5 Packers Who Need to Step Up Over the Final Quarter of the Season
3. Rashan Gary
To disrupt opposing offenses, the Packers must generate consistent pressure on the quarterback, and that responsibility falls heavily on Rashan Gary.
Green Bay’s pass rush has been inconsistent this season, ranking tied for 13th in sacks (33) and 15th in pressures. These middle-of-the-road numbers highlight a unit that has struggled to deliver in critical moments. In their loss to the Detroit Lions, for example, the Packers couldn’t pressure Jared Goff, allowing him to comfortably dissect their defense from the pocket.
The lack of a consistent four-man rush has forced defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to get creative with blitz packages to create pressure, a less-than-ideal solution that leaves an already weakened secondary exposed.
Much of the responsibility lies with Gary, who has the talent to dominate but hasn’t produced at an elite level this year. Through 13 games, Gary has six sacks, placing him 30th among 59 players with at least 300 pass-rushing snaps. His 21 quarterback hurries rank 41st in the same group, underwhelming numbers for a player expected to anchor the Packers’ pass rush.
To his credit, Gary has shown improvement in recent weeks, posting four sacks and 15 pressures in his last five games. This surge in production is a step in the right direction, but the Packers need him to maintain—or even elevate—this level of performance.
With the playoffs looming, Gary’s ability to consistently pressure quarterbacks will be pivotal for a defense that needs to disrupt opposing game plans to succeed. Bringing the quarterback down is the best way to make life difficult for opponents, and that just happens to be what Gary gets paid ( a lot) for.