Green Bay Packers v. Lions: 3 X-Factors for Week 2
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers X-Factor No. 3: Rashan Gary
As we all know, the name of the game in football is pressuring the quarterback, and Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, that’s something that the Green Bay Packers did not do effectively. According to PFF ($$), Saints’ quarterback Jameis Winston had on average 3.13 seconds to throw, which was the most in football last week.
We would, unfortunately, learn on Friday that the Packers will be without Za’Darius Smith for at least a few weeks as he was placed on IR with a back injury that has bothered him since training camp started. It’s now even more important that we see Preston Smith rebound after a rough 2020 season and that Rashan Gary make another big step forward.
Gary has the ability to take a game over and dominate up front–something that we will need to see in the coming weeks. In terms of pass-rushing, Gary was one of the few bright spots against the Saints, tallying four pressures when this Packers team had only nine total. Gary and the Green Bay defense will be up against a Lions offensive line that allowed 28 pressures in Week 1.
Moving forward, the Green Bay Packers need to have more success when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, and without Z. Smith, Gary just became “the guy.” If Gary and the Packers can get after Jared Goff, it should lead to a turnover opportunity or two and put Detroit in some difficult third-down situations.