On Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers played essentially a dime defense all night long. Without speedy rookie linebacker Oren Burks available and the Chicago Bears throwing a host of varied receiving options on the field, the Packers eschewed the use of a second inside linebacker for almost the entire game, preferring to play with six defensive backs and daring the Bears to run the ball.
And Chicago did find success on the ground, as they averaged over five yards per carry on the night. But it was the Packers’ pass defense, which had been maligned for years under Dom Capers, that came up big when the team needed it most.