The defense is good enough to get the team playing in February. Arguably that was true last year too. A new safety room has revitalized the back end, and the nickel package with 2 fast linebackers shows real promise.

It's all going to come down to the offense. The defense will do enough.

One thing about having all the injuries in the back end. It has made our depth pieces more experienced, the coaches get to know and maybe trust them and allows more leeway on what the D can show when (hopefully) they get everyone back healthy.

The downside is that there's no way to be able to hold onto all those pieces that become good players in the future. There's no reason to worry about it now though.

Need to have the same Defense / Pass Rush against the Vikings and Lions as we did against the Seahawks. Obviously different schemes based on talent but was a stellar performance, just need to replicate that effort in Big Games when a team is driving for the go ahead score at the end of the 4th quarter. That's when Reggie, Clay, Leroy and Charles made their money !

National show,'Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager has a weekly top-5 rookie series and he called out Edgerrin Cooper today.

Not sure if it means a lot to split defensive stats into first half vs. second half, considering that points count just as much no matter which half they are scored in. But the Packers are 8th in total points allowed, 10th in yards, and 4th in turnovers, which is pretty good, and they are trending in the right direction. The run defense has been excellent for several games now, and the pass rush is heating up. They probably still need to get Jaire Alexander back to have a good chance of controlling the best offenses in the playoffs, but the other CBs have done a pretty good job holding down the fort against the lesser teams.

Now - I have to disagree with the last part of the first sentence - thought early in the year that we had played a bit passively in the lead. But what I really like - that despite some poor tackling - we have really improved in the total defense rallying to the ball. Like the old Bears under Urlacher - no loafs on this team. This is a defense that is improving each and every time out - and despite having some guys in and out of the lineup - it seems to have different guys step up - Do we have holes - of course but can you do enough to win each and every game - most times - and sometimes the offense needs to win games . Thats the NFL - and as long as it isnt a ref's call or missed call ( like the Non PI call against the Lions) I am happy.

Our D has been up and down. Hafley shows promise, he can adapt, but he’s yet to show he can get it right consistently. Unfortunately, he’s got it wrong in key games. Notably against Minnesota and the game in Detroit. Yes, he got it right in Seattle, but this piece is more than a little premature based upon a see-saw season and one acute and one inapposite approach to the last two opponents. Hafley needs to win the tactical battle more often and when it matters. At this point he’s got potential, but can still hurt as well as help us and has yet to make the positive sufficiently predominant to justify this.

The front 4 are beginning to display what was hoped for since Hafley arrived. Pressure! Wyatt, Enagbare, Brooks, Gary, and Clark are pressuring consistently, on the same plays, increasing odds someone will get a sack, a hurry, throw aways.

The run D has shown the most improvement over Barry Ball. And again Sunday...80 yards and 5 yd average however 24 yds came on one run and the remaining attempts netted only 3.7 yards.

It is my impression the new arrivals (X, Bullard, Williams, Cooper) adapted to the new Pressure D/Vision and Break/playing fast with a simplified game plan...the most quickly. But the vets are there now too.

It's not how you start...it is how you finish.

We held opponents to 20.6 points per game last year.
We are holding opponents to 20.5 points per game this year.

The top 4 teams last year held opponents under 18 points per game.
The top 4 teams this year are holding opponents to 18 points per game.

We're close but no cigar. If we want to win another SB, this defense needs to tighten up even more because defense wins championships!

Hafley said before the season started that when he got to sit down with McKinney and talk defense that he was surprised how much they looked at things the same way. I think the players like playing for him and, more importantly, like playing his system. The last few weeks they've played with more physicality which is great to see as well. They haven't always been the most physical of teams under previous DCs(I'm being nice).

I said in TC it wouldn't be surprising if they had some rough outings but they needed to show gradual improvement. Hafley said a couple weeks ago he was starting to see the youngsters starting to play faster in practice as they became more assignment sure but couldn't put a timeline on when it would show in games. Cooper looked like he "got it" Sunday. He's only played 329 snaps so every snap can still teach him something but having him healthy(🤞) for the playoffs should be a real plus.

**Cooper was DPOW and is the only Packers rookie to win it twice. He was also PFF's highest graded player overall this week. Neither is surprising with the game he had.

It can be frustrating when the Packers defense seems to be getting pushed around and giving up yardage and points. But then I watch some other games where both defenses are getting gashed, and by comparison, GB's defense isn't so bad.

So I have to tell myself that compared to most other NFL defenses, the Packers are doing pretty well.

But I still wish they'd sack the QB, get an interception, or cause a fumble on every play.

My two sense. Guys that auto play because they are Gutts top picks have dragged the d down, Now that those guys are not playing due to injury or Gafney has seen the light the D has better players doing a better job: Jairre is hurt, pass d has improved. Stokes has seen limited time, pass d has improved. Walker was slowed due to injury, linebacking and pass/run coverage has improved.

We have dead wood on the defense playing because Gutt picked them highly and they arent worth it.
Trade Jairre, Walker and Stokes and get whatever picks you can and its a non losing proposition.

Hafley was a good signing but he was not dealt a good hand.

He is having to work with a majority subpar D players. These are average to below-average players who show occasional flashes. All have reached their ceiling. Yes, I include LVN and Wyatt.
The rest are McDuffie, Enagbare, Slaton, Gary, Clark, Walker, Stokes, Valentine, Ballantine , Nixon and so on.

Hafley has 4.5 high-performing, consistent D players-MacKinney, Cooper, Bullard, Jaire (50%) and Williams.

When those players are injured, the D regresses in a major way.

It will likely take 2-3 years to fill expensive gaps and that is if 100% are good signings.