On Thursday night, the Philadelphia Eagles topped the Green Bay Packers 34-27. During and after the game, many NFL fans hit Twitter proclaiming the Packers defense were “frauds“. While there is an issue with the Packers defense, the term frauds seem knee jerk and just wrong. The pass rush and coverage of the defense appear to be on task, but there is something missing. The Packers defensive front has failed to win the line of scrimmage against the run.
Packers Defensive Front Struggling Against the Run
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers proclaimed “We’ve got a defense” after their 10-3 victory over the Chicago Bears. His statement wasn’t just lip service. In that victory, along with their victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos, the Packers defense proved two things.
First, the Packers secondary has shown they are capable of defending the pass. Cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Kevin King have shown they are more than capable of covering upper-echelon NFL wide receivers. The two younger cornerbacks aren’t the only members of the secondary who have been solid. Rookie Darnell Savage and veteran Adrian Amos have given steady play at the safety positions.
The Packers defensive front has been able to create pressure on the opposing quarterback. This season, the Packers have registered 12 sacks, which has them ranked second in the NFL in sacks. Free-agent signees Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith have combined for seven and a half sacks.
While getting the job done in two of the three major facets is an upgrade for the Packers defense, the one they are failing at caused them to lose on Thursday night. The Packers defensive front is losing the battle of the line of scrimmage. It didn’t cost them in their victories over the Vikings and Broncos, but it did against the Eagles. Not only did it cost them a victory, but now the rest of the NFL knows what the Packers defense kryptonite is. If the Packers defensive front can’t correct their run defense, more loses could follow.
Struggling Interior Defensive Line
Currently, the Packers defense is ranked 27th against the run. Against the Vikings in week two, running back Dalvin Cook carried the ball 20 times and rushed for 154 yards with a 7.7 yards per carry average. In week three, Broncos running backs Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay combined for 144 yards rushing on 36 carries with a four yards per carry average. Last week, Eagles running backs Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard combined for 159 yards rushing on 26 carries with a six yards per carry average.
The failure to stop these running backs can be pointed to the failure of the interior of the Packers defensive front. Kenny Clark is an ascending star and his play hasn’t been awful. However, being the key player in the middle of the Packer defensive front, his play is going to have to improve against the run. He has the ability to be a top run stuffer, he just needs to execute better.
The Packers gave defensive end Dean Lowry a new contract this off-season. But so far he hasn’t lived up to that contract. While Clark has had moments against the run, Lowry has failed to do his part to stop the run. He played well last season, against the run and the pass, but so far he is off to a slow start. If the Packers are going to improve against the run, Lowry will need to start playing better.
The Packers other defensive end position has struggled as well. Montravius Adams was the starter until he was hurt in week three and missed the Eagles game. When healthy, Adams failed to flash. Tyler Lancaster stepped in and his performance was very forgettable. Lancaster showed glimpses last season. But so far this season, he looks like he doesn’t belong in the NFL. With Adams out and Lancaster showing he shouldn’t be paid to play football, somebody is going to need to step in.
Unimpressive Linebacker Play
With the interior of the Packers defensive front struggling, it isn’t a surprise that so has the play of the inside linebackers. Linebacker Blake Martinez can make tackles. But if the players upfront can’t keep him clean, he struggles. Sure, Martinez is going to post a lot of tackles. But like against the Eagles, those tackles will come after seven or longer carries by the opposing running back.
The Packers picked up inside linebacker BJ Goodson late in training camp. Goodson is more of a run stopper than Martinez. His playing time might increase next week, in hopes of stopping the run. Goodson did see some extensive time in the fourth quarter at linebacker against the Eagles. But unfortunately, the damage was already done by the Eagles running game.
Martinez and Goodson aren’t the types of linebackers that can make plays on their own. If they are going to make plays in the run game the Packers defensive front are going to need to do their jobs better. That includes the play of outside linebackers Za’Darius and Preston Smith.
General manager Brian Gutekunst and former general manager Ted Thompson have failed to upgrade the inside linebacker position over the past seasons. Martinez is steady, but he isn’t a playmaker like Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. For him to succeed and be able to help stop the run, he needs help from the Packers defensive front.
Toughest Task of the Season
Next week, the Packers will hit the road and travel to take on the Cowboys. With the run defense struggling, it couldn’t be a worse time to face the Cowboys.
The Cowboys offensive line is one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. They thrive in the running game. Along with having a dominant offensive line, they have one of the best running backs in the NFL in Ezekiel Elliott.
Before their Sunday game against the New Orleans Saints, Elliott was averaging five yards per carry. Entering Sunday, he had rushed for over 100 yards in two consecutive weeks.
The Packers defensive front is going to need to play better against the Cowboys. If they fail to do so, it might be a long day for the Packers. While the NFL has become a passing league, the run game can still dictate a game. It cost the Packers against the Eagles. If they duplicate their play from the Eagles game against the Cowboys, the results could be the same.
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