July 31, 2010; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Neal (96) takes part in a blocking drill during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIREAfter the first days of training camp, much can be learned about the 2012 Green Bay Packers. Nothing more stands out to me, however, than the improvements being made on the defensive side of the ball.This is probably because of all the competitions being held on the defensive side, meaning more chances for players further down the depth chart to make their names known.One example would be Davon House – a rookie last season. He has been making plays left and right by getting interceptions and just making big plays all around. Head Coach Mike McCarthy thinks he can develop into a solid bump and run cornerback in the NFL sooner rather than later.Another player making big plays in the secondary has been second round pick, Casey Hayward out of Vanderbilt. Both House and Hayward, have been taking turns making big plays in the, seemed to be improved, Packers' secondary. Hayward is talked about as being a ball hawk cornerback with good speed.Both players have a good chance to move up the depth charts quickly if they continue on these hot streaks.Moving from the secondary, the Packers have also seen improvements along the defensive line where another rookie, Mike Daniels out of Iowa, has made the most of his opportunities. He has the size, strength, and even the quick feet to shed blocks and become a force in both slowing down the running and passing attack.Green Bay Packers defensive end Jerel Worthy

Another rookie making big strides early would be defensive lineman Jerel Worthy out of Michigan State University. He’s been consistently improving from day to day but where he has been making the biggest impact has been the defensive attitude he has brought to the team. He has a lot of energy which he uses to pump up not only himself, but the rest of the Packers’ defense.

The final two players who have made an impact early are returning veterans Charles Woodson and B.J.Raji.

Woodson has been playing safety in the Packers’ base defense which, ultimately, places him always in better position to make big plays on the ball and this is exactly what he has been doing in the first days of training camp.

Raji had a slow year last season, but it seems as if he is trying to turn it around this season. He has slimmed down to become more athletic and be able to slide around blocks a lot easier and this has made a big difference in training camp so far.

There will be much more to come with training camp getting under way but after the first days of training camp, not much more can be asked out of the defense as they look much improved from last season.

Focusing specifically on the Packers, it comes as no surprise that their main focus point will be to determine which 11 guys on defense will give the Packers the best chance to win. If we are just focusing on winning, then the Packers’ defense brought in a record of 15-1.

Unfortunately, this was because the offense carried the defense to victories last season and is how, ultimately, the Packers would fall in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Giants.

So as training camp approaches, nearly every position on defense will have a battle of some sort. Considering how the Packers, this offseason, drafted mainly defensive players and even dipped into free agency for defensive players, there will be a lot of competitors fighting for a job. With that said, let’s break down the key battles Packer fans should keep an eye on for this training camp.

Packers defensive lineman Ryan Picket does a good job at stopping the run, but is limited in the pass rush. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Defensive End: Ever since the Packers lost Cullen Jenkins in free agency last year, the Packers have been struggling to find a replacement. Ryan Pickett on the other side has been doing an adequate job stopping the run but he cannot generate pressure on the quarterback which was severely lacking last season.

Raji in the middle, after the Super Bowl season, was thought to have a breakout year with the Packers but never quite reached the level that most thought he could. Then we had the right defensive end which was a huge question mark all of last season. Players from Mike Neal, C.J.Wilson, and Jarius Wynn all took turns at the position last year but none really stood out from the rest of the pack. Some brought Packers fans a spark of hope for a little while but none of the three had complete consistency. This forced the Packers to make moves by drafting Jerel Worthy in the second round, bringing in Anthony Hargrove from free agency, and bringing in Phillip Merling also from free agency. These are three players who seem to be right in the mix to contend for the starting position in training camp. Players from last year like C.J.Wilson and Mike Neal also have been working hard and should get a fair shot to fight for the position.

Who will take over the outside linebacking position opposite Clay Matthews for linebackers coach Kevin Greene. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Outside Linebacker: Similar to the defensive end position of last season, players on the opposite side of Clay Matthews generated nearly no production and the Packers had to flop starters from week to week in order to find someone who could separate from the rest of the pack. Unfortunately, nobody ever truly stepped from the pack and the Packers’ defense suffered tremendously.

Players who took turns starting last season included Eric Walden, Frank Zombo, and Brad Jones. Also, we must keep in mind that injuries at this position plagued the Packers all season with all three having injuries at different points during the season. The Packers’ management responded by drafting Nick Perry from USC in the first round of this year’s draft. \ Perry has major athleticism and the Packers hope that he could be the missing piece to the defense.

Other players to have a shot in training camp include another rookie in Terrell Manning, second-year veteran in Jarmari Lattimore, and another second year veteran in Vic So’oto who had his moments in his short playing time last year. This will be arguably the most intriguing position battle this camp.

Safety: It’s a lock that Morgan Burnett will hold his starting position this season but losing Nick Collins on the other side threw up another question mark in the Packers’ defense. I have to say that many, including me, believed that Nick Collins was a big part of the defense but never really thought of him as being the leader on defense. Once he went down with his injury, I and many others were stunned at how important Collins truly was for the Packer defense.

With perennial Pro-Bowler Nick Collins no longer with the team, the question about who will replace him is one of the biggest heading into training camp. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

With Collins once being the player who made sure everyone was lined up right on defense being gone, the Packers’ defense seemed lost at times. Many big plays occurred and could have been avoided if everyone was lined up correctly. The player who took over for Collins was Charlie Peprah, who played very well, but the lack of communication hurt the Packers severely last season.

With that said, training camp is approaching and so is a successor to Nick Collins.

But who will it be?

Names that come to mind will be Charlie Peprah, second-year player M.D. Jennings, practice squad standout Anthony Levine, and maybe even rookie Jerron McMillian. Regardless of who it is, it is going to be a very difficult task to replace Nick Collins.

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Apr 28, 2011; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces the 32nd overall pick of the Green Bay Packers during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

What a crazy offseason it has been … Peyton Manning being released from the Colts, Tim Tebow being traded to the Jets, and the Saints bounty scandal are the big headliners.

As an average Packer fan, you may think the Packers did the usual thing this offseason which was … nothing at all.

Though they may not be headline news, the Packers did make some key acquisitions and have somewhat lessened the importance for the upcoming draft for the Packers. GM Ted Thompson lives and dies by the draft which means his presence in free agency is hardly ever felt. Heck, before this year, he had not signed an unrestricted free agent since 2009.

So what makes this season so different for Thompson?

Maybe having the worst-ranked defense had something to do with it. Also, losing All Pro center Scott Wells left a large hole to fill. One that a rookie just could not fill.

So Thompson went out of his comfort zone and signed former Colts center Jeff Saturday, who played with Peyton Manning his entire career. With Saturday getting way up there in age, his value in free agency was slightly diminished. His age has not caught up with him yet, so adding Saturday to the Packers O-line fills a large hole.

After Saturday, the Packers picked up defensive tackle, Daniel Muir, who also played with the Colts. Muir has not played in a year, but when he did play he was a very effective tackle on every team he was with and could add some needed depth to the Packers’ defensive line.

The final transaction for the Packers was with former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Anthony Hargrove. With his size being around 270, he could play as a defensive end in the Packers 3-4 scheme or at outside linebacker. I do believe, however, the Packers picked up Hargrove in hopes of him being able to fill the shoes of a position once held by Cullen Jenkins, who is now playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.

So with the offseason winding down, what’s next for the Packers?

It’s what Ted Thompson lives for. The NFL Draft.

The Packers have 12 picks with which to work this year which ties for the most picks Thompson has had since 2006, his second year on the job. With the very nice compensatory picks the Packers received, the team have a very nice selection of picks capable of making some moves in the draft. This could mean trading down in the draft for even more picks or trading up and getting a certain player the organization have had their eyes on. This means the Packers have some leverage in this draft which is where Ted Thompson shines as a general manager.

Who the Packers should look to draft in the early rounds would be either be a pass rusher who can play outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme or draft another young offensive lineman, because center Jeff Saturday is only a short-term solution.

Players who would seem logical include Clemson defensive end Andre Branch, USC defensive end Nick Perry, or Wisconsin center Peter Konz. If Konz is available, this would seem to be a logical pick and would fill a need for the future.

With another crazy offseason coming to an end in the NFL, all that is left before players begin practicing again is the NFL Draft. An event where teams gain more depth and players begin living the dream which they have had ever since being a kid. So, though free agency is basically over, there is still something to look forward to very soon.

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The Packers defense needs to step up in the second half of the season. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The Packers defense currently ranks #7 in total yards, #3 in rushing attempts, 25th for yards per attempt and #10 for yards per game. Rankings of statistics are what they are, numbers on paper, but can tell a larger story when dug into.

Let’s discuss these stats one at a time and try to determine why they are what they are and let’s do this from the bad to the not-so-bad order.

#25 Yards per attempt average (4.6) – The Packers are facing opponents that are in a “need to pass” situations because the score is hardly ever in their favor and they are playing catch-up. This forces Dom Capers’ defense to run a lot of nickel and dime defenses leaving the front six to fend off the runs and makes them more susceptible to the running game.

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Clay Matthews is a stud who has become a star in the NFL. However, he still needs help from his defensive teammates. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

We all know that Clay Matthews is an excellent outside linebacker and is in the correct defensive scheme under Dom Capers in Green Bay but statistics show that he cannot do it all by himself.

Clay is tough and can play through injuries and I am not talking about just minor injuries, i.e. the hairline fracture in his leg last year … but he cannot take down an offense on his own.

The other outside linebacker, be it by committee for the last two years, has been average at best. This does not allow Dom Capers to cut Clay loose on the line or the ability to throw enough stunts at the opposing offensive lines to get to the quarterback.
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Aaron Rodgers is being labeled by everyone but the ghost of George Halas as the “hottest quarterback in the NFL” right now. Nevertheless, Sunday’s NFC Championship game likely will come down to defense.

Look at the two previous Packers-Bears slugfests this season: a penalty-riddled 20-17 Green Bay loss at Soldier Field in Week 3, followed by a gritty Packers’ 10-3 home victory in Week 17.

In that first game, Rodgers went over 300 yards passing but had a long of just 28 yards; meanwhile, the running game mustered just 63 positive yards. In the second, Rodgers went for 229 while the running game mustered just 60 yards.

James Starks or no James Starks, it’s clear the Packers can’t count on running the ball this coming Sunday in Chicago. And while the passing game went for more big plays in the second matchup, including a nice 46-yarder to Greg Jennings, one has to believe we’ll be looking at more of a controlled, dink-and-dunk affair with the Bears’ nasty front four and linebacking crew getting after Rodgers all afternoon.

More scenes like this one would be a welcome sight in Sunday's NFC Championship game at Soldier.

The good news for Packers fans is that as hot as Rodgers has been, the Green Bay defense has been just as hot, smothering Jay Cutler for six sacks and two picks in Week 17, and wreaking havoc against Philadelphia and Atlanta in the playoffs.

Tramon Williams, of course, has been the hero, with three picks, two of them happening in the end zone to save potential scores and one being turned into a pick-six that got the Atlanta rout started last weekend. Clay Matthews and the pass rush have been effective, too, with eight total sacks in the playoffs – and one would hope they will be able to force the erratic Cutler (who often looks like the late 2000s version of Brett Favre) into some bone-headed pass attempts.

Prediction: If the Chicago Bears score fewer than 20 points this weekend, the Packers will go to the Super Bowl. But we shouldn’t expect another 48-point outburst; this game will be decided by the defenses.

Summary: QB Rodgers ran for one touchdown and passed for one touchdown to help the Packers snap a 2 game losing streak and to beat the Cowboys 17-7.  The 3-4 defense had a solid game rising to its potential getting one interception, 2 fumbles, and five sacks to nearly shutout the Cowboys.

Game Highlights: NFL.  CBS.  ESPN.

Game Headlines: Woodson In Everything.  Line Makes Gains.  Pair of Outside Forces.  Packers defeat Cowboys 17-7.  Linebackers Lead Dominant Effort. Insider: Thumbs Up to Woodson, Down to Pass Blockers.

Quotes:

1. LB Matthews: “[LT] Flozell is one of those guys you can’t get locked up with. The guy probably outweighs me by 90 pounds. If I get locked up with him, there’s not a lot I can do. So I tried to freeze him, get his feet stopped and get on the edge. It’s all about studying your personnel.”

2. QB Rodgers: ”Because of the multiple defenses they run, we put in more of the package at the line of scrimmage. McCarthy just put in more checks at the line for me to run-to-pass or run right or run left. We did some good things with that.”

Game Ball: 1. CB Woodson 2. QB Rodgers 3. LB Barnett.

Turning Point: The Packers recovered a QB Romo fumble scoring 3 plays later on a 2 yard touchdown pass from QB Rodgers to TE Havner and giving the Packers a 17-0 lead with 10:49 left.

Injury Report: 1. FB Kuhn (broke hand).

Report Card Grades–Good, Bad, & Ugly: LA vs SE.

Pass Offense—B vs B-. After an ugly first half, Rodgers rebounded in the second half leading the team to a 17-0 and putting the game away. QB Rodgers completed 25 of 36 passes for 189 yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown, no interceptions, 3 fumbles, 4 sacks, and 91.1 passer rating.  WR Driver had 4 receptions for 50, but he dropped a touchdown pass. WR Jennings had 4 receptions for 45 yards.  WR Nelson had 4 receptions for 32 yards. TE Lee had 2 receptions for 21 yards. WR Jones had 3 receptions for 17. RB Jackson had 3 receptions for 15 yards. TE Havner had 1 reception for 2 yards and 1 touchdown. Although the problematic line allowed four sacks, the entire offensive line had a good day in the trenches.  Dallas did finish with four sacks, but only one can be laid on the line–a second-quarter takedown when Ratliff got an inside push against Wells, forcing QB Aaron Rodgers to step up and run into Ware, who had shed TE Spencer Havner at the far edge. The fourth sack is on Lee, who got walked back by ILB Carpenter. Lee also was called for holding on the play, one of two such flags he drew and both penalties were declined.

Rush Offense—B- vs C+. The Packers had 28 rushes for 105 yards averaging 3.8 yards. RB Grant had 19 carries for 79 yards with a solid 4.2 average.

Pass Defense—A- vs A-. Finally, the 3-4 transition defense played up to its potential causing 1 interception, 5 sacks, and 3 turnovers.  Central to the 3-4 defense, LBs Barnett, Hawk, Matthews, and Jones combined for 20 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for a loss, three QB hits and two fumble recoveries.  QB Romo only completed 24 of 39 passes for 251 yards, 1 garbage touchdown, 1 interception, and poor 78.0 passer rating. Caper’s 3-4 blitz schemes showed improvement getting five sacks and what Capers’ defense is all about up front–eating up blockers, opening holes for the playmakers, and then making the few big plays when they’re presented. CB Woodson has a stellar performance getting 9 tackles, getting 1 interception in red zone, getting 1 sack, and causing two fumbles. ILB Barnett had 8 tackles and 2 sacks. Rookie OLB Jones had 7 tackles. On the downside, Collins blew zone coverage on WR Williams’ big catch before he fumbled and DB Williams gave up a touchdown to Williams with 38 seconds left to spoil the shut out.

Rush defense—A vs B. The front seven had another stout game against the rush. The Cowboys had 14 carries for only 61 yards averaging 4.4 yards.  RB Barber rushed 5 times for 26 yards averaging 5.3 yards. 

Special teams—B vs B-. The coverage team had a good day. The return game had an average game.   PR Williams did all returns setting up Crosby’s field goal to end the first half with an 18-yard punt return to midfield, but he slipped & fumbled (down by contact) on his next punt return blowing a potential touchdown. K Crosby made one of two long field goals.  K Kapinos had 7 punts averaging 43.7 yards but only 35 net yard and a poor hang time.

Coaching—B vs A-. The Packers had superlative game plans in all three phases and for the first time demonstrated some grit and intensity.  After a brutal first half, the second half saw big changes.  The play calling improved getting the offense rolling with two touchdowns.  The solid 3-4 defense nearly got a shutout. In the red zone, they were 2 for 2.  In 3^rd down efficiency, they were 7 for 15.  They had 10 penalties for 100 yards.

Overall Game—B+.  In the 2^nd half, while the 3-4 defense dominated the Cowboys, the offense got going and put the game away.  Overall, the defense had an outstanding game holding the Cowboys to 278 total yards and 3 of 12 in 3^rd downs.

CBS Sports Overall Grade Game–A. What a big day by the Packers defense. The Cowboys didn’t get a third-down conversion until the fourth quarter. Charles Woodson really came up big. The offense didn’t do a lot, but it didn’t need to.

CHTV Good, Bad & Ugly: Good–Woodson, Rodgers, & Barnett; Bad–Crosby, Williams, & James Jones; Ugly–Romo.

Rodgers vs Favre series: week 10. “Silver Fox” Vikings 8-1.  Packers 5-4.

Commentary: If the Cowboys got complacent and an inspired Packers team rebounded to play inspired football, the Packers had a chance to win the game. The predictable game scenario became a reality saving the Packers season.  Fate and officiating helped the Packers.

Preview: A must win home game against the tough 49ers. Behind the NFC’s four division leaders, four teams including the Packers have 5-4 records fighting for two wild-card playoff spots. 

Headlines: Critical Game. Different Views. Bulk Battle. Austin. Cowboys Tough. Fine Line Separates Romo From Rodgers.

Injury Report: Out–TE Finley (knee); LB Kampman (concussion); LB Brady Poppinga (quad); T Mark Tauscher (knee). Doubtful — None. Questionable — LB Chillar (hand). Probable — WR Allen (quad); T Allen Barbre (concussion); FB Hall (calf); DE Jenkins (ankle); S Martin(concussion); WR Nelson (knee); QB Rodgers (feet); CB Woodson (hip).

Previews: CBS. ESPN. FOX: Gameplan & Matchups. NFL: Opposite Directions? Matchups. Keys to Game. Scouting Report.

Things To Watch: 1. OMG. Cowboys’ pass rushers have 20 sacks including five from LB Ware. They have to be licking their chops as the Packers embark on another changeup on their offensive line.  Rookie Lang will start at RT replacing Tauscher. With the Packers’ porous pass protection, QB Rodgers needs to quicken release. 2. Packers’ linebacker depth will be tested. The Packers are down to players who have seen almost no playing time on defense. Rookie Jones is the starter at the LOLB. Jones is a natural OLB in the 3-4 but is unheralded.

Game Reviews:  Packers lose to Buc 38-28.  Ugly from Any Angle  Painful History Lesson.  Shameful: Packers Lose To Winless Buccaneers.  Rants & Raves.

Offensive Headlines:  Rodgers Throws Costly Interceptions.  Thumbs Up to Run Game, Down to Offensive Line.   Six Sacks–Line Heads for Record. 

Defensive Headlines: Special Teams Blunders. Defense Unable To Rattle Kid.  Special teams struggle.

McCarthy Watch Headlines:  Loss to Bucs is low point for coach McCarthy.  Time to talk firings. Loss to pitiful Bucs a low point.

Rodgers Headlines:  Rodgers Plays Part in Packers’ Sack Woes.

K Crosby Headlines:  Crosby Struggling From Long Range.

P Kapinos Headlines:  Kapinos said he needs to kick fewer 50-yard punts and instead get his hang time numbers up to allow the coverage units to get in better position and should in turn improve his net average.

Offensive Headlines: Havner A Happy Surprise. Sitton O-Line’s Strongest Link.   Backup QB Flynn Shines In Practice.  Spitz On IR.

Track Sacks Headlines:  Tracking Sacks Through Games.

Defensive Headlines:  Hawk To Showcase Skills?   Hawk Gets Nod.

McCarthy Watch Headlines:  Losing Season Would Put Heat On McCarthy.

Thompson Watch Headlines:  Oates–Thompson’s drafting hasn’t been great, but it has been above average.  By eschewing free agency and splashy trades, however, he has ended up with the youngest team in the NFL for four years. Despite a solid talent base, the Packers lack stars and still have weak areas that good teams can exploit.  Bloggers–Thompson has had five seasons to prepare for each of these declines and departures. Five years is the old plan, the universally accepted time period that a good GM could turn things around and get a team to a Super Bowl.  He’s not just failing on the high draft picks.  He’s failing at a majority of all draft picks.

Bucs Game Headlines: What: Green Bay (4-3) at Tampa Bay (0-7). When: Sunday–noon Where: Raymond James Stadium–Tampa, Fla. TV: Fox Sports. 

Previews:  Matchup.   Things To Watch.   Keys To Game.  NFL.com.

Mid-Season Report Headlines: Wildcard Team At-Best.

Rodgers Headlines: Sore Foot Injury.   Good Statistical QB or Winning Leader?

Offensive Headlines: Tauscher & Clinton To Start?   Spitz Not Progressing.

Defensive Headlines: Jenkins, Jolly Regret Critical Remarks.  Hawk To Replace Injured Chillar.

McCarthy Watch Headlines:  The Case Against Mike McCarthy.

Bucs Game Preview Headlines:  Bucs Like the Bad Old Days.   Jsonline.   Espn.

Music: Dreamcatcher 

Jclombardi reviews Packers’ NFL power rankings.

ESPN: 12. Rodgers is starting to show signs of his season-long beating.   

FOX: 12.  Now that the circus has left town, can the Packers get on with making a playoff run? Maybe, but not until they fix what’s seriously broken on the offensive line.  Maybe GM Thompson intentionally got rid of Favre so he didn’t get the legend killed behind the line’s friendly fire.

NBC/PFT: 13.  The Packers should have saved some of those boos for a few of the current members of the team.

AOL Fanhouse: 14. Rodgers leads the NFL in passer rating with a mark of 110.4. Of course, he’s constantly being compared to Favre, who has a far superior team due to offensive line, running game, special teams and the entire defense. But that’s not gonna matter to the masses, because the Vikings are 7-1 while the Packers are 4-3.

Yahoo: 15. They got away from the game plan, it appeared, quickly.

Sporting News: 16. Favre has beaten them twice, and pass rushers continue to beat up Aaron Rodgers.

CBS: 16.  That offensive line is bad. If they don’t improve there, Rodgers doesn’t stand a chance.