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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers can't rely on forcing turnovers to bolster their defense in 2025
Turnovers are a part of Jeff Hafley's defensive identity. In his introductory press conference, he mentioned getting takeaways, especially from the safety position, as one of the hallmarks of his philosophy. He couldn't have scripted a better example of that philosophy in action than his first season as the Packers' defensive coordinator. Xavier McKinney was an eraser in the middle of Hafley's secondary, picking off eight passes en route to an All-Pro bid. Now in year two, Hafley and the Packers' defense are all-in on forcing turnovers as a core part of their identity. It's highlighted in practice every day, and 'Ball King' Wendel Davis tallies up how many takeaways the defense forces as a part of an ongoing internal competition. Building on the success of 2024 is an admirable goal, and it'd never be a bad thing if the Packers were able to do so. There's just so bad news: it's not very likely that the Packers will be able to repeat their performance from 2024, especially as it pertains to one of Hafley's goals. Generally speaking, turnovers are not a stable metric of year-over-year defensive performance simply because turnovers largely aren't within the realm of the defense's control. Sure, there are things you can do to put yourself in better position to create turnovers, but in general, the offense has to make a mistake for a turnover to take place. League-wide, takeaways have steadily trended downward over the past 25 years. In 2000, the average NFL team generated 30.1 takeaways. In 2024, that figure had dwindled to just 20.6. The league-wide average for takeaways in a season hasn't been above 25 since 2013. Generally, the Packers' turnover fortunes have followed league trends. Most of the time over the past 25 years, the Packers' takeaway figures have been right in line with the league average, plus or minus a couple of takeaways. Last year, the Packers had 31 takeaways, and it was the first time they'd been ahead of the league average by more than 10 takeaways since 2011. In the intervening decade-plus, there were only three other seasons where the Packers were three or more takeaways above the league average. In the same span, there were three seasons where the Packers were at least three takeaways below the league average in a given year. For those reasons alone, it seems unlikely that the Packers will again be among the league's premier takeaway teams, though anything is possible. But returning to Hafley's goal I mentioned above, he specifically wants the Packers to force more fumbles this year. 'We took the ball away last year. We didn't force enough fumbles,' said Hafley via the same article I linked to earlier in this piece. 'That's not good enough, so the emphasis coming in is one, our play style, how hard we're gonna play, how physical we're gonna play, how we run to the ball. That's non-negotiable. The other is we're gonna attack the football, so we need to emphasize it more. We need to coach it better and we need to put it out there on tape.' Again, forcing more fumbles is an admirable goal, but the Packers were already among the league leaders in forcing fumbles a year ago. Their 16 forced fumbles were tied for eighth most in the NFL, putting them in the top quarter of the league and comfortably inside the top 10. More importantly, the Packers recovered 14 of the 16 fumbles they forced last year, the highest figure of any team in the league with at least 15 forced fumbles. Even more than takeaways in general, fumbles in particular are a very unstable metric, and it's really hard to count on forcing more as a key plank in your defensive platform. Again, it's not a bad thing to want to, and if the Packers did manage to force more fumbles there would be a much better chance of their fumble recovery numbers staying strong. The important figure there is the total numbers of fumbles recovered, and if the Packers still recovered 14 while forcing 25 they'd still be in great shape. But overall, it's hard to plan on the Packers being a heavy takeaway team again this year. If they're going to field a strong defense again, that strength will have to depend on something other than forcing turnovers.
New York Times
31-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Packers' ‘Ball King': How coach involves a siren, WWE belt and fun in camp
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jeff Hafley wanted to find a way to emphasize the importance of takeaways before his second training camp as Packers defensive coordinator. In Hafley's debut season, the Packers ranked fourth in the NFL with 31 takeaways, up from tied for 23rd with 18 takeaways in 2023, Joe Barry's final season calling the defense. Advertisement Green Bay tied for third with 17 interceptions last season and slotted third alone with 14 fumble recoveries. In terms of forced fumbles, however, the Packers' 16 ranked tied for eighth. That wasn't good enough for Hafley. 'The No. 1 emphasis this training camp over everything is, one, playstyle … how hard we're gonna play, how physical we're gonna play, how we run to the ball. That's non-negotiable.' Hafley said. 'Two, we have to force more fumbles. … We want to lead the league in forced fumbles. We are going to have to work at it, and that's very important to us.' To ascend even higher than the Packers did in the takeaways department last season, Hafley devised a plan. Enter 'Ball King,' aka defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis. Here's the lowdown: the Packers' defense is split into three teams with three general managers, safety Xavier McKinney, defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Quay Walker. There's a points system involved, with forced fumbles and defensive touchdowns in training camp practices earning the most points. Players can lose points, too, and Davis will call out guys who, for example, are in position to punch at the ball but don't or don't punch at the ball hard enough. Each week, the team within the Packers' defense with the most points wins an award. 'This week, we have like a little WWE Packers belt that we got, and I was actually the MVP of the team that was winning this week, so I was wearing it over my shoulders all week, strutting around the facility and all that,' safety Evan Williams said. 'You see somebody walking around with that, you're like, 'OK, I want that. I want to be the guy that's making a name for myself in that matter.' So yeah, definitely, it's a healthy competition and I feel like everybody's buying into it, for real.' Advertisement Hafley lets Davis start the post-practice meeting with the entire defense because, he said, the ball is most important. Davis puts a chart in front of the room and tallies the points from that day's practice after watching film. Each time the film shows a defensive player registering a forced fumble, pass breakup or interception, they say, 'Sound the horn,' and Davis presses a button that sets off a siren attached to the ceiling. Like a real siren? 'A big-ass one,' cornerback Bo Melton said. 'Everybody gets a little turnt,' Williams said. 'It's a fun little deal.' The Packers aren't just emphasizing takeaways in these meetings. How do players respond when a teammate intercepts a pass? Are players scooping the ball off the ground even on incomplete passes? Williams said a mantra in the defensive room is 'leaving no meat on the bone.' Hafley is trying to instill a mentality more than just establish a new statistical watermark. Whether it's Williams reaching around tight end Tucker Kraft after the catch for a sideline punch-out, linebacker Isaiah Simmons tipping a Malik Willis pass that cornerback Carrington Valentine picked off, or McKinney scooping a punch-out by nickel Javon Bullard on Kraft well after the play, Hafley's defense has been swarming. On Tuesday, coach Matt LaFleur said he criticized his offense in a team meeting for exposing the football too much. LaFleur is leading his seventh training camp in Green Bay and said the defense is attacking the ball better than in any of his prior six seasons in charge. On the flip side, he credited Davis, in his sixth season as a Packers quality control coach, for getting the defense to buy into what he's preaching with unique methods. 'They're not allowed to call him Wendel Davis anymore,' Hafley said. 'He's the 'Ball King,' so if you see him, please refer to him as 'BK' or 'Ball King.'' Advertisement Davis, 36, played linebacker at Arkansas and served as a team captain in 2009. He intercepted only two passes and forced one fumble over 47 career games, but Hafley said Davis is a 'really good football coach' en route to becoming a position coach after his QC days are over. 'It's over with,' Melton said of Davis' real name. 'He said he changed his name to 'Ball King.'' Melton and Hafley both even referred to the coach as 'Wendel' during interviews this week before correcting themselves. 'He lit,' the Packers' wideout-turned-cornerback said of 'Ball King.' 'It gets live. Everybody laughing, having a good time. … People out there running hard to the ball, trying to punch it out so they could be on that tape, the 'Ball King' tape.' Davis' presentations and the competition they breed provide levity during the dog days of summer in Green Bay. That's needed, Hafley said, when coaches are constantly hard on players. However, the core message amid the fun could prove integral in the Packers' pursuit of a long-awaited championship. 'Turnovers change games,' Gary said. 'So yeah, it makes it fun having the siren. It makes it fun seeing guys having success at getting the ball out being recognized. … But all that's really important is what comes down in the season. That's really what we're prepping for.' 1. Wide receiver Jayden Reed (undisclosed injury) dropped out during Thursday's practice and rode an exercise bike alongside fellow receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf), who returned in a limited capacity after missing practice No. 6. It's possible Reed suffered an injury before Thursday's practice and was already on a pitch count entering the day. Left guard Aaron Banks (back) appeared limited in 11-on-11s, an improvement in participation after he missed the majority of Tuesday's practice. Rookie wideout Savion Williams (concussion) also appeared to return in a limited capacity after dropping out of Tuesday's practice. Wide receiver Sam Brown Jr., a rookie undrafted free agent who has flashed in camp, dropped out of Thursday's practice. Wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) is still sidelined but was cutting sharply and running quite quickly on the sideline at Thursday's practice. Running back MarShawn Lloyd (groin) won't practice the remainder of this week, LaFleur said, but won't be out long term. Rookie offensive lineman John Williams (back) and defensive end Collin Oliver (hamstring) have yet to make their camp debuts. Doubs said GIMME DAT 🗣️@emplifybellin — Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 31, 2025 2. Brandon McManus finally missed a kick. After hitting from 45 and 47 yards with a mild wind in his face, McManus drifted wide right from 49. He responded with three consecutive makes from 51, 53 and 33 yards to bring his total to 28-for-29 during team periods over four kicking practices. 'That might have been the best kick I've had all training camp and it didn't go in,' McManus said. 'That's the nature of this business. Today was more of a Green Bay day with how windy it was.' Advertisement The Packers are still unable to kick every practice because Irish kicker Mark McNamee, whom the Packers signed on July 22, has yet to arrive in Green Bay over a visa complication and McManus kicks every other practice. General manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers knew when they signed McNamee that it would take him five to 14 days to arrive, and Thursday is the nine-day mark. 3. I wrote down five players in my notebook who stood out during one-on-ones between pass catchers and defensive backs on Thursday: wide receiver Mecole Hardman, wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, cornerback Kamal Hadden, McKinney and Melton. After hardly creating any separation during Tuesday's one-on-ones, Hardman cooked cornerback Kalen King on a comeback route for his first catch and found enough space against Bullard near the left sideline for another slick grab. Johnson hauled in two deep balls down the left sideline, one against cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. and one against cornerback Micah Robinson. Hadden forced two incompletions on three reps against wide receiver Malik Heath and let people hear about it, too. McKinney was his normal self, forcing incompletions against three tight ends, Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave and Ben Sims. Melton, who I think is a safe bet to make the initial 53-man roster after switching positions, in part because of his special teams prowess, took two reps against wideouts Romeo Doubs and Will Sheppard and broke up both passes. 4. Musgrave made two great catches during 11-on-11s. One came on a corner route with McKinney draped on him after a perfect ball from quarterback Jordan Love. McKinney complimented the catch while talking to himself after his momentum took him out of bounds past reporters. Musgrave then came back on a corner route on the opposite side to grab another Love pass near the ground with Valentine on him. If Musgrave can become the downfield threat in Year 3 that he looked primed to be as a rookie before significant injuries interrupted his first two seasons, he and Kraft could form a tantalizing duo for an already deep Packers aerial attack. 'I think both balls were delivered exactly where they needed to be for the defense,' Musgrave said. 'So I think all that goes to Jordan. All that — spectacular.' 5. We'll give today's quote of the day to Musgrave: 'My wife's a pilates instructor, so she works Club Pilates in the new Packers gym. She has me sometimes go and experiment or, I don't know, I'm not the person to experiment on because I'm not great at pilates. But she's taken me through some workouts and they're really hard.'
