Packers @ Patriots - Preview

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Capers learned a lot as Belichick assistant in 2008 - JSOnline - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Capers was able to study Belichick's version of the 3-4 defense. Capers worked hand in hand with the man many consider the best football coach since Vince Lombardi. And Capers was able to closely examine an organization that's been football's best the past decade.

"I thought it was an opportunity to be around and study the guy that's done it the best over the last 10 years," Capers said. "It was a good year. I enjoyed it."

"It was a good give and take," Belichick said of Capers during a conference call earlier this week. "Dom has great experience and has had a terrific coaching career and is an outstanding defensive coach."

 

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Sounds like the Packers are extremely thin at linebacker; perhaps that is something that the Patriots can exploit with their game plan and their offensive play calls.

Packers-Patriots Preview: 5 Things To Watch - Green Bay Packers News Story - WISC Madison

Linebackers lament:

While there are certainly more dangerous jobs in the world than playing outside linebacker for the Packers, it’s definitely been a difficult year at the position. Of the 14 players on season-ending injured reserve, four are linebackers – Nick Barnett, Brandon Chillar, Brad Jones and Brady Poppinga. With right outside linebacker Frank Zombo, who became the starter after injuries to Jones and Poppinta, not expected to play after suffering a knee injury at Detroit last week, the Packers are down to Erik Walden, whom they signed off the street on Oct. 27.

“Just blessed and thankful for the opportunity. Just ready to strap it up,” Walden said. “I play with a lot of passion, a lot of enthusiasm and explosive and trying to get at that ball and get at that quarterback. I just want to take advantage of this opportunity. This don’t come around that often, so when you get a chance, you’ve got to work hard and trust yourself and be very confident. You’ll see a confident player on Sunday.”

The Packers had better hope they also see a healthy player. Complicating matters is the fact that the one healthy backup outside linebacker, Diyral Briggs, suffered an ankle injury in practice this week and is listed as questionable. That means it’s possible that only Walden and left outside linebacker Clay Matthews will be active. The other reserve linebackers are inside players – veteran Matt Wilhelm and first-year man Robert Francois.

“I’m not keeping count and you shouldn’t either,” outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene said of the carnage at the position. “You know what? I’ve got some good kids. I’ve got some good kids that put their time in, and when they’ve got the opportunity, I’m pretty confident that they’re going to step up and make some plays and take advantage of the opportunity that they have.

“I absolutely feel good about putting (Walden) out there. What can he do? He’ll do his job,”

 

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Pre-Game Meal: Green Bay Packers | NE Patriots Draft

The Green Bay Packers have done a really good job of maintaining a winning record while they deal with the constant inflow of injuries to their players. While I do believe that they have the talent to win without their upper-echelon QB, it is just very hard to defeat these Pats at home; especially if it snows. The Packers will literally have to rip the momentum away from New England and just worry about keeping 1 of the 3 threats at the tight end position at bay.

Wild Card – WR Greg Jennings – If McCourty sits the game out, the door opens up for Jennings to use his big frame and speed to get behind the Patriot defense. If that happens, all it will take is a hefty lob from Matt Flynn to secure 6 points.

Patriots-Packers Preview | Sports of Boston

Defensive Stars: Clay Matthews, Tramon Williams. Matthews is a beast of a linebacker. He’s already recorded 12.5 sacks for a combined 88 lost yards. He is dangerous, and that’s bad news for a Patriots offensive line that’s allowing over 1.5 sacks per game. The Patriots will probably shift their tight ends to more blocking schemes to try and neutralize him, or use running backs in check-down plays over the middle to keep Matthews from cheating up all the time.

At corner, Williams is a solid defender. He’s knocked down 17 passes thrown his way, good for third in the NFL. He’s also picked off five passes, forced one fumble and recovered two. But he can only cover one Patriot, and New England has had zero trouble neutralizing good corners by varying their passing attack on every play. He’ll get a ball or two, but the likelihood that he really gets more than a couple of play-making opportunities is low. But Matthews will be very hard to keep out of the Patriots’ backfield.

Keep an Eye On: Charles Woodson. The other half of the Packers’ cornerback duo. Not as dangerous, but Patriots receivers should be careful. He’s already forced four fumbles, and he has the second-most tackles among cornerbacks in the NFL. If the Patriots catch the ball on him, they’d better make sure they secure it, because Woodson will go after it. Meanwhile, his tackling skills may minimize the yards-after-catch that the Patriots rack up with such precision.

It Is What It Is - Nuggetpalooza’s Patriots-Packers preview!

* – The Patriots are now second in the league in “first possession points” with 76 (first and second half combined), trailing only the Saints (78). However, Green Bay has allowed only 19 such points, the second fewest in the league (Cleveland, 16).

That will be worth watching.


* – The Patriots have reached the red zone on 54 possessions the most in the league, while the Packers have allowed their opponents into the red zone just 27 times, the fewest in the league.


* – The Packers have committed 16 turnovers this season but have allowed just 25 points following them (including zero touchdown returns), an average of 1.56 points, the lowest in the league.


* – While realizing that a jinx like this should probably be a felony offense: The Pats are on pace for just seven fumbles this season, which would SHATTER the club record of 14 (set in 2007) and would tie the NFL mark since 1960, set by the 2002 Chiefs. I’ll go ahead and apologize in advance for that one.


* – A couple of notes on drives starting more than 80 yards from paydirt:

The Patriots are the only team that has not committed a turnover on a drive starting inside their 20 this season. They committed six such miscues last year.

The Patriots defense has forced seven turnovers on 26 drives starting inside their opponent’s 20-yard-line (27 percent), the highest percentage in the league. Here’s the weird part: They forced turnovers on such drives at an identical (and league leading) 27 percent rate last season, too.

New England has scored nine touchdowns on drives of more than 80 yards, tied with (who else?) the Colts for the league lead.

The Packers are trying to become only the second team since 2002 to allow zero touchdowns on drives starting inside their opponent’s 20, joining the 2008 Jets. New England is one of three teams that have allowed one such touchdown this year. The Ravens have allowed a whopping 10!