The Green Bay Packers’ huge investment in pass rushers provides the opportunity to provide the ultimate reward against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFC Championship Game may boil down to whether or not the Packers can put constant pressure on Brady, the 43-year-old quarterback with six Super Bowl titles.
GM Brian Gutekunst has spent significant capital – both in dollar terms and concept picks – to prepare for a moment similar to this one. Signing Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith as free agents in 2019, drafting Rashan Gary with the 12th overall pick in 2019, and re-contracting Kenny Clark ahead of the 2020 season were all notable investments in the disruptive ability of the game. defensive front of the Packers. .
Now the four can pave the Packers’ path to Super Bowl LV.
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could try to flash Brady. Pressure in the matchup is paramount; Brady’s splits while operating from a clean bag and under pressure are staggering.
The Packers pressured Brady just five times in the first meeting. He took them apart.
Two factors worth noting from week 6: Clark played back from a groin injury in his first game and was not quite healthy yet, and Gary only played 17 snaps. Clark is now sane and once again dominating the interior, while Gary has emerged as a legitimate difference maker as an edge rusher to end his second season.
The two can be vital to the retake. Inside pressure is key against any quarterback, but it’s especially important against Brady. Clark can force the pocket to collapse and use his speed to win at stunts and one-on-one battles against guards and centers. Za’Darius Smith may be at his best running in, and Gary’s consistent performance on the edge should give Pettine the ability to push Smith in for advantageous rush opportunities against lesser blockers.
It’s hard to see a way for the Packers to beat Brady and the Bucs without a big afternoon of the pass rushers. Tampa Bay is full of guns in the passing game, and Brady is one of the best in the business at dividing the football out of clean bags. Give him enough time, and he’ll find Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Tyler Johnson, and Scotty Miller for big plays.
But the Packers should come into Sunday with a sense of optimism about going to Brady. Pettine’s defense came through a strong line of attack, putting Jared Goff under pressure on nearly 50 percent of the dropbacks in the division round. Clark begins to take over games. Gary has been one of the top edge rushers in football for the past month. Za’Darius Smith is good for 3-4 big tensions per game. Even Preston Smith finds ways to influence games even when he doesn’t get to the quarterback. And it’s possible that Kinglsey Keke will be back after missing games with a concussion.
The Packers have done a lot of work over the past two years to rebuild their pass rush. On Sunday, Gutekunst’s group will have the opportunity to stamp the Packers’ ticket to Tampa Bay. Go to Brady, go to Super Bowl LV.