Why this won't be the identical outdated Packers protection beneath new DC Jeff Hafley

GREEN BAY, Wis. — For individuals who thought issues could be drastically totally different proper out of the gate for the Green Bay Packers beneath new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, the next stats after two video games is perhaps alarming.

The Packers rank:

• twenty seventh in complete yards allowed per recreation (seventeenth in 2023)

• twenty sixth in passing yards allowed (ninth in 2023)

• T-Twenty first in speeding yards allowed (twenty eighth in 2023)

• thirtieth in sack proportion (ninth in 2023)

• nineteenth in crimson zone protection (ninth in 2023)

Standard, usual, you say?

Contemplate this: The Packers (1-1) lead the NFL with 5 interceptions, and in the event that they choose off Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis twice on Sunday, they’ll match their whole 17-game complete from 2023 in solely three video games. Their seven INTs in Joe Barry’s remaining season as defensive coordinator ranked forward of just one crew, the Titans.

Secure to say LaFleur would take this present tempo of two.5 per recreation.

“I do not know the way you get a half an interception,” LaFleur mentioned. “However I hear you.”

In that regard, that is what LaFleur needed from his protection when he employed Hafley, the previous Boston School head coach who labored as an NFL assistant from 2012 to 2018.

“I’d say our protection relies on imaginative and prescient,” LaFleur mentioned this week. “And once you play with imaginative and prescient, sometimes you are capable of get extra interceptions.”

Security Xavier McKinney, the $68 million free agent signing within the offseason, already has two of them. He picked off Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts within the opener and Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sunday.

“It’s extremely encouraging,” McKinney mentioned. “Anytime you may get takeovers is all the time enjoyable. It offers us confidence as a protection. We get a greater really feel of … taking part in with our instincts and taking part in quick. I believe that is what it has been doing. Clearly, the extra that we get, we’re constructing that confidence an increasing number of each time we step on the market on the sector. We’re executing. We maintain doing that, we will do some actually good issues.”

Whereas Hafley comes from a defensive backs background, it is not simply the DBs who’re choosing off passes — though linebacker Eric Wilson seemed like one along with his diving interception in opposition to the Colts.

Wilson goes and will get it!#INDvsGB pic.twitter.com/ipVcX0nRoE

— Inexperienced Bay Packers (@packers) September 15, 2024

Wilson is perhaps the epitome of what is totally different concerning the Packers’ protection. Seldom used final season except he was an harm substitute, Hafley gave Wilson the possibility to earn a beginning job because the third linebacker within the base 4-3 bundle, and Wilson grabbed it, although the Packers drafted a pair of linebackers — Edgerrin Cooper (second spherical) and Ty’Ron Hopper (third spherical).

Whereas Wilson is the primary participant to return off the sector when Hafley goes to the nickel bundle, which means he performed solely eight snaps on protection in opposition to the Colts, he’s all in on the brand new defensive coordinator.

“He is a man who’s simple to play onerous for,” Wilson mentioned.

“I believe [the Colts game] was a superb present of that, Wilson added. “Loads of guys made lots of good performs, simply seeing what they see and trusting it and going to get it. I believe all of us actually like ‘Haf’ and what he brings.”

The interceptions do not look like an accident. Hafley’s group often picked off passes throughout coaching camp.

Nevertheless, Hafley would not wish to depend on turnovers to masks points in different areas.

“Completely not, there isn’t a masking,” Hafley mentioned Thursday. “There’s sure areas the place we now have to play higher. And there is sure areas we’re taking part in actually good at instances. It is like 4, 5, six actually good performs, after which abruptly there’s one which we have to play higher and we have to coach higher on.

“We’re giving up too many explosive performs proper now, which matches in opposition to the philosophy of our protection. And I believe the extra we play, the higher we coach, the extra we’re collectively and I believe you will see these go down. The one quantity that is essential to me is that if we win or lose the sport. I am not going to be one in every of these guys up right here that sits up right here and brags about yards and takeaways. How can we win every recreation?”

The protection additionally acquired after the quarterback in coaching camp this summer season.

One among issues that excited the defensive entrance about Hafley’s scheme was the flexibility to go rush extra freely as an alternative of, as defensive deal with Kenny Clark put it earlier this 12 months, “in a more controlled way” like prior to now. In idea, gamers previously referred to as exterior linebackers, resembling Rashan Gary, will get extra go rush alternatives as hand-on-the-ground defensive ends as a result of they’re not asked to drop into coverage a lot anymore.

Nevertheless, that has but to translate to video games, because the Packers have three sacks up to now (solely three groups have fewer). A part of that might be associated to the quarterbacks they’ve performed. Hafley was cautious to not over-pressure Hurts and Richardson as a result of each have outstanding means to scramble and make performs on the transfer, which has compelled go rushers to play with self-discipline.

Gary, who had one of many two sacks within the opener in opposition to the Eagles, mentioned after the Packers sacked Richardson as soon as final week that whereas “it will get tempting” to relentlessly stress the quarterback, they should stay disciplined.

“It do not matter if it will get irritating,” he mentioned. “You execute the sport plan and do it the precise means, [and] we come out with the win, and that is what we did [Sunday].”