Packers’ Defense Must Overcome Another Key Loss vs. Bears

For his career, he’s played 145 snaps on defense, including 20 last week.

“It’s still a developmental league in a lot of regards and we got to get guys ready to go, and that’s a great example of what Ryan Downard and D.A. (Derrick Ansley) have done to make sure Zayne was ready to go in that moment and he did a nice job.”

Williams is one of the team’s unsung standouts. He leads the team with three interceptions, is fourth with 81 tackles and is tied for sixth with four tackles for losses. Plus, he’s tied for fourth with 11 tackles on special teams.

While it became apparent fairly quickly during training camp that the team was going to go with Williams and Xavier McKinney as the starting safety with Bullard in the slot, Hafley and the coaches made it a point for McKinney to work with Bullard, Anderson and even Kitan Oladapo. The chemistry from those reps, the team hopes, will pay off in Williams’ absence.

“I’ve got comfort level with all these guys. I have comfort level with everybody,” McKinney said. “It don’t matter who I’m out there with. My job is always to make sure that everybody’s prepared, no matter who it is, and I’ve been saying this from the very beginning because times like this happen. Sometimes you lose a guy and sometimes you’ve got to work with other guys. That’s why times in camp, OTAs, I get reps in with all these guys.”

While Williams has 19 starts under his belt, including 13 this year, he thought it was important to practice this week in order to play on Saturday. Because he didn’t practice, he likely won’t play. That was the belief all along.

Anderson’s most significant contribution this season came when he forced and recovered a fumble on a punt against Minnesota, a big moment in a 23-6 victory. Now, with the Packers’ NFC North championship hopes hanging in the balance, he might make the biggest start of his career.

“I love what Zayne’s done, just from his journey since he’s gotten here and some of the things that we went through when he was here,” Downard said during training camp. “He just is so adamant about getting things right and getting the reps that he needs. Whether he’s out there on the practice field or if we’re walking through, he’ll be the guy that’s behind getting the rep.

“He’s really set the example for the rest of the guys in the room that this is OK and this is expected. He’s become kind of that example of when your time is called upon, you got to step up. He’s really the definition of preparation plus opportunity equals luck, and he was ready for his opp. He just continues to prepare that way. I’m really impressed by him as a player and his approach as just a man towards his craft.”

Whoever’s in the lineup, McKinney will be ready.

“I have relationships with all of them,” he said. “So, it makes it easy to go out there and play with different guys. I pride myself on that, of making sure that I have a relationship with these guys so that way, when these type of situations do show up, then it’s not just something where it’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to figure out how to talk to …’

“No, we’ve already got that level of communication, and it makes it a lot easier – easy for me and it makes it easier for them, as well, to go out there and communicate and feel comfortable with playing whatever’s called and just being wherever on the field.”