Packers’ Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage, on Different Trajectories, Shine vs. Saints

In 2019, the Green Bay Packers drafted Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage in the first round. Their careers had been headed in opposite directions. Maybe not anymore.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Rashan Gary, the 12th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, is the rising stud. He’s a player so talented and so determined that not even a torn ACL can stop his ascent to stardom.

Darnell Savage, the 21st pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, is the fading starter. He went from All-Rookie and perhaps the next great safety to being benched and overpaid.

In the Green Bay Packers’ victory over the New Orleans Saints, Gary was a game-changing powerhouse. That’s practically the expectation. Savage was outstanding, as well. His play this year has been a revelation.

In his third game since last year’s knee injury, Gary had a career-high three sacks. It was Green Bay’s first three-sack game since Za’Darius Smith in 2020 and the second-most sacks in a game by any player this season.

“The most important thing is being an impact to this team. I’m happy I was able to do that today,” Gary said in typically understated fashion any time he’s asked about his own performance.

Gary is off to a phenomenal start. In Week 1 against Chicago, he played merely 12 snaps. In 10 pass-rushing opportunities, Pro Football Focus credited him with five pressures. The coaches tallied seven. In Week 2 against Atlanta, he had a half-sack and three pressures in 15 pass-rushing chances.

Rashan Gary reacts after a sack against the Saints :: Photo by Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports Images

Against the Saints, Gary had three sacks, an additional quarterback hit and five total pressures in 20 pass-rushing snaps.

Sack No. 1 came on the first play of the second quarter. Coming on third down, Gary forced a punt.

Sack No. 2 came on the first series of the third quarter. Coming on third down at midfield, Gary thwarted a scoring opportunity, forced a punt and knocked quarterback Derek Carr out of the game.

Sack No. 3 came with about 10 minutes remaining. It created a second-and-22 that the Packers parlayed into a punt and the decisive touchdown.

“Days like this, you kind of get in the zone,” Gary said. “I couldn’t tell you I woke up this morning – of course, I woke up feeling like I was going to beat the man across from me – but I can’t tell you I woke up feeling like it was going to be that type of game. I like where I’m at, I like where I’m going and I’ve just got to keep going. That’s it.”

For his efforts, Gary was awarded a game ball by coach Matt LaFleur. The emotional Gary broke into tears.

“Like I told the team in the locker room, the main thing is I’m just happy to go out there and go to war with you guys,” Gary said. “That’s something that I truly missed over the 9 1/2 months or so that I was out. That’s something I truly missed.

“Me being able to be back, plus be an impact, that’s all I want and I’m just happy I was able to take the stepping stone in the right direction that I want to go. The more steps I take in that direction, the better we are as a team and a defense.”

Gary’s high-impact play is the expectation. That Savage would be an impact player, as well, seemed ordained in 2019 and 2020, when his Year 2 jump resulted in four interceptions and 12 passes defensed.

However, Savage slumped so much the last two seasons that he lost his starting job briefly last year. By that time, the Packers had already flipped the switch on a fifth-year option that awarded him a guaranteed $7.9 million this year.

Savage turned in his second strong performance in three weeks against the Saints. Even last week against the Falcons, defensive coordinator Joe Barry praised Savage for his downhill, decisive play.

Against the Saints, Savage delivered two huge, understated plays during the closing moments. First, after the Packers pulled within 17-11, he tackled returner Rashid Shaheen at the 17 on the kickoff. Green Bay forced a three-and-out punt to set the stage for the go-ahead touchdown.

“Hopefully, Rich [Bisaccia] will give me a few more of those,” Savage said. “I just trusted it. We kind of ran it at practice all week. I didn’t know if he was actually going to call it. He did. We got the exact look we were waiting on, so all I had to do is make the tackle and I did.”

Darnell Savage reacts after a sack by Rashan Gary :: Photo by Dan Powers/USA Today Sports Images

The Saints had a chance to win the game. On third-and-8 from the Packers’ 30, Jameis Winston connected with receiver Michael Thomas but Savage hauled him down after a gain of 2. The Saints missed the field goal and Green Bay ran out the clock.

“I did assume they were going to try to get the first down because the first down would have essentially not sealed the game – they still would’ve had to make the field goal – but it would’ve made it easier to win the game,” Savage said. “They ran a short out route, tackle it and get off the field. The guys up front did a great job on the field-goal rush for us to miss wide right and Pack win.”

Thanks in large part to Gary’s mayhem and solid play from a shorthanded secondary that Savage anchors, the Packers allowed 252 yards, 4.2 yards per play, 3.5 yards per rushing attempt and just 4-of-14 on third down.

“It’s so tough for offenses to pick up third-and-pass situations,” Savage said when asked about Gary. “Because the pass rush in this league is so good and they get back there so fast. There were a couple times, it’s like the ball was snapped and I’m like, ‘Wow, he’s getting tackled and I’m not even to where I’m supposed to be getting to yet.’

“To see that, obviously, we get extremely excited for them, but the thing we always preach to them is we’ve got to handle first and second down to get them into third-down-and-longs. It makes it a lot easier. Plus, they get to get all them sacks. That’s the motivation behind it.”

The Green Bay depth chart is filled with first-round picks. With Gary, Kenny Clark and Jaire Alexander, Green Bay has three premier players. If Savage keeps playing well, Quay Walker continues his strong play, Devonte Wyatt keeps improving and Eric Stokes can bounce back from a foot injury, maybe this defense really will be the sum of its parts.

“One thing about this group is we understand the standard,” Gary said. “We understand what it’s like to play at a high level. We’ve just got to be consistent. Today was just a stepping stone in being consistent.”

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