GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Who says you can’t teach an old defensive coordinator new tricks?

Dom Capers can change with the times; the 65-year-old Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator now uses whiteout correction strips instead of liquid paper.

“I can remember leaving the office back in the old days with whiteout all over my face, and I didn’t even realize it,” Capers said. “A couple of guys would comment that I looked like I had face paint on.

Dom Capers has one of his best defenses since joining the Packers as coordinator. Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports

“You’ve got to change and adjust as you go along.”

Make no mistake about it, Capers is a creature of habit. He still writes out the weekly game plan by hand, highlighting certain formations and whiting out others. It's assistant coach Jerry Montgomery’s job to input it all to the Packers’ computer system so it can be transferred electronically to each player’s team-issued iPad.

“Dom is old-school in every which way,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “The thing I always kid him about, thank God there's not a [salary] cap charge for highlighters and whiteout -- not that anybody you'd think would even use whiteout and highlighters anymore. He's very systematic in everything he does, very creative and once again he's surrounded by a very creative and talented football staff. The defensive staff's impressive.”

Not that McCarthy didn’t appreciate Capers in the past, but since he gave up offensive play-calling duties in the offseason, he has spent far more time with Capers and his defensive staff. McCarthy has become a regular in the defensive game-planning meetings with the coaches and the daily meetings with the players.

In his seventh season as the Packers defensive coordinator and his 30th overall season as an NFL coach (including eight years as a head coach), Capers has one of his best units. Before allowing Philip Rivers to throw for 503 yards in Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field, the Packers ranked seventh in the league in yards. They slipped to 16th this week but remained third in the league in the all-important points allowed, giving up just 16.8 per game.

“You won't find anybody more detailed,” McCarthy said of Capers. “Maybe you might like to think you are as detailed, but he's the same guy every single day. He's the first one in the office and puts a lot into it. He's a true professional, has done it for multiple decades at a very high level, and I've always felt that way about it him and really our defensive staff, it's a great staff. I've really enjoyed being around those guys, I really enjoy being in the meetings -- I don't think they've enjoyed having me in the meetings as much as I've enjoyed being in there, but it's been great. I think those guys do a phenomenal job.”

Capers chuckles at those who marvel at his old-school style, but he’s nothing if not self-aware.

“Well, we’re all what we are, and we all have certain habits and things you developed over 30 years in the league and even before that,” Capers said. “Probably if you talked to somebody who worked with me 30 years ago, they’d probably bring up those same things. Now, over those 30 years, they’ve gone from having the liquid whiteout to the paper strips.

“That’s one of the many changes when you’re in the league for 30 years that you make.”

At least he doesn’t have to sniff the fumes from the liquid stuff anymore.

“Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me,” Capers said with a hearty laugh.