Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari had a successful debut against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come.
Against a benign Lions pass rush, Bakhtiari did not allow a single sack or pressure in 20 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
After the game, Bakhtiari felt good about his performance. His day ended early during the second quarter after experiencing some fatigue, but that was to be expected after not seeing game action for 378 days.
The two-time first-team All-Pro went through physical and mental battles while recovering from an ACL injury. After returning to practice in November, Bakhtiari knew something didn’t feel right in his surgically repaired knee. That prompted a second surgery to help with scar tissue and fluid buildup.
Now, his knee is feeling much better, which allows the Packers to have their premier left tackle for a difficult playoff run. Bakhtiari wasn’t planning on playing in Week 18 until he received a special request from his quarterback and close friend Aaron Rodgers.
“I got a text from Aaron, and he said, ‘I’d love for you to be out there, it would mean a lot.’”
“I wasn’t really planning on it – my goal was to practice and put in consecutive days of practice and knock off the rust,” Bakhtiari said. “I’ve played in more than enough games; I’ve played in a bunch of playoff games.”
Nine playoff games to be exact but never on the heels of a significant injury.
This year will obviously be different. Bakhtiari showed no signs of rust in Detroit, but he also didn’t face the pressure from a premier pass rusher. That will change based on whoever Green Bay gets matched up with for the divisional round.
A good pass rush is typically necessary to make the playoffs, so it’s no surprise that teams playing in this weekend’s NFC Wild Card Round have recognizable edge rushers. Studs like Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, Markus Golden, and Chandler Jones will all be suiting up this weekend in hopes of facing the Packers the following week.
At that time, they will meet Green Bay’s newly restored left tackle.
Bakhtiari has played against all these guys before and done well, but he has yet to face them on a surgically-repaired knee. Of course, there has been no reason to worry about Bakhtiari’s play in the past. After all, he is currently having a Hall of Fame-level career, but it will be interesting to see how his knee and conditioning do against some of the best pass rushers in the game. Neither Bakhtiair nor his quarterback seems to be worried. Perhaps, that says it all.
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