It's a team sport. You get better the more you play together. Very difficult task for the Packers to get better as the year goes on with so many players in, out, back in, out again. That along with some not getting to see the field at all.
IMO there was no way for the defense to start out the season in 2013 and then come together, grow as group, and get better as the season went on. Not with all the guys that missed significant amount of time coupled with a few instances where players were last minute scratces and another player or two getting banged up any given game.
Too much shuffling. Too much compensating. I say compensating because when your putting backups in they are more limited in what they can do. That's why they are backups and not starters.
You want better results? Get the defense out there, together, building continuity. Building trust in one another. That builds confidence. That builds attitude.
By midway through the 1st quarter of the 49'rs game the D lost Shields and Neal and were already without Jolly, Mathews, Perry, B. Jones, etc. Mulamba is out there on one leg cause they had nobody left. They were OUT. How the F they stayed in that game is actually amazing.
Just stay REASONABLY healthy. All I ask. Everything else will take care of itself.
"The train is leaving the station."