Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur summed up his thoughts on the team’s pass rush during training camp: “The pass rush is real,” he said on July 28.
Green Bay’s defensive line showed flashes of brilliance over the summer. However, first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley couldn’t unleash them for the first two games of the regular season, going up against two quarterbacks eager to utilize their mobility in Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson.
That changed in Week 3 when the face Packers had an advantageous matchup against a Tennessee Titans offense hindered by a struggling Will Levis at quarterback and a permeable offensive line.
On Sunday, Green Bay took advantage of the opportunity, sacking Levis eight times, tying their second-highest total since sacks became an official stat in 1982. The defense line’s ability to wreak consistent havoc made life easy for safety Xavier McKinney, who would snag his third interception of the season off of Levis.
“The pass rush was ridiculous,” said McKinney. “Sometimes, we’re not even rushing real. We’re just contain rushing. They still getting back there, so it’s lovely for us.”
Through the first two weeks, the Packers had no choice but to play more contain against Hurts and Richardson. Fortunately, knowing the Titans were having serious issues with their pass protection allowed the pass rush to pin their ears back.
Most of the offseason conversation was dominated by how Green Bay would be implementing a new, aggressive defense. Against the Titans, all that talk turned into actual dominance on the field.
Featuring four former first-round picks along the defensive line, the Packers have the talent to be one of the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL. On Sunday, they certainly looked the part.
For this week’s film, we are taking a closer look at what happened during Green Bay’s raucous day getting after the quarterback in Tennessee.
Let’s begin.
Lukas Van Ness got the first sack of the day, and it was an impactful one on third down. While Van Ness’s hand usage still needs some work, his speed and motor are evident in this play. He and Rashan Gary are able to bend the corner and collapse the pocket around Levis. When Levis tries to break out to his right, Van Ness gets back into the play to punish him. Van Ness was far from a finished product when Green Bay took him 13th overall in 2023. Instead, the team made the selection knowing they were getting a high-level prospect with elite size and athleticism they could develop. This play highlights those traits.
After some initial uncertainty, Kingsley Enagbare was fortunate to avoid a serious injury during last year’s playoffs. The 2022 fifth-rounder looked as healthy and explosive as ever on this play, where he embarrassed right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. Enagbare is lined up at the nine-technique to utilize his speed to get upfield. He gives Petit-Frere a little crossover move and then finishes with a club-swim. Enagbare gets a clean shot at the quarterback and forces a fumble in the process. This play occurred during the third quarter when the Packers were up 27-14. The Titans were driving at the time, but the takeaway kept points off the board. Van Ness did an excellent jumping on the ball as well.
It’s been years since Green Bay ran their NASCAR package (four defensive ends on the field instead of two with two defensive tackles). Basically, every player in the frame has an impact on this play. Enagbare uses a nasty double-swipe move to keep himself free from the center. Meanwhile, Gary does a nice job beating the right tackle and turning a tight corner to force Levis into his help. You also have to like how Edgerrin Cooper (#56) is blitzing from depth even though he gets picked up. Hopefully, we will see Cooper doing more of this in the future. Overall, this sack showcases how the Packers can get creative with their arsenal of pass rushers.
This is one of the cleanest reps you’ll see from a defensive end. Smith makes easy work of the right tackle, destroying him with a double-swipe into a swim move. The quarterback stood no chance the second the ball was snapped. Even at 31 years of age, Smith is still an effective player.
Conclusion
Watching Green Bay’s pass rush get after it this week was a lot of fun. It was one of the X-factors in clinching their second win of the season and limiting Tennessee to just 14 points while forcing three turnovers. Of course, it’s not fair to expect this type of performance every week from the defensive line, but it shows what they are capable of when everything is clicking.