Packers Coach Breaks Silence on Star Defender's Struggles

The Green Bay Packers will look to bounce back from last week's loss when they meet the LA Rams at SoFi Stadium for Sunday's Week 5 matchup. After surrendering 31 points to the rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, the Packers would love it if their defenders stepped up this weekend — especially defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Clark, 29, has been scrutinized for an unproductive start to the 2024 NFL season. Despite appearing in all of the Packers' games thus far, the former UCLA product has yet to register a sack, lost yardage tackle, or fumble through four outings.

But as Clark is (unsurprisingly) receiving heat from his performance, one Packers coach has come to the veteran defender's defense.

Packers News: DC Jeff Hafley Defends DT Kenny Clark

Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley only had good things about Clark to say during Thursday's press conference. The 45-year-old DC said Clark is still a valuable asset at stopping the run and that the Green Bay coaching staff "could do more things to help" the struggling DT break out of his slump.

Even if Clark has been more productive in the past, Hafley still isn't ready to give up hope.

"I think Kenny [Clark] has done a good job," Hafley said following Thursday's practice (h/t @mattschneidman). "I think he’s one of the best interior D-linemen in the NFL and as this thing shakes out, everybody’s gonna continue to see that."

The 2023 NFL season saw Clark make his third Pro Bowl appearance since the 2019 campaign. The former UCLA product was one of the Packers' best defenders as he amassed a career-high 7.5 sacks while adding 22 solo tackles, nine lost yardage tackles, three defended passes, and a pair of forced fumbles.

While Clark is on pace to finish with 30-plus solo tackles for the first time in five years, the lack of other stats has left Packers fans wanting more. According to Pro Football Focus, the veteran DT currently owns 46.3 overall defense and 56.7 pass rush grades after finishing with marks of 70.4 and 76.0, respectively, last year.

The Packers still have 13 games remaining on their schedule, though, giving Clark plenty of time to turn things around. Although he's still been a decent run-stopper, Green Bay's defense can only reach its potential if he improves as a pass rusher.

We'll see if Clark can get back on track when the Packers visit the Rams this weekend. Things look promising for Green Bay as FanDuel Sportsbook is currently favoring the road team by a field goal over the hosts.

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