN BAY, Wis. – After the first day of Green Bay Packers training camp, quarterback Aaron Rodgers playfully called the defense “chumps.”
Rodgers carved up the defense that day, but he knew tougher times were ahead.
“I felt coming into camp, to be honest, we were going to get our butts kicked most days because our defense is talented and deep and athletic. It’s one of the best defenses, on paper, that we’ve had,” Rodgers said.
Monday’s practice was the 11th of training camp. Three of them have been at a jog-through tempo, meaning there have been seven “real” practices since Day 1 of camp. The “chumps” have been champs, delivering seven consecutive butt-kickings.
When Rodgers said, “We’re a defensive team now,” he didn’t really mean it. But, through two weeks of training camp, that’s the reality. With David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins and Robert Tonyan out of action, the offense has been playing with three ACLs behind its back.
The defense has been playing at full strength – and at full speed – with perhaps the best starting 11 in the NFL. It is a unit without a weak link. Defensive line used to be a weakness, so general manager Brian Gutekunst signed Jarran Reed and used a first-round pick on Devonte Wyatt. Linebacker used to be a weakness, so Gutekunst used a first-round pick on instant starter Quay Walker.
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