Packers’ pass rushers will try to turn up the heat on Brees
GREEN BAY - In late August, Green Bay Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith delivered a 767-word soliloquy on how affecting the quarterback through consistent pressure can mean far more to the success of the defense than a single sack.
There may be no greater time to prove that than Sunday night for the Packers, as they face quarterback Drew Brees and a New Orleans Saints offensive line that has seen their sack totals decrease over the last five years.
But that doesn’t mean the 41-yearold quarterback hasn’t been pressured, and that pressure has certainly affected him and therefore the explosiveness of the offense.
A blueprint the Packers may be able to follow Sunday was one laid out by the Minnesota Vikings in last year’s NFC divisional playoff victory in the Superdome.
The Vikings attacked the interior of the Saints’ offensive line with 6-4, 329pound tackle Linval Joseph but also with traditional “edge” rushers in 6-5 Danielle Hunter and 6-3 Everson Griffen. Hunter and Griffen combined for three sacks and the Vikings hit Brees seven times as the quarterback had a nice completion percentage (78.7%) but could not push the ball down the field with only 208 yards on 33 attempts with one touchdown and one interception.
“You’ve got your spot: The edge of the upfield shoulder of the quarterback, when you’re rushing inside, it’s the front hip,” Mike Smith said of a rush target on the quarterback. “Usually when you get a quarterback that’s … when you get a guy sitting still, there’s an issue, the problem is we’re not getting push, we’re not getting him off his spot.
That’s what we want to do is try to get him off his spot and not let him get comfortable in there. That’s where I think (defensive line coach) Jerry’s (Montgomery) guys do a great job, and ‘Z’ (Za’Darius Smith) when he rushes inside, Rashan (Gary), is pushing that pocket, not just with power but with our edge stuff inside as well. Just keeping that guy not comfortable back there.”
Saints tackles Ryan Ramczyk (right) and Terron Armstead (left) are good, but left guard Andrus Peat has struggled.
Challenging Peat, center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz and collapsing the pocket from the inside will be key for the Packers on Sunday.
“It’s very important,” Packers defensive lineman Dean Lowry said. “The ball is out very fast in this offense, so a big part of this week is getting our pass rush lanes right, pushing the pocket and getting our hands up in the lanes because that’s going to help us get into this offense and really what they do.”
Brees has made a Hall of Fame career of climbing into pockets and shuffling around the tight quarters to find throwing lanes and anticipate his receivers breaking open. But if there is no place for him to climb to, or his anticipation is affected, the Packers can impact the game even without sacking him.
“He can’t get all of them out quick unless we’re just not doing our job on defense,” Packers outside linebacker Preston Smith said. “We’ve got to stick with our rush and stick to our game plan and eventually try to create pressure as best we can or try to make him as uncomfortable as we can.”
This effort will be aided by the likely return of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from a groin injury, and they have gotten more impact plays off the edge from Gary through two weeks. That may allow defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to slide Za’Darius Smith to the interior and allow him to pick a rush lane.
“With Rashan elevating his level of play, it’s natural for us to maybe lean on that a little bit more, because we’re always tasked as coaches you want to get your best 11 on the field,” Pettine acknowledged. “With the way Rashan is playing and adding him to the Smith brothers, that’s an easy way for us to get all three of them out there on early downs.”