Packers defense has evolved in so many areas that it's difficult to keep track of it all
If there was any doubt about the work Jeff Hafley has done in his first year as a defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, those should be put to bed. Has it been perfect? Absolutely not. The areas of improvement include being more consistent on a down-to-down basis when the team doesn't generate turnovers, […]
If there was any doubt about the work Jeff Hafley has done in his first year as a defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, those should be put to bed. Has it been perfect? Absolutely not.
The areas of improvement include being more consistent on a down-to-down basis when the team doesn't generate turnovers, and being more efficient rushing the passer from the edge.
But overall, the difference between what the Packers did in 2023 under Joe Barry and what the 2024 season looks like with Hafley is night and day.
The Packers suffered five losses to top teams in the NFC — Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles. That caused some comments that Hafley's defense couldn't stop elite offenses, especially because the defense did play at an acceptable level last year against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
But DVOA is a metric that takes opposition into consideration, and the contrast is obvious. Last season, the Packers defense was 27th in DVOA — Joe Barry never had a top 20 defense. In his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator, Hafley elevated the unit to seventh.
Packers comparison 2023 vs 2024
DVOA
2023: 27th
2024: 7th
EPA/play
2023: 23rd
2024: 4th
Success rate
2023: 26th
2024: 21st
Dropback EPA
2023: 23rd
2024: 4th
Rush EPA
2023: 22nd
2024: 8th
Pass rush win rate
2023: 29th
2024: 26th
Run stop win rate
2023: 13th
2024: 6th
PFF team defensive grade
2023: 21st
2024: 13th
The defense was better in regular stats, as well, like scoring (6th from 13th), passing yards (10th from 18th), rushing yards (3rd from 25th), and takeaways (4th from 22nd).
"The mark of a good coach to me is, 'Can you keep evolving and are your players improving?' And I think that's what we're seeing, especially defensively. It's Year 1 of a new system, there's gonna be a learning curve, we have a couple young players, there are rookies, they are contributing quite a bit, and so naturally the expectation is that they're gonna get better throughout the course of the season," Matt LaFleur said during the episode 4 of his podcast. "I think we're seeing that. It's not just Hafley, it's our whole defensive staff, how they've come and are working together and maximizing our players' abilities and putting them in good positions to have success."
Adaptability and evolution
When you think about Jeff Hafley's philosophy, his coaching roots would indicate a single high-heavy defense. Ideally, that would probably be the case. But injury circumstances changed his plan, and Hafley was adaptable enough to make it work. The Packers ended up having the highest cover 2 rate in the NFL.
Throughout the season, the Packers also evolved to generate pressure with blitzes and games upfront, and the post-snap disguises have been much more pronounced.
Matt LaFleur has finally found a good one.
Packers try to keep the right mindset despite negative vibes ahead of the playoffs
Green Bay has lost its last two games
