Bye-Week Review: Defensive Line

This blog tends to focus on line play both on offense and defense. We could focus on passing, catching, and running, and this is what the 2008 Green Bay Packers do best.

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't swap the Packers OL & WRs for day the Cowboys OL and WRs - not just starters but the whole units. The Packers are deeper at WR. I'm not sure about the depth of the Dallas OL, but I bet that's a toss up. Dallas under Jerry Jones has always been a top heavy team willing to pay a few major stars big money. That philosophy has served the Tom Landry legacy well.

The reason I wouldn't make that trade is because of how talented and well conditioned Donald Driver is, how good Greg Jennings has become, the strenght of James Jones, and the heigth and blocking ability of Ruvel Martin. Upgrading from Koren Robinson to Jordy Nelson really makes this a power packed group.

Expect in the next nine games that this group will get more in sync with QB Aaron Rodgers. Like last year, we wonder to what extent we will see a Packer running game progress. This passing game could be as deadly as any as we have seen in Green & Gold IF opposing defenses had to respect the run. This respect will only come with break-a-way runs like Ryan Grant started ripping off in the second half of last year.

So what about the DL? Colin Cole got the Bye Week feature article from Bob McGinn which is high praise. I have to say it has been had for me to sit down and watch tape focusing on just line play like I should to try to comment on line play. It is important to realize that the Packers are #25 in the league in defending the run. Yet I have always liked Colin Cole and recall him getting some pressures and tackles in our first seven games. He stood out most against the Colts who started two rookie guards.

That Cole should merit the praise over Johnny Jolly shouldn't be overlooked. Jolly was playing way better before his shoulder injury last year than this year. I don't recall him deflecting any passes this year. Cole had one against the Colts. From what I can tell, he's just easier to block. I'm guessing Jolly is not yet fully recovered from this injury. Another thing to look at is who he has been up against. You'd want to look at the quality of LG & Centers he has faced. At a glance I'd guess the quality has been higher than the league average in the first seven games. Here's the rundown and my guess at what the relative strength of these combos might rate:

Vikings - Matt Birk & Steve Hutchingson = A
Lions - D. Raiola & Edwin Mulitalo = B
Cowboys - Andre Gurode & Cory Procter = AB
Bucs - Jeff Faine & Arron Sears = B
Falcons - Todd McClure & Justin Blalock= A

Such ratings don't consider pulling, chipping, slanting, and stunting or double-teaming, running backs or blocking backs. We know the NFC North guys, but Gurode is an all-pro and Jeff Faine I remember from week four of the 2006 loss in Atlanta. It would be fun to average the Pro Football weekly ratings and index those against guys in the Packer DL rotation and then grade film.

Regardless, Cole ability to stay on the field has allowed Pickett some plays off. Against the Colts Jolly played 57 snaps and Cole played 50 with Pickett playing with damaged triceps played 24. While it worked on the Colts, they need Justin Harrell fully healthy because the next stop after Cole is Mike Montgomy at 273 lbs or Alfred Malone off the practice squad.

Like Greg Bedard wrote last November, the Jim Bates defense the Packers play can go through a lot of DTs via injury.

Yet the Packers are a team with deep playoff aspirations that simply must be able to shut down elite running games like the Cowboys and Giants. They are not going to do that without Jolly and/or Justin Harrell being more disruptive.

The problems at LE is just injury related.