At times, the Green Bay Packers' defense looks like the most dominant force in the NFL. At others, fans are left scratching their heads at the inconsistencies that pop up every few weeks.
One such example was Micah Parsons going without a pressure for the first time in his career, one week after having the best sack performance of his career. And despite the overwhelmingly positive impact Parsons has brought to Green Bay's defense, the inconsistencies in the pass rush extend far beyond him alone.
Sometimes, an inconsistent pass rush just needs a few well-timed blitzes to find its spark. And with Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker, the Packers are built to be one of the best blitzing defenses in the league. So, why aren't they?
A closer look at why the Packers' defense isn't capitalizing on its blitz potential
The Packers have one of the lowest blitz rates in the NFL at 17.4 percent, according to Pro Football Reference, the fourth-lowest rate in the league. Cooper and Walker have blitzed 27 and 26 times each, respectively. They've combined for just two sacks, though. Nonetheless, both linebackers are on pace to blitz considerably more than they did last year.
They blitzed 33 and 32 times last year, Walker getting the slight edge. They combined for six sacks and six hurries as a result. Still, the Packers blitzed at the second-lowest rate in the NFL last year, 17.3 percent.
Green Bay has 22 sacks halfway through the season, just half a sack off pace from matching the 45 they had last year. So, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is calling more blitzes for his linebackers, but they just aren't quite as effective, even if he is getting comparable results all the same.
Part of the hangup with the percentages of blitzes called is that when Parsons lines up over the nose tackle and blitzes the A-gaps, Pro Football Reference doesn't consider that a blitz. The statisticians get to make that call, whether we disagree with it or it skews the perception of reality. Still, it's obvious that the numbers are hiding a portion of the equation here.
READ MORE: Packers just won the trade deadline without making a single move
Certainly, Packers fans aren't wrong to expect a bit more out of the pass rush - especially against favorable competition like last week vs. Carolina. Still, the difference in Green Bay being an elite pass-rushing unit and a great one is that these blitzes get home just a bit more often.
It's easy to sit back and contend that the Packers should just blitz more since their blitz rate looks so low, especially with the inconsistencies on the backend, particularly at cornerback. The quick pressure a well-executed blitz provides can help or hinder the defensive backs, and the quarterback the defense is facing is often the difference in how that outcome falls. But the Packers are blitzing more, even if the rates don't seem to say as much.
After all, the Packers aren't the only team that gets to the quarterback at a high level without a defined 40 percent blitz rate. The Packers and Seahawks, for example, have very similar outcomes in their pass-rushing despite using very different tactics. But both are at the bottom of the league in blitz rates and near the top of the league in pressures and sacks.
There's more than one way to get the job done, and Green Bay's works. A more complete unit, where trusted cornerbacks can make the quarterbacks pause just long enough for the blitzes to get home, may be the only difference in taking the operation to an elite level.
With Asante Samuel in the building on Thursday, ahead of several others in his tour around the league, Green Bay needs to make a lasting impression so he circles back to Titletown. A presence like his is what can help Green Bay take full advantage of its pass-rushing prowess, especially on those unique blitz packages.