by BOB McGINN, Staff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

For perspective, let's look back at the last quarter-century of Football in Green Bay.

From 1984-'95, which includes the full tenures of coaches Forrest Gregg and Lindy Infante plus the first four years of Mike Holmgren, the Packers tallied 13 defensive touchdowns.

From 1996 to the present, a span that covers Holmgren's final three seasons, Ray Rhodes' one year, Mike Sherman's six seasons and the first 42 regular-season games of Mike McCarthy's tenure, the Packers have 44 touchdowns on defense.

No one in Green Bay has ever witnessed what has happened this season, when the Packers already have established a franchise record for defensive touchdowns with seven. It includes six by interception, or 17.1% of the NFL's total of 35, and one by fumble return.

All by themselves the Packers have accounted for 14% of the NFL's total of 50 defensive touchdowns. The NFL credits the defense with fumbles returned or recovered for touchdowns by special teams. However, in this 25-year review of the Packers, special-teams scores were discounted.

Obviously, safety Nick Collins (three TDs) has sensational speed and the run skills of a running back, which he was in high school. And cornerback Charles Woodson (two TDs) is one of the stealthiest players ever to set foot on an NFL field.

"We've been very fortunate," said Bob Sanders, mindful of the role played by chance in takeaways and defensive scores. "But I don't know about luck. It's tremendous athletes catching the ball and making plays."

Collins, who has tied Herb Adderley's team mark for interception returns for touchdowns in a season, needs one more to tie the NFL record of four held by three players. With 230 yards, Collins needs just 15 more to surpass Bobby Dillon's club record of 244 set in 1956.

Baltimore safety Ed Reed established the NFL mark for interception return yardage with 358 yards in 2004.

As a team, the Packers lead the league in interceptions (16) and return yards (533). The NFL records for most interceptions (49), most interception return yards (929) and most interception returns for touchdowns (nine) were set by the San Diego Chargers in 1961, the wild-and-woolly second year of the American Football League.

"I think if we continue to do what we've been doing, we've got a good chance," nickel back Tramon Williams said of the prospect for further record-breaking.

Watching all these runbacks must be quite a shock for those who played defense for the Packers in that 1984-'95 period.

In Gregg's last two seasons, they didn't have a defensive touchdown. Green Bay had six in his four-year tenure.

Hank Bullough, cited last month by Buddy Ryan as the defensive coordinator whom he admired most, could produce no more than two defensive touchdowns during Infante's four seasons. They were a 9-yard interception return by end Shawn Patterson in 1990 and a 1-yard fumble return by linebacker Brian Noble in '91.

It didn't get much better during Holmgren's first four seasons, with two interceptions for scores (33 yards by cornerback Terrell Buckley in 1992, 10 by linebacker Bryce Paup in '94) and three fumbles for scores (18 by linebacker Tony Bennett in '92, 25 by safety LeRoy Butler in '93 and no return by defensive end Sean Jones in '95).

Why were defensive touchdowns so scarce in that 12-year period, and so plentiful thereafter?

"Better players," said Larry McCarren, the Green Bay telecaster who played center for the Packers from 1973-'84. "It's pretty simple."

Free safety Johnny Gray had 22 interceptions from 1975-'83 and returned one for a touchdown. Strong safety Mark Murphy had 20 picks from 1980-'91 and also returned one for a score. Cornerback Mark Lee had 31 interceptions from 1980-'90 but didn't score.

"There wasn't as much emphasis on that," said Packers cornerbacks coach Lionel Washington, who was an NFL cornerback from 1983-'97. "Guys are more aware now. It's hard to say they're better athletes."

Washington's colleague in the secondary, Kurt Schottenheimer, has been coaching in the NFL since 1987.

"More passing attempts now," said Schottenheimer, searching for an explanation. "More young quarterbacks are playing. It's tough to say."

Probably the most plausible explanation for the dramatic upturn of defensive touchdowns was offered Friday by a longtime personnel director for an AFC team.

"In the 1980s, going three wides was a big deal," he said. "You were more conservative where you were throwing the ball. Now you're going empty on first down and you got everybody downfield. The only guy who can make the tackle is the quarterback."

Walk around the Packers' locker room today and the men in the secondary expect to score.

"There's a great chance depending how you catch it and what kind of momentum you have," Williams said. "Nick has a great chance to score all the time."

Safety Aaron Rouse summed up the attitude that permeates the group.

"The NFL is built on big plays," Rouse said. "It's the NFL. Basically, it's all about playmakers stepping up."

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