Is Clay Matthews an "elite" player?

uffda udfa
Veteran Member Topic Starter

10 years ago

He seems to be taking a beating on some lists here lately. I just read a piece (soon to be a topic here, I'm sure) where he is listed as a "High Quality Starter" instead of "Elite" by PFF who ranked the rosters of the NFCN.

In your opinion is Clay an elite player, or was he ever?

I think he was an elite player but due to injury and his move inside is viewed differently now around the league.

My thinking is he is a high quality player and no longer elite.

Ted Thompson sits on his hands per former GM: "because they’ve had 25 fricking years of great quarterbacks. Of course it works. Try it without a special quarterback."

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Zero2Cool
Elite Member

10 years ago

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa

I don't think he was ever truly elite and that could be due to my high standards of being elite. Some say that Clay at ILB was a major success, no, it wasn't. He didn't get more sacks because of great ILB play. He got those sacks because offenses had no damn clue where he was at. Nearly all of his sacks were from the OLB position.

He's a one trick pony and a liability off the edge.

68md
Member

10 years ago

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa

Very open ended question. It would depend upon your definition of " Elite" and or "Quality Starter".

So I'll just go with my gut on that part. Right now he's not playing the MLB full time. They still plan to use him as a situational player based on down/distance .. how the defense is lined up etc. With that said he's still a big piece of the proverbial packer pie on defense.

Without him we certainly lack a key threat with him much harder to defend. Elite might be a bit much so put yours truly down for 4 1/2 star starter that would be 5 if he wasn't wearing so many hats now.

texaspackerbacker
Veteran Member

10 years ago

Of course, you need to define your terms - "elite player".

In my book, the move to the inside solidified Matthews' status as let's say, a star. I reject the notion that he is a "one trick pony". I came to that conclusion when as a reaction to teams double teaming him, he dropped into pass coverage and did a damn good job of it. Why was his move to the inside such a success? Because he played better there than anybody had played in the last 5-10 years - including Hawk at his best, Bishop before the injury, anybody. I don't know if he faded a little bit as an OLB or if it was injuries or what. I had thought that having Peppers, Matthews would get less attention from offenses and be more effective as a pass rusher. I was a little disappointed at how that turned out, but by the end of the season, I had higher regard for Matthews as an all around player than I ever had before.

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uffda udfa
Veteran Member Topic Starter

10 years ago

One thing I can't resist mentioning from the PFF piece...the Packers had ZERO "Poor Players" per PFF.

However, AJ Hawk was ranked "Poor Player" for the Cincy Bengals. He was that FOR YEARS in Green Bay and he stayed. Matthews looks like Ray Lewis, Nitschke, Ted Hendricks and Jack Ham combined after living through the atrocity of AJ Hawk.

BTW, the 4 "Elites" per PFF were... Rodgers, Sitton, Nelson and Cobb. Shields was a "GOOD" and Hayward "High Quality".

Interesting that Shields was listed below Hayward.

Sadly, NONE of our ELITES are on D. NONE. Very very sad.

Ted Thompson sits on his hands per former GM: "because they’ve had 25 fricking years of great quarterbacks. Of course it works. Try it without a special quarterback."

earthquake
Member

10 years ago

Mathew's issue has always been health and consistency. Even when he's not missing games he seems to frequently have nagging injuries (hamstring) that limit his effectiveness. If he can stay healthy and play up to his potential for a full season, he's certainly an elite player. I think he's played like an elite player in various stretches but not his entire career. Overall, he's a very good player but not quite elite.

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sschind
Senior Member

10 years ago

Part of Clay's effectiveness was not simply the pressure he put on the QB but the fact hat he was a player they absolutely had to account for every time. The Packers have not had many of those players in recent years. Reggie White was the last one I can think of with any certainty. Maybe Charles Woodson or even Leroy Butler but that may be it.

People look for stats to tell the whole story but they don't. For a few years if you asked any offensive player for the best defensive players in the league Matthews would have been on that list and pretty close to the top. Ask any sports reporter or commentator (not that they are all experts by any stretch) and Matthews would have been on that list.

Is he an elite player now? Probably not. I don't know if he can ever get back what he had but I would say at one time, albeit for a short time, he was one of the elites.

buckeyepackfan
Veteran Member

10 years ago

I. Would say elite as OLB/pass rusher.

Clay hasn't played enough ILB to judge.

I hope he doesn't have to, ILB's take much more if a pounding than OLB's, Clay has already dealt with several injuries, playing him on the inside hopefully is temporary.

Moving him around to confuse the offense seems to work well.

I was addicted to The Hokey Pokey, but I turned myself around!

nerdmann
Premier Member

10 years ago

Originally Posted by: buckeyepackfan

I'd like to see him paired with another elite OLB who can get it done consistently. I bet he'd look way better then.

“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”

DarkaneRules
Veteran Member

10 years ago

#10

Yes. He leaves the game, we hemorrhage points. He's elite.

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