As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, we are scouting the Green Bay Packers’ defense ahead of their Week 8 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Packers Run Defense
The Packers have a multiple and hybrid front with their edge players able to play hand-up and hand-down, blurring the lines between 3-4 and 4-3. Their run defense has been excellent. Green Bay is allowing just 76.5 rushing yards per game, second-best entering Week 8. The run defense’s yards per carry against of 3.3 (fourth) and rushing scores of 3 (tied-third) are almost among the best in the league.
Green Bay has also kept a lid on things. The Packers are tied for the fewest rushes of 10-plus yards allowed this season with just eight of them. Statistically, LB Quay Walker leads the team with 59 tackles. Edgerrin Cooper is second with 49 tackles. Both basically never come off the field. Walker sits at a 98-percent snap count, Cooper at 99 percent.
Schematically, it’s a stout group up front even after trading NT Kenny Clark as part of the Micah Parsons deal. It’s hard to run downhill on these guys. The d-line eats blocks to free up linebackers like Walker. Examples.
The best way to run on Green Bay is gap/power runs to the field. The Arizona Cardinals found success with it last Sunday.
The Packers have speed on the perimeter and defend outside zone and receiver runs well.
Some other defensive stats. The Packers enter the week allowing 20.8 points per game, tied for 10th. They’ve held the opposition to 20 or fewer points in four of six games, their only blemish 40 points in a wild overtime tie against the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay is sixth in yards allowed per game, 288.5. Situationally, the Packers are just okay, ranking 12th in third-down defense (36.9 percent) and 19th in the red zone (61.1 percent).
Packers Pass Defense
The pass defense has been strong. Allowing 212 yards per game through the air, 15th in the NFL. Per play, the Packers have been really good. Just 5.8 YPA, the NFL’s best mark. The completion rate allowed is worse, 67.6 percent that ranks 21st, but signals the Packers aren’t allowing throws downfield and are forcing quarterbacks to throw short.
Green Bay has allowed 10 touchdowns and picked off two passes this year. Like the run defense, the pass defense has kept things muzzled well. The Packers have given up only 10 completions of 20-plus yards, ranking second in the NFL.
The pass rush has produced 18 sacks, top 10 despite the Packers having a bye. Micah Parsons and the underrated Rashan Gary are tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks each. Both also have five tackles for loss. Parsons leads with 13 QB hits to Gary’s 11. Green Bay has the best of both worlds. A low blitz rate (18 percent, 28th) but a high-pressure rate (24.1 percent, 9th). The front is getting home. Alert off-ball blitzes from Walker, a big inside linebacker who will test Jaylen Warren. And nickel blitzes from the field side.
In the secondary, the Packers have picked off just two passes. One by S Evan Williams, the other by stud S Xavier McKinney.
It’s worth noting that the Packers aren’t overly responsive to motion. Even against Ja’Marr Chase, the Packers didn’t always travel and will bump out a defender instead of following across the formation.
In coverage, the Packers vary things, but run a healthy amount of Cover 2, especially inverted ones.
In the red zone, expect lots of Cover 4/quarters.
And Cover 1 on third and short/medium.
Alert for Parsons to line up all over the front, including off-ball and in the B-gap. He’s a versatile player and has been throughout his career. He’s been called for offsides/neutral zone infraction 13 times over the combined past two seasons. Aaron Rodgers will try to get him to jump with his cadence. Pittsburgh playing at home makes that more likely.
Finally, the Packers do a great job defending play-action and aren’t prone to biting.
Green Bay also effectively takes away the screen game, rallying hard to the football.
If there is an area to take advantage, double moves can be effective against the Packers.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Steelers will look to get back in the win column on Sunday night against the Packers in QB Aaron Rodgers’ first game against his former team. The Green Bay Packers are 4-1-1 and their defense is ranked 10th in football in total points allowed. They are top six in the league in total yards allowed as well, ranking 15th against the pass and first in the league against the run.
Defensive Line
No. 95 Devonte Wyatt started the first four games of the season but the 2022 first-round pick in 2022 has missed time the last two game with a knee injury and his status for Sunday is up in the air. Starting alongside Wyatt is No. 94 Karl Brooks, who has developed into a solid starter after being a rotational player his first two seasons in the league. An edge player in college, he has the athleticism and quickness to overwhelm guards and centers inside.
No. 96 Colby Wooden has also seen extensive time in a starting role for Green Bay this season, recording 20 total tackles and three tackles for loss. Wooden is more slender for an interior defender, but his athleticism and physicality at the point of attack are strengths in his game. No. 91 Warren Brinson and No. 93 Nazir Stackhouse provide depth up front for Green Bay.
EDGE
Starring on the edge is No. 1 Micah Parsons, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys this preseason. Parsons is a strong and explosive defender on the edge, having impressive play strength as well as speed to round the corner. He has 5.5 sacks on the year, and Pittsburgh would be wise to give Broderick Jones some help against Parsons.
On the other side for Green Bay is former first-round pick No. 52 Rashan Gary, who also has 5.5 sacks on the year. Considered the top recruit in his class coming out of high school, Gary is a physical freak, checking in at 6-5, 277 pounds with the speed and burst of some wide receivers. He has developed into a quality player and a great running mate opposite of Parsons, giving Green Bay a dynamic duo that Pittsburgh must account for on all downs.
The Packers have quite the rotation at outside linebacker with No. 55 Kingsley Enagbare providing a fiery, aggressive pass rusher as depth. He pursues the quarterback relentlessly and also holds his own against the run by setting the edge with his stocky, powerful frame. No. 90 Lukas Van Ness. The former first-round pick out of Iowa is a physical specimen when it comes to length, strength, and raw power, but is still developing when it comes to the intricacies of the game. He is dealing with a foot injury and his status for the game is up in the air.
No. 99 Barryn Sorrell and No. 53 Arron Mosby also provide depth on the edge for Green Bay but are more special teams contributors.
Linebackers
No. 7 Quay Walker, a 2022 first-round pick, possesses notable size and length. He uses both to occupy passing lanes as well as combat offensive linemen against the run. He has logged three-straight seasons of 100+ total tackles to start his career. Walker is also coming into his own as a coverage defender, being a physical playmaker who can run and hit as well as rush the passer.
Starting alongside of Walker is No. 56 Edgerrin Cooper, a long, athletic linebacker. At 6-2, 229 pounds, he has the speed and acceleration to work sideline to sideline against the run. He is starting to come into his own in coverage, having the speed to run with tight ends. He will be a player to watch against Pittsburgh’s tight ends and their varying skill sets.
No. 58 Isaiah McDuffie has become more of a rotational player with Walker and Cooper coming into their own, being a smaller, less-athletic defender who relies on physicality and instincts. He’s started each of the last two seasons though and brings a solid floor as a run stuffer up the middle. No. 59 Ty’Ron Hopper and No. 31 Nick Niemann also provide depth and special teams value for the Packers.
Cornerbacks
No. 25 Keisean Nixon starts on the outside after seeing plenty of time in the slot the last few seasons. Nixon has made his mark in the league as an All-Pro kick returner. He also has proven to be a reliable coverage defender, already having 10 pass deflections on the season. Nixon will likely see plenty of DK Metcalf on Sunday night.
No. 21 Nate Hobbs came over from Las Vegas to start opposite of Nixon and has performed well, allowing a 66.7 completion percentage for 88 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. He’s a feisty corner who does a great job competing at the catch point as well as coming downhill in run defense. Expect Hobbs to see some of Metcalf as well this weekend as well.
No. 20 Javon Bullard starts in the slot after being a second round pick out of Georgia in 2024. A physical defender, he does well against the run and shows that same physicality in coverage. He hasn’t recorded an interception or pass deflection this season but is someone to account for near the line of scrimmage.
No. 24 Carrington Valentine, a former seventh-round pick out of Kentucky, has come on strong in his first two seasons, starting 19 games for the Packers. He’s now in more of a sub-package role, factoring more on the outside thanks to his size (6-0, 189 pounds). He’s allowed a 58.8 completion percentage this season and two touchdowns, suggesting he could be a guy to target in this secondary. No. 16 Bo Melton and No. 39 Kamal Hadden also provide depth at cornerback.
Safeties
No. 29 Xavier McKinney came to Green Bay last season as a free agent, and the former Giant started his Packers tenure with a bang. He picked off eight passes on the way to first-team All-Pro honors. He has one so far in 2025 along with 36 total tackles and three pass deflections and is a versatile free safety who can run the alley against the run as well as play centerfield against the pass. This is a player Pittsburgh must account for in Green Bay’s secondary.
Starting opposite of McKinney is No. 33 Evan Williams. A 2024 fourth-round pick last year out of Oregon, Williams started six games as a rookie before becoming the full-time starter this season. Williams is extremely active near the line of scrimmage, being a tackling machine, and also is fairly fluid in coverage. He’s an underrated player who will be active in run support on Sunday night.
No. 27 Kitan Oladapo and No. 39 Zayne Anderson provide depth for Green Bay at safety with both being notable special teams contributors.
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