Breaking down Preston Smith’s performance against Texans

Did Preston Smith have a breakout performance against the Texans? Let’s go to the tape to find out.

Something is amiss with Packers edge rusher Preston Smith. Last year, he produced career-highs in sacks, tackles, tackles for loss and quarterback hits. However, his regression in 2020 has been noticed, predominately led by only 0.5 sacks through six games.

Luckily, Green Bay’s pass rush hasn’t deteriorated as a result of Smith’s play. In 2019, the Packers posted 41 sacks largely in part to breakout seasons from Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith. This year, they are on a similar trajectory. If they maintain their current rate, the Packers will finish somewhere around 40 sacks.

That doesn’t make Smith’s decline any less concerning. According to over the cap, Smith’s cap number is $13.5 million in 2020. Obviously, there is plenty of time for Smith to turn things around. Although, for a guy being paid to be a top 10 outside linebacker in the NFL, Smith hasn’t delivered in Year 2 in Green Bay.

During his first season with the Packers, Preston Smith was one of the most consistent performers on the defense. He and Za’Darius Smith were proudly dubbed the “Smith Bros.” for their seemingly unstoppable tandem in both rushing the passer and defending the run.

While Preston Smith’s numbers have tapered off, Za’Darius Smith’s have stayed mostly consistent. His 6.0 sacks are first on the team and tied for third in the league. Meanwhile, Preston Smith is tied for 241st.

One thing that has been noticeable is Preston Smith being asked to drop back in coverage more so than last season. However, it hasn’t been enough to justify the drop in his statistics. According to Pro Football Focus, Preston Smith was in coverage for 15 percent of his snaps in 2019. This season, that percentage is up to 17.5. Clearly not enough to offer a reasonable explanation.

On the surface, Preston Smith’s Week 7 performance against the Houston Texans appeared to be a turning point. He was close to having multiple sacks on a mobile quarterback in Deshaun Watson, and he made a pivotal tackle on 4th down to all but seal the win in the fourth quarter.

However, the film never lies. And it shows that Preston Smith is still not winning his matchups the same way he was a year ago.

On this play, Preston Smith doesn’t get off the ball great. He recovers somewhat by getting good hand placement and extension against the tight end. However, rather than control the D gap, he gets caught trying to fill the C gap. The Packers are lucky this play didn’t go for more. Luckily, Krys Barnes shows off good closing speed to limit the gain.

If Preston Smith was trying to play two gaps here, he failed. Also, at his caliber, he should be separating from blocks made by a tight end much easier than this. He should at least be attempting to bring the ball carrier down here.

Preston Smith wasn’t on the ground too often last year. However, on this play, Tytus Howard absolutely gets the best of him.

His ability to get upfield isn’t bad here. It looks like he is going for a speed rush and attempts to swipe Howard’s outside arm. However, Howard counters this easily and sends Preston Smith to the dirt.

Above is another pass rush and Green Bay actually brings a blitz. This allows Preston Smith to get matched up on a guard. Initially, there is some solid hand movement from Preston Smith to try and gain an advantage. However, poor pad level allows the guard to stop Preston Smith’s progress by getting good hand placement on his chest. As a result, Preston Smith spends most of this play trying to use his quickness rather than technique to get after Watson.

Another pass rush against Howard. It’s hard to tell if Preston Smith is going for a bull rush here because it looks like he slips at the top of his rush. Regardless, it wasn’t a great rep, but at least his pad level is pretty good here.

When he uses his technique, Preston Smith has success. However, it’s too often that he relies on effort and his length to try to beat the man across from him.

For example, the play above is from last year. He perfectly utilizes a swipe-rip move here to get around the edge and make a sack. These are the types of moves that lead to years ending in double-digit sacks.

For the most part, Preston Smith has been solid against the run this season. Houston was one of his better games but that was mainly due to a few plays that stood out. Here is one of them:

This is an athletic play by Preston Smith. He makes the first guy miss and displays good tracking and closing speed to finish the tackle from the backside. If he can continue doing this after disengaging from a block, his season will take on a different shape.

Some people aren’t too keen on the idea of Preston Smith dropping into coverage. It’s understandable, his movements aren’t exactly fluid and his ball skills are minimal. That being said, there are times when his length is able to take away passing lanes. He’s also showed a solid ability to play rat coverage.

Lastly is the fourth-down play the sealed the Texans’ fate. The defense appears to read this very well and Preston Smith happens to be in the right place at the right time. It’s worth noting that he didn’t have to take on any blocks here. He has to make this play.

So, what do we make of this? Overall, Preston Smith is playing ok, but it’s not at the level it should be based off what he is making. At this rate, he is bound to accumulate more sacks over the season, but don’t expect him to reach what he did in 2019. If Preston Smith wants to stick around to see what is left on the rest of his four-year contract, he needs to get back to using his technique more consistently. That is when he is the best version of himself.