Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur - Photo by Yahoo Sports
GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) – As the Green Bay Packers get ready to face the Raiders on Monday night football, head coach Matt LaFleur is speaking about the need for the defense to step up and make tackles.
“Are there times we’ve gotten out of gaps—absolutely,” said LaFleur. “I think that happens from time to time. Unfortunately for us, it’s happened too much where they’ve had too big of a hole, and we haven’t had people in position to make a play on the ball. We have to do a much better job of filling that gap and making sure that we get people in the right positions. How we approach blocks How we defeat blocks is a big part of it.”
Not only do the Packers need to plan to face former star receiver Davante Adams, but they also have to prepare for star running back Josh Jacobs, who can be a threat in the passing game. “You saw it last week,” said Matt LaFleur about Jacobs, “and he was able to break some tackles. This guy’s got incredible balance. He’s got incredible hands. He can make you miss him. There is nothing he can’t do.”
“I think he’s a guy that you have to have a plan for when you’re approaching him in terms of how you want to tackle him,” added LaFleur. “The best way to bring him down is to have multiple hats at the point of attack.”
Green Bay’s defense has struggled this season against stopping running backs such as David Montgomery and Bijan Robinson. Running backs have also been frequently utilized in passing situations against the Packers this season. Opposing teams’ running backs have already been targeted 33 times, and they have taken advantage of 26 of those opportunities, averaging over seven yards per catch.
The defense could be missing some major pieces as the Packers announced that the team will be without starting ILB De’Vondre Campbell. Starting safety Rudy Ford, who has been one of the defense’s bright spots, is listed as questionable due to an oblique injury. According to Packers insider Matt Schneidman, star cornerback Jaire Alexander is expected to play on Monday night after missing the last two games with a back injury.
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