Given their struggles against the run, it's pretty apparent the Packers should use their #1 next year on a DT.

Wait...

Two considerations: 1) Get Van Ness back on the field and continue to allow Parsons to be mobile across the line or even as a middle LB.
2) On offense try to improve our own running game. We had a couple of burners on the practice squad. It doesn't look like Lloyd is coming back any time soon so why not give them a chance? Especially now that Jacobs is nursing his long lasting injuries.

Another great post Ken. Love reading your stuff

PFF - Grades the DL, 4th in the NFL
If only they stay healthy.

Ken wrapped it up in a nutshell. We even upgraded our D-line coach but to no avail. We haven't drafted well in the trenches and it shows. Last week's game against the Giants showed little respect for our defensive line. We couldn't control down and distance and our defense couldn't get off the field. A better offense would have pulled away from the Packers. Now that we are into the real season we will see what we are made of.

So Gute does not sign Slayton to a modest contract. He does not draft a DT in the first or second round (now I know and have said when the Packers picked all the first round DTs were gone). He trades away Clark to get an edge rusher/LB. And now we are wondering why we are not stopping the run. Well you are right I am not an NFL coach or GM but I can tell you that Gute created a big hole.

The strength of the Vikings is the run game. JJ has not been playing very good. Hafley will have to start out this game with a base 4-3 defense or maybe a 5-2 to stop the run. He will have to load the box and make JJ have to throw for first downs. I would say we might start playing a lot of zone and then move more to man if that does not work.

The offense will have to play lights out for us to win. This is a game the Packers should win but could easily lose.

Brooks is looking doubtful for this week with two DNPs, which naturally opens snaps up for Brinson and Stackhouse, who bring a little more beef. Both rookies have been hit or miss defending the run in limited snaps. They don't have an elevation candidate on the PS who can be an inside tree stump against the run...which I think Gute needs to do something about for the stretch run. I expect LVN to play on a pitch count this week...people dump on him, but he's been a better player this season.

It might be easy to say "shoot LB into the A gaps and force the issue in the run game," which seems to be what most want to do, but the Vikings bring two very different backs who are pretty effective and an OL that's getting healthier. Jones can get to the perimeter and Mason is more of a power back, but stopping a running team is as much about keeping the play from getting going as anything else. McCarthy is not a true runner, but he gets first downs on scrambles with some regularity.

Bottom line is that they need to force the ball into McCarthy's hands and then beat him up. They can do that by stopping the run and forcing down and distance, and they can also do that by scoring points and forcing the Vikings to play catch up....that can be hard to do because the Vikings defense is really good about stalling opponents' drives and forcing FGs. The Packers need to do both this week. Getting a few takeaways and converting those into 7s would help a ton.

We have known, for years, that there have been too many expensive, poor Draft/FA choices in pivotal position groups. Gutekunst and his scouting dep't should be bringing in outside expertise, and truly listen, when evaluating those important pieces.

The WR group is another example-w/o Kraft, most of the WR/TE group does not have enough physicality, blocking ability, reliable ball-catching ability, YAC etc.
Heath and Watson block but Watson has not been avail for a year and Heath is not always on the field.

I loved what Kenny Clark brought to the defense throughout the years, but he's getting long in the tooth and not the double team beater he used to be. So far this year, he has 23 tackles, only 12 of them solo and 3 total sacks. Dallas' run defense has been pretty much pathetic. It remains to be seen if the pickup of Williams from the Jets changes that, but Clark has not exactly been the answer Dallas was hoping for, especially at his salary.

For those complaining about the Michah Parsons trade, I must call your attention to the fact that he has made late game plays that have kept the Packers from defeat, in a least 3 games this year.

Getting a healthy LVN back will certainly help the run D, but so would a fast start on offense. Get a lead and force the Vikings out of the run game and then take McCarthy out to the deep waters.

Since it's alternating possessions, more possessions for us also means more possessions for the opponent.

Denver has 128 possessions in 11 games, the most. KC has the fewest, with 94 in 10 games. The Packers have 98 in 10 games. If you start doing the math, you'll see teams get somewhere between 9.5 and 11.5 possessions, and most are right around 10.5. There are good, successful teams at both ends of the spectrum.

The flip side of this is that our defense has only had to defend 95 drives, 2nd fewest in the league. Consequently, we don't give up as many points, currently 7th in the league. Even in our losses, we've held opponents to 10, 13, and 16 points. IMO, the Packers are being pretty strategic about this. Although opposing offenses stay on the field, they aren't reaching the end zone.

The average possession against us is only worth 2.05 points, and we limit the possessions. Teams don't go over 20 on us, so when we do, it gives us a great chance. I like it more than I'd like us focusing on getting more possessions, which I think is unnecessary. When our offense is working, we don't need one more possession, and when it isn't, another possession probably won't matter.

Great article and so true. Trading for Parsons was a must, but a game is either won or loss by the play of the offensive and defensive lines.

Green Bay over-promising, under-delivering.
Stop discussions about Super Bowls until better roster construction,coaches/ coaching, discipline, player execution.

Walk Thy Talk...

Totally agree with Ken's assessment. The issue is, do they have the personnel to accomplish the remedy?
I say right now, no. Wooden Sorrell and Brooks are quick dudes but simply are getting blown off the ball by 320+ pound guards. Wyatt is cat-quick, but does get blown back.

They need to give Stackhouse more time in the middle. He might get moved but it won't be as easy.

Hafley knows he has a problem but he might not have the people to get the job done. With limited draft picks next year and a very tight salary cap, good luck.

What I see is the drip, drip drip of a steady lowering of the bar and living on hope and excuses-so many excuses & tinkering around the edges. Barely beating the Giants is an example.

What I would like to see are articles about good teams and what they do to become excellent.
I would like to talk about what the Rams are doing differently than the Packers

If we want to talk about Super Bowls, I would like to know what we would actually need to do and do it. Otherwise, fans need to accept the current, consistent rank of 9 or 10 and make their peace with it.

There are a number of the 'same people' on this site and other GB media who deflect, de-rail, excuse the Packer's poor showing.
That is because they are protecting those in the FO and on the Coaching team who wish to retain their jobs while they promise 'this is the year', 'we have a sense of urgency' while we witness continued ball dropping, very little TE blocking or WR/TE YAC-ability, Rashan Gary 'disappearances', over-spending on the DL,OL poor roster construction/performance, thin corner-room and pinning all of our hopes on the return of Reed and VanNess.

There is a cadre of people who are fighting tooth- and-nail to retain this status quo. If a successful GM came in, none of those in the FO/Coaching would be retained except, Hafley.
Why can't we talk more truthfully about what is going on?

"...maybe we undervalued the loss of Kenny Clark"...by the addition of Micah Parsons. Adding that context makes the "loss" an acceptable cost...potentially the trade of the 2025 season.

Facts are stubborn things. Both Wyatt and Wooden have production about as good as Clark. Before Wyatt got injured it was "Kenny who?".

It is surprising how poorly Wyatt has played since his return. If he gets back to the earlier version, the synergies on the D will be very evident.

Teams starting to successfully run against the Packers D - appeared to have coincided with the loss of LVN to injury. While he is not a good pass rusher - he is a good run defender who could set a hard edge. I reckon his return is the Packers best (and perhaps only) solution to improve their run D.

I though Wyatt was the second coming--he's dropped off as well as Gary.

There is no way to discipline Wyatt or Gary? I guess not-so Van Ness now has to save the day?

I didn't see the Packers D stopping the run much last year with Clark either. He was hurt all year we found out later, and got hurt in Dallas as well.

I don't think anyone undervalued the loss of Kenny Clark, but anyone that was watching wasn't going to overvalue him either. Great guy for sure, damn good player too, but he was starting to fade. He's not exactly setting Dallas on fire either and it has been mentioned in other NFL articles. Packers made the right move to get Parsons. He's going to be around for years and he's already worth it.

I'm sure the Vikes will run Jones, but they better gear up for Mason because he is a powerful runner. Tough tackle to make, especially when you're not tackling very well to begin with. Maybe the Packers will get the incredibly erratic J.J. McCarthy of last week. Then have the Packers' WR's CATCH THE BALL. What would happen if they weren't allowed to wear tackified gloves?

Of course it's "easier said than done." We hear the "Easier said" portion in every post game press conference. Where's the "Done" part? Do they even have the players to accomplish the "Done" part?

Big test this Sunday, one they need to pass with a W, not a C-.

What I miss is seeing Cooper stuffing runs at the line and rushing the passer. I may be wrong. I don't go over games after they're played, so they may be using Cooper as they did last year, and he's just not delivering, but he seems to have disappeared.

Last year, we were talking about Cooper as if he were the next great NFL linebacker, an easy All-Pro, so where has he been? Is it scheme? Is his number not being called? Is he slumping? Those stunts we saw last year and those outstanding stuffs at the line have been missing for weeks.

Early this year, after the Parsons acquisition, we saw instances of Parsons and Cooper meeting at the QB. Haven't seen much of that lately. The D overall hasn't been bad, but the failure to get off the field by allowing long sustained drives has limited the offense.

Hafley has to let it all out. Free Cooper. It's time.

My advice is to start drinking heavily