GREEN BAY, Wis. – Flashback to January. Matt LaFleur is looking for a defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley left Green Bay to become the coach of the Miami Dolphins.

It’s OK to admit it. You wanted Jim Leonhard to return to Wisconsin, where he starred as a college football player and defensive coordinator, to push the Green Bay Packers’ defense to new heights.

LaFleur had other ideas once he met with former Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon.

After meeting with Gannon for more than a day, LaFleur offered Gannon the job and he accepted.

Gannon has been on the job for only six games. There is a lot that can change between now and the end of the season, but LaFleur’s decision looks like a home run.

One of the biggest reasons for Gannon’s success in Green Bay is something he said when he was hired in Arizona.

“I don't believe in a scheme. I believe in putting players we have in positions to be successful," Gannon said. "We will look different week to week. … We’re going to use guys’ skill-sets to present matchup problems.”

Creating Matchup Problems

The Packers have had to look different out of necessity. Edgerrin Cooper and Micah Parsons, Gannon’s two best players, have played a total of 14 quarters of football. Parsons has yet to return from an ACL injury he suffered in December, and Cooper was lost for the season with an Achilles injury he suffered in Tampa Bay a couple weeks ago.

All the while, Gannon and his group have soldiered on. They hit their stride after the Week 3 disaster against the Atlanta Falcons, but Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys represented a different test. It’s easier to look good against backup quarterbacks and low-level starters. The Packers were facing Dak Prescott and the high powered Cowboys offense with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens as two star receivers.

Sure, the Packers came in rolling. They gave up 21 points, tallied seven sacks and seven takeaways the last two games. This test, however, was going to be much more challenging. A veteran quarterback like Dak Prescott was going to have all the answers for Gannon’s defense.

So much for that.

Big-Time Game vs. Big-Time QB

The Cowboys threw for 258 yards on 54 dropbacks. Prescott was only sacked once, but never looked comfortable throughout the night. He threw two interceptions, including one by Evan Williams that was brought on by a brilliant disguise and play sequencing from Gannon.

On Dallas’ first two series, Gannon tipped his hand. He was going to show and bring pressure to keep Prescott guessing and uncomfortable.

We often talk about play sequencing from an offensive coach, but what Gannon did on Dallas’ third possession was an example of a defensive coordinator setting up a call in a big spot.

Dallas had the ball after Jordan Love threw an interception and was facing a third-and-8 from Green Bay’s 17 with a chance to tie the score.

Gannon showed pressure. Williams was in the box and Prescott accounted for him.

When the ball was snapped, however, Williams was nowhere to be found. Prescott never found him as he fired a pass toward the end zone to his favorite target, Lamb.

Evan Williams is on the far left side as this video starts. pic.twitter.com/g7EdlGPzqa

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 19, 2026

“I was showing around the line of scrimmage and got the quarterback to count me into the blitz pickup, which was a good sign,” Williams said. “When you see a quarterback acknowledge you, that’s probably a good sign he’s probably not picking you up in the coverage aspect of things.”

So what happened? Did the Packers trick Prescott on the play due to the pressure they sent before that?

“Yeah, absolutely,” Williams said. “Anytime you can speed a quarterback process up, anytime you can do that, it’s going to lead to some good things regardless of whether you’re bringing it or whether you’re not. I feel like we did a good job of sending some pressure early, establishing some physicality.”

Jonathan Gannon Is Bringing the Heat

Sending pressure is nothing new for this year’s Packers. Last year, things were different. They finished 28th with a blitz rate of 29.7 percent, choosing to trust a front four that included Parsons for most of the season.

The idea is good in theory. Parsons is one of the best players in the sport. The Packers’ cornerbacks were suspect a season ago. Leaving as many people in coverage as possible seemed like a good idea but, ultimately, the results were not there. The defense was often subject to long drives, keeping their offense on the sideline and tiring their defense out by the end of the game.

“I think we were more floaty last year, passing things off,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said. “I think this year, we’re more man-man, more sticky. It’s a little different.”

A little is underselling it. Entering Sunday, the Packers were 12th in blitz rate at 33.9 percent. So, what’s the difference?

“I think it’s just a little bit more of an aggressive mindset,” Williams said. “Us dictating the tone and dictating what the offense is going to do, they have to react off of us instead of playing passive and let the game come to us.  We’re trying to dictate pressures, dictate where the line is going to slide to or where the ball is going to go. It feels good to be on the offensive side on defense.”

The aggression and dictation of terms to an opposing offense that Williams speaks of stood out on Sunday.

Gannon is not like some defensive coordinators who have made a name for themselves. He’s not calling quarterbacks overrated and pompous, while demanding they need to hit the ground hard. He’s not outspoken.

His Intensity Is Shining

He’s more reserved. Especially in the public eye. When he’s coaching? His intensity shines through with how he is calling his defense. He has earned the trust of his players in a short period of time. He’s found his best players in Xavier McKinney, Williams and Javon Bullard and turned them into weapons.

“Yes. Not even close,” Bullard said when asked if he was blitzing more this year than last year. “The trust that the coaches have in me, I’m so grateful for that. We come to practice, we work every day, we put things on tape that coaches notice. Some coaches have the guts to dial them. up, some coaches don’t. You respect the ones that do.”

Respect is one word. Love is another. Williams could hardly contain his joy when asked about how much he likes being sent as a blitzer more often this season.

“Love it, love it,” Williams said. “Anytime we get a chance to be around the line of scrimmage, be around the ball and affect the QB, those are game-changing plays when you get around the QB and affect things around the line of scrimmage.

“I’m looking to get me a couple more sacks this year. It feels good to have the trust from a DC to understand that he trusts you to run your blitz path, show the look to where you can get free instead of just wasting rushers.”

Six weeks into the season, Gannon has his team playing fast and is controlling games for their offense that is still finding its way at times early in the year. Now, the return of his best player is looming as Parsons is set to return to the practice field sooner than later.

Do the Packers have to fight the urge to play safer like they did a season ago when he gets back? Not if his players have anything to say about it.

“I don’t like the word safe when you’re talking about defense. We play with an edge, we play gritty. If you’re playing safe, you’re playing timid. I truly believe that.”

Javon Bulllard

“I don’t like the word safe when you’re talking about defense,” Bullard said. “We play with an edge, we play gritty. If you’re playing safe, you’re playing timid. I truly believe that. When 1 [Parsons] gets back it’s only going to up our play style with a player like that you know the ball is coming out quick, they don’t have much more time to get it out.”

Trust, aggression, and the players executing at a high level. The recipe is working for Gannon and his defense. With another big test on the horizon, how can the Packers slow down the Detroit Lions?

“Rush and coverage, baby,” Xavier McKinney said. “When that rush is getting there and you add that disguise game in there, I think it’s everybody. I don’t think it’s just one group. The defensive line rushing and making him uncomfortable. Linebackers, Z [Zaire Franklin] communicating and making sure everyone is lined up right.

“And then us in the back end making sure we’re tied in on the disguise which ultimately is muddying up the picture and forcing him to think really, really fast with the rush coming in and guys going in from different places.”

The defense, as you might have expected, had the best grades in @JacobWestendorf's Packers report card from Sunday's win over the Cowboys. ⬇️https://t.co/CihZfZYG4l

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 19, 2026