Packers Morning Buzz: Mike Pettine's revolving-door defense seeks consistency

Welcome to your game-day Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.

The Packers (2-2-1) host the San Francisco 49ers (1-4) at 7:15 p.m. Monday in front of the ESPN "Monday Night Football" cameras at Lambeau Field.

Let's start with Tom Silverstein's column about the many variations of Mike Pettine's Packers defense and the impact of the constant shuffling of bodies.

Tom writes:

Overall, the defense deserves to get nicked for its first-half performance against Chicago (17 points), it’s second-half performance against Minnesota (22 points), its first-half performance against Washington (28 points) and its first-half performance against Detroit (24 points).

In those four halves, the Packers allowed 91 of their opponents’ 114 points this season. The best way to define the significance of those numbers is that Pettine’s defense isn’t bad once it figures things out.

“We’ve got a long way to go until we feel like we’re a truly cohesive unit where guys know what the other guy is doing next to him and there’s the trust,” Pettine said. “I think it’s only natural to not have that in the beginning when it’s still a new defense and it’s unfamiliar.”

Pettine is to blame for some of the inconsistencies the defense has displayed. He has chosen to dole out playing time like it’s cake at a birthday party, giving just about everybody a slice.

So far, Pettine has lined up with more than a dozen different position combinations and within those dozen, multiple variations of personnel.

You can read Tom's entire piece here.

Pete Dougherty sees two areas where the Packers could use a shakeup:

Our experts' predictions, plus Silverstein's "5 Things to Watch":

Ryan Wood and Jim Owczarki preview the game:

Wood looks at how the Packers' offense has rolled up yardage but been undone by turnovers, penalties and poor red-zone performance:

Wood and Owczarki talk about the Packers' turnovers and penalties and provide injury updates:

They say that laughter is the best medicine:

A sprained hamstring delayed Bashaud Breeland's debut with the Packers:

The Packers' lofty defensive ranking in yards allowed means little to Pettine:

Hall of Fame fullback and Packers legend Jim Taylor died Saturday at age 83:

A highlight reel of Jim Taylor's career via the NFL Network:

Packers receiver Randall Cobb paid homage to the iconic fullback:

ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown" crew is relishing its return to Lambeau Field:

A look at the play on which Aaron Rodgers aggravated his knee injury in Detroit:

These are moments the Packers would like to forget as well:

Former Packers receiver James Lofton is a booth analyst on CBS broadcasts:

Looks like bad news for the Vikings: