GREEN BAY (WLUK) — One week in to training camp the Packers’ team goals have become a bit clearer. While it isn’t Super Bowl or bust, the edge and urgency this team possesses makes it feel that way.
“We locked in,” said safety Xavier McKinney. “Personally for me I got one goal on my mind and that’s to win a championship.”
Last season the Packers were just 1-and-5 in the division and bowed out of the playoffs to the eventual SB champion. To raise that bar, physicality is needed.
“You know you get to those playoffs, you get to that position, however you are, where you’re at you’re gonna get exposed,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “I think that’s one thing we’ve talked about and one thing we’re gonna focus on is making sure we’re the most physical football team on the field.”
On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley says it doesn’t matter what position you’re competing for, it’s anyone’s roster spot. He plans to do whatever it takes to hand pick the best of the best.
“When we line up week one, our job as coaches and my job as a coordinator is to figure out how to get out best 11 guys who deserve to play on the field,” said Hafley. “And to me who’s gonna play the hardest? Who’s gonna attack the football? And who are we going to be able to trust that they know what they’re doing?”
The defense’s goal is to collect 43 takeaways this season. A staggering number. For a team that is 30-and-8 in the last 5 years when recovering at least one fumble, takeaways are no longer a goal it’s an identity.
“As coaches, let’s be real, we can talk about anything, and you can emphasize stuff, but they have to buy in,” said Hafley. “If we want to lead the league in forced fumbles, we are going to have to work at it.”