GREEN BAY, Wis. -- All that matters is what the Green Bay Packers' defense looks like on Sept. 10, when the regular season opens against the Chicago Bears, and every Sunday (or the occasional Monday, Thursday and Saturday depending on the schedule) after that.
But if things are indeed different this year -- and the defense isn't the liability it's been in so many years since the last Super Bowl season -- then April 17 might be viewed as the turning point. That's when Mike Pettine addressed his players for the first time as Packers defensive coordinator and made the kind of first impression that lingers.