Lombardi Ave
FanSided

Green Bay Packers: Why they won

By Kenn Korb

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next

Sep 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) runs against Green Bay Packers cornerback

Sam Shields

(37) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Blitz-krieg

Most times that Green Bay has faced Jay Cutler, the defensive game plan relies on letting the defense sit back and force mistakes through the sheer number of players in coverage.

Can’t say that hasn’t worked great, what with the single win and 20-plus INTs Cutler has given up to them over the years he’s been a part of this rivalry.

With the lacking receiver depth and the effective run game the Bears were exhibiting, however, Dom Capers decided it would be better to go a different route this time around.

In all, the Packers’ defense blitzed on 58 percent of Cutler’s dropbacks; easily the most since his arrival to the Bears.

On those dropbacks, Cutler managed to go 9/21 on his passes, a pretty awful rate. This also included an 0-for-2 showing on fourth downs.

It won’t be the most effective game-plan most weeks — many QBs can eat up a defense if they know they are coming for them — but it was effective this week.

Over the next few games, once Capers gets back his suspended players (Datone Jones returns this week, Letroy Guion in Week 4), the Packers will probably be able to avoid resorting to such blitz-heavy schemes; not that Jones or Guion are world-beaters, but they would be slated as guys grabbing most of the defensive snaps that went to others in their absence.

Having a full deck of talent may be all that is needed to help prevent the imbalance of overloaded rushers on plays and hopefully slow down the run games yet to be faced.

Time will tell, but Green Bay is off to a nice start to their season.

We’re on to welcoming Seattle to Lambeau Field.

More from Lombardi Ave

Home/Aaron Rodgers