Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers – is he on the hot seat?
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Dom Capers – his name turned from admired to goat after the dust cleared from the San Francisco 49ers‘ pounding of the Green Bay Packers is last season’s NFL Divisional Playoff game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is pursued by Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Neal (96) on a 56-yard touchdown run in the NFC divisional round playoff game at Candlestick Park. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Five-hundred-seventy-nine yards, 181 rushing yards by Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Those are numbers that will rank right up there with “4th and 26″ in Packers horror lore. Forever, fans and team officials will turn away from those numbers with shock and embarrassment.

Starting the day after the shellacking, Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy defended Capers, his defensive coordinator, saying the team would begin the evaluation process and that he had full confidence that they would right the defensive ship.

Indeed the Packers worked on making corrections.

They released longtime CB/safety Charles Woodson, they sent defensive coaches to Texas A&M for a workshop on the read-option in an effort to figure out ways to stop the offensive scheme, they drafted defensive end Datone Jones out of UCLA to help solidify its defensive line, they let outside linebacker Erik Walden walk in free agency, extended a free agent contract to ILB Brad Jones and brought back ILB A.J. Hawk. McCarthy and Ted Thompson, the past two years, have drafted heavily on the defensive side of the ball to give Capers the tools he needs to be competitive.

And though the defense did show vast improvement overall last year, it was that final game that stood out; it revealed every hole and weakness and lowered the Packers from an elite team to also-rans.

The message is clear this year. Capers has the tools to take the team to the next step. His task this off-season was to figure out ways to stop the read-option – and Adrian Peterson. The Packers’ defense will be tested right out of the box when they travel to San Francisco to once more face the 49ers in the 2013 season opener.

And that won’t be the only time the Packers will face the scheme. The Packers play Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins in the second game of the year and there will be other teams that no doubt will throw the read-option at the Packers. Heck, even the Chicago Bears, with fleet-footed (yeah, right) Jay Cutler at the helm, have said they may toy with it.

Yes, the message has been sent … and Capers had better be ready for it.

Adrian Peterson
Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

My thought is that McCarthy and Thompson won’t stand for another failure against the read-option, nor will they stand for another running over by Adrian Peterson. The changes Capers institutes have to work and they have to work well.

If they don’t, I wouldn’t expect Capers to be around long.

What do you think, Packers fans? Will Capers get it figured out and the Packers contain the read-option?

Leave us a message below, Like us on Facebook, and/or follow us on Twitter.

Aside from the production of Clay Matthews, the Packers other players have had a difficult time in getting to the quarterback. Here Brad Jones brings down Matt Hasselbeck in 2009.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Let us be blunt, the Green Bay Packers defense stunk last year when it came to tackling and just about everything else when it mattered.  So was this related to the number of injuries and lack of experience that the team was forced to use to plug the holes or was it the scheme?  That question we do not and probably will not know the answer to.

What we do know is this, that calls for the dismissal of defensive coordinator Dom Capers from the masses were met with a wall of support (just as strong as the one that was given to Mason Crosby).  Also, there was no movement on the free agent front to help resolve any questions or concerns with the defense.

Johnny Jolly is expected back with the Packers this week.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Where does that leave us as off season workouts have started and the draft is right around the corner?  Well pretty much where we were when the season ended, except that Charles Woodson has moved on and Johnny Jolly is trying to return.  Plus, Coach Mike McCarthy is reviewing his processes for offseason and preseason workouts and training in an attempt to prevent the Green and Gold MASH unit from going to a code blue for next season.  Finally there is also the hope that the injured players from last year will return.

Well here is my two cents worth, none of the above is going to really matter or factor into anything that happens next season if the defense does not improve in two simple areas.  The first is tackling and the second is generating a sustained pass rush.  I would guess that many of you agree with me on this as it does not take a rocket scientist to figure these two things out.

In analyzing this, we can then remove the portion of the equation that places blame on Dom Capers (though I still dislike his defensive schemes and lack of planning that was evident when we played any read-option team).  Capers is not the one on the field and he is not the one who is executing the plays, the players are, so it rests with them.

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson

I am also removing Ted Thompson from the discussion as his part is to provide players and these guys have been playing since pre-school for the most part and should know how to tackle and rush at this point in their careers.  They all have the same skills and it is up to them to apply their abilities to their jobs, just like anyone in any employment environment has to.

Thus it is the players that need to step up.  They (in my opinion) have no excuse in missing a tackle.  Let’s be honest, how many whiffs and total misses did we see last year?  I can get paid a million dollars to make those same misses, so maybe the Packers should sign me.  I would save on the cap space and give them the same level of futility.

In looking at last season how many times was an opposing player wrapped up and yet managed to somehow break free and explode for a gain?  How often did the defense fail in just doing the most basic thing they are supposed to do?  The answer is a lot.  Also, what is this pushing a guy out of bounds about?  Lay a little smack down on them.  Inflict some pain and punishment!  This is not flag football.

Even though it is probably against some collective bargaining rule, I say the team should be allowed to implement a policy.  Every time a tackle is missed, the player or players who misses are fined $100.  If the missed tackle results in the offense scoring, the fine is $1,000.  Or better yet for each missed tackle, they forfeit .01 percent of their salary.  That would hurt the big money players and the low level guys equally.  How quick do you think the tackling skills would improve then?  I am guessing if you hurt a guy’s pocketbook things will improve quickly.

The Clay Matthews-led Packers defense has got to show improvement in 2013.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Now that I have solved the issues of missed tackles let’s move on to the pass rush.  Granted Clay Matthews was out for a good portion of the season and this can account for a portion of the dropoff in what was expected.  Yet again, this goes back to some basic principles.  These guys have been playing a long time and they understand the skills and techniques that they need to employ to break through and inflict pressure and take the quarterback down.

Why is it that our defense made every offensive line look like they were the premier line in the NFL?  Why can’t these guys provide the rush that is needed?  If it is so difficult to do this on a continuous basis why is it that when I watched Super Bowl 31 the other night, Reggie White was able to on three separate occassions just walk through the line to sack Drew Bledsoe?  Granted he was a phenomenal player but if he can do it, why can’t these younger guys give a little more?

Granted there were bright spots last year, but the consistency was lacking and you never knew what defense was going to show up.  I blame this on the players only because that is the one factor over which they have control.  Thus next season they need to be focused and resolve that their skills are better than what they have shown.

Now if I factor any players or undrafted signings into all of this, it changes nothing.  Again, these guys are professionals and have been doing this for a long time.  They know how to tackle and they know how to rush.  They just need to apply those skills and do what they are paid to do.  If we do not perform in our jobs we end up not having a job.  Maybe it is time that we apply this logic to the players.  You don’t do your job, you do not get paid and you do not play!

Having solved the defensive issues of the Packers, I think it is time to focus on other important issues that are more pressing, specifically how do we take back the tundra next season.  That little article by Bob McGinn, over at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel calling the fans soft is still eating away at me.

Mr. McGinn, get ready cause I am a one-man wrecking machine ready to start the revolution to TAKE BACK THE TUNDRA!

If the early reports are correct, Charles Woodson should return from his collarbone injury for this week’s division deciding showdown against the Chicago Bears. He’s one of a few names who are expected back, as Clay Matthews and C.J. Wilson are also expected to end their stints on the injury list. However, one question distinguishes Woodson’s return from the rest.

However, one question distinguishes Woodson’s return from the rest.

How will he be reintegrated into the Packers’ defense?

If the defense had struggled mightily in the areas Woodson covered, this wouldn’t be an issue. Yet the play at safety and slot corner has been great, if not greater, in Woodson’s absence.

At safety, M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian have both shown incredible ability to keep a lid on opponent’s passing games. McMillian especially has proven difficult to throw at, and veteran passers consistently look away from wherever he is stationed. Morgan Burnett has improved his play as well by rediscovering the ball-hawking ability he displayed during the first half of 2011. More impressive still, Burnett has developed pass rushing ability on safety blitzes, netting two sacks and even more quarterback pressures since Woodson’s injury. Even if Woodson takes the absolute minimum amount of time to shake the rust, it’s hard to imagine he’ll outperform this combined production.

The bigger story, though, is the ascension of Casey Hayward. Hayward went from showing mere competence as a slot corner to becoming one of the best in the entire league. Hayward plays highly instinctually, making the right reads and sticking on the hip of opposing receivers despite only having average speed for a cornerback. The slot corner spot has been Woodson’s since almost the beginning of his Green Bay tenure. It’s the position Woodson has done most of his damage: blitzing the QB, pushing around tight ends, and until recently, giving up little to slot receivers. Woodson may no longer be able to cover in the slot the way Hayward does, and it would be unconscionable to remove Hayward at this point.

So what can the Packers do to both satiate their longtime defensive leader and not see drop-offs in production? The answer may seem a little out of bounds, but when you consider the skills Woodson still possesses and where the Green Bay defense has struggled, it doesn’t seem so crazy.

Play Woodson at linebacker.

More specifically, play Woodson at linebacker in the nickel. This maximizes the skills he has while keeping the young, high-producing defensive backs on the field. Perhaps Woodson shifts to safety in the base 3-4, but it’s in the nickel where he should play primarily as a linebacker.

This wouldn’t be the first time Woodson’s played in such a role. While it wasn’t labeled as such in 2009 and 2010, Woodson played a hybrid slot corner/outside linebacker position to great effect. From this spot, Woodson would flush the quarterback out of the pocket, cover the tight end or slot receiver, and also be able to drop back with the linebackers into zone. Today, Woodson can still tackle like a linebacker, cover tight ends, and play at least as well as any of Green Bay’s current linebackers in zone. The last of these would help reduce the number of cheap 8-12 yard completions over the middle that have plagued the Packers this season.

As the Packers still play most of their defense out of the nickel – this past week the entire opening drive against the Lions was played in nickel – this would allow Woodson to get on the field without making major sacrifices. Woodson could take the linebacker spot opposite of Clay Matthews and give the pass rush the most balance it’s had since Nick Perry went down. Woodson could also shift to Brad Jones’ inside linebacker spot if coverage over the middle of the field becomes an issue.

While many fans might be pealing their jaws off the ground after reading this, such was the same reaction when the idea of playing Woodson primarily at safety was first floated. As with the other aging Packer veterans, the team must adapt to Woodson’s diminished skill set. Fortunately for the Packers, the skills he still has are incredibly unique and fit their defensive needs perfectly. Don’t be surprised to see Woodson playing a role like this as the regular season closes out.

Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers just connected on a game-winning touchdown pass against the Tampa Bay Bucs last season. Their subdued celebration was more like a moment of relief. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

We all know the National Football League’s 2012 season kick-off is right around the corner.

We can smell it, we can taste it.

The Packers convincing win over 2011 AFC Playoff participant Cincinnati Bengals really got Packers fans buzzing.

Two horrible losses to start the preseason was brought to an end when Aaron Rodgers led the Packers up and down the field with his arm and legs.

We also saw an aggressive defensive attack give us hope of great things to come on that side of the ball in 2012.

We’re excited because the Packers have a bevy of good, young defensive players; we’re excited because running back Cedric Benson’s debut was rather stunning; we’re excited because Aaron Rodgers continues to show why he’s the best player in the league; and we’re excited because the Packers’ season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers is nipping at our heels.

We’re ready.

Here’s a video featuring my photography from games over the past couple of years.

Enjoy this Packers-less Sunday as best you can. This video should help.