Green Bay Packers: A Little More Rest for The Smiths in 2020

In a recent Zoom call, Mike Pettine mentioned that the Green Bay Packers might be trying to get The Smiths a little more rest in 2020.

Both in the locker room and on the field, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith proved to be tremendous free-agent acquisitions for the Green Bay Packers last offseason. I don’t think even the most optimistic fan would have predicted the kind of impact that either player was going to have. Let alone both.

According to Pro Football Focus, Za’Darius totaled 105 pressures which was the most in the NFL, and that included 13.5 sacks as well. Meanwhile, Preston logged 62 total pressures, 12.5 sacks, and he had the most coverage snaps of any edge-rusher last season with 148.

No matter how you look at it, from their play on the field to their leadership off of it, these two were the heart and soul of this Green Bay Packers’ defense. So naturally, they each saw a lot of playing time. And I mean a lot.

The dynamic duo had nearly identical snap numbers with Za’Darius taking 976 and Preston taking 967. For both players, this equaled out to them being on the field for nearly 84 percent of all defensive snaps played last season.

For Preston, this wasn’t a huge change from his 2018 season in Washington. That year he played in 80 percent of all defensive snaps, but the two years prior he was below the 70 percent mark.

However, for Za’Darius, this was a big jump. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he played in 47 percent and 48 percent of Baltimore’s defensive snaps, respectively. While in 2018 he played in 66 percent.

Fortunately, The Smiths were able to stay healthy and highly productive last year but as we look ahead to the upcoming season, in a recent Zoom call with Green Bay media members, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine mentioned that he would like to give The Smiths a little more rest in 2020:

"“I think at times where Preston and Z probably played maybe a little too much, that we want to take some off their plate.”"

While I certainly don’t expect either of their snap counts to take a drastic hit, a few additional snaps off here and there each game could play a factor at the end of games and as the season progresses in terms of overall health and gas left in the tank.

This of course means more opportunities for former 12th overall pick, Rashan Gary who was used sparingly last season but found some success as a pass-rusher in the second half of the season.

In the same interview as above, Pettine mentioned getting Gary on the field more on early downs and also lining him up inside on third downs. Pettine would also add that Gary is “certainly built to handle giving those guys (The Smiths) a break.”

As I already said, The Smiths are the heart and soul of this defense, so don’t worry, you’ll still be seeing plenty of them in 2020. But giving them some extra rest at times isn’t a bad idea either.