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Linebackers playing well below standard
Run defense continues to disappoint
By Ken Ryan
On the weak side, A.J. Hawk appears to be digressing after a solid two-year start to his career. He’s battled chest and groin injuries, partially responsible for the drop off in impact.
Nothing has gotten fixed when it comes to stopping the run for the Green Bay Packers defense.
Despite getting stout play at the point of attack from the defensive line against the Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson rushed for 180 yards on 24 carries, helping the Vikings become the sixth team to rush for 175 yards against the Packers this season.
While the defense line is hardly off the hook for a unit that ranks in the bottom five of the league in rush defense, the primary reason this team can’t stop anybody on the ground is erratic play from a linebacking group that was expected to perform much better.
Leading the disappointment was middle linebacker Nick Barnett, now gone for the season with a torn knee ligament. Barnett was frequently out of position and missed tackle after tackle.
Against Atlanta, Barnett was steamrolled several times between the tackles. In the Tennessee game, he was responsible for LenDale White’s game-changing 56-yard run and was burned on the next play by Chris Johnson setting up a Titans touchdown.
Barnett’s replacement, second-year pro Desmond Bishop, is a promising young player who stepped up and made a nice play stopping Peterson on fourth-and-one, but only after losing his feet on a 44-yard swing pass for a touchdown to Chester Taylor.
On the weak side, A.J. Hawk appears to be digressing after a solid two-year start to his career. He’s battled chest and groin injuries, partially responsible for the drop off in impact.
Brady Poppinga has played admirably against the run on the strong side, and Brandon Chillar has contributed positively on pass downs in coverage on tight ends.
Still, this problem is not close to being solved. You can’t be a good team if you cannot stop the run, plain and simple. Maybe the switch to Bishop will spark the defense, despite the fact that Barnett is seen as one of the emotional leaders on that side of the ball.
The numbers don’t lie as the linebackers are responsible for zero turnovers.
Despite having perhaps the top receiving and defensive secondary units in the NFL, Green Bay has lost five of seven going into the Chicago game.
And the reason is clear. If the linebackers don’t turn it around, it’s going to get a lot more ugly before it gets any better.
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