Green Bay — Ever since Joe Thomas returned to the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 21, the undersized inside linebacker has spent the majority of his time in the middle of the dime defense.
Eclipsing the 6-foot mark by half an inch and tipping the scales only marginally at 227 pounds, Thomas amounts to a slightly heavier safety. But his speed, quickness and hard-hitting demeanor made him an ideal sub package linebacker for defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
His dime personnel group — two defensive lineman, three linebackers, six defensive backs — requires just one player in the middle of the field, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the 4-1 defense.