The Packers’ Defense Is Living on Takeaways
Still, a defense whose turnovers come from disguise and safety play has a sturdier base than one living on tipped balls.
Key points
- A defense that can’t count on pressure has had to take the ball away with coverage instead.
- Sunday’s 45-27 win in Foxborough made it six straight games with multiple takeaways.
- The defense has played all nine games without All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The safeties set the tone Safeties Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams have nine takeaways between them, almost half the team’s total.
The Packers are winning after the snap, with disguise, rotation and safeties who read the quarterback.
Additional details
- So far it has worked: the Packers are 6-3 and have won five of their last six.
- He stepped up when Ty’Ron Hopper left with a chest injury and became the first Packer since 2000 with multiple tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in one game.
- His pick against the Patriots came off a Brandon Cisse deflection on a deep shot, with Williams rotating over the top while McKinney was used as a rusher.
- Against New England, Green Bay never rushed more than four, and all three interceptions came with Drake Maye in a clean pocket.
- It has also lost linebackers Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin, and three defensive tackles, to injured reserve.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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