I don't see why people have such a problem with the 2-4-5. That's just a basic nickle package, and is the a staple of a 3-4 defense. What else do you want? Remove Perry/Mathews from the field for another defensive linemen? Take a DB out and put in another defensive linemen? Both of those ideas have big drawbacks. If it's an issue with the timing of a nickle package call, that's one thing, but disliking a nickle defense overall just seems silly to me. It's basically the standard in the NFL these days, and might as well be the "base" package for most teams in most games. With Perry or Neal on the field, it's basically just like having three defensive linemen on the field anyway, because the distinction between LB and DL is just a matter of labeling for them. Defensive end or linebacker, it really doesn't make much difference.

Originally Posted by: DoddPower 

What makes me scratch my head. When we don't get pressure and the QB has time, it never fails that a WR/TE will come open across the middle. 8-15 yards deep, behind the LBers and in front of our Safeties. Yet, when Rodgers is in the pocket with time, we don't seem to have the same, we seem to always have our receivers at the sidelines.

The question is, is that a difference in offensive strategy in scramble drills, or is it designed for that to be against our defense because that is one of the weak spots.

There are two traditional weak spots in our passing defense, the 10-15 yard area across the board both on edges and middle. But how do we stop it? The best way is to get pressure so the routes don't have to develop into that area. As far as coverage what can we do?

Drop LBers deeper in the middle, seems all that would do is open up the short crossing routes.

Personally, I think this also goes back to not having Nick Collins deep. He had the speed to cover sideline to sideline and could be left deep by himself. Now we have to run more 2 deep or shared deep responsibility making the entire middle softer.

Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins 

Personally, I think this also goes back to not having Nick Collins deep. He had the speed to cover sideline to sideline and could be left deep by himself. Now we have to run more 2 deep or shared deep responsibility making the entire middle softer.

Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins 

We are down a number of LBs due to injury. What else do I want? How about flexing to a 4-3? We have the DL healthy enough for this. Makes perfect sense. I don't see why Dom doesn't go to this more often. Where is Josh Boyd?

From what I've seen, GB in a 2-4-5 is and has been, for years, very, very ineffective. That's why I don't want to see it anymore. We need pass rush. Our secondary is getting killed without getting more pressure on a consistent basis. Raji, Picket, Jolly and Wilson have combined to make 1 sack on the season. One. Jolly. Datone has 3. Daniels 4.5. Through 9 games.

Only 2 INTs by our secondary (Shields and House with one each). As a team, our defense is dead last in the NFL in INTs with 3. To me, that points to a lack of pressure, and all I see when we go to a 2-4-5 is a lack of pressure on the opposing QB.

Originally Posted by: play2win 

I don't think Jolly, Pickett, Boyd, or Wilson would improve the pass rush, at all. In fact, it would probably make it worse. Those players offer very little in the pass rushing department. Raji has the ability, but disappears for long stretches. That only leaves a combination of Raji/Daniels/Jones as pass rushing defensive linemen. The Packers best pass rushers are Clay Mathews, Nick Perry, and probably Neal, although he might be tied with Daniels, at this point. Therefore, when healthy, I would want Mathews, Daniels, Raji, and Perry on the field on passing downs, which is what happens when those players are healthy. Raji is exchangeable with any other player, and hopefully Datone Jones pushes him out of the sub-packages.

You may not like the Packers pass rushing options, but that's the best they have to offer at this point, imo. The Packers have a lot of defensive linemen, but only really one or two that are actually effective with their pass rush. Adding more space eating run-stuffing players to the field on passing downs doesn't sound like it would help things at all.

With that being said, I agree with you that more creativity would be nice. I would love to see a combination of a 4-3/3-4 defense, especially on early downs. I've wanted something like that for years now, but it rarely happens. I don't find Capers very creative at all. He has some interesting looking blitzes, but most of them have become relatively familiar to opposing defenses.

Either way, the key to the pass rush is getting Mathews and Perry fully healthy. Otherwise, let's hope to reload in the off season, I guess.

EDIT: Perhaps Worthy will come back at some point, too. He probably wouldn't be effective this season anyway, but he certainly has/had the potential to be a good pass rusher in the middle. It's worth a shot. He'd probably provide more value than some of the other fringe players.

Originally Posted by: DoddPower