[ad_1]
Since Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers took over in 2008, the Packers have had their fair share of victories in the division competition. Rodgers has had to overcome opponents and offenses on multiple occasions to make up for the poor defense Green Bay has played in the past.
Heading into this season, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the defense in Green Bay. The talent is legit and his potential is through the roof, the big question remains whether or not the pieces of the puzzle will fit together.
Sunday’s win over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay was a defensive clinic on the part of defensive coordinator Joe Barry for most of the afternoon. Final score: 14-12 Packers win to move to 2-1 on the season.
After taking over as a starter in 2008, Green Bay was 3-27 when scoring 14 points or less during Rodgers’ tenure. They noted that fourth win over a legend in Brady.
Rodgers pointed to the brilliance of this defensive unit on certain days in training camp, saying that the defense worked for the offense and that the superstar defender was once willing to accept it as a victory for the offense.
“I don’t know if we’re going to get going,” Rodgers said when asked when the offense would start playing defense. “I mean, they’re a talented bunch. I want to be busy every day. I think it is possible.
The praise followed a win over Tampa Bay, where the Packers offense caught fire before falling off a cliff in the game-ending second half.
“It’s a bit lopsided at times,” Rodgers said of the team’s balance. “But offensively, we’re young and we’re struggling to finish things at times…so it’s just a matter of tightening things up a bit. But our defense is leading them by 12 points, maybe we’ll win all those games.
The three wins before Sunday against Rodgers came in this fashion as the Packers faced quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Jay Cutler in 2010 and Mitchell Trubisky in 2019. This isn’t exactly a star-studded roster that makes the win over Brady. A day when the destruction is even more spectacular.
So what does it all mean?
Maybe just a blip on the radar and the 2022 Green Bay defense will be back in the middle of the pack like so many past seasons. Or, this defense is the real deal.
Rookie linebacker and first-round pick Quai Walker has put his stamp on this team, flying down the field every week and making big plays along with linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who is debating his game against the Bucs to seal the game. For Green Bay.
Defensive tackle Kenny Clark has been a demon against offensive lines all year and the eye test shows that, as well as outlets like Pro Football Focus, Clark is ranked sixth overall out of 120 inside linebackers. Clark had two sacks Sunday, while tight end Rashaan Gary picked up another sack himself and continued to flex his muscles.
In the secondary, cornerbacks Jair Alexander, Eric Stokes and Russell Douglas make an acre for any wide receiver group they face, and Stokes was targeted once by Brady on Sunday.
Barry’s class has given up 12 points to the Buccaneers and 10 points to the Chicago Bears over the past two weeks in their opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s a promising start that makes the mind wonder if this team is diverse enough to carry a lot of weight.
Rodgers has lost 10 playoff games in his career. In six of those losses, the opposing team scored 51, 45, 44, 37 (twice) and 31 points. Green Bay’s now-constructed offense is a work-in-progress that doesn’t have much experience at wide receiver, or something Green Bay hasn’t previously known for Rodgers. It should be better, at least that’s the expectation, but with the regular season chapters being written and the beginning of a new chapter in the game, it’s never known how many layers will be peeled back. That’s why defense is so important this year because this team needs to lean more on them, which Green Bay hasn’t been able to do before.
If Barry’s team is up to the challenge, the Packers can absolutely compete for the Lombardi Trophy. If they fade from the spotlight and go on a roller coaster of inconsistency, this offense may not be able to sustain things for a serious run.
There’s a different feeling in Green Bay this year and it’s because for the first time in a long time, they might have a legitimate defense. If Sunday is any indication, there will be plenty of chaos for any offense against that defense.
[ad_2]
Source link
