Paul Bretl | 9/27/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — As every offensive or defensive coach does, Jeff Hafley has the core principles that his defensive system is built upon. However, what Hafley doesn’t want to be is rigid, either. He is willing to adjust his game-plan based on the strengths of the players he has and who the opponent is.
“We gotta figure out how to stop their best players each week and if that means doing something a little bit different, then it’s our job to do that,” said Hafley on Thursday.
Lining up across from the Packers’ defense this weekend will be Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Jefferson has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark each year, including a 1,600-yard performance in 2021 and an nearly 1,900-yard performance in 2022. Through three games this season, Jefferson has 14 receptions for 273 yards at a whopping 19.5 yards per catch with three scores.
Adding to the already tall task that is covering Jefferson is the head coach Kevin O’Connell’s willingness to line Jefferson up in the slot and put him in motion to get him free releases at the line of scrimmage.
“I mean he’s a great player,” said Hafley. “Well, one, you turn on the tape and it doesn’t take you very long to figure out how good he is. I mean, he’s big, he can catch the ball, he’s fast, he can run all the routes, he’s good when he catches the ball in catch and run, he’s got incredible hands.”
So the big question Hafley and this Packers defense faces this week is, how do you attempt to contain Jefferson so that he doesn’t completely take Sunday’s game over?
If you ask Hafley, the answer seems pretty straightforward: find a way to put his best players on the opponent’s best players. However, just because we may know the desired outcome doesn’t mean getting there will be easy and with a player of Jefferson’s caliber, nothing is ever full-proof.
“I’ve kinda told you guys this a bunch,” Hafley said, “it’s our job to put our best players in a position to make plays, so if it’s our job to put our best players on their best players, then we need to figure out how to do that. I mean I’m not just gonna walk into a game and say the scheme is just strong enough to stop that great player.
“That’s just not how I think. We gotta figure out how to stop their best players each week and if that means doing something a little bit different, then it’s our job to do that.”
In the past against Jefferson, we’ve seen Jaire Alexander line up across from him, but if Jefferson went in motion, Alexander did not follow. We also saw Green Bay essentially double-team Jefferson, with safety help directly over the top of the cornerback.
Whether or not Alexander will move with Jefferson and follow him for the entire game remains to be seen, but one thing that we do know about Hafley is that if he deems that the best option, he will go that route. And this doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach either, the game flow and situation should play a role in dictating how the Packers defend Jefferson.
“We’ve done both,” said Hafley when asked about Alexander following Jefferson. “We’ve done that in some series this year. We’ve done it in some games. And if it’s going to fit in best with the calls that we’re trying to call, it’s definitely a thing that I do believe in for sure.”
Ultimately, Hafely’s job is to put his players in the best position to make plays, and if that means doing things differently, then so be it. The key to doing this successfully begins with a digestible game-plan—whatever that may look like—that the players know the ins and outs of, allowing them to play fast and react. A great game-plan on paper doesn’t mean much if it can’t be executed at a high level.
Defenders having a complete understanding of not only what their responsibilities are but also the why behind what they are being asked to do and how that fits within the overarching game-plan allows them to play faster with their natural abilities taking over. They see, they react, they make a play.
“You can never stop guys like that,” said Xavier McKinney about Jefferson. “You can always just try to contain them. Obviously, he’s going to always have big plays but, for us, it’s to challenge him as much as possible. Obviously, we’ve got our guys over here that we believe in. We believe in Ja. We believe in him and we believe in the system that Haf has put into place for us. For us, we look to go out there and execute, play hard and challenge their best guys.”
If Alexander does follow Jefferson from one side of the field to the other pre-snap, how does that impact the responsibilities of the other defenders? And not to be forgotten about is that the Vikings’ boast a very good run game with Aaron Jones and may have Jordan Addison back at receiver as well this week.
The game-plan can center around Jefferson, but if he is the sole focus, the Vikings do have other players who can hurt opposing defenses. This puts an added emphasis on the need to be adaptable and flexible, given the in-game circumstances, and not have a one-size-fits-all approach.
“You’ve got to know where he is and you have to pick and choose times to scheme around him,” added Hafley. “You can’t just scheme around him the whole game, they have other really good players, too.
“I think that’s the difference when they’re running the ball really well, too. You just worry about him all game and then you’re going to look down and they’re going to beat you up in the run game. I think that’s what they’ve done such a good job of this year both coaching and playing; they can do both.”