Packers VS Eagles Playoffs

Voyageur

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 10, 2021
Messages
2,973
Reaction score
2,486
Fully agree. Where this defense is at the momet is where I was hoping we would reach sometime in 2025 - but not January; more like October/November of 25.

When we hired Hafley, I deep-dived into the man's history, and what was his defensive philosophy. And what we have seen this year is exactly what I knew he would be trying to accomplish, and what I hoped he could. But I thought it would take 2 drafts to do it. He did it with one draft and one UFA.

I know there are a lot of games where we all swing down from the trees by our tails, flinging bananas and screeching "soft D, same old Packers, 15 yards off the line of scrimmage, not the time to play prevent," etc. But...

At the end of the day, the numbers are there. #5 yardage defense, #6 scoring D, and the 3rd toughest schedule according to ESPN's metrics. I don't wanna hear any more of this "fire Hafley, it's the same old thing" ****.

I had extremely high hopes for Hafley, possibly unrelaistically high. But he has exceeded most of them. If not for Detroit and Minnesota vastly exceeding their normal level of success this season, we're 13-4 or even 14-3, and a solid bet to go all the way. 1 year ago, who could possibly have foreseen that Minnesota and the Detroits were going to be freaking 14-3 and 15-2 overall????

If Sunday goes poorly, yeah - I'll be here criticizing the mistakes and shortcomings. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on our team. Just means we're not quite there yet, and here are the things we need to clean up this summer to take the next step - and reestablish our rightful position at the top of the NFC and (especially) the NFC North.

Which I do believe is quite acheivable in the 2025 season. I think this D is in very good hands.
Exactly! I figured two years as well. What makes this year even more amazing is how he's taken pedestrian players and turned them into serviceable pieces who have more than capably filled in for injured players.
 

PackerDNA

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
7,106
Reaction score
1,990
Fully agree. Where this defense is at the momet is where I was hoping we would reach sometime in 2025 - but not January; more like October/November of 25.

When we hired Hafley, I deep-dived into the man's history, and what was his defensive philosophy. And what we have seen this year is exactly what I knew he would be trying to accomplish, and what I hoped he could. But I thought it would take 2 drafts to do it. He did it with one draft and one UFA.

I know there are a lot of games where we all swing down from the trees by our tails, flinging bananas and screeching "soft D, same old Packers, 15 yards off the line of scrimmage, not the time to play prevent," etc. But...

At the end of the day, the numbers are there. #5 yardage defense, #6 scoring D, and the 3rd toughest schedule according to ESPN's metrics. I don't wanna hear any more of this "fire Hafley, it's the same old thing" ****.

I had extremely high hopes for Hafley, possibly unrelaistically high. But he has exceeded most of them. If not for Detroit and Minnesota vastly exceeding their normal level of success this season, we're 13-4 or even 14-3, and a solid bet to go all the way. 1 year ago, who could possibly have foreseen that Minnesota and the Detroits were going to be freaking 14-3 and 15-2 overall????

If Sunday goes poorly, yeah - I'll be here criticizing the mistakes and shortcomings. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on our team. Just means we're not quite there yet, and here are the things we need to clean up this summer to take the next step - and reestablish our rightful position at the top of the NFC and (especially) the NFC North.

Which I do believe is quite acheivable in the 2025 season. I think this D is in very good hands.
Great points. I had thought hiring a new DC and a new system it would be at least mid season before we showed any progress. But this defense has been Rock solid outside of some lapses with getting too safe, and despite some key injuries especially in the secondary. No safety dances today guys. Stay aggressive and let the chips fall where they may
 

PackerDNA

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
7,106
Reaction score
1,990
Offense. Mix things up execute, heavy dose of Jacobs, lots of motion and play action
Defense. Disguise things well, create confusion and stay aggressive
 

Thirteen Below

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
1,191
Reaction score
976
Exactly! I figured two years as well. What makes this year even more amazing is how he's taken pedestrian players and turned them into serviceable pieces who have more than capably filled in for injured players.
When researching him earlier this year, one of the thinghs that stuck out the most for me (kept coming up over and over again) was his principle of "figuring out what each player is best suited for, and putting him in a position to succeed". None of this "well, my scheme requires players who fit into round holes, so we're just gonna have to find a way to hammer you into one of them somehow."

What I've seen him say, going back several years (interviews, coaching seminars on Youtube, etc) goes back to this theme a lot. He seems to believe that by the time a player gets to this level, the guy has demonstrated that he is extremely good at something - and that Hafley's job at that stage is to figure out what it is and use him for that. And teach him how to be as good at that as he can possibly be.
 

milani

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Messages
5,306
Reaction score
2,223
Exactly! I figured two years as well. What makes this year even more amazing is how he's taken pedestrian players and turned them into serviceable pieces who have more than capably filled in for injured players.
Certainly a better season defensively than what we have seen in what? 15 years? If we had the 2011 offense we win the SB.
 

Voyageur

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 10, 2021
Messages
2,973
Reaction score
2,486
When researching him earlier this year, one of the thinghs that stuck out the most for me (kept coming up over and over again) was his principle of "figuring out what each player is best suited for, and putting him in a position to succeed". None of this "well, my scheme requires players who fit into round holes, so we're just gonna have to find a way to hammer you into one of them somehow."

What I've seen him say, going back several years (interviews, coaching seminars on Youtube, etc) goes back to this theme a lot. He seems to believe that by the time a player gets to this level, the guy has demonstrated that he is extremely good at something - and that Hafley's job at that stage is to figure out what it is and use him for that. And teach him how to be as good at that as he can possibly be.
This is something that has frustrated me for years with coaches at the highest levels. So many of them have become inflexible in their concepts. They aren't willing to budge an inch from what they see as "the right way to play." Reality is, when you have plow horses you don't enter them into the Kentucky Derby, but you can do some heavy-duty farm work. Reversing that would be having thoroughbreds capable of winning the Kentucky Derby and trying to use them as plow horses. That was the problem our two previous defensive coordinators had.

The thing that's kept Andy Reid at the top of his game. He believes in being innovative, and wants coordinators who are willing to think outside the box.
 

milani

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Messages
5,306
Reaction score
2,223
This is something that has frustrated me for years with coaches at the highest levels. So many of them have become inflexible in their concepts. They aren't willing to budge an inch from what they see as "the right way to play." Reality is, when you have plow horses you don't enter them into the Kentucky Derby, but you can do some heavy-duty farm work. Reversing that would be having thoroughbreds capable of winning the Kentucky Derby and trying to use them as plow horses. That was the problem our two previous defensive coordinators had.

The thing that's kept Andy Reid at the top of his game. He believes in being innovative, and wants coordinators who are willing to think outside the box.
Andy is a great one, indeed!
 

Voyageur

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 10, 2021
Messages
2,973
Reaction score
2,486
Today's game is about what I expected. It got out of hand due to injuries. The Eagles were a better team going in, and losing 3 important cogs in the offense destroyed the team's ability to move the ball effectively. Kraft & Jacobs played well. Jury is out on Love. I just don't see that "star power" some people believe is there. Maybe next year. I see an average QB at best. A QB who has problems making his reads, and misses seeing way too many receivers who are open.

The defense played very well. Nixon had control of that kickoff while lying on his back. The video from the sky cam proved it. Apparently, the officials don't use that camera. If they did, they blew it. When the Eagles scored that early TD it took the wind out of the Packers on both sides of the ball.

The Packers should be a better team next year. That's what matters.
 

rmontro

Cheesehead
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
5,044
Reaction score
1,635
Not to make it worse since 4 is bad enough, but Brett had 6 vs the Rams
I remember that game, I thought it was absolutely humiliating. Just one of a number of devastating playoff losses in the past 30 years. I guess when you're a regular playoff team over that long of a span, there are going to be some tough losses though. And there were a couple of Super Bowls in there that make it all worth it.
 

Dieseljunkie12

Cheesehead
Joined
Oct 15, 2013
Messages
212
Reaction score
19
Location
Castleton New York
Also, after the Packer victory on Sunday, Matt will also be able to point to just how crappy the Eagles played, because they rested their starters in week 18. :coffee:

These were the players the Eagles rested:

  • RB Saquon Barkley
  • QB Jalen Hurts (in concussion protocol)
  • LB Zack Baun
  • WR A.J. Brown
  • DT Jalen Carter
  • LG Landon ****erson
  • RT Lane Johnson
  • LT Jordan Mailata
  • CB Darius Slay
  • WR DeVonta Smith
Proceed pokerbrat2000
Feel free to tell me how MLF came up with a top notch game plan with what he had?

Yep minus Watson to start.

Turnover off the bat killed us, there is no contingency plan for that completely understood.

To put up 10?
75/25 at best. As the coach you put your players in a position not only to win the war but as many battles as possible. He did not
 
Top