Things look the same as always when the Green Bay Packers break the defensive huddle.
The cornerbacks and safeties retreat to their positions with the play call they just heard from inside linebacker Brad Jones. Safety Morgan Burnett scans the field and looks for any pre-snap adjustments that need to be made. He gives hand signals and verbal calls to his secondary mates.
It’s the same routine defensive players have followed for years.
Except this is where things are different. This year, when Burnett or any other defensive player makes an adjustment, that call is not simply absorbed by each player, it is relayed back and forth so that everyone — all 11 on the field — knows his exact assignment.
Much has contributed to the defensive progress the Packers have made this season — they’ve climbed into the top 10 in overall defense with only Sunday’s regular-season finale at Minnesota remaining — but one important factor has been the improved communication. That has led to far fewer missed assignments, especially in coverage.
“Our missed assignments have been way down,” Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said.
Last season, when the Packers ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed and set an NFL record for most passing yards allowed in a season, it wasn’t uncommon to see missed assignments and blown coverages that led to wide-open receivers. In 2012, especially in the second half of the season, those have become a rarity.
“Obviously, if you go into the record books for the most passing yards (allowed) in a season, things are going to be addressed, so we addressed it,” Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said. “We put a point of emphasis on making sure guys are on the same page, making sure the communication is being directed and relayed back. In the past, it was directed, but it wasn’t getting back. Guys were making calls but weren’t getting it back. You may think a guy got the call, but he really doesn’t have the call, so now you’re really not on the same page. That was what the problem was, I think.”
The Packers started the season with some of the same problems they encountered last year, when they allowed 4,796 yards passing. In Week 1 against San Francisco, there was a blown coverage by safety M.D. Jennings on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss. In Week 4, there was a blown coverage by cornerback Sam Shields on an 80-yard touchdown pass to Josh Morgan. There were several missed assignments that led to blown coverages in the Week 5 loss at Indianapolis.
“On my group, Tramon I think has had one this year,” Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt said. “Sam has probably missed three or four. Casey (Hayward) probably missed five or six. That’s the whole year. Look at it the past eight games, I don’t think we’ve missed one. Most of those came from the Indianapolis game or before. I don’t think we’ve missed one the past eight or nine games.”