Despite a few hiccups, Jeff Hafley has upgraded the Green Bay Packers’ defense this season.
We’ve seen Hafley adjust for opponents, a rare sight in Green Bay. He had different attack plans for dual-threat quarterbacks in the first two weeks. In Week 3, he had a more aggressive, rush-focused attack in Week 3 that tore through Will Levis. Xavier McKinney is robbing quarterbacks weekly, the rookie safeties look promising, and Jaire Alexander looks like his usual high-impact self.
But it isn’t all roses on defense yet, and Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings exposed some serious issues on that side of the ball. The pass rush feasted in Week 3 but was silent against the Vikings. And without Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine, Green Bay’s lack of depth at cornerback was abundantly clear.
Alexander’s injury history and questions among the rest of the group put the Packers in a delicate spot with their cornerbacks. However, a depleted Los Angeles Rams offense might offer a chance to build confidence in their depth pieces and let Hafley’s scheme work for them.
People outside the building saw corner as a need in the off-season, but the Packers didn’t agree. Their only addition to that group was seventh-round pick Kalen King, who is on the practice squad. The new coaching staff believed Keisean Nixon could have a bigger role on defense and that the return of a fully healthy Eric Stokes would bolster the group.
After a rocky game in Brazil, Alexander is regaining his star power, including making a game-altering pick-six against the Tennessee Titans. Valentine has split CB2 snaps with Stokes and has been solid.
Alexander and Stokes missed Sunday’s game, and Green Bay felt their absence.
Sam Darnold completed 71.4% of his passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception that probably shouldn’t have counted. He did most of his damage in the first half by picking on Green Bay’s cornerbacks.
On an early third-and-14, the Packers immediately gave up two huge chunk plays leading toward Minnesota’s first points of the day. Things didn’t get much better from there.
Stokes allowed five catches, including chunk plays of 31 and 27 yards. Corey Ballentine gave up the 29-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison, when the second-year receiver absolutely schooled him. Nixon had one of the plays of the game, combining with Edgerrin Cooper for a strip sack, but Justin Jefferson also dominated him in his touchdown play. Darnold picked on Nixon, completing five of his six passes that way for 70 yards.
Tackling was poor among the group, and there were too many penalties across the board.
It certainly doesn’t help that the pass rush struggled to get home and that the Packers aren’t getting enough from Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary at this point. This looked like a “get right” opportunity for Green Bay’s top defensive linemen. However, the breakout still hasn’t happened.
With Alexander popping up on the injury report late in the week, Hafley had to pivot his plan quickly. Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the league, but he’s not Minnesota’s only weapon. The defensive line needed to play complementary football to take the load off the corners, but it didn’t.
At the same time, even when Hafley brought the house toward Darnold, the corners lost their one-on-one matchups. Overall, it was a rough performance.
Stokes and Nixon have been up and down all season. Stokes was one of Andy Herman’s lowest-graded players in Weeks 3 and 4. Nixon has made splash plays and displays admirable ferocity, but receivers are beating him too much for comfort.
There aren’t many free agents out there who could help at this point, but the Packers can bolster the group by playing more three-safety sets. Javon Bullard and Evan Williams are playing well and are versatile enough to move around the field. Both have earned more snaps, and playing either in the slot is a great way to get more opportunities and have them both on the field.
Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom. Few teams have five great cornerbacks, and Alexander’s injury doesn’t seem overly serious.
“I don’t think it’s going to be anything too significant or too long-term,” LaFleur said on Sunday. “We’ll see if he’s available this week or not.”
While the Vikings are playing like the NFC’s best team and have a loaded offense, the Rams aren’t in the same boat. Matt Stafford won’t have his top two receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, and his offensive line is beat up. The Packers need their pass rush to show up against Los Angeles’ struggling pass protection, and the corners need to win their matchups. This is an ideal matchup to overcome some of the defense’s recent struggles.
Many fans and analysts believed cornerback was a significant need, and that belief looks well-founded four games into the season. Green Bay probably needs to make major investments in cornerback for next season. We’ll have to hope the pass rush can make their lives easier, that Alexander and Vallentine can stay healthy, and that Stokes can continue to grow in a prove-it season.