LeRoy Butler analyzes the 49ers-Packers game
"I think theyll be OK. They can hide some of the inexperience in the secondary by being aggressive."
Posted: Nov. 23, 2009 4:17 p.m.
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 analysis of the Packers' 30-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Lambeau Field.
Q. The injuries to cornerback Al Harris and linebacker Aaron Kampman are going to affect the defense to some degree. Do you see the offense now being the focus of this team and the one expected to carry it? Will the Packers have to win shootouts?
A. I think the defensive front has started to come of age. I think the front with Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, Cullen Jenkins and Johnny Jolly, I think these guys control the line of scrimmage and I think the linebackers have been playing the last two weeks as well as anybody in the league. So I think theyll take control of this game against Detroit. Theyll stop the run and blitz the quarterback. If it falls on the defense, Im confident theyll put the game away. These guys are starting to hit their stride now, Im excited for them and I think defensive coordinator Dom Capers is doing a hell of a job getting them prepared. Having Clay Matthews and Brad Jones coming from the edge and Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk coming up the middle I think theyll be OK. They can hide some of the inexperience in the secondary by being aggressive. Theres a difference between covering 2 seconds and covering 5. You only want the guys covering 2 to 2.8 seconds, after that the quarterback has to be on the ground. You have to be aggressive.
Q. What is the psychological impact of losing two veterans the caliber of Kampman and Harris in such sudden fashion? All of a sudden, theyre gone. How does that affect a team and can it shake a teams confidence?
A. Its a good question because its the voice you hear. Youve heard these two voices in the locker room all year about getting guys together and making plays. Now you dont hear that voice anymore. It has to be a young guy who steps up because these two young guys wont be out there in the battle. Now, whos going to be that extra voice besides Woodson? Whos going to go out and make that extra play? Youre taking two Pro Bowlers away from that defense. You had four and you took away two. The next guy who steps up is going to be a different voice. As players, you try to follow the voice youve heard all the time. Well, guess what? Its not there anymore. Someone else has to step up and be a leader. They have to go in there and play their game. Go in and just dont hurt the team. You dont have to make a ton of big plays, just dont hurt the team by being out of position or letting a wide receiver get behind you, not studying. You can hurt the team if youre doing those things.
Q. Is Capers going to have to consider backing off on some of his cornerback blitzes with Harris gone, knowing that in some cases hes not going to have a guy he knows can shut down a receiver one-on-one wherever he needs it? Will they leave themselves open to some mismatches if theyre too aggressive?
A. What you can do is what we did in the mid-'90s, which was double with your young corners, and you can always put them in a position where they can succeed. You scaled your game plan down a little bit, but the one thing I would love to keep intact is having Charles Woodson near the line of scrimmage. Thats when the Packers are at their best. Thats when theyre a top five defense when No. 21 is around the line of scrimmage making plays and covering the tight end or backs. Now you have to be able to roll your coverages to your young cornerbacks. What you have to do is when you get in long-yardage situations, thats when you have to blitz. You have to be very calculated in your blitzes, but you have to keep them dialed up. The criss-cross blitz with the two inside linebackers has been effective the past two weeks. You have to be aggressive with things like that.
Q. Whats your level of confidence in Brad Jones filling in for Kampman and Jarrett Bush moving up a peg to the nickel spot that Tramon Williams has been holding? Is it too much to ask for those guys to fill in and do they have to be careful not to try to be the guy theyre replacing?
A. I think Brad Jones is OK. I think hes already broken the ice for a rookie when he played the whole Dallas game. I think he can hold his own. Bush, to me, Im going to predict he makes the most of this. I can see him getting an interception in this game. Im really hoping he can turn his game around. Hes probably the most active special teams player they have. Now hes going to have to go double duty. So you hope hes in the film room studying, knowing hes going to have to play. He may even have to start. If thats the case, hes going to have to step up and play. The defense cant wait for anybody. This is the NFL, you have to put your guys out there and let them play. You have to call your plays and, hopefully, you can match up Tramon Williams with a Calvin Johnson and Bush gets the second receiver. He has to shut him down. Hes going to get opportunities to be a hero or be a goat. Im hoping he can step up and make a name for himself and I predict he does very well.
Q. The Detroit Lions are coming off an emotional victory over the Cleveland Browns and they have a chance to get something going there after such a long drought. Do you think this could be one of those so-called "trap" games for the Packers?
A. No, and Ill tell you why. The Packers have come too far and they know what theyre facing. They know the magnitude of this game and they know they cant slip. They know their surroundings, that other teams like Philadelphia, Atlanta and the New York Giants, the teams who are 5-5 and 6-4, the Packers know whats going on. This is too big for this to be a trap game. I think they had their trap game with Tampa Bay. And they know that feeling coming out of that Tampa Bay game. They dont want that feeling anymore. The whole locker room was just sick to its stomach. They let one get away. So, no, I dont feel like this is a trap game. The Packers know the magnitude of it and theyll get it done. They just have to come out and play right away, match that first wave of energy the Lions put out. They have to come out like they did against San Francisco, be aggressive from Day One, just match their intensity right out of the box. You have to be prepared and try to get up right away by two or three touchdowns. But you also cant have that lull you had against San Francisco because Cleveland had them down 24-3 and they were able to come back and beat that team. You have to be aggressive for four quarters.