Green Bay Packers: Week 1 Presents Big Opportunity for Rashan Gary
By Paul Bretl
The official injury report for the Green Bay Packers Week 1 matchup with the New Orleans Saints came out on Friday, and star edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is listed as questionable.
Smith had missed all but one practice during training camp with a back injury, but he was on the practice field in a limited capacity this past week–which, of course, was a promising sign. However, after being a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday, Smith did not practice on Friday.
"“We’ll give him all the way up to game time, and if he’s able to go, then we’ll let him go,” Matt LaFleur said via Packer Report.“We thought it was in the best interest to leave him out [on Friday] and give him the next 48 hours to kinda prove whether or not he can go out there and play.”"
It goes without saying, but if Smith can’t go on Sunday, that is a huge loss for this Green Bay Packers defensive front.
Since coming to Green Bay, Smith has tallied 164 total pressures and 32 sacks, according to PFF ($$). But even if he does suit up and play against New Orleans, there is the very real possibility that he could be on a snap count–meaning others will have to step up.
Enter Rashan Gary, who is poised for a step forward in his third NFL season. As we all know, Gary was used sparingly during his rookie season, but in 2020, he finished second on the team — behind only Za’Darius — in pressures and sacks despite playing in only 44 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps.
Several members of Green Bay’s coaching staff have raved about Gary’s performance this summer and just how excited they are to see him in action this season, with the general consensus being that it is going to be a big year for him.
"“I’m ecstatic about where Rashan is, where he’s at from the start until where he’s at right now,” Joe Barry said via Packer Report. “I’m really looking forward to just seeing what he’s going to be all about this year.“I have all the faith in the world in Rashan Gary … I think he’s an unbelievable kid, works tirelessly every single day and I’m really excited about what the future holds for him.”"
If Smith can’t go or is playing in a limited capacity, Gary could very quickly become “the guy” on that edge rusher unit and have the opportunity to showcase what these Green Bay Packers’ coaches have been seeing from him all of training camp.
However, regardless of who is on the field for Green Bay at that edge position, it is going to be a tough test against some very good Saints’ offensive tackles. Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead form one of the better tackle duos in the NFL. As a unit last season, the Saints offensive line ranked fifth by ESPN’s pass-blocking win-rate metric.
As we all know, the name of the game in football is pressuring the quarterback — something that Green Bay didn’t do as well in 2020 as they did in 2019 — and if the Packers can consistently get after Jameis Winston, it will likely lead to some turnover opportunities. What they can’t do is let Winston get comfortable, or we could see a lot of easy completions to Alvin Kamara, who has the ability to take this game over.
Without Za’Darius, it’s not only Gary who will have to step up but also Preston Smith as well as Jonathan Garvin and Chauncey Rivers. But for Gary, who by all accounts is ready to make that Year 3 leap, Week 1 presents him with the opportunity — especially if Za’Darius can’t play — to leave his mark on a game when the Green Bay Packers are really going to need him to.
"“He’s pretty damn good, I’m not going to lie,” OLB coach Mike Smith said via Packers News. “I’m just getting goosebumps just talking about him because it’s just all coming together. It’s his third year. He knows his rushing style, who he is, how he’s going to set people up, what his strength is, all that stuff.”"