Dom Capers has got to go.
What, shocked I said it? You shouldn’t be. Anyone who knows me, knows I’ve been saying this since the minute the Green Bay Packers announced a switch to the 3-4 defense when they hired Capers following the 2008 season; and he thought it’d be a good idea to move talented defensive end Aaron Kampman to outside linebacker. While the Packers’ defensive numbers from their first two seasons under Capers don’t really support my theory, numbers don’t always tell the whole story; as is evident by the Packers’ 11th overall ranking this season (are we ABSOLUTELY sure that’s right? I still don’t believe it). Just keep an open mind and stay with me here, and I promise this will make sense by the end.
In Capers’ first year as defensive coordinator (2009) the Packers’ defense did a great job converting to the 3-4 scheme and shut down offenses all season. They finished ranked second best in the league, allowing a stingy 284 yards per game. This was due in large part to the talented secondary, which included Charles Woodson still playing at a level worthy of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, fellow corner Tramon Williams having possibly his best year, ultra-talented safety Nick Collins in his prime and a rookie linebacker named Clay Matthews; maybe you’ve heard of him? The secondary did a great job of playing very physical man coverage, and shut down team’s receivers regularly. They also excelled at getting into the backfield; putting pressure on the quarterback, stopping the run and forcing turnovers.
In 2010 (you know, when we won our fourth Super Bowl in five tries) the Packers slipped a little to the fifth-best defense, giving up a total of 309 yards per game. But, for the most part, it was more of the same. You could tell Woodson was starting to lose a step in coverage though, so Capers started to blitz him from the edge with great success. The Packers still did a great job of getting into the backfield, containing the run and creating turnovers.
2011 was when the proverbial excrement hit the fan: the Packers’ defense ranked dead last in the league, allowing an ugly 412 yards per game. This happened, despite Aaron Rodgers having an MVP season and the team going 15-1.
This season, the numbers would lead you to believe that the Packers bounced back nicely, finishing the season ranked 11th; allowing 337 yards per game. This time, the numbers are quite deceiving though. The Packers gave up more third down conversions than just about everyone (and fourth down too) and were torched for 350-plus yards by multiple quarterbacks.
The biggest difference between the first two years, and the last two; is fundamentals. In the pre-Dom Capers era (which carried into his first two years) the Packers were very good at tackling. They hit low, wrapped up, and brought the ball carrier to the ground quickly and effectively and they excelled at bringing runners down in open space. But since 2011 (and it was even evident in late 2010) the Packers’ have gotten away from that: constantly trying to go for the big, knock-down shoulder hit and always lowering their shoulders instead of trying to wrap up. It’s clearly obvious at this point that it’s not something Dom Capers or his defensive coaching staff are concerned with, at all.
It should also be noted that in Capers' four years as defensive coordinator, the Packers' defense has allowed three of the top-five most points in franchise playoff history: 55 (first) in 2009 against the Arizona Cardinals, 45 (second) against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago and 37 (fifth) to the New York Giants last season.
My solution to this problem: Fire Capers and hire former Chicago Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith. Now that all of the head coaching positions are filled, it's only a matter of time before someone adds Smith to their staff. He is a talented defensive mind. Just look at the Bears defense under Smith: no one in the NFL (as a whole) tackles and strips the ball better than the Bears. Their 4-3 scheme has been stifling; causing problems for even the best teams. The Packers possess the talent and personnel on defense to play at that level; they just need a coach dedicated to making fundamentals a number one priority. You don’t need tricky, “clever” schemes on defense if you have a group of smart, gifted players who play the game fundamentally sound.
So PLEASE coach McCarthy and Mr. Thompson, fire Dom Capers and get Lovie Smith in here to whip our boys into shape. You should probably get to it soon, because it's hard to imagine he’s going to be available for long. Let’s not waste the talent and youth on our defense.