Packers feel their pass rush is in a "great place'

MintBaconDrivel
Senior Member Topic Starter

3 years ago

Za'Darius Smith predicted a “dominant” season is coming for fellow Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary in 2021 and the team’s defensive coaches believe he’ll have some company on that front.

Smith and Gary are joined by Preston Smith off the edge in Green Bay and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said recently that he has “a bunch of tough, mean, nasty dudes” in his room. The trio combined for 21.5 sacks in former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s defense last season and new coordinator Joe Barry said that he thinks the whole group is ready to thrive this time around as well.

“All three of those guys, I’m excited about,” Barry said, via Jason Wilde of Madison.com. “It’s great. Whether we have two of them on the field, all three of them on the field, we’ll get creative and have some fun with it. You can’t have enough great pass rushers, and I’m excited to be working with all three of those guys. All three of those guys are in a great place.

Continue Reading @ Josh Alper

Josh Alper wrote:

How do you feel about the place the Packers pass rush is in? There also seems to be a lot of expectations that Rashan Gary will take another leap in year three.

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Cheesey
Preferred Member

3 years ago

Well, what does anyone expect a coach to say? “My guys suck, and I don’t expect them to be helpful to the team”???
As far as Preston Smith, he backslid bad last season, so who knows what he will do this year.
And Gary? Will he take the next step? I hope so, but nothing is guaranteed.
And me? Of course I’m hoping the coach is right! I would LOVE a dominant D!
That’s what got Tampa a SB trophy last year. A defense that can cause havoc to the opponent.

Zero2Cool
Elite Member

3 years ago

Originally Posted by: Cheesey

NBA Coach, Doc Rivers was asked if Ben Simmons can be the point guard on a championship team. Rivers replied "I don't know that question or the answer to that right now, I don't know the answer to that."

Sometimes, coaches speak truth! Sometimes, like, once every other leap year!

Yeah, we all know coaches won't go out of their way to bury a guy. I am confident Gary will take that leap, big or small, I think he's going to be better this season.

I am unrealistically optimistic about CB Eric Stokes. I say unrealistic because I have not seen the kid play a single snap, yet I feel he's going to be an upgrade at CB2 and that will make our pass rush even gooder.

Cheesey
Preferred Member

3 years ago

You would think a coach would think “hey, if I praise these guys now, and they tank, people will say YOU SAID THEY WERE GOING TO BE GREAT! and they will then say IT MUST BE YOUR LOUSY COACHING!” 😂

KRK
Veteran Member

3 years ago

I guess the rationale is that:
[list=1][*]Gary gets more effective than P Smith gets older. Perhaps resting P Smith with more reps to Gary will make him more effective at the end of the year.[*]D Smith returns to mid-season, pre-kid form will also help...he did not show much v Tampa and[*]Kenny Clark is healthier, as without pressure up the gut, edge pressure is far less effective.[/list]Let's all hope so. It will be telling to see how they do against quality opponents.

In Luce tua Videmus Lucem KRK

beast
Select Member

3 years ago

From some of the things they've said, they're letting the defense be simpler and more aggressive up front... and sounds like they are planning on 3 OLB formations, so you get Smith, Smith, Gary and Clark on the field at the same time, you are going to have a good pass rush!

And based on what the Rams did, when it's pass rush time, they seemed to often have 5 guys up front, so add in Lowry or more likely Keke for pass rush down.

This pass rush has the potential to be great, if the CBs can cover. Of course they also have to stop the run too, but the Rams seemed to do that more by being aggressive... and having one of the Safeties come join the LBers more often. But to do this, your pass rush has to get home before the Coverage let guys open, and I think the question is the coverage, not the pass rush.

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