Mike Daniels and The Interior Defensive Lineman Have To Start Bringing the Pass Rush Back

This season, when I'm watching the Green Bay Packers defense, I often focus on DE Mike Daniels at the snap. Whether he beats his blocker(s) is a strong indicator whether the defense is going to make a play or not, and over the last couple weeks, I've noticed that he's usually not winning the one-on-one battle against his blocker. I'm not blaming him for the entire defense's struggles over the past three games but the interior pass rush has been part of the problem.

Yes the outside linebackers have struggled, but so have B.J. Raji and Mike Daniels. Raji breaks down the problems: https://t.co/S7uq5ggQMx

— Michael Cohen (@Michael_Cohen13) November 12, 2015

At the link above, NT B.J. Raji tries his best to explain what's gone wrong. He mentions the defensive mentality and playing with his instincts. Maybe he's trying to say that the defense wasn't playing their game and they've let the offense dictate the approach.

It's not been a case of playing against superior opponents either. On the offensive line, the Panthers are pretty good on the interior of their offensive line, led by C Ryan Kalil. On the other hand, the Broncos don't have a very good line (LG Evan Mathis and RG Louis Vasquez are good in run blocking and pass protection, respectively, but neither one is great at both) and the Chargers' offensive line is a borderline disaster.

Maybe it's just a matter of pushing through their mid-season exhaustion and minor injuries. The defense was on the field a ton against the Chargers (Daniels recorded 73 snaps out of 94 played). They did have the bye week right after that game and before they played the Broncos, but it might not have been enough of a break. Having their last two games on the road hasn't helped either.

A lot things have gone wrong for the defense over their last three games but benching ILB Nate Palmer and reviving the inside pass rush might fix the problem. When you watch the Packers host the Lions, keep an eye on Daniels (and DE Datone Jones, when he rotates in on the defensive line) and see if they can get in the face of QB Matthew Stafford as he's trying to throw.

NFC Championship Preview: Packers at Seahawks

I'll be honest and say that I'm pessimistic about the Packers' chances in the NFC Championship game in Seattle on Sunday. Of course they can win, but everything I've looked at leads me back to major problems. The biggest one is that they've been much worse on the road this season. I wrote about it last week that Aaron Rodgers's best road game of 2014 (at Dolphins) is statistically worse than his lowest rated home game of the season. That's not all on him, but it does show in one stat how they've struggled on the road.

So instead of predicting a score, if I'm honest I'd give more points to the Seahawks, or spending too much time on their road woes, I'll focus on how they can win the championship.

#Packers ready for rain in Seattle. Watch: http://t.co/VDzwVQxd82 #GBvsSEA pic.twitter.com/zS238sZUgU
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 16, 2015

Aaron Rodgers has to play like it's a home game. For most of this season, Eddie Lacy has ran well at every venue he's played in. Despite a poor first half against the Cowboys, Rodgers did something at halftime to stretch his calf into a second gear and he was lethal down the stretch. It also helped that WR Davante Adams also started making big plays. In Rodgers's worst statistical game of the season, at Buffalo in Week 15, he wasn't the one dropping every pass in sight. He's only going shine if his teammates play their best. Maybe it's better said that the entire offense has to play like it's a home game, but as their field general, Rodgers is going to be front and center in that effort.

It's Mike Daniels time. The Packer defense got some big plays last week from Julius Peppers, but the coaches are being careful with his snap count and he's just as likely to be lined up outside as Mike Neal (who stinks). Clay Matthews has to be careful about committing a personal foul, but he's capable of making a big play too. When the defense came to life in the second half against Dallas and held them to 7 points, it was in large part because of Mike Daniels. No defensive lineman plays more snaps then him and he's twice the playmaker of anyone else on the line, against the run or the pass. The defense has been at it's best this season when Daniels is wrecking havoc at the line of scrimmage.

While the special teams have gotten burned at times this season, the good news is that Seattle's special teams aren't anything special either. A big punt return from Micah Hyde isn't absolutely necessary for them to win, but a return touchdown would have a bigger impact then usual because the Packers's offense might struggle to score over 20 points on it's own. I never expect too much from this unit, but they can't be on the wrong end of a big play on Sunday.

This isn't the best set of circumstances, a hobbled Aaron Rodgers facing the defending champs on the road, but the most important thing is that they've made it this far and given themselves a chance. Seattle's a great team, but the Packers have the ability to out play them. Now they've got to get it done.

Mike Daniels Deserves His Own Post

With the exception of CB Tramon Williams, I've been negative about the Green Bay Packers' defense every time I've written about them over the past three weeks. But another defender who deserves a mention for his solid play while the rest of the defense struggles is DE Mike Daniels.

2013 1st round pick DE Datone Jones hasn't yet emerged as a consistent inside pass rusher, but Daniels has developed into a player who's consistently after the quarterback. I was concerned when they drafted him back in 2012 that he's a little too short (he isn't a threat to knock down a pass attempt) and he was injury prone in college. He still isn't batting down passes (zero pass defenses in 2013) but he's stayed healthy and he's as good as rushing the passer in the NFL as he was in college (9.5 sacks in his senior season).

Top interior rushers W11: McCoy, Watt, Dareus, Kyle Williams, Fairley, Mike Daniels, Casey, Cofield, Odrick http://t.co/CJl2s8Rblx
— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) November 21, 2013

After Week 8, Greg Bedard published a quote from DC Dom Capers how Daniels is using power and leverage to gain an advantage on most offensive lineman. He isn't the type of lineman that will use a spin move or speed on the edge to get into the backfield; he's usually just beating them with a bull rush. In that regard, he's a little different than other interior lineman who've played for the Packers. DE Cullen Jenkins had a variety of moves while DT Santana Dotson used his 6-5 frame to his advantage. Daniels might be using his short height to his advantage; his 6-0 frame gives him better leverage against taller offensive lineman. And that big Week 8 game he had came against the Vikings in Minnesota, so he might have success against them again in this weekend's rematch.

As of Week 11, he's ranked as the seventh best interior rusher in Bedard's Pressure Points column with 4.5 sacks, 16 hurries and 5 hits on the season. While the defense has struggled, at least the team has appeared to have found someone who consistently provide an interior pass rush for the first time since 2010.

Position Review: Defensive LIne

Ever since the 2010 season, when B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins were a quality pass rush tandem in their nickel package, the Green Bay Packers's defensive line has been a disappointment. It was awful in 2011 and there wasn't much improvement in 2012.

Previously: Position Reviews - Offense.

B.J. Raji. He hasn't regained the form he showed during the 2010 playoffs, but he's still their best lineman and his 2011 decline was caused by massive overuse on an awful line. The Packers have re-stocked their depth and he could return to his 2010 level now that he's surrounded with better teammates.

Ryan Pickett. The 13 year veteran still provides a solid presence against the run, but hardly anything as a pass rusher. He's a free agent after this year and GM Ted Thompson doesn't usually keep veterans in their 30s, but he's still the same player that he was when he joined the team in 2006. I'm expecting more of the same in 2013 and maybe even a return performance in 2014.

Datone Jones. He looked really good at UCLA and could become their best pass rushing lineman since Jenkins left in free agency. All eyes should be on him this preseason.

Mike Neal. He was second on the team last season with 4.5 sacks, but his future on the line looks cloudy after the selection of Jones in the 1st round. He got some work at outside linebacker but that seems like an unlikely transition for a 294 lb. lineman. He's sure to get another chance in 2013 and it'll be up to him to take advantage of it before he hits free agency.

C.J. Wilson and Mike Daniels. They're different types of players, Wilson has more size and Daniels has more hustle, but they were about as equally productive. Neither one is going to be asked to anchor the middle of the 3-4 formation and both of them might have been pushed back by Jones. They both should make the team but it's not clear whether either player has a long-term future.

Jerel Worthy. I had really high hopes for the him after his 2012 selection in 2nd round, but his biggest impact last season was his inability to stay onside before the snap. A late season knee injury will probably keep him out next season so there's nothing to see here until 2014.

Johnny Jolly. If this was 2009, I'd be really writing about how he's a young anchor to build around. But the prime of his career has been wiped out by years of legal problems. At age 30, he's finally back but who knows how he'll look after missing three seasons. I can't think of another healthy player in recent years who has missed three seasons.

Josh Boyd. I'm not sure where he fits on the roster, but I would expect the Packers to keep their 2013 5th round selection. However, I'm not sure if he can overtake either Wilson or Daniels on the depth chart. If he does make the team, I can't imagine he'll do anything except provide depth.

Gilbert Pena. Packer fans should love a big defensive lineman named Gilbert. He's a big run stuffer who probably went undrafted because he's already 26 years old. Maybe he'll turn out to be a young Ryan Pickett type lineman.

Jordan Miller. He was signed to the practice squad late last season and he's probably the longest shot to stick with the team.

Once Worthy goes on I.R., the Packers will have ten lineman for what will likely be six roster spots. It's possible that someone like Neal or Wilson is released/traded depending on what happens during the preseason. That could open up a spot for Jolly, Boyd, or Pena. But probably those three players will be looking to resume their NFL careers somewhere else at the start of the regular season.

Recap: Packers Come From Behind To Beat Lions, 27-20

Anyone start RB DuJuan Harris on their fantasy team? While he wouldn't have been the best option, a touchdown never hurts. Bonus points for picking some guy Mike McCarthy only threatened to use from the practice squad, but hadn't actually given a single carry to until Sunday night.

I had a bad feeling about this game because the Green Bay Packers had only won by four points back in November in Detroit, in a game in which the Lions had four turnovers. If the Lions took better care of the ball, it seemed like the Packers would be in trouble. While the Lions only had two turnovers in this one, the first turnover, a fumble by QB Matthew Stafford that was returned by DE Mike Daniels (of all people) for a 43 yard touchdown run, decided the game. The second one, an interception with 2:42 left in the first half, probably took points off the board for the Lions since they were already down to the Packers' 41 yard line with a 1st and 10.

The big standouts in this game were the players up front, on both sides of the ball. The pass protection struggled, QB Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times and was chased from the pocket on several occasions, but the run blocking again was strong, in part because rookie RT Don Barclay was able take out the linebacker at the second level (see Harris' touchdown run) while a tight end could block DE Cliff Avril. Also, the line was able to take advantage of the Lions' defensive tackles tendency to over-pursue on running plays as they raced up-field to get after Rodgers. 5.6 yards per carry is amazing for the Packers, even if 27 yards came on Rodgers' touchdown run. LG Evan Dietrich-Smith got blown up on one sack by DT Nick Fairley, but Fairley's been as good as any defensive tackle as I've seen over the past few weeks.

The defensive line got off to a slow start, allowing 85 yards rushing on the Lions' first two possessions (both for touchdowns), but the defense only allowed 50 yards rushing over the last three quarters and the pass rush (which only officially was credited with 1 sack and 2 QB hits) put a lot of pressure on Stafford to throw the ball early. On only a couple occasions did he really have time to sit back in the pocket. After the running game was no longer a factor, the Lions didn't find themselves in those 3rd and shorts they converted so often on their first two drives, and their offense didn't back into a rhythm again.

The pass defense had a great game, though they did drop a couple of interceptions. WR Calvin Johnson ended up with his usual 100 yard game (118 to be exact) but he wasn't involved for a large chunk of the game. Megatron had 46 of his 118 yards on their final two possessions, at which point the Packers were up by 10 points and the Lions were in desperation mode.

Rodgers and the pass offense didn't have much of a game through the air (only 14 completions). Seven of them went to WR Randall Cobb, who's gone from their number four receiving option to No. 1 in less than a season. WR Greg Jennings might still be recovering from his surgery (only 1 reception on Sunday) but in his defense, Rodgers did miss him on a touchdown pass in the third quarter. Of all the receivers, Cobb is the only one who's been a threat in every game this season.

In the end, this game was similar to their earlier win over the Lions, and the Packers managed to score 27 points in an ugly fashion. With their win and the Bears loss, the Packers extend their lead in the NFC North. The Packers have been the least impressive of the division leaders this season (outside of Baltimore), but hopefully that situation improves once LB Clay Matthews, CB Charles Woodson, and WR Jordy Nelson return. And some bonus good news: no injuries to report.

Bring on the injured Bears next week, win in Soldier Field, and clinch the NFC North.

Packer Injuries: Matthews, Sherrod, and the D-Line

The bad news is that LB Clay Matthews may still not be available next Sunday, but the bigger concern might be on the defensive line.

DNP for the #Packers: Woodson, White, Shields, Matthews, Driver, Pickett, Wilson.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 28, 2012

They've survived so far without CB Charles Woodson and CB Sam Shields. WR Donald Driver hasn't played much this season. DE C.J. Wilson is not a surprise, neither is backup RB Johnny White, since they both were hurt during the loss to the Giants. I'm not sure why DT Ryan Pickett has been held out because the injury report hasn't been released yet, but Mike McCarthy said Pickett will return to practice no later than Friday.

While shutting down the Vikings' passing attack is probably the key to the game, I still expect the Packers to frequently line up with three defensive lineman when they face RB Adrian Peterson. That could be hard to do if two starters (Pickett and Wilson) are out. However, DE Jerel Worthy has returned from his concussion, so he'll provide depth alongside DE Mike Neal and DE Mike Daniels. But that would with only be five healthy lineman, and any setback by Pickett could leave them with a very tight four man rotation.

I doubt it's a surprise to anyone reading this but it's finally official: OL Derek Sherrod is not playing this season. His leg injury was severe, and it happened late last season, so it's not surprising he needs more time to recover. I'm not sure how much could have helped anyway, but the offensive line's problems aren't going away so he can become part of the solution in 2013.

Recap: Packers Win In Detroit, 24-20

With the absence of LB Clay Matthews (and the ongoing absence of CB Charles Woodson) I was pessimistic about the Green Bay Packers' chances of defeating the Lions. Sure, the Lions have a lot of injury problems of their own, but the Packers usually lose games when Matthews is hurt. I expected an offensive shootout, but instead the defense led the way for both teams. It might have been an ugly win, but I'll take a win on the road any week, anyway they can get it.

So the answer to the question of where the Packers would find a pass rush without Matthews: they'd find it everywhere. A lot more blitzing by defensive backs (CB Davon House and S Morgan Burnett each recorded a sack) but also pursuit from LB Erik Walden and LB Dezman Moses. While they recorded the sacks (and Moses forced a fumble), it was the interior push by the tackles that usually forced the action. Rookie DT Mike Daniels was a factor, but all the big guys deserve credit: QB Matthew Stafford rarely had a pocket to step up into. And when they did get a pass off, the young defensive backs made plays, led by a huge game from CB Casey Hayward (5 pass defenses, 1 INT) and the INT returned for a touchdown by S M.D. Jennings. RB Mikel Leshoure had some success on the ground, but the Packers were letting the chance by rarely playing with more than two defensive linemen. Even with some running room available, the Lions preferred to throw the ball, calling 46 pass plays to only 22 carries.

My biggest complaint with the offense was the featured role for RB James Starks. With a make-shift offensive line, I'm sure Mike McCarthy wanted to keep the pressure down on QB Aaron Rodgers with a conservative game plan, but the result was a stalled offense. Starks had 26 touches while WR Jordy Nelson, WR James Jones, and WR Randall Cobb combined for only 23 carries and targets. While the Lions defense didn't have a huge statistical day, DT Nick Fairley was huge with 2 sacks and 2 tackles for a loss, and he probably disrupted at least a couple other plays. The overall conservative strategy was sound and they might not have had anymore success with a pass heavy attack, but a few more pass plays might have gotten the offense going, and Nelson, Jones and Cobb should combine for more plays than Starks.

Poor K Mason Crosby. I've been on his case all season, and he came close to hitting bottom in this game with two recorded misses (plus the other one he missed while he was being iced by the Lions). The coaches probably have more confidence in Crosby than any street free agent they could bring in at this point, so releasing him seems like an extreme reaction. His job security might be better addressed in the offseason. Instead, they should focus on restoring his confidence in the interim. Kicking is a pretty inconsistent business, and Crosby's gone through more good streaks than bad. The odds are more likely that he'll kick himself out of his slump instead of falling down further.

Could Mike Neal Help The Packers?

#Packers have activated DE @mneal96 and released DE Phillip Merling, the club announced. Neal now eligible to play vs. #Colts Sunday.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) October 6, 2012

After he was a complete zero last season, and then suspensed four games to open 2012, I was on the fence whether the Packers would release DE Mike Neal. He hadn't been able to stay healthy in either of his first two seasons and he hadn't done anything memorable on the field. His only hope was that his status as a former 2nd round pick would give him another chance and then he'd have to stay healthy for an entire season.

The last defensive lineman in this situation was former first round pick DE Justin Harrell, and the Packers gave him four seasons to turn it around. So it seemed unlikely they would give up on Neal after only two. But the selection of DE Jerel Worthy and DE Mike Daniels, and the free agent signings of DE Anthony Hargrove, Merling, and NT Daniel Muir, gave Neal a lot of competition. However, Neal showed just enough during the preseason to stick ahead of Hargrove and Muir. He's now been kept ahead of Merling too.

Something that's really helped him is that none of the other players the Packers have added this year have made much of an impact. Worthy is often on the field, but he's more notable for jumping offsides. Daniels has shown hustle, but he's played little and only recorded 1 sack and 1 tackle on the season. Merling only recorded 2 tackles in his first four games. So if Neal is improved a year after knee surgery, and he can rush better than Worthy or Daniels (neither of them have shown much so far), then he could be a welcomed addition. I expect he'll still be behind Worthy on the depth chart, but Neal should get a chance or two against the Colts to prove that he can do more. We'll have to wait and see whether he can take advantage of it.

Tuesday's Training Camp Report

I've got no idea why the Green Bay Packers would need to sign another TE. This time it's DeMarco Cosby who's been out of football for almost a year. My best guess is that they need another body for special teams drills. If they needed depth at any position, it would be at defensive back. They could use someone to replace Charlie Peprah, but they probably want to give their young guys, like M.D. Jennings, as many reps as possible.

Tuesday's practice wasn't an injury-free affair. The Press-Gazette reported that DE Ryan Pickett injured his knee, rookie RB Marc Tyler hurt his shoulder when he took a big hit, and rookie DL Mike Daniels injured his knee and/or groin. Daniels was starting to draw some praise during practice, and he was recovering from an injured shoulder during the offseason, so his injury is probably the one to watch.

As if the AP college football rankings weren't already suspect, they've decided the time is now to launch a similar subjective ranking system for the NFL: The AP Pro32. Of course, I'm glad to see the Packers are No. 1, but the ranking is only there for fans and ESPN's talking heads to argue over.

The Packers 90-man Roster: Defensive Line

While the Green Bay Packers have created competition on the defensive line by drafting and signing several new players, there aren't enough roster spots for all of them. Most of the competition will be at defensive end, and these are the players from Packers.com that are considered at that position:

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Guy, Lawrence	6-4	304	22	2
Hargrove, Anthony	6-3	282	28	8
Merling, Phillip	6-5	315	27	5
Neal, Mike	6-3	294	24	3
Wilson, C.J.	6-3	290	25	3
Worthy, Jerel	6-2	308	22	Rookie
Wynn, Jarius	6-3	285	25	4

I'm expecting three of these players will make the 53-man roster, so the competition should be fierce. Guy was stuck on injured reserve last season, and now (assuming he'll return healthy), he has to fight for a spot on  the 53-man roster, though he still may be eligible for the practice squad. Hargrove and Neal are staring down suspensions. While Hargrove may have no chance of changing the commissioner's mind over his participation in the pay-for-performance scheme while he was with the Saints, Neal might have his suspension lifted on appeal because his situation is similar to Andre Brown's. Based on what I read during the open OTAs, Worthy might be considered the top defensive end because of his ability as a pass rusher. Merling, Wilson, and Wynn are going to have to give the team a reason to keep them this preseason, but they all have potential.

Here are the defensive tackles (plus Jones who's listed as a "DL"):

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Jones, Johnny	6-4	310	23	1
Daniels, Mike	6-0	291	23	Rookie
Muir, Daniel	6-2	322	28	5
Pickett, Ryan	6-2	340	32	12
Raji, B.J.	6-2	337	25	4

Three-and-three: the Packers should keep three defensive ends and three defensive tackles. Jones spent 2011 on the practice squad, and that's his only hope of staying with the team again in 2012. Muir only played in 4 games in 2011 before the Colts released him, so he'll have to prove that he still belongs in the NFL, which I don't expect he'll be able to do. That could make it easy to keep Pickett, Raji, and 4th round pick Daniels (assuming his lingering shoulder injury doesn't land him on the I.R.).

The wild card is former Packer Johnny Jolly. Reading between the lines on a recent comment from team president Mark Murphy, who mentioned that he just wants Jolly to "lead a productive life" and notes that Jolly's been out of football for a couple years, it looks like the Packers aren't including Jolly into their plans. He might have some football left to play, but it seems they don't want to take back a player who could easily provide more headaches.

Overall competition level: high at defensive end, low at defensive tackle. Other than Pickett, Raji, and Worthy (Daniels will stay either on the active roster or I.R.), the other three positions could be made up of any combination of these players. These two positions will be ones to watch this preseason.

2012 NFL Draft: Packers Select Mike Daniels In The 4th Round

Overall, the 2012 NFL draft was just what I expected from the Green Bay Packers and GM Ted Thompson. They had a lot of draft picks (eight), selected players at various positions, and they gave the roster a good infusion of depth. Though they realized there's little room for rookies on the offensive side of the ball, so they did more to fill out every position on defense.

The only concern is that they didn't address the center or guard positions. T.J. Lang is scheduled to become a free agent after next season, and Jeff Saturday will probably not play past his current two-year contract. However, those are not the hardest positions to fill in the NFL, and improving for 2012 certainly takes priority over possible problems in 2013.

While they usually don't trade up, with 12 draft picks in hand due to previous trades and compensatory selections, trading away four of those picks to move up twice in the second round was a good strategy. Now the 2012 draft class is a more manageable group of eight players. Though the two seventh round selections might have to settle for spots on the practice squad, the six players on defense should all make the 53-man roster.

Round 4, pick 132. Iowa DL Mike Daniels. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers liked him because "he plays with quickness" and you can see that in the video below. He bursts in on those plays. He had a very productive 2011 senior season (9.5 sacks) earning all-Big Ten honors, and he's from a school that has a good reputation for turning out quality defensive lineman.

He's a little short (6-0) which will hurt him as he tries to stick his hand up to knock down a pass or see over the line during a play. He battled a leg injury for most of 2011, also he's recovering from a torn labrum and ankle sprains, so medical concerns are an issue. He could be a good high energy guy who can pick up 5 sacks because he never gives up on a play. However, there's a chance, especially with a history of injuries, that he could become the next Mike Neal or Justin Harrell.