That is a great instructional video! A few guys at my command are rugby players and they said this is the tackling they've been taught since they were kids.

I honestly feel like screaming when watching these idiots grab at air and dive at feet with their heads down. Pathetic.

The title of this made me lol

As a fan of the Packers, watching that video is depressing.

Is there a way to "like" the post and "dislike" the reason that it has to be here? Sick of this problem.

Jay - my first thought is how do players even make it through High School and College football without learning how to tackle?
My second point is, if this was the first or even second season that the Packers were having this problem I could understand it somewhat, but this is going on for 5 seasons now. Either we are drafting bad football players or we are ignoring the problem or we don't know how to correct it, or a combination of all of the above.
Also, as you noted not every team has this problem. The Seahawks, Ravens, Broncos and Falcons all tackled well in their opening games. Beyond that I can't believe that no one in the Packers organization has seen the Seahawks tape before. Good tackling is not just a matter of good football it is also a matter a player safety. I'm not saying that players don't get injured by good tackles but when performed properly there is less risk of injury than lowering your head, or trying to make a flailing arm or shoulder tackle as is so often the case.
I realize that I am and have been pretty vocal on this topic but to me there is no excuse for it and I'm tired of it after 5 seasons and nothing changing. We have about 23 coaches on MMs staff, is it really possible that none of them know how to coach tackling? Can we hire a tackling coach? Right now that looks like a really good investment. Thanks, Since '61

Not enough depth to bench players,but I wish MM would react to missed tackles like a fumble. He doesn't tolerate those.

Agreed, in Wisconsin they have a United Football League (ala the old Pop Warner) so the kids in my area start really young, well before high school and college - so why are the fundamentals not there in the NFL at a greater degree of time than one could expect ? Joe Witt Jr. has done considerably well taking free agents, some who have played other positions or sports in college and made them into solid NFL starters but the last CB that was an exceptional tackler was Woodson (I would discount Tramon Williams the last couple years because of shoulder injuries). If Witt can teach coverage that well, why not tackling - same with our safety coach Darren Perry who was an excellent tackler as a player ? Somebody needs to come up with answers and soon.

To me its the biggest area that needs fixed and it needs fixed before the next game.

I remember reading 2 years ago about the Seahawks using Rugby techniques to teach tackling. Good find with the video!

Why is it when a someone comments something of the nature of this article they are labeled a troll or other name but when a writer of the site says the same it's heralded as truth?

Non-stick Pam spray cans for everyone..yesss!

After 5 years of non-stop failure to get better on defense we have two choices:

1 - accept the current product; or
2 - complain about it to put heat on the GM, HC, DC and his coaches.

I select 2 and if that doesn't work I say fire the bums and start over. What are we, 2-5 in post-season play since the SB? With the best QB in the game in his prime??? Last year was the kind of collapse that should have gotten everyone fired. But not in GB. We hold on to bad coaches forever. See Starr, Gregg etc. Take away AROD and MM's career record is upside down.

After watching rugby league in Australia all my life, it often amazes me the poor tackling not just for the packers but NFL wide. Surely the coaches can see this is a weakness and even if they bring in someone especially to coach technique and tackle rubber dummies all day long it would have to improve? I cannot for the life of me understand the duck your head and dive for there toes technique that gets used so much?

I think MM is so worried about injuries, he doesn't let them tackle n practice. It's beyond me how a player starting in pee wee football through high school and college, can't f-ing tackle. I played hockey and never forgot how to check a guy as I got older. These guys are taught how to tackle at a very young age, its football dammit!

Just so we're all clear on this, when the Packers have a missed tackle problem, it's called "Packling", "a Packle".

This is what my group of friends referred the problem to when it was an issue for a couple of years in the mid 2000's.

Jay, good article and you got the issue laid out well. Glad you dealt with the CBA and the excuse that coaches can't run live contact practices much anymore; it impacts, but doesn't fully account for some teams that tackle and defend well. I watched the Seahawks/Rams game; and wow, admired the defenses of both.
The issues are just with tackling either. How come pass catching TEs can't learn to block, and why GBP can't teach Quarless/Finley etc to block well? Is it that coaching or the player? What about the ILBs-DEs persistently unable to set the edge? In the debate about whether the player drafted just doesn't have the tools or the coaches don't teach and demand the technique; I say the evidence is against coaches after so many years. They aren't teaching/training and demanding results. Belichick gets admiration for doing just that often turning JAGs into reliable players.

Vince had sent a request to the football gods to bring Seattle to GreenBay on week 2, bringing the tackling class taught by Professor Lynch and his protégé assistant instructor Wilson. A dumptruck and a light pickup disguised as tackling dummies. The pack is about to either learn, or get undressed. In either case, they'll be the better for it the remaining 14 games and the post season. By Monday morning, they'll either have earned an attitude, or they'll be busting butt the rest of the year to regain their pride. Either way, its a good time to play Seattle! Time to move on to week 2!

Yup, it's not the CBA rules because then ALL teams would be affected. When I pointed out the Quinn transformation of his defense at Atlanta it was to emphasize a team that had transformed its defense in several months. Apparently, there are Pack fans that defend Capers 'till the death. I'm not in that camp. So if this problem has been going on since The Dark Ages, why doesn't McCarthy correct it?

1) I think we can return to late 2014 form. One game doesn't make a trend. And some of you will say.....five years its been this way. I saw something that was quite productive the second half of last year. We can get there again. Three games in a row with minimal adjustments........then I will be moaning as well.
We didn't miss the super bowl because of tackling. We couldnt turn goal line opportunities into TDs. Burnett slid. Rodgers and co went three and out. Bostick. Ha ha lost coverage on a two point conversion. A coin toss. Tramon got old.

2) We have to accept what our talent level is. We can't be everything. We are super stacked on offense and have a few playmakers on D. No team is everything. We are basically set up like the Patriots. Only I would say we tilt more to the offense and they tilt more to the defense lately. Seattle is tilted way more towards the defense. And now they have to pay their QB. Their run is over after this year.

3) Tackling itself. Let's face it. Guys are trying to prolongue their careers. They want to make splash plays but not get injured doing it. We are becoming arena league in the NFL. They tackle high or dive for the feet because they don't want to take on a big hit. Unless they're in a contract year. I can't answer you why some coaches get more out of their millionaires. But these guys don't ball like old schoolers. They're protecting their short careers. You will have exceptions. Some guys ball......all the time. Mathews, peppers, watt, chancellor etc.

4) Health. Media shows them stories of how they could be brain dead or limping when they are older. They see a teammate derail their career with one injury never to be on a roster again. I really think some of these guys are running around scared. No coaches are going to tell them differently.

5) We aren't alone. I didn't watch 14 games. But the four or so games I did watch.... The tackling sucked across the board. One by a Vikings team I thought was going to have a killer D. Seahawks gave up 34 points. You don't give up points like that by tackling well.
Every year, it will take the month of September for the defenses to catch up and make tackling second nature again. If we go by the first few games of what our identity is going to be....then Tom Brady should have retired after four games last year. Payton should retire after his first game this season.....oh wait hw just threw 3 TDs tonight. Remember the whole r-e-l-a-x thing? Remember how we beat the Superbowl champions. Yeah...we did that with solid play on both sides of the ball.

Let's play ball a few games before we start calling this thing a crisis.

Guys - it's only one game. In the 1st game of 1985 the Bears gave up 28 points to a Tampa Bay team that finished 2-14. Don't rush to judgment.

C'MON , this makes 5 CONSECUTIVE SEASONS McCarthy has had to call out Dom Capers' defense for POOR TACKLING! This just isn't a first game problem, it's an ongoing problem this team's had that has cost WINS. Time for Capers to expect ACCOUNTABILITY from his players or changes MUST be made and it starts with the HC. McCarthy can't continue to overlook this POOR aspect of a SB contender. IF it comes down to tackling, this team will watch someone else hoist Lombardi's trophy unless McCarthy begins holding somebody responsible.