Reviewing Rashan Gary’s tape from Sunday’s loss to Colts

Packers OLB Rashan Gary keeps stacking successful performances. We review his latest, from Sunday in Indianapolis.

The Packers pass rush has added a whole new dimension in the form of second-year edge rusher Rashan Gary. Over the last two weeks, Gary has been the NFL’s second-most productive pass rusher, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s recorded one sack but totaled 11 pressures. Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gary had a career-high seven pressures.

As a rookie, the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft didn’t make a single start. Gary basically redshirted the 2019 season, learning behind Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, who went on to have tremendous seasons. Despite appearing in all 16 games, Gary played just 24 percent of the defensive snaps. He finished the year with 2.0 sacks and 16 total pressures per PFF.

In 2020, Gary has already topped last year’s sack total with 2.5 through 9 games. He’s also blown past last year’s pressure total as he currently sits at 22. Gary has been on a tear this year and was impactful yet again in week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts. When the defense has put forth flat performances, Gary has been one of the few consistent bright spots.

Here is a look at the film from Gary’s performance in Indianapolis:

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Let’s start off with a run. Right now, in Year 2, Gary is a pretty average run defender. However, he is showing signs of improvement. He takes on a combo block, and with his mental processing, he does a nice job following the play with his lateral movement. He also gets a couple of yards upfield to disrupt the vision of the ball carrier. Gary doesn’t make the tackle on this play, but he’s a key reason why it was stopped for a loss.

This is a great display of Gary’s explosiveness and athleticism. Here, Gary is lined up as the three-tech and gets the guard leaning with the inside rush. Meanwhile, Smith is crashing inside for what looks like a stunt to free up Gary. Gary’s eyes are on the quarterback the whole time, and he uses a great swipe move to disengage. The violent hands and lateral agility Gary displays in this play is impressive. He should have come away with a sack here, but nonetheless, it was a dominant rep.

What makes Gary an intriguing prospect is his ability to play from multiple alignments and still be impactful. He’s lined up as the five-tech and goes for the bull rush against Le’Raven Clark. Gary’s power on the bull rush completely knocks Clark off his spot, pushing him into the lap of Philip Rivers. The upfield burst and play strength Gary demonstrates on this play is incredible.

Here is another example of Gary’s bull rush and explosiveness. Gary’s power is on full display here as he opts for the bull rush rather than speed. Gary attacks the outside shoulder of the right tackle head-on with a rip move and forces Rivers to get rid of the ball.

Sacks are usually the measurement for elite pass rushers, but Gary’s ability to affect the quarterback can’t be dismissed because his sack numbers aren’t filling up the stat sheet. Especially, when considering that winning consistently as a pass rusher can be just as valuable. The Packers are going to have a hard time keeping Gary off the field with his improved play in 2020. As long as he continues to hone in on his technique, it won’t be long before Gary’s name is mentioned among the top young edge rushers in the NFL.

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