In the first three games we saw consistent play without gaffes across all three levels in the defense.

Against Dallas, the defensive discombobulation we saw once Wyatt was injured is either reassuring or scary as hell. If that guy's presence is that significant, Gute backed up the Brinks truck at the wrong guy's house.

Hopefully, it's an aberration.

Defense probably ranked much better before week 4 so hopefully Dallas was just a bad game. It isn't like Detroit and Washington are no good on offense either. The fact Dallas was running the ball so well has me more concerned than the pass rush. Mainly because that was my worry to start the season and I know this pass rush will get home. With the Parson's trade it left the defense a little light in the pants as Vic Ketchman would say. Any long term injuries to a DT would really hurt this team, possibly more than even a injury to Parsons as we have LVN and Gary for depth.

Every season has ebbs and flows. No one dominates the full season since the cap has been in place. The Pats team that went 16-0 wasn't playing their best football at the end of the season and lost the SB. The 2010 Packers looked dead in the water in mid-December than caught fire and won it all. Way too early to make declarations on what this team will or won't be just yet.

The coaches will be working overtime this bye week. I wouldn't put Hafley in a head coaching job just yet. He will have to figure out away to make this defense tops in pass and run coverage. There is talent on D but there also some holes that need addressing. With a great pass rush other deficiencies can be masked with a good coordinator.

As for the players during the bye week, they will be on vacation. A trend we handicappers have seen is that teams coming out of a bye are very poor against the spread. Fans seem to think these players are single minded responsible adults who will go to bed early all week and study film. In reality it is a bunch of kids in their mid to late 20s with millions of dollars in the bank account. What would you do on your week off under those circumstances? I would be on a beach with my shirt off talking to all the ladies. For the players the bye week is about blowing off steam and forgetting about the grind for a few days. They will be trickling back to Green Bay this weekend with bloodshot eyes and lots of fun stories.

Parsons was a good addition to this team but he addresses only one need at basically one position. The loss of Kenny Clark and Slayton may be the sad offset to this trade. Teams with decent O-lines will run the ball through us as they typically did. Dallas, down a couple of starting linemen did exactly that. Gary and Van Ness are who we have seen over the last 3-4 years, need the benefit of scheme or weak O-lines to be effective. Teams will double team Parsons and wear him down unless some other guys step up. Unfortunately, the secondary needs Parsons more than we like to admit. The pass rush was suppose to cover for another gap in this defense

That stupid Shield your coins add won’t let is still blocking the last paragraph to read…fix it or lose it!

Fans often forget there are smart people working for the 31 other teams in the NFL.

Baseball offers a bit of perspective. A new hot pitcher comes on the scene and blows everyone away(The Miz). But after several games his hot stuff cools off as the scouts find a weakness hitters can exploit. The same is true in the NFL. The scouts see the Packers weaknesses and exploit those weaknesses. It's part of the game. That is not the end of the story. A true winner finds a way to overcome the setbacks and once again set the agenda.

I've never been big on this 'vision thing' because the real work to make the vision real is often done by people who often aren't around talking big picture. It begins with every block, every handoff, every pass, every tackle. You can envision a great meal but it happens only if a great cook sweats the work.

I have long maintained the NFL is 80 percent talent, 10 percent coaching and 10 percent pure luck(such as injuries).
I hope the team has its sights set on the Super Bowl, but it won't get there unless the high-paid talent does all the little stuff to make it happen.

Remember, when Micah first came to the NFL he was an off-ball linebacker. Then as time went on his pass rush was so impressive he spent more and more time there. When he says he can play all 5 spots, he means it. I have every confidence that Hafley will use Parsons in a dizzying number of ways.
Sure, the league adjusts from week to week, no doubt. But when it comes to Hafley, I think more often than not, his adjustments will give the GB D the advantage.
GPG!

Parsons isn't alone out there. If he is being double teamed, that means the one or another pass rushers should be able to at least be able to force the QB to hurry his throw, if not get a sack. Make the offense adjust the OL blocking schemes to have to account for more than one player. I have heard on here by at least two columnists that the Dallas OL got away with a lot of holding during the game. That is where LaFleur needs to step in, get in the ref's ear and let him know repeatedly that holding is occurring. If a couple of flags are thrown, the OL should have to play more honestly, giving the defense more opportunities. Bottom line, the other guys on the line need to do their jobs better.

Thoughtful piece, Ken. I love the title; gives me old-school Packers yearbook vibes like "Koncar Remains the Hub" and "Lofton: I'll Stay in Green Bay."

Hopefully Stackhouse has an education now and improves rather quickly. He has to obviously show great improvement and rather quickly!