The Green Bay Packers’ pass rush has a chance to get back on track this week against a Los Angeles Rams team struggling in pass protection.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Rams currently own the league’s lowest pass-blocking grade and third-lowest pass-blocking efficiency. For those unmoved by PFF grades, Los Angeles has surrendered 54 total pressures as a team, tied for the sixth most in the NFL.
The Packers need a bounce-back performance following Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, in which Sam Darnold threw for 278 yards and three touchdown passes. Far too long and far too often, Darnold looked way too comfortable operating in the pocket.
When asked about the performance of the pass rush on Monday, Matt LaFleur spoke highly of Minnesota’s pass protection but said they have to do a better job when only rushing four.
“It wasn’t up to our standard, no doubt about it,” said LaFleur. “Give them credit. I do think they have a good offensive line, particularly their tackles are pretty good players, but I thought collectively as a unit, they did a really nice job. They did a good job utilizing chips on the edges. I thought the backs helped out in pass pro pretty good, so, all in all, I didn’t think it was good enough, especially when we had four-man rushes.”
The Packers were able to sack Darnold twice, though both times they rushed more than four. Obviously, blitzing is necessary to keep offenses on their toes, but it can’t be the main source of your pass rush. Rushing more than four players means you have one dropping more players into coverage. A good offense will take advantage of that. Against Green Bay, Darnold completed five out of seven passes for 87 yards when blitzed. That is why the best defenses are able to disrupt the quarterback when primarily rushing four.
Of course, the Packers’ pass rush wasn’t solely to blame in the loss to the Vikings, but the play of the defensive front was definitely disappointing compared to what they did against the Tennessee Titans the week prior.
In Week 3, Tennessee’s pass protection has no answers for a Green Bay pass rush that generated eight sacks and a season-high 20 pressures. It effectively won them the game, as quarterback Will Levis turned the ball over three times as a direct result of never being comfortable.
This week, the Packers are expected to find themselves in more favorable pass-rushing conditions against the Rams, but they must have a way to make their pass rush more sustainable moving forward. One remedy for that could be getting more production out of two of their best pass rushers.
Last year, Green Bay made Rashan Gary one of the top 10 highest-paid edge rushers, but his performance has yet to match that investment. Gary has just one sack in his last 11 games dating back to last season, while his six total pressures in 2024 ranks tied for 61st among edge rushers, per PFF.
Defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who received a substantial contract extension during the offseason, is also having a slow start to the season. Clark has yet to register a single sack or QB hit in 107 pass-rushing snaps. Fortunately, Clark should have a favorable matchup this week. Rams center Beaux Limmer has surrendered eight pressures through the first games, while guard Kevin Dotson has allowed seven pressures and two sacks.
Gary, on the other hand, may face more difficulty in Week 5 lining up across from Los Angeles’ ultra-reliable right tackle Rob Havenstein.
But that’s just it. The Packers can’t afford only to have their pass rush show up against weaker competition. They also can’t just rely on Gary and Clark. An arsenal of Gary and Clark, along with Devonte Wyatt, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare, should have a significant impact every week.
Unfortunately, it sounds like Wyatt will miss this week with an ankle that should provide Karl Brooks – another skilled pass rusher – with more opportunities.
At the end of the day, while a matchup against an underwhelming Rams offensive line might offer an opportunity for another big day, the Packers’ success this season hinges on developing a consistent and effective pass rush, regardless of the competition.
