House makes most of his opportunity against Jets

Davon House made good on the opportunity he was given in last week's 31-24 win over the New York Jets.

Now, his coaches want to see more of it.

After not stepping onto the field on defense in the opener against Seattle, the fourth-year cornerback played 30 snaps in the nickel and dime subpackages against the Jets in place of Casey Hayward, who was relegated to 12 snaps on special teams.

House responded with two third-down pass breakups and a near interception. The only other pass thrown in his direction was a modest 6-yard completion to Jets receiver David Nelson, according to Pro Football Focus.

A physical presence at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, House has shown flashes of brilliance during his first three NFL seasons, but has been hobbled by injury and inconsistency. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers felt House had a strong camp and was worthy of more work in a crowd cornerbacks room.

Now, he's getting the chance to show what he can do.

"I thought he played well," cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt said. "He got up and challenged. He played physical. The Davon House that played last week is the one I've been waiting for. Hopefully, it will continue the rest of the way."

The Packers maintain they'll use a week-by-week approach in deciding who plays and who sits, but House didn't seem to do anything to hurt his cause entering this Sunday's game in Detroit. Hayward missed practice on Wednesday with a glute strain before returning in a limited capacity Thursday.

The third-year cornerback is still working to reclaim the early momentum from his rookie season when he had six interceptions and was a finalist for defensive rookie of the year honors. He'll need to put his lingering hamstring issues behind him to make it happen, though.

The re-signing of Sam Shields ensured the Packers' cornerbacks room would remain one of the deepest positions on the entire roster. However, it also leaves a capable body on the sidelines each week.

It's a good problem for the Packers' sixth-ranked passing defense to have, though it'll be tested against Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the Lions' air attack this Sunday.

"It is very close," said Whitt of the competition among the cornerbacks. "Everything is measured – how you practice, your tests, we give the quizzes, how they perform, and those aspects. Then, the matchups, you know. Who do we want inside? Who do we want outside? It's all looked upon. Then, the decision has to be made.

"Are we always going to be necessarily right? Probably not, but I'm going to have comfort. When I do make that decision, I sleep really good at night. I really do."