Minneapolis From the start of training camp through the season-opening victory against the Chicago Bears, much praise was heaped on the shoulders of new Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers for his pressure-filled scheme.

And it wasn't just by fans and the media. Capers' own players, such as cornerback Charles Woodson, often talked loudest and most glowingly about what Capers had in store for the regular season.

But after Monday night's 30-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, in which the defense failed to register a sack or get much production on third down, Capers' players are wondering where the pressure went.

"Well, I think we've got a lot of tools in our bag that we're not using," Woodson said. "For whatever that reason is, I don't know."

When asked if he would lobby Capers to turn the Packers loose during the bye week, Woodson said he shouldn't have to.

"I think anybody can see that," he said. "We have a lot of things that we have in the package that we can use. We've got to do it."

The Packers did not sack 39-year-old quarterback Brett Favre once although he was dropped nine times in the first three games. And they didn't hit him all that much, which was a point of emphasis this week. On one completion to obscure tight end Jeff Dugan, Favre had 7.33 seconds to complete the 25-yard pass. There was no one around Favre when he threw it, either.

Green Bay has five sacks on the season, just one in the past two games.

"I think they did a good job protecting him and we'll have to take a look at it," Capers said.

And through three quarters, the Vikings had converted seven of nine third-down opportunities (78%). At one point, the Vikings converted seven consecutive third-down opportunities.

"I think our biggest liability tonight was on third down and it was a combination of pressure and coverage," Capers said. "We have to take a look at it and get it fixed."

Several players said the Packers could only execute the defense that was called.

"You hope that guys are always playing the defense they're told to play," Capers said when informed of the players' words. "You go back to the drawing board and go to work and try to correct the errors. On third down we didn't play well enough."

One of the key aspects of the Packers' defense before the season was how Capers used Woodson to blitz from all over the field. Woodson said he blitzed "maybe twice" against Favre.

"Not as much as I thought I was," Woodson said. "I anticipated us doing a lot of that today and it didn't happen."

Woodson now says he feels foolish for some of the talking, of Super Bowls and such, that he did before the season.

I talked big and now I look like I dont know anything about anything, Woodson said. The reality is that were nowhere close to what I thought we were earlier in the preseason coming into the season. Weve got a long ways to go.

The defense didn't lose this game, Rodgers didn't lose this game.. the offensive line and their performance have now cost us two games. Lombardi avenue, you listening?

"pack93z" wrote:

Yes some of it is scheme related, but I fail to understand some of the things were have done this season from a personnel standpoint.

1) We were suppose to have a number of blitz packages, we seen them week one, but since that point they have disappeared. Why? Because we lack the horses at Linebacker inside to protect our asses in the running game.. we got dusted up in the Cincy game and we shelled up on defense after that..

2) If I personally have to watch Barnett avoid contact and get his ass out of position after the bye, I will be extremely disappointed. The three linebackers starting in the middle are soft in run support, Barnett is by far the weakest in that area.. Hawk at least takes on the blocks, he might not shed them but at least he is sticking his nose in there and glogging it up.

Freaking fail to see why Bishop isn't getting rotated in on at least running situations.. unacceptable.

3) Why does it matter if the Interior Backers can fight off blocks and make plays? It constricts what you can do in terms of pressures with the line and backers.. I am telling you, we have been seeing below standard linebacking play from the interior backers, most notably Barnett.. yet he seems to be on the field the most.. boggling.

4) Kampman is having trouble adapting to the different points of engagement from his new position. For such a stellar player hoping out of a down stance to a guy that is getting blocked effectively by TE's in many sets. Probably our most talented front seven player being rendered ineffective by the scheme, not something a experienced DC should allow to happen. Scheme to players.. not players to scheme.

5) We cut loose the most productive preseason performer for Martin and Bush.. I couldn't at least three times Martin was either late or out of position.. hell of an upgrade over a personal conflict eh.

Again something we were sold in the offseason, yet still a sore point a year later. Musical chairs anyone?

However, after all that we were still in the game last night.. wonder how good we could be if we had the protection issues fixed eh.. remember the color boys were putting the Vikes and the Superbowl in the same sentence and we torched that defense when we had a couple seconds of time..

The defense didn't lose this game, Rodgers didn't lose this game.. the offensive line and their performance have now cost us two games. Lombardi avenue, you listening?

"pack93z" wrote:

"pack93z" wrote: