Pettine pleased with the 'mental' progress of Packers defense

realitybytes said:
hope you're right rp. but i think rodgers can get it done with a top 15 defense.
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Again, not not picking on you rb because I read the same sentiment a lot, but I don't think it's so.

In 2014 GB was #15 overall defense, #19 in pts allowed
In 2015 GB was again #15 overall defense, #12 in pts allowed
In 2016 GB was #22 overall, #21 in pts allowed
2017, #22 overall, #26 in pts allowed
2018 once again #15 overall, #21 in pts allowed

What's interesting to me is that with these various rankings the team results were all over the place. Two years they went to the NFCC while being bottom ~10 in scoring defense. Three times #15 overall and that resulted in one NFCC, one year making it to the round below that, and one year out of the playoffs altogether. It tells me that despite being middle of the pack, which many people say should be good enough, the team lived and died with what Rodgers and the O were able to do. When he got hot, the team made a run. But we're not talking about that now, we're talking about wanting and needing the defense to be a difference maker, not just along for the ride.

It's a big ask when you think about it. When is the last time anyone had it in their mind to build the team around the D, and not just try to build a group "good enough" for Aaron to drag over the finish line?
 
It's in the archives on here somewhere, but I remember doing a write up on that 2014 defense because it had been the best that unit performed since the Super Bowl season, and I was super pissed off that they wasted it by f-ing up in Seattle. That team, even at 15th, was good enough to do it again.

I do agree that the defense needs to do better than that this year, because the offense is 1. new and 2. the quarterback isn't Superman anymore (though still very good).
 
Crease Creature said:
It's in the archives on here somewhere, but I remember doing a write up on that 2014 defense because it had been the best that unit performed since the Super Bowl season, and I was super pissed off that they wasted it by f-ing up in Seattle. That team, even at 15th, was good enough to do it again.

I do agree that the defense needs to do better than that this year, because the offense is 1. new and 2. the quarterback isn't Superman anymore (though still very good).
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You're right about the 2014 D, the rankings are misleading because they changed so dramatically after moving Clay to ILB. That second half, or final third of the season they were no doubt SB quality.
 
My defense is one that gets off the field as soon as possible. The more time my offense spends on the field, the more we wear down their defense, and the more opportunities we have to score. If they give up a few points because they're flying around the field making things happen, and get burned once in a while, I can live with that because I know that we're gonna wear the opposition down and own them starting sometime during the second half.

Of course, I say this all based on the premise that I have an offense that can really move the ball.
 
rpiotr01 said:
You're right about the 2014 D, the rankings are misleading because they changed so dramatically after moving Clay to ILB. That second half, or final third of the season they were no doubt SB quality.
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And for the life of me, I'll never understand why they didn't keep "Prince Flowing Mane Golden Hair" at ILB after that?? sh))

It was the last time he ever registered double digit sacks (11) and was the 3rd best sack year of his career and 2nd best total tackles (61), even though he claimed to be a premier OLB.
 
dannobanano said:
And for the life of me, I'll never understand why they didn't keep "Prince Flowing Mane Golden Hair" at ILB after that?? sh))

It was the last time he ever registered double digit sacks (11) and was the 3rd best sack year of his career and 2nd best total tackles (61), even though he claimed to be a premier OLB.
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And I believe I'd written about that, too. Clay's best seasons were his first two and then 2014, with steady decline in-between (often health related), and then the final tapering off starting in 2015.

Now I'm even more upset about the debacle that was that Seattle game.
 
Crease Creature said:
And I believe I'd written about that, too. Clay's best seasons were his first two and then 2014, with steady decline in-between (often health related), and then the final tapering off starting in 2015.

Now I'm even more upset about the debacle that was that Seattle game.
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That 2014 season, they moved him to ILB during the Bye Week (Week 9), and over the last 8 games he had 8.5 of his 11 sacks as an ILB.
I'm not sure if moving him back to OLB was Capers or MM's ultimate call, but it sure was a head scratcher.
 
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