Green Bay — Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers haven’t flinched all off-season, all training camp and all regular season when it comes to the defensive line. Nose tackle B.J. Raji went down and the direction remained the same.
They want athletic, more nimble body types up front — players who will disrupt. Despite losing the 337-pound Raji, no new wide bodies were signed in August. The Packers stuck with what they have, standing pat as Ryan Pickett signed with Houston.
There are ramifications. Green Bay is allowing a NFL-high 163 rushing yards per game. The Miami Dolphins certainly pose a major threat on the ground in Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno.
But there's also a major potential pay-off. Through this philosophical change, the Packers are valuing the big play above all. And of their seven interceptions by seven different players — second-best in the NFL — four are the result of pressure from the defensive line.
JSOnline Blog wrote: