Charles Woodson's Inspired Performance Paces Packers' Defense

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Nobody had to tell Charles Woodson the Packers needed this game. The team didn't have to call any meetings or make any fiery pregame speeches about protecting houses and separating backs from walls. When they showed up for work Sunday morning, the Packers were 4-4 and reeling from an inexplicable loss to the Buccaneers the week before. The mission couldn't have been clearer if it had been tattooed on the insides of their eyelids.

"I don't think anything needed to be said, " Woodson said when it was all over. "But me, I believe in self-motivation."

So Woodson motivated himself into a frothing frenzy and completely took over Sunday's game. He blanketed Dallas tight end Jason Witten. He forced fumbles, made a critical interception and basically made sure he was everywhere he needed to be -- even if that meant being everywhere at once. If there's one player who's the reason the Packers are 5-4 instead of 4-5, it's their still-hungry 33-year-old cornerback.

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"Best game I've seen him place since I've been here," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said at his Monday afternoon news conference. "Very impressive. You're impressed when you're walking off the field, and then you're very impressed watching it on film. Very, very impressive body of work from him yesterday."

Woodson's main assignment in Dom Capers' scheme Sunday was Witten. Because Capers decided to go high-pressure against the Cowboys, continually blitzing the middle with linebackers, it was important to Capers that Dallas QB Tony Romo couldn't count on his short-yardage safety valve. So Woodson was assigned to make sure Witten wasn't open. And he was not.

"They put Woodson on me," Witten said by way of explanation for his pedestrian five-catch, 47-yard day. "And I couldn't get him off of me."

The only problem with Woodson focusing on Witten was that big, speedy Roy Williams was matched up against a smaller Green Bay defensive back on most plays. So when Romo had time to throw, he was able to find Williams, who finished with 105 yards and a touchdown on his five catches.

But Williams, as we all know, is a bonehead who can be counted on to make mistakes even when he's not covered. He had a crucial second-half drop that the Packers were happy to accept as a gift. And earlier in the game, Williams cost the Cowboys with a fumble that came at the hands of...guess who. Charles Woodson. After Williams made a potentially game-altering 42-yard catch down the left sideline, Woodson got a hand on the ball and forced it out. Clay Mathews recovered, and the Packers had their critical turnover in a still-scoreless game.

"I wasn't going to be able to tackle him, so I took a shot that I might be able to punch the ball out," Woodson said. "Anybody who's played against me knows I'm going to go for the ball."

This is Woodson's 12th year in the NFL, and the former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner has a well-earned reputation as the kind of defensive secondary player with a "nose for the ball."

"I'm sure a lot of coaches would like to take credit for Charles' instincts," McCarthy said. "But he's a very instinctive player, a very smart and attentive player, and he has the physical skill sets to go along with that and make good on it."

Once the Packers had a lead to protect, Woodson dialed his game up to 11. He came unblocked on a blitz and forced a fourth-quarter Tony Romo fumble (on the play that turned out not to be reviewable, or else Dallas likely would have ended up with the ball instead of Green Bay). And later, after a pass interference call set up Tomo and the Cowboys with a first-and-goal at the one-yard line, Woodson jumped in front of Witten for the interception that sealed the game.

"One of the best games I've seen a defensive player play," Capers said after the game.

And the timing of it couldn't have been better. Of course, Woodson knew that.

"This is no time to get frustrated about anything that's gone on," Woodson said. "(Sunday), we went out there with a lot of fire and a lot of passion that lasted right up until the end of the game. This is how it should look."

If this is how Woodson and the Packers defense is going to look every week, then this team isn't done yet.