Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers met the media today in Dallas as his team prepares for Super Bowl XLV. Capers stressed the importance of trying to stop Ben Roethlisberger, while making the Steelers attack one dimensional.
"It's extremely difficult. The thing that Ben does, he's got great pocket instincts, he's big and strong and obviously hard to get off his feet." Capers said. "He can extend the play as well as anybody in the National Football League and you can have a defense designed where you have a free guy, and many times that free guy doesn't get him (Roethlisberger) to the ground. And the more people you're committing to the rush, now you're stringing out a little bit in coverage and his receivers do a great job when he extends the play of uncovering. With a guy like Hines Ward, they've worked together so long that he knows when Ben is going to step out of the pocket or move to the right and Ben can throw anywhere on the field. It makes him extremely hard to defend."
"I think our philosophy is based in number one, trying to stop the run and trying to make the game a one-dimensional game." Capers continued. "We feel we have many different things that can attack and pressure the quarterback, and we know this is a quarterback-driven league now. If you let the quarterback sit there and he can do everything on time, then it's normally going to be a long game in this league. You have to be able to do something to try to disrupt the quarterback's rhythm, and, if you can do that, it leads to being able to take the ball away. These games, if you've got a 60-play game, they come down to two, three, four plays and who makes those plays. The more you increase your opportunities to make those plays, the better your chances of winning."
One of the defensive players in Capers scheme that is sure to have a hand in the outcome of Sunday's game is defensive back Charles Woodson. Woodson's versatility in the secondary will let Capers scheme some coverages that will try to confuse Roethlisberger.
"He's a versatile guy." Capers said of Woodson. "First of all, he's very football smart. He has great instincts. He's a guy that, if he's around the ball, is one of the best tacklers in terms of tackling and getting the ball out. He's very strong with his hands. He's got great vision and instincts. With a guy like that, you want to keep him around the action as much as you can. In the (past) two years, we've moved him around. He's played true corner for us, he's played inside at nickel, he's played dime, he's played safety and we've blitzed him a lot. He gives our defense great flexibility and I think that is indicative of a year ago when he got Defensive Player of the Year. He understands the game and looks at a lot of tape. He's a good influence on our younger players and helps them learn how to prepare. He's a tough guy."
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