It nearly got the Packers to the NFC title game last season, as the defense racked up nine sacks from five different players over two playoff games. But the pass rush dried up, failing to get a sack in the second half or overtime of the Arizona loss.

The NFL is still about peaking at the right time, which makes Week 1 the beginning of a long journey.

While Daniels talks physicality up front, as he always does – "We have to hit them in the mouth," he said – Burnett sees a secondary that can change games in the turnover department and be part of the defense's identity, too. A year ago, five different defensive backs had at least two interceptions for Green Bay, but no one had more than three until Randall got a fourth in the postseason.

"The sky's the limit," the veteran safety said. "We can talk all day about what we can be, but now we have to go out there and prove it. We know what each other is capable of."

Meanwhile, the eldest veteran of them all in Peppers focuses on the process. Lay the groundwork now, and get on the right track for the long haul ahead.

"The first week, we just want to see our style of play show up – our pursuit, our cover and our finish," he said. "That's what we've been preaching this whole offseason since we got back. That's really what we want to see in the first game. We want our style of play to show up and set the tone for the season."

From there, who knows.

"It almost seems like an eternity ago," Matthews said of the Super Bowl XLV title. "We're hungry, and it's about winning the games when it counts.

"We know we'll have success this year. It's just about winning when it matters, and I think we've got the guys to do that."

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