A couple of months ago, the Green Bay Packers hired Jeff Hafley to be their new defensive coordinator. With training camp well underway, cornerback Keisean Nixon gave an honest review of his performance and what it means for the team this season.
Last season, the Packers embarked on their first campaign with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback, who was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Although the Packers initially struggled with a 3-6 record in the first half of the season, they experienced a resurgence, winning six out of their final eight games.
This improvement propelled them to an 8-9 record, surpassing the previous season’s performance and securing the final playoff berth. Remarkably, they clinched the No. 7 seed by winning a three-way tiebreaker with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks based on conference record and strength of victory, becoming the youngest team to make the playoffs since the NFL expanded to 16 games in 1978.
In the Wild Card round, the Packers made history as the first 7-seed to win a playoff game, defeating the 2-seed Dallas Cowboys with a commanding score of 48-32. This victory marked their first playoff win without the presence of Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers since 1982 and 2007, respectively. However, their playoff journey came to an end in the Divisional round, as they succumbed to the San Francisco 49ers, the eventual NFC champions, with a close score of 24-21.
Green Bay Packers’ Keisean Nixon Drops Honest Assessment of Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley
At some point after their loss to the 49ers, Jeff Hafley was hired by the Packers’ front office to be their new defensive coordinator. Nixon gave an update on how the new DC is doing in an article written by Garrett Podell for CBS Sports.
“”He’s not scared of a head coach being an offensive guy,” Nixon said. “Some coaches compliment offensive coaches in practice and stuff like that, but Haf came in right away blitzing on third down, stuff like that.
He was ready to go. Jeff is a competitive guy. He is a defensive back coach also, so he brings that. I’ve never had that in the league. I’ve never had my DC be the DB guy too, so it’s kind of running through the back end. I think it’s a great idea. I think it’s a great fit for me. I think it’s a great decision,” Podell wrote.
Before becoming the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator, Hafley served as the head coach for Boston College from 2020-2023. His previous NFL experience includes coaching positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers.
From what Nixon said, it looks like the Packers are doing well when it comes to their training camp. For sure, the upcoming season will be a big one for Green Bay fans as they await the results of Hafley’s involvement with the team.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
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