Is Clay Matthews an "elite" player?

uffda udfa
Veteran Member Topic Starter

9 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."

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your PACKERSHOME forum account or Register a new forum account

Zero2Cool
Elite Member

9 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

9 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

9 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.

Expressing the Good Normal Views of Good Normal Americans.
If Anything I Say Smacks of Extremism, Please Tell Me EXACTLY What.

uffda udfa
Veteran Member Topic Starter

9 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

9 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.

blank

sschind
Senior Member

9 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

9 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

9 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

9 years ago

#10

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

Circular Arguments: They are a heck of an annoyance

Important Information:

The PACKERSHOME uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More Details Close

Fan Shout

Zero2Cool (6h) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.

Martha Careful (9h) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.

wpr (10h) : That's awesome Martha.

Mucky Tundra (10h) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?

Martha Careful (11h) : Turns out he like older women

Martha Careful (11h) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂

Mucky Tundra (11h) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married

Mucky Tundra (12h) : Well he can always ask his brother for pointers

Zero2Cool (14h) : Bo Melton taking some reps at CB as well as WR

Zero2Cool (14h) : key transactions coming today at 3pm that will consume more cap in 2025

Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jaire played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 season

Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : reported, but not expected to practice

Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jenkins has REPORTED for mandatory camp

Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : I really thought he'd play for Packers.

buckeyepackfan (9-Jun) : Packers releasing Jaire Alexander.

Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : (Context: he wants his defense to create turnovers)

Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : Giants DC Shane Bowen tells players to “be a damn pirate."

dfosterf (6-Jun) : Semper fi !

Cheesey (6-Jun) : This is why I have so much respect for those that have gone through battles

Cheesey (6-Jun) : I can't even imagine what that would have been like

wpr (6-Jun) : "Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?"

wpr (6-Jun) : Facing a line of machine guns 2 time medal of Honor recipient, First Sergeant Dan Daly told his men,

wpr (6-Jun) : Another detachment went into the Belleau Wood.

wpr (6-Jun) : On the 6th the Marines took Hill 142 but suffered terrible losses.

wpr (6-Jun) : It’s time to remember dfoster’s Marine brothers in Belleau Wood. The battle went on from June 1-26. Nearly 10,000 casualties.

packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett have signed with the PACK

packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : he won't be wearing #12, maybe he will wear number two

packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : He will fail this season, should have retired

Mucky Tundra (5-Jun) : Thus the cycle of Hall of Fame Packer QBs going to the Jets and then the Vikings is broken

bboystyle (5-Jun) : Rodgers to steelers on 1 year contract

Zero2Cool (5-Jun) : It's the cycle of civilizations. Get lazier, lazier, softer, softer and vanish.

Martha Careful (5-Jun) : great point. every aspect of society, including art, culture and sports has degraded.

dfosterf (4-Jun) : Green Bay sweep meant something to society about stopping pure excellence. We have the tush push now

dfosterf (4-Jun) : We old Martha.

Martha Careful (4-Jun) : *front four

Martha Careful (4-Jun) : Re frout four, I wish we had some Green "People Eaters" or a fearsome foursome

dfosterf (4-Jun) : *directions*

dfosterf (4-Jun) : Just don't ask him for driving direct

dfosterf (4-Jun) : Jim Marshall was an all-time great DE for the Purple People Eaters. Didn't like him. That's a compliment. RIP

Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : ooppppss

Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : “Kenny Clark played all of last season hurt by the way and got surgery to fix it in January”

Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood How much did the injury affect him last fall? “A lot.”

Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood Kenny Clark said he had foot surgery in January. Injured his foot in opener against Eagles and played through it all year.

Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : Golden is wearing guardian cap again. I bet he plays with it on too.

Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : All the stuff I'm reading from Lions fans are pointing at his toe; he more or less has permanent turf toe in one of his big toes

dfosterf (3-Jun) : Kenny played through it, and a shame he gets little credit for that, imo

dfosterf (3-Jun) : Big men. I hope it's not the undoing of Kenny Clark

dfosterf (3-Jun) : Probably his toe. Pretty much a great center. Toe injuries are brutal to bigen

Mucky Tundra (2-Jun) : Lions All-Pro C Frank Ragnow retires

wpr (30-May) : It's all good.

Please sign in to use Fan Shout

2025 Packers Schedule

Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM

LIONS

Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM

COMMANDERS

Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM

Browns

Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM

Cowboys

Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM

BENGALS

Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM

Cardinals

Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM

Steelers

Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM

PANTHERS

Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM

EAGLES

Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM

Giants

Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM

VIKINGS

Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM

Lions

Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM

BEARS

Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM

Broncos

Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM

Bears

Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM

RAVENS

Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM

Vikings