On Sunday, the Ravens channeled the kind of defense that propelled the franchise to the top of the AFC throughout the 2000s. In the process, they put the Packers in a time warp back to 2006.
The Packers got shut out at home EXACTLY 11 years after the last time they were shut out at home
And by the same defensive coordinator, too.
Appleton Post-Crescent-USA TODAY Sports
Baltimore shut out Green Bay, 23-0, exactly 11 years to the day of the last time the Packers had been shut out at home.
It gets weirder, too. The defensive coordinator that led New England to that 35-0 shutout was everyone’s favorite assistant coach/tiny sentence, Dean Pees. On Sunday, the architect behind the Ravens’ defensive effort was ... Dean Pees. The Patriots got a tremendous effort from a future Hall of Fame linebacker in Junior Seau, and a blitzing attack that tallied five sacks. The Ravens got a tremendous effort from a future Hall of Fame linebacker, Terrell Suggs, and a blitzing attack that chalked up SIX sacks.
That’s a good omen for a Baltimore team hungry for a return to the postseason. The 2006 Patriots won their division and rolled all the way to the AFC Championship Game before falling victim to Peyton Manning’s destiny in Indianapolis. The Ravens haven’t advanced that far since they won the Super Bowl in 2012.
It’s a less encouraging sign for Green Bay. The Packers got some solid play from Brett Hundley last week in the team’s victory over the Bears, but any progress the former backup had made was quickly erased against a tough Ravens defense. The third-year quarterback threw three interceptions -- including one in the end zone — and added a fumble in a dismal performance Sunday. While the Green Bay defense held out as long as it could, an inefficient offense eventually asked too much of its counterpart.
That 2006 Packers team dropped as low as 4-8 before rebounding to win their final four games. They’ll need a similar rally to bounce back from 5-5 and into the NFC playoff race. Getting Aaron Rodgers back into the lineup would be the easiest way to make a quick improvement — but after Sunday’s rock-bottom performance, Green Bay has several areas in which it’ll need to improve.
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