For time immemorial (or at least since the end of Super Bowl XLV), fans have been disillusioned with the Packers’ defensive coordinators. From late-stage Dom Capers to Mike Pettine and Joe Barry, Green Bay’s defenses have routinely underperformed their talent level and failed to support their elite quarterback-driven offenses at a championship level. When one was removed, the replacement’s honeymoon period was based more on “he’s not the last guy” than any genuine love for the new guy.
That all changed on January 31, 2024, when the Packers named former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their next defensive leader. Make no mistake, there was a significant “at least he’s not Joe Barry” component to the fanbase’s enthusiasm for the hire. But there also seemed to be a palpable feeling that this time, things could be different. In a good way. Are those good feelings finally warranted or will Hafley’s defenses be more of the disappointing same?
Fitting the Pieces
Externally, the initial concern with bringing in Hafley is “Do the Packers have the personnel to play his preferred 4-3 defense after being a primarily 3-4 defense essentially since the drafting of Clay Matthews?”. Fortunately, this concern can be dismissed out of hand.
Rashan Gary was a prototype 4-3 end at Michigan. Devonte Wyatt was a 4-3 defensive tackle at Georgia, Quay Walker was a 4-3 weakside linebacker in that same defense. Kenny Clark (packers.com) is much more of a 4-3 DT than a traditional nose tackle. Lukas Van Ness’ draft capital was heavily influenced by his positional and alignment flexibility. And as anyone who watched the Monday Night game against the Raiders last year would tell you, Preston Smith shouldn’t be dropping into coverage. Especially to cover Davante Adams.
One could easily make the case that this team is more suited to play a 4-3 base scheme than they were Barry’s 3-4. Of course, the NFL is a passing league and nickel is your true base defense. On neutral downs, they’re more than capable of manning up.
Hafley’s preference for defensive lineman who can penetrate and make plays in the backfield matches the Packers existing personnel ideally. The aforementioned Wyatt and rookie revelation Karl Brooks are exactly that type of player. Under Barry, they were liabilities against the run. Hafley needs to focus on how they win and put them in position to do so. Barry’s scheme didn’t allow them to.
“I like to press people”
Words from Jeff Hafley’s introductory press conference that should fill Packers fans hearts with joy. One of the most frustrating aspects of the defenses during Joe Barry’s tenure as DC was his tendency to play his corners “off and soft” on opposing third downs. So frustrating, in fact, that even head coach Matt LaFleur referenced it multiple times in post-game press conferences. Given the Packers employ Jaire Alexander, one of the best man-cover cornerbacks in the league, this was an egregious waste of talent. Barry could have been fired for cause for gross negligence at any given time.
Here we do need to give Barry a little (very little) benefit of the doubt. Alexander was frequently unavailable due to injury and suspension in 2023. Preferred opposing cornerback Eric Stokes hasn’t been the same since his promising 2021 rookie season and barely played last year.
Additionally, the Packers’ safety group was among the least talented on the league. General Manager Brian Gutekunst actively went about reforming the group with money and draft picks. He signed former New York Giants stalwart Xavier McKinney to a lucrative free-agent deal and drafted Javon Bullard and Evan Williams to buttress the position.
The potential availability of the Packers’ preferred corners and upgraded safety room gives Hafley a leg up on his predecessor. Utilizing them effectively will be his mandate.
Attitude Over All
“It comes down to, can you, can you take your players who you have and put them in the best position to succeed, and can you take your players and maximize their ability?” That quote, also from Jeff Hafley’s introductory press conference encapsulates everything I needed to hear to think that things may actually be different this time. The cardinal sin of any professional football coach is trying to force players into your scheme instead of fitting your scheme to your players. Joe Barry was guilty of this. That and his scheme just wasn’t a winning one in the first place.
There’s no guarantee Jeff Hafley’s scheme will be the one that puts the Packers’ defense on the same level as the offense. For one thing, Hafley’s preferred single high safety alignment runs antithetical to what the rest of the league is doing right now. If the defensive line and linebackers can’t generate quick pass rush, they will get killed on short crossing routes. And make no mistake, there will be more big plays allowed than in previous seasons. A more aggressive mindset is going to lead to more big plays allowed compared to Joe Barry’s defense which was specifically designed to prevent them.
That same mindset, though, is also going to lead to more turnovers and fewer long drives for the opposition. The Packers under Barry were the undisputed kings of giving up 9 yards on third and 10 and allowing the opposing coach to go for it on the ensuing fourth down, which they would inevitably convert. Those turnovers and short opponent drives would actually complement the Jordan Love/Matt LaFleur offense that is the strength of the team. Said offense with a complementary defense could be enough to make Packers fans actually feel good about the defense for the first time in nearly a decade and a half. That time frame, not coincidentally, aligns with the team’s most recent Super Bowl appearance.
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