The Fangio/Staley/Barry Defense–A Fit for GB?

THE FANGIO/STALEY/Barry

Defense

A FIT IN GREEN BAY?

By: ROSS UGLEM

It’s easy to relive the way Green Bay’s 2020 season ended and remember the end of 2019. No, Green Bay didn’t give up 37 points again (though 31 isn’t great), and it definitely didn’t let its opponent rush for 285 yards. Still, the result was ultimately the same. Once again, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers ended their season in the NFC Championship Game, and once again, the defense wasn’t up to the task.

It became clear that something had to change. The defense wasn’t alone, either. Green Bay’s special teams unit was a massive problem during the 2020 season and the playoffs. Instead of taking a sledgehammer to his 26–6 operation, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur took a “softer” tact.

Shortly after the end of the season, LaFleur indeed relieved both special teams coach Shawn Mennenga and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. In both cases, LaFleur didn’t stray far. Special teams will be headed by Mennenga’s top assistant, Maurice Drayton.

Pettine’s case was more complicated. That was clear when Green Bay took an additional two days to ultimately come to that decision. Pettine was a coach LaFleur respected. LaFleur chose to retain Pettine after replacing Mike McCarthy, and he addressed the issue in his very first press conference.

“When you look at Mike Pettine, I’ve gone against his defenses before and I think they present a lot of challenges for offenses. The fact that he’s been a head coach and has sat in this seat, it really affords you the opportunity to bounce ideas off of him…. The guys I trust in this business all have great things to say about Mike Pettine,” Coach LaFleur explained.

It seemed to make sense. Green Bay had looked more competitive on defense in Pettine’s first year than it did under Dom Capers. A third defensive coordinator in three years didn’t seem like a great idea for a contending team. It also made sense to have someone with head coaching experience help guide a new head coach with just two seasons as a coordinator under his belt. Barry’s charge? Install Matt LaFleur’s “clear vision” defensively. A “clear vision” is what LaFleur promised when he opened up his search for a new defensive coordinator. What that means is a little less than clear. “I don’t want to give the answers to the test, so to speak,” said LaFleur of his search for a coordinator. “There [are] certainly some characteristics that are non-negotiable.”

Unfortunately for Green Bay, that idea was folly. Pettine’s defenses, including his one year with McCarthy, finished 17th, 18th, and 9th in total defense, and 29th, 15th, and 17th in defensive DVOA. Counting the year before Pettine arrived and his three years as the defensive coordinator, Green Bay selected eight defensive players in the top 100, including Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, and Darnell Savage. The Packers also gave free agent contracts to defenders Davon House, Tramon Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson, Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, and Christian Kirksey.

Pettine was given every chance to succeed and ultimately did not. The question now is just what those non-negotiable characteristics are. Both those that he saw enough of in Joe Barry to hire him and in the players Green Bay will look to add to that defense. What are they trying to change? What are they trying to add?

Though it isn’t crystal-clear, the general consensus is that while Barry and former LA Rams defensive coordinator (and current Chargers head man) Brandon Staley have deep Vic Fangio roots, MLF wants the Staley version of that defense installed in Green Bay. For good reason, too. Despite the result of the Rams versus Packers playoff game, LA had the best defense in football by many metrics during the 2020 season.

Again, LaFleur could have blown the entire thing up. As with the special teams program, LaFleur only made one change: the head man. After offering the position to Jim Leonhard (and being turned down), LaFleur chose Rams assistant head coach and linebackers coach Joe Barry over Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero. All other key defensive assistants will remain the same. What exactly does that mean, and how is it different from what Green Bay ran in 2020? There are a few key staples:

Light boxes: Staley played a “light box” based on the offensive personnel/alignment on 85% of the Rams’ plays. The theory behind this is to invite the opposing team to run the football. Staley countered by playing his safeties close to the line of

scrimmage and rolling one (or both) toward the line of scrimmage immediately prior to the snap. In general, the Rams’ safeties played much closer to the line of scrimmage than most, whether they were “rolling up” or not.

Eagle front: The Rams’ most-used front was an “Eagle” front. A nose tackle, head-up on the center, and two defensive tackle bodies (Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald, usually) playing the 4i technique (slightly over the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle). The EDGE players usually play in a Wide-9 technique outside of the tight end or where a tight end would be lined up. This is a “one-gap” defensive system where players are penetrating upfield, not stacking the offensive linemen and working either side of him. The 4i techniques accomplish two things: first, it forces a lot of double teams, leading to clean linebackers, and it consistently allows the backside B-gap player to reach across his blocker and clean up cut-back lanes.

Base personnel: Barry actually mentioned something along these lines in his opening press conference, and the numbers bear it out. Mike Pettine was notorious for playing nickel against two-receiver sets and dime against three-receiver sets, even on early downs. Three different off-ball linebackers played more than 535 snaps for the Rams last year (Troy Reeder, Kenny Young, Micah Kiser). Green Bay had one, Christian Kirksey, who has already been released.

Tackling: This may sound dumb, but it’s very real. Tackling is extremely important to the Staley defense. As much as it may drive Packers fans nuts after the lack of aggression shown by Pettine and sometimes his players (see King, Kevin), Staley’s approach (and ultimately likely to be Barry’s) will be to play zone, rally up, and tackle prior to first-down yardage. There will not be a ton of press-man coverage on the outside. This, of course, requires the tackle to be completed successfully.

That leaves us with these important questions to answer:

“What does Green Bay have that will work?” and “What does it need to get?”

Let’s briefly go position-by-position.

Defensive line: One of the biggest differences in the Staley scheme is the subpackage system on the defensive line. In the Pettine scheme (and in Capers’, for that matter), if Green Bay was in nickel, there would be two defensive linemen on the field, two EDGEs, and two linebackers. That’s not necessarily the case with this scheme.

Oftentimes, the Rams used a single linebacker behind their Eagle front. His responsibilities would be shared by the safeties that were playing closer to the line of scrimmage than on almost any other team.

No longer do the Packers covet the traditional 6’6” 5-tech who can two-gap. This will likely be a one-gap system, and upfield penetration is king.

Green Bay will need to deepen their defensive line. The good news is they’ve got two players who will fit in perfectly. Kenny Clark can play the nose position or the 4i. Kingsley Keke profiles as an excellent penetrating 4i.

It’s very difficult to project Dean Lowry into the Staley/Fangio scheme. It’s also difficult to justify his place on the roster at his current salary. The Packers are going to need development from their bottom-roster defensive linemen and to make some additions from around the league and in the draft.

Unfortunately for Green Bay, this is not a strong draft for defensive linemen. NC State’s Alim McNeil could play the nose and has at least some pass rush upside. Iowa’s Daviyon Nixon is a potential 4i with rare movement skills. LSU’s Tyler Shelvin is another interesting option at 0-tech.

Linebacker: Even suggesting this will drive Packers fans nuts, but the Staley system doesn’t require an amazing set of inside linebackers. One of the Rams’ more significant personnel departures after the 2019 season was highly sought-after linebacker Corey Littleton. Littleton was tied to the Packers (mostly by fans) during the 2020 offseason. Despite his departure (and despite less-than-stellar play from his replacements), the Rams defense didn’t skip a beat. Rather, they improved. Once again, the key to a great Green Bay defense doesn’t necessarily mean a great “man in the middle.”

The Staley/Fangio scheme does an excellent job of keeping the linebackers clean because of the alignment of the front five. Therefore, the smaller, more athletic linebackers are just fine for this system. Think more along the lines of Jeremiah OwusuKoramoa (Notre Dame), Jabril Cox (North Dakota State/LSU), or Nick Bolton (Mizzou), rather than the bigger tanks like Zaven Collins or Dylan Moses. Chaz Surratt from North Carolina, a former quarterback, could also be a major upgrade in pass coverage and blitzing.

Green Bay seems to be pleased long-term with its 2020 additions Kamal Martin and Krys Barnes, though there are as many as nine or 10 top-100 options at the position. Both Barnes and Martin figure to fit in just fine, but Green Bay may eschew its use of a safety in a linebacker role a la Raven Greene. It is not a position/tact often used by Staley.

Edge defender: This is the biggest difference roster-wise between the Packers and the Rams and will be the most interesting preference to pay attention to in this theoretical scheme change. The Rams did not employ big EDGEs playing that Wide-9 technique.

Leonard Floyd played the most snaps on the edge by far, and he’s a thin (by football standards) 6’4” and 251 pounds. Justin

Hollins? 6’5” 248. Samson Ebukam? 6’3” 245. Obo Okoronkwo? Same thing. 6’2” 253.

Mike Pettine loved big players on the outside, and so did Brian Gutekunst. Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary weigh 272, 265, and 277 pounds, respectively. While sentiment often tilted toward lighter pass-rushers like the aforementioned Okoronkwo, the Titans’ Harold Landry, or Carolina’s Brian Burns in years past, the Packers instead brought in the beef.

So what now? That’s the big question. Do the Smiths and Gary fit in? Note that Gary could be successful on the defensive line in this scheme. Will Barry adjust his plan to fit his current roster? Will the Packers start phasing in the lighter, faster, more flexible rushers?

If the Packers are interested in adding one or two of those players to the roster, there are options. Jayson Oweh from Penn State is an even more athletic version of Hollins. Azeez Ojulari from Georgia is a bursty speed rusher who would look great in a Wide-9 technique. Ronnie Perkins (Oklahoma) and Joseph Ossai (Texas) could play similar roles to Okoronkwo.

Pay attention to the decisions Green Bay makes at this position.

Defensive backs: Barry and Staley’s defense did two things more than any other team in the league with their defensive backs. One, they played with two-high safeties looks. Two, they played those safeties closer to the line of scrimmage than any other team in the league. with Cleveland after putting his work with the Rams on tape. Taylor Rapp is a solid player and a very good tackler. That’s really the key, too. Green Bay’s safeties are going to have to be able to come down and tackle if they’re going to play this “fake light box” technique defensively. Adrian Amos is a perfect prototype for this position. Darnell Savage might actually be a better fit at “Star” (nickel).

The corners will have to tackle, too (here’s looking at you, Kevin King). There is a trade off to splitting the safeties. The corners will be protected in mostly Cover-2 or 2-man looks. Green Bay can also play some quarters. It won’t be often where Green Bay’s corners are left completely on their own on an island. Playmakers and good tacklers should be at a premium.

Trevon Moehrig would be an incredible addition to a Staley/ Fangio scheme. Christian Uphoff (Illinois State) is an interesting small-school sleeper. At corner, Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II is an exceptional tackler (and cornerback). So is Northwestern’s Greg Newsome II. Jevon Holland (Oregon) and Elijah Molden (Washington) are options at “Star.”

All the film study, reading, Zoom meetings, and phone calls in the world won’t predict exactly what Joe Barry wants to do. We know Matt LaFleur was impressed by the Rams and Staley (and ultimately Barry). We know Barry has deep Fangio roots. We also know that Barry wants to do his own thing. “What we’re going to build here, we’re going to put our stamp on it. You’re going to have to wait and see what that stamp is going to be,” he said at his introductory press conference.

The strategy (and honestly, it defines the whole defense) is to play light boxes on early downs and invite teams to run the ball. By playing the safeties close to the line of scrimmage and occupying the offensive line with the front five, the linebackers and safeties are able to clean up quickly and keep the offense behind the chains.

This puts stress on the safety group, and Los Angeles has had some good ones. John Johnson III just signed a lucrative deal Strictly based on what the Rams did, the Packers have square pegs and a few round holes. As mentioned, Lowry doesn’t make a ton of sense. Kevin King would need to tackle better. They’d need to get a lot deeper on the defensive line. Darnell Savage would have to clean up his 29 missed tackles in two years as well. Barry might prefer a completely different kind of player on the edge altogether. Still, in the NFL you’re either moving forward or moving backward. Barry’s defense is, if nothing else, a new direction.