Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley Gives Long-Winded Answer On 4th Quarter Defense
The Green Bay Packers’ defense has been a tale of two halves—or more accurately, a tale of three quarters versus one. Through the first three quarters of games this season, the unit has performed at an elite level, shutting down opponents with remarkable efficiency. However, once the fourth quarter arrives, a completely different story unfolds. The defense, which looks nearly impenetrable for 45 minutes, suddenly becomes one of the most porous in the league. This drastic drop-off has become a major point of discussion for fans and media, and it’s a problem that defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is acutely aware of.
When asked about the disparity, Hafley didn’t offer a simple, canned response. Instead, he delivered a thoughtful, marathon 931-word answer that peeled back the curtain on the complex process of diagnosing a team’s biggest weakness. This post will dive into the detailed comments from the Jeff Hafley Packers fourth-quarter defense press conference, analyzing his points on consistency, situational football, and his plan to fix the late-game collapses.
Green Bay Packers Defense Through 3 Quarters
To understand the frustration surrounding the fourth quarter, you first have to appreciate how dominant the Packers’ defense has been to start games. The numbers are staggering.
- First Quarter: The Packers have not allowed a single point, making them the best first-quarter defense in the NFL.
- Second Quarter: They rank second in the league, allowing an average of just 4.4 points.
- Third Quarter: The dominance continues, with the defense ranking fifth, giving up only 3.4 points per game.
Added together, the Green Bay Packers has allowed just 7.8 points per game through the first three quarters, a figure that puts them among the league’s best defensive units. But when the final 15 minutes begin, the bottom falls out. The Packers have given up 60 points in the fourth quarter alone, an average of 12.0 points per game, which ranks dead last in the NFL. This statistical cliff-dive is the central issue Hafley and his staff are working to solve.
Jeff Hafley’s Deep Dive into the Fourth Quarter
When questioned about this trend, Jeff Hafley provided an exhaustive and refreshingly transparent look into his thought process. Rather than deflecting, he walked reporters through the analytical journey of a coach trying to solve a complex problem.
Here is Hafley’s full, uninterrupted explanation:
“Here’s the deal, right. You guys make me think, too. You look at it and, now that you guys, with all your articles, notes and comments, bring up a lot of good points. We’re like No. 1 in scoring defense in the first quarter. Then we’re like two or three in the second quarter. Then we’re like top five in the third quarter. Then it is what it is in the fourth quarter. So why?
“Last year, Matt (LaFleur) and I were having the same conversation – I don’t know if he said anything – about the second quarter. Because he brought the stat sheet out and, ‘Dude, they’re scoring all their points in the second quarter.’ Wow, all right, let’s look to see what’s going on in the second quarter. This year, it’s in the fourth, right now.
“So, it makes you think, right? I’m not giving you coach-talk. I’m talking real, like how my mind works. You have to go game by game. You can’t look at it like a collective, because some of those points are scored differently in the fourth quarter of some games than in other games, right? And then there are situations that lead to those points, which could happen in the Browns game different than when it happened last week when you’re up 21 points.
“So, you look game by game. First, you look schematically, because I always look at myself first. Is there something different that we’re doing? Is there something better that I need to be doing? Is there something different that the offense is doing?
“And at times, sure, when you’re up by two possessions and they’re trying to score fast, there is something that they’re doing different. Or you’re up by three possessions. How many more possessions do they have where we need to either slow them down and we can’t give up a big one, so there’s situational football involved, right?
“Then after you look at scheme, you look at execution. Are we executing as good in that quarter as we did the first three quarters? And some we are, some we’re not, right? It’s just the way each game goes, and why?
“Gosh, we play so hard when I watch our film. Are we playing as hard in the fourth quarter? At times we are, and if we’re not and we look tired, why? Did we open up the half and go on a really long drive where we couldn’t get off the field on third down? Do we need to be in better shape? Do we need to roll guys in and out of games more.
“Certainly, it’s different game by game. And then did their players make some plays, right? It’s happened in games. There’s been some really good plays.
“So, you look through all that, and then the key I think is consistency over time. What can we do better? What can we be more consistent at? What can I do better? And you search in all those different ways and we’ll work through it.
“To me, the goal is to play a complete football game. Whether that’s in the first quarter, the second, third or fourth, I don’t want to have a bad first quarter and give up a ton of points and play good in the second, third or fourth. Just like last year in the second, we weren’t playing good enough, but we played good in the third and the fourth.
“And that’s the key is to continue to improve in playing our best football as we go. And we’ve certainly shown flashes all over the place, and I’m confident that we’ll continue to do that. So, to answer your fourth-quarter questions, and if you want to go make some side notes in your article, you can add some stuff there.”
After a brief pause, Hafley continued, providing even more context.
“It’s different in the Washington game and the Lion game and Dallas than it was in the Cleveland game and it was last week. I mean, last week if you go back in the game, after the Dallas outing, we came back in the first half and that was awesome, watching our guys fly around. It was really, really inspiring football. I think they went three-and-out three of their first four drives. We’re getting the ball back to the offense like that (snapping).
“That’s what we need to do in all four quarters. That’s what we’re trying to do. That’s what we’re trying to do. And certainly, in some situations, your mindset changes a little bit and then we had that one really long drive to open up the second half, and why did we have that drive?
“What changed? Well, we had a third-and-4 where we were in pretty tight coverage and we just didn’t get off the field. Then we stopped them on third but, because we were up by two possessions, they went for it on fourth down and we couldn’t get off the field on the fourth down. Later in the game we stopped them again on third down but we were up by a possession so – guess what? – they were going for it again. They went for it on fourth down and they made a nice play.
“So, frustrating, I got it, and we’ll get better and I’m very confident in that.”
Analyzing Hafley’s Plan for Improvement
Hafley’s answer reveals a multi-layered approach to fixing the fourth-quarter woes. He breaks the problem down into several key components:
1. Situational Football and Game Scripts
Hafley correctly points out that simply looking at the aggregate point totals is misleading. The context of each game matters. In some games, the Packers have held a large lead, prompting opponents to go into a desperate, pass-heavy, two-minute offense. This forces the defense into a “prevent” style, which can give up yardage and points but chews up the clock. In other games, the defense has failed to get off the field on crucial third and fourth downs, extending drives and leading to fatigue.
2. Scheme, Execution, and Effort
True to form, Hafley starts by looking in the mirror. He questions his own schematic choices, asking if he needs to call plays differently in the fourth quarter. He then shifts to player execution, noting that the level of play isn’t as consistent in the final frame. Finally, he examines effort and conditioning. Are players getting tired after long drives? Does he need to rotate players more frequently to keep them fresh? These are the fundamental questions any good coach asks when a unit is underperforming.
3. The Ultimate Goal: Consistency
The overarching theme of Hafley’s monologue is the pursuit of consistency. He makes it clear that the goal is not just to be a good first-half defense but to play a complete, 60-minute football game. He references last season’s struggles in the second quarter as an example of how these trends can be identified and corrected. His confidence comes from seeing his unit play at an elite level for long stretches. The flashes are there; the challenge is turning those flashes into sustained performance.
The Jeff Hafley Packers fourth-quarter defense is the team’s most glaring issue at the moment, but the man in charge is tackling it with a thorough, honest, and multi-faceted approach. His detailed breakdown shows a coach who is not making excuses but is instead digging deep to find solutions. As the Packers move into the heart of their schedule, their ability to translate this analysis into on-field results will be the ultimate measure of their championship aspirations.
