5 X-Factors for a Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Run
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers Playoff X-Factor: Dean Lowry
As Green Bay Packers interior defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery put it, Dean Lowry is often tasked with doing the “dirty work,” and with that, he’s typically not one who is going to fill the stat sheet.
But this season has been different as we’ve seen Lowry bull-rush and bully his way into the backfield on what has felt like a weekly basis. The end result was him posting 42 pressures and six sacks, both of which are career-highs. And for some added context, over the previous two seasons combined, Lowry had totaled just three sacks and 42 pressures.
When he is playing well, just about everyone else on this defense benefits. It allows Green Bay to move Kenny Clark around more so he can find one-on-one matchups–and that is always a good thing.
According to PFF, Clark played the fewest amount of snaps in his career lined up in the A-gap, he played the most lined up over the tackle, and the 64 pressures he generated were the second-most of his career. Now, the sole reason for that isn’t Lowry, Joe Barry’s defensive scheme has given Clark more freedom as well, but Lowry’s play this year has certainly helped.
On top of that, when Lowry is eating up space and occupying defenders, he’s helping to create for the edge rushers and linebackers. Not to mention that when he bullies his way into the backfield, that helps the secondary as a quick push up the middle is the best way to wreck any play.
For a Green Bay Packers defense that has been trending downwards as of late, Lowry can be someone who plays a role in helping this unit get back on track.