[caption id="attachment_166" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Clay Matthews celebrates one of his 3.5 sacks Thursday night against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field."]
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1. Defense performed like it did in 2010 run
For the first time since the Packers won Super Bowl XLV, Dom Capers’ defense looked like champions.
Clay Matthews collected 3.5 more sacks to give him six through the first two games of 2012, equaling his 2011 total. Whether it’s the addition of rookie Nick Perry on the other side, rookie Jerel Worthy in the middle of the line or some other reason, Matthews is causing nightmares for opposing quarterbacks again.
Green Bay held Chicago to just 168 yards of total offense, sacked Jay Cutler, who did his fair share of trash talking this week, seven times and forced him into four interceptions.
While it remains to be seen if the Pack can maintain this type of performance, at least they showed that they’re capable of playing like they did in 2010, which they didn’t do last year at any point.
2. Tramon Williams looks like his old self
Piggybacking off of the first point, cornerback Tramon Williams performed at a level that Green Bay needs to get from him on a consistent basis.
He was arguably the best cover-corner on the roster in 2010, but a shoulder injury sustained in the first week of the season last year slowed him down tremendously. He lost his ability to bump at the line of scrimmage, allowing receivers to get that important first step.
Williams’ shoulder was determined to be at just 50 percent in June and there was some concern that he may not be ready in time for the regular season.
He has done his best to put those worries to rest, especially with his performance Thursday night. Matched up against All-Pro receiver Brandon Marshall, Williams made him a non-factor in the passing game and held him to just a pair of catches for 24 yards. He shut him out in the first half and picked off Cutler twice.
With Charles Woodson now playing safety, Williams is going to have to be someone the secondary can lean on at the cornerback position. So far, so good.
3. Don’t expect this offense to replicate their 2011 numbers
The Packers offense hasn’t been firing all cylinders like it did for almost all of 2011. Granted, they have played two of the best defenses in the league to begin the year, but expecting Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense to do what they did last year is asking too much.
Rodgers had one of the best years in NFL history for a quarterback. His 122.5 passer rating was the best mark in league history. He set six franchise single season records and tied two others.
Green Bay broke nine team records, including most points scored (560), touchdowns (70) and yards gained (6,482) in a season.
Through two games, the Packers offense has scored just three offensive touchdowns and 31 points.
It’s crazy to think that the Packers could possibly have the same kind of success they did a year ago, which makes it even more important for the defense to play the way they did. The best offense, especially for the Pack, is a good defense.
4. Cedric Benson needs more performances like this one
Running backs aren’t asked to do a ton in this offense. Protecting the passer and the football are more important that gaining yards in this system.
However, if Green Bay can get more 20 carry, 81-yard games from Benson, it’ll make them that much more efficient and take some pressure off of Rodgers.
On numerous occasions, the Bears dropped both safeties way back to protect against Rodgers and the big play, leaving the middle of the field wide open for the former Bear. He had quite a bit of success running up the middle and also gave Rodgers a nice security blanket, catching four passes for 35 yards.
5. Donald Driver deserves more playing time
After seeing the field for just three plays last week, Driver got a few more snaps Thursday with the injury to Greg Jennings.
He made his presence felt in the fourth quarter, getting open in the end zone and snagging a 26-yard dart from Rodgers to give Green Bay a commanding 23-3 lead with 11:17 to play and slam the door on the Bears.
Driver would never complain about his playing time publicly, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s frustrated with what the coaching staff feels his role should be.
Even at 37, he showed he can still get it done and deserves a bit more action, even with a healthy Jennings.
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