As everyone totally expected, the Green Bay Packers currently boast one of the stingiest and most powerful defenses around the National Football League.
Right? Everyone?
New defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s hiring was met with skepticism from fans in Green Bay and around the league, especially after an abysmal Week 1 performance. Yet, as Aaron Rodgers said, the embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints proved to be an anomaly.
It would take a bit longer to fix its red-zone issues, but the Green Bay defense has ascended into a truly elite group. Not only has the D-train managed some of the league’s best quarterbacks in Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson, but it did so without Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith.
Barry is leading the best defense the Packers have had in years with mostly the same personnel and coaching staff Mike Pettine had at his disposal. Under Barry, one of the most valuable elements of the Packers’ defense has been the stellar level of play from their starting safeties. Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos form what is arguably the best safety duo in the league.
This claim isn’t merely homer bias. The number guys at PFF heartily agree. Despite the Tennessee Titans’ safeties having higher numbers, PFF’s Mike Renner believes the group to be the best in the league and a key to the Packers’ defensive success.
Adrian Amos sits at a lovely 79.9 PFF grade with 50 solo tackles, two interceptions, and 19 receptions allowed on 33 targets. It seems a long time ago that Bears fans mocked Packers fans when Green Bay swapped Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for Amos. Eddie Jackson‘s stock has been trending down without Amos, while Amos is one of the best defenders in Green Bay.
Amos provides the defense with experience and grit as part of the excellent 2019 free-agent group. He’s been clutch in multiple games, most often against his former team, the Chicago Bears. Amos came up with a big Russell Wilson interception in Sunday’s shutout. His leadership and experience go a long way, considering the adversity the Packers’ defense has experienced this season.
Following the Seahawks game, Amos said:
I feel like this gives us a lot of confidence moving forward. We’ve been battle-tested throughout the season. This season, we’ve been in every situation. We’ve been in overtime, we’ve been backed up, we had takeaways in the red zone, we turned the ball over in the red zone and had to make a stop. So, we’ve pretty much had almost all of the situations you can have in football, and I think that’s going to carry over well to the rest of the season because we’ve seen it all.
Having a savvy veteran in the backfield is already a massive boon. Having his young dance partner emerge as an ascending star is even better. Darnell Savage is taking that Year 3 jump. He’s justifying Brian Gutekunst’s decision to make him the first defensive back taken off the board in the 2019 draft.
Savage always had the raw tools to be an elite NFL safety. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from him since his rookie season, but he’s been a consistent threat in his third year. Green Bay’s defense is fast, and Savage is one of their speed demons.
He played an incredible role in limiting Patrick Mahomes, giving up one catch for minus-two yards on four targets and making an incredible play on the ball in a near-turnover.
Savage also played incredible defense against the Seahawks, using his recovery speed and instincts to stop what could have been a big gain without drawing a pass interference penalty. As Savage’s ball skills develop further, he has the potential to be one of the best safeties in the league.
Savage believes the biggest strength of this Packers’ defense is that they don’t give up big plays, and his stop against the Seahawks is a perfect example. He’s only 24, which is all the more encouraging.
Joe Barry’s defense has been exceptional as the Packers enter the most challenging stretch of the regular season. The elite level of play from their starting safeties makes life easier for the rest of the defense. Together, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage form a cornerstone of this emerging defense that will only get better as the Packers heal up.
