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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- To be sure, there were plenty of complex Xs-and-Os changes involved in A.J. Hawk's abrupt move to middle linebacker last week.

But as far as Green Bay Packers coaches are concerned, Hawk's most impressive accomplishment in Sunday's dominant victory over the Chicago Bears might have been the calm, steady presence he provided taking over play-calling duties from injured middle linebacker Nick Barnett.

Packers linebackers coach Winston Moss said Hawk's unflappable side showed through when the Bears went to an uptempo, muddle-huddle offense in the third quarter. Hawk stayed steady, even when the Packers' sideline wasn't calling plays quickly enough.

Hawk understands that a play-caller can't panic.

"If you're up front calling the signals, relaying messages, you don't want to be panicking up there and showing the guys that you're uneasy or you're not getting something quickly enough," Hawk said. "You just have to stay calm and just try to be the best communicator you can."

From communication to handling his assignments and tackling, Hawk's first game moving over from the weak side to the middle was considered a success. He's expected to keep that spot for the rest of the season, as Barnett was scheduled to have season-ending knee surgery Thursday.

But after holding a conservative Chicago offense to three points, Hawk and the Packers' defense must quickly adjust to quarterback Drew Brees and the pass-happy bunch they'll see in New Orleans on Monday night.

"They definitely like to throw the ball, put it in the air," Hawk said. "And Drew Brees is doing an unbelievable job of doing that -- having a high completion percentage, and throwing for tons of yards and touchdowns every game. But that's the fun thing about the NFL, it's different every week. And we have to switch gears."

Hawk said the Packers still must try to stop the run first, and Saints coach Sean Payton at least is paying lip service to balancing running plays with passing plays. But so far this season, the Saints have attempted 398 passes and 251 rushes.

"Three out of four plays, they're going to throw the ball," Moss said. "They're very aggressive, they're very creative, so from that standpoint we're going to get some looks that we haven't seen on tape. So we're going to have to adjust very well."

That likely means additional pass-coverage responsibilities for Hawk this week. Barnett was known for his intense and hard-hitting play, but also was underrated in pass coverage. But Moss said Hawk has potential in pass coverage, too.

"Only time will tell," Moss said. "First game, there were some situations where he was one-on-one with the (running) back, so he did a good job with that. There's going to be situations where he's going to be one-on-one Monday night, and he's going to have to respond."

That could include trying to chase down Saints running back Reggie Bush, who could return from a knee injury this week.

"He's just a very dynamic player that adds so much to their offense," Hawk said. "They do a good job of getting him open, getting him in space and getting him the ball many different ways."

After watching the film from Sunday's game, Packers coach Mike McCarthy praised Hawk's efforts to contain the Bears' main offensive threat, rookie running back Matt Forte. But the biggest thing that stood out to McCarthy was Hawk's communication.

"We had a couple situations, particularly when they went no-huddle, where the (sideline) communication might not have been as fast or as clean as we would have wanted," McCarthy said. "He managed that very well, made the appropriate call for that particular situation. He did a very good job from that standpoint. Didn't even look like we missed a beat."

One defensive player is allowed to wear a radio receiver in his helmet this season, just as the quarterback does on offense. Barnett relayed plays for most of the season, and Hawk had to take over after the injury.

"This is new for us because this is our first year running it," Moss said. "But it hasn't been able to deter us from getting calls in. And A.J. has actually been able to do a good job, as well as Nick. If there was a late (call) or something getting screwed up with that kind of communication, they've been able to overcome that by just taking over."

Hawk said that's a function of his preparation during the week.

"I like to obviously have a good idea of our game plan so that if something happens, I would know what the coach would want to call there, what he would be trying to call when (the radio) cut out," Hawk said. "I think the biggest thing is not to panic and not give anything out. You've got to communicate. And if we're all wrong, we're all right."

Overall, Hawk said the transition to middle linebacker has been fairly smooth -- especially when the Packers' offense holds onto the ball and keeps the defense on the sideline.

"I guess I didn't know what to expect going in," Hawk said. "I said before, football is football. I'm just going to play."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)