GREEN BAY – After tabbing Jeff Hafley as his new defensive coordinator in February, Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur was asked what he wants his defense to be in 2024 and beyond.
LaFleur’s response came without pause.
“I want us to be fast and physical and attack the ball,” said LaFleur at the time. “We will be a little more vision-based on the back end, and I think that’s a great opportunity to be able to go out there and generate takeaways.”
So far, Green Bay’s defense has done precisely that. While two games do not a season make, the Packers are off to a promising start in terms of both effort and takeaways.
The combination has Green Bay currently leading the NFL with six takeaways and five interceptions, just two shy of how many picks the Packers grabbed in the entire 2023 regular season.
There still is work to be done. Green Bay sits 27th in total defense after conceding 414 total yards in the opener in Brazil, but Hafley’s defenders have bought into his program, and it showed in Sunday’s home opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
Playing without starting quarterback Jordan Love, the defense knew keeping points off the board was paramount. The unit responded by pitching a first-half shutout and intercepting Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson three times in a 16-10 win.
“It’s very encouraging. Anytime you can get takeovers is always fun,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “It gives us confidence as a defense. We get a better feel of … playing with our instincts and playing fast. I think that’s what it’s been doing. Obviously, the more that we get, we’re building that confidence more and more every time we step out there on the field. We’re executing. We keep doing that, we can do some really good things.”
McKinney is only the third player in team history to post an interception in both of his first two games in a Green Bay uniform, joining linebacker John Anderson (1978) and defensive back Doyle Nix (1955), who both had an INT in each of their first three games as Packers.
The other four takeaways came courtesy of Jaire Alexander (INT), Eric Wilson (INT), Evan Williams (INT) and Devonte Wyatt(fumble recovery).
All told, it’s the first time since 2001 the Packers have registered three takeaways in each of their first two games of the season while their six total are the defense’s most through two games since Dom Capers took over the…
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