The Green Bay Packers defense may not be the best in the NFL. Not by a long shot.

But it's leaps and bounds better than a year ago.

The improvements made in some of the most frequently cited statistics may be modest, such as total defense and scoring defense.

The Packers finished the 2013 season ranked 25th and 24th in each respective category, allowing an average of 372.3 yards per game and 26.8 points per game.

By comparison, this season the Packers currently rank 25th in total defense (366.8 ypg) and 15th in scoring defense (22.2 ppg).

In other, more important statistical categories, however, they're a Top 10 defense, in categories that have a greater impact on the outcome of a game.

The Packers currently rank fourth in the NFL in turnovers forced (23) and seventh in opponent passer rating (82.0).

With a quarter of the season left to go, the Packers have already forced more turnovers than they did all of last season (22), which ranked 21st in the NFL. They also ranked 25th in the NFL last season in opponent passer rating (95.9).

Combined with an offense that avoids turning the ball over (a league-leading eight giveaways) and a quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) that leads the league in passer rating (118.6), it's no wonder the Packers are tied for the best record in the NFL (9-3).

It wasn't an overnight process for the Packers to transform their defense. It's taken time and come gradually, over the course of months.

Like the improvement by the Packers run defense, headway has come slowly. Exiting the bye week, the Packers ranked dead last in the NFL, allowing an average of 153.5 yards per game. They've slowly been climbing out of the basement ever since, improving by an average of more than 20 yards per game in the month of November, currently ranked 28th and allowing 132.3 yards per game.

Remodeling and overhauling the Packers defense has also been a total team effort, from decisions made by the front office to those made by the coaching staff to individual contributions by the players.

The following are 16 decisions and changes made in chronological order since the end of the 2013 season that have transformed the Packers defense from one of the league's worst into a unit that is rapidly improving and the arrow is only pointing up:

Mar. 8, Re-sign Sam Shields: Just days before the start of free agency, the Packers re-signed Shields, and it didn't come cheap. An average salary of $9.75 million over the length of his contract ranks sixth in the NFL among cornerbacks. But by signing Shields, the Packers kept intact one of the deepest groups of cornerbacks in the NFL. His coverage ability on the perimeter and deep speed are the best on the team.

Mar. 11, Tender Jamari Lattimore and Non-Tender M.D. Jennings: On the deadline to extend offers to their restricted free agents, the Packers decided they'd part ways with the weak link in their secondary and retain the services of a role player at linebacker. The Packers got very little out of Jennings in 2013, and nothing in the way of impact plays, such as interceptions, sacks or forced fumbles. Lattimore's impact on the 2014 has been minimal, but they're a better team with him than without him.

Mar. 13 & 14, Re-sign Mike Neal and B.J. Raji on Back-to-Back Days: Despite both players eligible for unrestricted free agency, the Packers re-signed both to relatively modest contracts for a being second and first round draft choices, respectively. Raji was injured during the preseason and placed on season-ending injured reserve, but Neal has been a contributing members of the Packers defense, having a hand in four sacks this season.

Mar. 15, Sign Julius Peppers: By signing Peppers, a lifelong 4-3 defensive end, the Packers showed they could be flexible under defensive coordinator Dom Capers and at least occasionally fit his system to the talents of his players and not the other way around. Like Shields, Peppers didn't come cheap. But having a hand in a team-leading six sacks and two pick-sixes, he's so far been worth every penny of the three-year, $26 million contract they paid him.

Mar. 17 Sign Letroy Guion: Agreeing to a mere one-year, $1 million contract, Guion's signing barely registered a blip on the radar of the national media. But with a hand in three sacks this season, he's already offered more pass rush in 12 games than Raji had in the previous two seasons combined. And that's not to mention the solid job he's done as a run stuffer.

Offseason, Letting Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly Walk: The Packers made a philosophical shift in the offseason, parting ways with a pair of defensive linemen over 30 years old and over 325 lbs. Instead, they decided to go with younger, lighter and quicker defensive linemen, adapting to the changing spread-out landscape of the NFL where mobility is becoming a more important asset than girth.

May 8, Draft Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: When Ryan Shazier and C.J. Mosley came off the board ahead of the Packers pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Packers pulled the trigger on Clinton-Dix to improve a safety position that failed to account for a single interception in 2013. The Alabama product has been infinitely more physical than Jennings, who lined up next to Morgan Burnett a year ago.

May 12, Sign Mike Pennel and Jayrone Elliott: Among the players the Packers signed as rookie free agents in the immediate aftermath of the NFL Draft were a pair of future contributors. Their impact may be modest thus far, but the Packers appear to have gained more confidence in Pennel and Elliott by the week and have carved out small roles for them this season.

Aug. 18, Trade Jerel Worthy: When Worthy was eventually cut by the New England Patriots, the Packers would get nothing in return for their trade. But more more important was the decision to part ways with a player that turned out to be a bust and stop investing into his development. Worthy was a one-trick pony that could only rush the passer, and he wasn't a very good one at that.

Sept. 14, Debut the 4-3 defense: Although it's since gone into mothballs, perhaps because of ineffectiveness, the Packers started using a 4-3 defensive front with Clay Matthews as a true 4-3 strong-side linebacker in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks and in the weeks that followed. At the very least, it showed that defensive coordinator Dom Capers was willing to be flexible, and even though it hasn't been seen since early in the season, the Packers now have it in their back pocket.

Early season, Roll out the NASCAR Package: In an effort to get all of their "Elephant" type players on the field at the same time, the Packers developed a personnel package that included Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Nick Perry and Mike Neal all rushing the passer at the same time. The package has been used only sparingly, and in some weeks not at all, but it's been a creative way to get some of the team's best pass rushers putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Oct. 1-2, Allow Jumal Rolle to Sign with Texans, Promote Luther Robinson to Roster: Despite having an opening on their roster when linebacker Andy Mulumba was placed on injured reserve, the Packers declined to sign cornerback Jumal Rolle off their practice squad and instead saw him sign with the Houston Texans. A day later, the Packers promoted defensive lineman Luther Robinson. In his first career game, Robinson responded by hitting Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder as he released the football, resulting in an interception return for a touchdown by Peppers.

Oct. 19 Clinton-Dix Makes His First Start: Although Clinton-Dix played in every game since the start of the season, he didn't become a full-time player and starter on the Packers defense until Oct. 19 in their Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers. Although previous starter Micah Hyde hadn't played poorly, Clinton-Dix has been a better fit at the safety position.

Nov. 9 Make Hyde the Primary Slot Cornerback: Wanting to keep Hyde involved on the defensive side of the football, the Packers took the bye week to make Hyde their primary slot cornerback ahead of Casey Hayward. Since the switch, Hyde has made interceptions in two of the past four games, while Hayward has still stayed involved in the team's dime defensive package.

Nov. 9 Use Clay Matthews at Inside Linebacker: It hasn't been a full-fledged transition to inside linebacker for Matthews. Although not a strict policy, they've been using him primarily on the inside on early downs and lining him up at his old outside linebacker spot on long down-and-distance situations to rush the passer. The move has also allowed the Packers to get their 11 best players on the field by getting Nick Perry more playing time at outside linebacker. Although injury has slowed Perry the past two games, he's playing the best football of his three-year career.

Nov. 30, Promote Sam Barrington, Demote A.J. Hawk: It remains to be seen if the change lasts, but it was a bold move by the Packers' coaching staff to take the longest tenured player on the Packers defense out of the starting lineup. The Packers had not willingly benched Hawk since the first game of the 2010 season. Barrington played well in an expanded role.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].