GREEN BAY, Wis. -- After what must have been an enjoyable film review following their blowout win, the three Green Bay Packers coordinators broke down the pros and cons (mostly pros) of a 38-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Here are three question-and-answer highlights from each coordinator:
1. When did you come up with the "NASCAR" package that featured no true defensive linemen and had four outside linebackers all on the field together?
CAPERS: "We talked during the offseason about these four guys (Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Nick Perry, Mike Neal) at times trying to get them all on the field. There's been times we've had different packages, we called it different things, where we try to put our most athletic pass-rush people out there. We've sort of gravitated to certain calls you'd like to run your games with four outside linebacker/elephant-type guys on the field. It worked well for us (Sunday)."
2. How did you feel Davon House played as the starting cornerback in place of Sam Shields?
CAPERS: "I thought he played an excellent game. I thought his technique was very good. He was matched at times on (Kelvin) Benjamin, and Benjamin is a big guy; I didn't realize how big he was until I was standing down there during pre-game watching him warm up. I thought (House) did a nice job against him with not having Sam (in Sunday's game) and then getting Tramon (Williams) back late in the week because we didn't know if we were going to have Tramon or not. I thought it worked out well. Casey (Hayward) went in, Casey played well, got another interception. Davon played well. I think that our depth situation in the secondary, we've got more depth there, I think, than what we've had."
3. Why did you decide to start Sam Barrington at inside linebacker?
CAPERS: "Well, we thought now was the time to try to get Sam more involved. You know, we're going to need Sam. We're going to need him to play for us. You don't want to give him too much starting out. You try to pick certain things and say, here we have to get Sam ready to play and do these things. I thought he had a good start (Sunday)."
1. Did you see the St. Louis Rams punt return trick play, and did it remind you of anything? (Hint: Packers/Bears, Week 3, 2011)
SLOCUM: "I saw that play and I was so happy that it worked, because now I get to quit talking about it. But here we are. Great play. I think Dave Toub put that together in Chicago -- first time I'd ever seen it. It was executed well (Sunday) in St. Louis."
2. Why the decision to have Kevin Dorsey back on kickoff returns alongside DuJuan Harris?
SLOCUM: "He's got good return ability. He's also a good blocker, a good decision-maker. I think he can do a number of things. He played well (Sunday); had a couple of tackles."
3. Was that a smart play by Micah Hyde to dive on that punt return before it bounced any farther down the field? Or is that too risky?
SLOCUM: "It's risk. It's risk, but he makes good decisions. Players make plays. He saved us some yards there."
1. What did you like about the running game Sunday?
CLEMENTS: "I think it shows we're being consistent, and then they made some things happen. (Eddie Lacy and James Starks) got more than what the play was blocked for, let's say. But the blocking unit blocked well, both the line, the tight ends and the receivers all blocked well. And when the runners got what was there, what was the amount of yards that were there because of the blocks, they broke some tackles and James at one time reversed field and got a touchdown. So they were getting what was there and they were getting some on their own."
2. What's the value of having nine different players catch passes against Carolina?
CLEMENTS: "Well, it keeps everyone happier, I guess. But if you can be effective, you like to spread it around. You like to get the ball in guys' hands. You like your playmakers to have the ball. But you can be effective throwing it to five guys, you can be effective throwing it to nine guys. It makes the defense have to defend different types of players and different types of routes. So that's helpful."
3. Is Richard Rodgers starting to block better?
CLEMENTS: "He's been playing very well over the last several weeks. I don't know if you remember, he had a similar play against Chicago at the end of the game when Randall caught the ball over the middle and he got it down to the 5-yard line or so. Richard came down the field and got him an extra block at around the 10-yard line to get him down to the 5. He plays hard, he finishes and he's blocking very well as an in-line tight end or coming out of the backfield. He has improved over the last several weeks and we hope he gets better."
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