After each game, former Green Bay Packers all-pro safety LeRoy Butler teams up with Journal Sentinel beat writer Tom Silverstein in our "5 Questions with LeRoy Butler" feature. Butler appears on behalf of his charity, "The LeRoy Butler Foundation" (leroybutlerfoundation.org).
The following is the Q&A after Sunday's 36-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams:
Q. Before we get to the subject everyone will be talking about this week, let's touch briefly on the St. Louis game. One thing that was evident is that Aaron Rodgers' scrambling ability could become a weapon this year. How effective was he as a runner and do you think this is something the offense can build upon or was this just a case of there being some opportunities to run?
A. I think that the protection overall was good. I know Leonard Little had two sacks, but I thought it was better. I like the fact that now defensive backs and linebackers have to defend Rodgers running the ball. He's a two-way threat, he's not just a pocket passer. He can outrun any linebacker and he can just about keep up with some of the safeties in the league. He's leaving himself open for a few hits, but what he did Sunday was run out of bounds. He's a tough guy. People have to understand, this is the NFL, he's not taking off running like an option quarterback. He's only running when his progression breaks down and his protection breaks down. He's only running when he needs to. That's the good thing about it. They have to know, as a quarterback, you're mobile. You can't just sit back there and be a target. You have to move around. That's the good thing about it. And not only that, you can do a lot of roll outs and sprint options and things like that. He can throw it or run it. It hurts the defense because you have to stay in coverage longer. You can't come up and help because at any minute he'll launch it 50 yards or run and get the first down.
Q. Now to the big game between Brett Favre's Minnesota Vikings and the Packers on "Monday Night Football." If you were playing in the secondary in that game, what would be your scouting report on Favre? What would you tell the rest of the players about what you can do against him and what you can't?
A. I would say to my guys, when you think he's not going to throw it, he's going to throw it. To take that further, tight coverage gets you interceptions, being aggressive gets you interceptions. What will get you hurt is if you loaf when he's not looking at you. If the receiver gets separation, he's going to hurt you. Just because he's not looking at you doesn't mean you're not a target. He's better at coming back to his primary receiver than anybody, probably better than anybody who has played the game. It's what we call a quarterback progression. He can go, one, two, three and back to No. 1 in two seconds. When you have a quarterback like that, as a defensive back, if you're loafing it's always a big play. He's hurt so many secondaries like that. I'd tell my guys to have tight coverage all the time. You'll have a chance for an interception if you disguise your coverages, if you play the one coverage he doesn't like, Cover 2, that's when you roll up your corners and your safeties are deep. But you have to disguise it. You can't just line up in it. Or if you run a fire zone right in front of him to the front side, where it's a combination zone and blitz package you will have opportunities if you keep the integrity of the defense. Stay where you're supposed to be and don't take any chances.
Q. Ideally, as a defense you'd probably like to blitz Favre a lot because he's not as mobile as he used to be and you want him to get hit as much as possible. But how much can you actually do that when you have a guy like Adrian Peterson back there and what's the danger with him when you blitz too much?
A. You don't blitz second and 1, third and 2, third and 3, when it's short yardage you don't blitz. You blitz Brett Favre when it's long yardage, when he has to hold the ball a little longer. Third and 13, second and 11, second and 10. You bring it and make sure he gets the ball out. You can only blitz when you know there's a good chance that Peterson is not going to get the ball. He's not going to get the ball on third and 12, so you blitz. He's not going to get the ball on second and 11. He'll run it third and 1 and third and 3 and second and 6, second and 7. Now, if you blitz, and they pick it up, now you're looking at the home run. If he gets through the middle is wide open.
Q. Looking at it from an offensive standpoint, who do you attack on Minnesota's defense? They've got a great run defense with Pat and Kevin Williams in the middle and a great pass rusher with Jared Allen. Is there a weakness the Packers can exploit?
A. Play action and attack both safeties deep. Play action and attack both corners with deep comebacks, a 25-yard comeback where the receiver catches it at 18. Play action slows down the pass rush. The shovel pass against Jared Allen, draw plays at Jared Allen, stretch plays at Jared Allen. All the runs should be going directly at him. He's an undersized guy. The Packers have bigger guys, they have to make him play the run. That will slow down the pass rush. Play action, play action, play action will give you the time you need to exploit both safeties. You'd like to think that Ryan Grant would get the ball 25 times this week. But just because you'd like to do that, doesn't mean you have to. I think they should go in there and make it a shootout. Go in there and say, 'I'm going to be aggressive. My receivers are better than yours, I can outscore you and we'll get more stops then you.' Try to win it, 35-34. The Packers' overall talent is better. Make it a shootout because you're not going to win the running back battle. Don't even try it. Adrian Peterson is No. 1 on the board. If both teams go to the running game, they're going to win that battle. The way to win is through the air.
Q. How do you think the players should approach this week?
A. Stress to them that it's going to be a playoff atmosphere. It will be the first taste for some of the young guys of a playoff atmosphere. You have media coverage, Monday night, they're 3-0, the Packers are 2-1. If the Packers win they're tied for first. If they lose they're 2-2 and tied for second or third. This gives them an opportunity to get tied for first. The veterans have to talk to the young guys and say, 'Look, this is a playoff atmosphere. You'll see a media circus like you've never seen before. We need your best game. Now the big boys start playing.' It's the end of the first quarter. Each quarter is four games. You have to end the first quarter on a good note. If you want to be an elite team, 2-2 is unacceptable. This is a must-win game to stay on pace with the Minnesota Vikings. Part of football is playing like that. The clich of "if we lose," well, guess what? Don't lose. You have to put everything into this game so people know that after the Cincinnati debacle, we need to steal a game and this is the game we're going to steal. Losing one at home, you have to steal one on the road. This one means a lot more not just because of Brett Favre, but because you want to be in first place. Trying to catch a 4-0 team when you're 2-2, there's no room for error. Now is the time for this team to show what it did in the pre-season. Let's put it together, go up there with that right frame of mind and be prepared.