The Green Bay Packers made the long-expected decision to fire former defensive coordinator Joe Barry early on in the offseason. After an extensive search of candidates, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley was hired to take his place. His hiring also meant there would some significant changes on the Packers defensive coaching staff.
One of these changes was that Jerry Montgomery, the team’s longest tenured coach (he started as a defensive front assistant in 2015), was fired. He was soon hired by the New England Patriots as their defensive line coach.
In his place, the Packers promoted Jason Rebrovich to be their defensive line coach. He first came to Green Bay as an outside linebackers coach in 2022 and was their pass rush specialist last season. Previously, Rebrovich was the defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Thursday, Rebrovich and other Packers’ assistant coaches addressed the media for the first time this offseason. During his interview, he gave his vision for what he expects to be different about the defensive line this season compared to what it was like during the Barry Era.
Green Bay Packers Defensive Line Coach Jason Rebrovich Wants to Improve Two Specific Stats
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Last season, the Packers had a top-10 passing defense in terms of yards allowed per game, finishing ninth with 206.8 yards per game. This was especially surprising considering the injuries and other issues that surrounded the cornerback and safety room last season.
In other words, the Packers have a great core of defensive backs that are able to hold their own. The problem with the Packers’ defense last year was multi-faceted, but can be broken down to one thing: they were playing a reactionary defense. Instead of being aggressive, they played to react to the offense.
As a result, the Packers’ situational prevent defense caused them to give up late drives to opponents that ended in Green Bay giving up leads. It also resulted in their run defense being the fifth-worst in the NFL, as they gave up 128.3 rushing yards per game.
While we have yet to see how much better the Packers’ defense will be under Hafley, he and his assistant coaches sure are talking a big game this offseason. During his interview on Thursday, Rebrovich said the following of his defensive line (via Matt Schneidman): “It’s about TFLs and sacks. We’re gonna look to create havoc in the backfield.”
Creating havoc in the backfield will only make life easier for the secondary, which was a top-10 unit last season despite the short-comings of the front seven. It will also mean that opponents will be forced to throw even more, giving Jaire Alexander, Xavier McKinney, and company more opportunities to create turnovers.
Jason Rebrovich Calls the Green Bay Packers Defensive Line “Navy SEAL’s”
It is well known that if the pass rush is effective, it will make the passing defense even better. Similarly, keeping running backs from big gains forces opposing offenses into more passing downs. With the strength of the Packers defense, to this point, being their secondary, it is imperative for them to put their opponents into these kinds of situations.
And Rebrovich plans to do just that. According to Schneidman, the defensive line coach said: “I’m not trying to correlate football with war or anything like that, but we’re the Navy SEALS. We’re the first line of defense. The rest of the guys are going to sit back there and do what they need to do.”
“What they need to do” is break up passes and/or come in to help stopping runners who have been slowed down by the aggressive defensive line.
It is easy to talk a big game, as Rebrovich is doing, but it is the kind of energy that Packers fans have been wanting to see from their defensive coaches for a while now.
There is certainly a great deal to be excited about.
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