Packers’ Pass Rush Better Be Ready Early

The pass rush has been the star of Packers training camp. With the gauntlet of opposing passers the team is set to face, they'll need to get after the quarterback early and often.

Jacob Westendorf | Aug 1, 2024

Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary (52) celebrates recovering a fumble against the Los Angeles Chargers during their football game Sunday, November 19, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis / USA

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Green Bay Packers

Buddy Ryan once said that quarterbacks must go down, and they must go down hard.

The New York Giants built two Super Bowl winners on the strength of their pass rush.

The Green Bay Packers are not able to play the brand of football that Ryan encouraged for his Chicago Bears in 1985 or those Philadelphia Eagles teams in the early 1990s.

They have, however, put a premium on getting after opposing quarterbacks.

When general manager Brian Gutekunst was armed with a pick in the top half of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, he selected Rashan Gary, even with two big-money free agents in tow.

Four years later, Gutekunst doubled down and took a pass rusher in the top-15 again with Lukas Van Ness in 2023.

Gutekunst has picked in the top-15 three times since becoming general manager. He’s spent two of those picks on pass rushers. The goal is to build a buzz saw of a pass rush to help mow down prolific offenses across the league.

Regardless of how great a quarterback is, the great equalizer is almost always putting pressure on him.

Patrick Mahomes may be one of the greatest quarterbacks that has ever lived, but even he could not overcome Tampa Bay’s ferocious pass rush in his lone Super Bowl loss three seasons ago.

Gutekunst has made no secret that’s one of his priorities when building his defense.

“We very much believe in rushing the passer, and edge rusher is a very premium position for us,” Gutekunst said shortly after selecting Van Ness in 2023.

The investment has not solely been on the outside, where the Packers boast Gary and Van Ness as well as a premium free agent signing, Preston Smith. They have made a significant investment on the interior of their defense line, as well.

Kenny Clark became the rare player that receives a third contract in Green Bay. Devonte Wyatt was a first-round pick. Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden and TJ Slaton have had success rushing the passer, as well.

That group has been the most dominant through the first nine practices of training camp. They’ve gone through the offensive line like a hot knife through butter.

Sean Clifford has been under duress. Ditto for Jordan Love.

“I think it all starts up front with the rush.," defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said on Monday.

“When you get a rush and you’re aggressive up front and the quarterback can’t throw in rhythm or we tip a ball or we get our hand up or we’re disruptive and they’re in the right place at the right time, I think it’s a combination of rush plus coverage.”

This new defense under Hafley is supposed to allow for more aggression. One of the buzz words from the defense throughout the offseason program has been “hunt.”

They believe they’ll be allowed to hunt more, and chase down opposing players on the backfield for big plays.

That starts with their best player, Gary.

Gary was the gold medal winner for the first week of camp. He’s been as disruptive as he’s ever been. His athleticism, aggression, and leadership have all been on full display.

“He’s disruptive. What you don’t really find out is how hard these guys practice until you get them live,” Hafley said. “And when you see him get off the ball and you see his intensity and you see his acceleration and you see how disruptive he can be, that’s a credit to him.”

Gary’s 2023 season finished with a bit of a thud, as he had only one-half of a sack after Thanksgiving.
However, the Packers were able to get hot due to some of the poor quarterbacks they faced down the stretch.

In their last three games they faced Bryce Young, Justin Fields, and a combination of Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. Only one of those players is a preferred starter, Young, who was a rookie. Hall was benched at halftime in favor of Mullens, a career journeyman. Fields, despite his highlight tape, was traded for the equivalent of a ham sandwich this season.

There is no time for this new defense under Hafley to find its footing. They will be tested early and often, starting on opening night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Their passing attack has two receivers that are among the best in all of football in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, the first of which was an MVP candidate at the midway point of last season.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled to close the season, but may have won the league MVP in 2022 if not for a shoulder injury that compromised him for the last quarter of that season.

Following that, Anthony Richardson is a former top draft pick that has weapons around him including Michael Pittman Jr.

That’s just the first two weeks, and does not include dates with Matthew Stafford, Tua Tagovailoa, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and CJ Stroud.

Put the entire schedule together, and the Packers will face the toughest schedule of opposing passing offenses in the NFL, according to Sharp Football.

That compares to last season, when the opposing offenses had a cumulative ranking of 26th.

With some uncertainty in the secondary, the Packers were going to need to get after opposing quarterbacks regardless of who they faced.

Throw in this gauntlet of opposing passers, this rush needs to live up to its billing.

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

All 229 receptions, 2,891 yards and 26 touchdowns provided by last year’s receivers are back for 2024.

Grant DuBose had zero of them. Could he break through and make the #Packers roster? ⬇️https://t.co/aJ0HOqHpYP
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 1, 2024

Published Aug 1, 2024|Modified Aug 1, 2024

JACOB WESTENDORF