Rashan Gary Must Step Up Against Tennessee
This is the perfect week for Rashan Gary to get his game back on track.
The Green Bay Packers will travel to Tennessee to face the Titans in Week 3. The defense did its job last week, holding the Indianapolis Colts to just 10 points.
Devonte Wyatt had a strong performance with 4 total pressures, 2 hurries, 2 stops, one quarterback hit, and a sack. Kenny Clark added 3 pressures and 3 hurries. Xavier McKinney, Eric Wilson, and Evan Williams each recorded an interception.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rashan Gary was one of two Green Bay defensive players who didn’t record a single stat last Sunday. This may reflect the Colts' game plan to neutralize him, but regardless, Gary needs to be better. The Packers are paying him top-10 edge rusher money, and he must perform at that level consistently.
Last year, Gary recorded 10 sacks, but 6 of them came in just two games. That inconsistency is why he’s not seen among the top edge rushers every week. However, no Packers fan doubts his talent and work ethic. It’s simply about being effective week in and week out.
Take the 2024 season as an example. Gary had a decent game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil with 3 pressures, 2 hurries, 1 sack, and 1 batted pass. However, he was ineffective the following week. In Week 3 against Tennessee, he has a perfect opportunity to get back on track.
The Tennessee Titans enter Week 3 with the seventh-worst pass-blocking offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. They also rank as the fourth-worst offense overall and have the third-worst passing attack. Additionally, Nicholas Petit-Frere, likely to match up with Gary, has given up 11 pressures, 8 hurries, 1 quarterback hit, and 2 sacks in 77 pass-blocking snaps. Last week alone, he gave up 9 pressures and 7 hurries.
The Packers opted for a more conservative pass rush in the first two weeks due to facing mobile quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson. Will Levis does not pose the same ground threat, so we should expect a more aggressive defensive line, including Rashan Gary, this week at Tennessee.
Green Bay's defense needs to be the backbone of the team until Jordan Love returns, and that starts upfront. Gary is highly talented and fully capable of wreaking havoc in backfields weekly. This Sunday, he has a prime opportunity to dominate and make the Titans' offense miserable.
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Felipe is a Brazilian Packers writer covering the #GoPackGo for CheeseheadTV, Zone Coverage, and Packers Talk. Additionally, he contributes to Cheeseheads Brazil. Follow him on twitter at @Aceti_Felipe.
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Comments (15)
EricTorkelson
September 18, 2024 at 07:40 pm
The problem I believe i am seeing with Gary is the lack of Bull Rush, He has quick feet but sometimes seems unsure as to go inside or outside but once a tackle gets there hands on him he has trouble disengaging and he is out of the play. Gary is listed at 272 pounds but seems to play lighter like a small outside linebacker. I noticed they have been rotating him out a little bit more lately and the ends replacing him appear to give similar if not better pressure. Maybe that will change with less talented or lighter tackles Ill be watching...I see Love is practicing already??? Maybe just a test I hope, the way Willis played there is no reason to rush Love back...not sure if ligaments heal that quickly. You have to wonder if Love may be a little concerned about his job? He will never be able to run with the ball like Malik Willis can especially now with a weak leg... And now this is a league of running quarterbacks.. MHO.
Untylu1968
September 18, 2024 at 09:45 pm
I'm sure Love is losing sleep and shaking in his cleats about losing his job. Maybe it's time to start throwing Love out there as trade bait? We could throw Watson and Gary in on the deal to sweeten the pot...
Just gotta love some of the crazy/stupid shit people come up with!
EricTorkelson
September 19, 2024 at 06:52 am
You better hope Love doesn't stink it up out there, untidy68 if he isn't 100 percent ready. In any modern sport you have to produce, its the way it is
Oppy
September 20, 2024 at 07:22 pm
Rashan Gary's game is power.
I'm not really sure what you're on about.
LeotisHarris
September 18, 2024 at 09:18 pm
So, PFF claims Gary didn't record a single stat against the Colts? More like PFFT, amirite? Gary almost always never doesn't record a stat, so I'm calling BS on those pinheads.
This week i look for Gary to tilt the field, to dominate, to win his individual battles at the point of attack and to get his pad level lower than low. He'll be fundamentally sound and assignment sure. He'll be telling those Tackles, "we're even, I'm leavin', you stiff-hipped-short-armed-knee-bender" on this way to introduce himself to Will Levis. Again, and again, and again. It's going to be a long afternoon for Levis when Garymania runs wild on him!
Rashan will answer the call, step up, rise to the occasion, lead by example and things of that nature. He must!
PearlyBakerBest
September 19, 2024 at 03:44 pm
As long as he trains, says his prayers, and eats his vitamins.
Gee
September 20, 2024 at 02:42 pm
Hulkmanics running WILD!!!
Since'61
September 18, 2024 at 09:40 pm
IMO Gary is a little overdue in being a game wrecker. He needs to show up against the Titans and consistently be a dominant force for the Packers defense.
"It is time". Thanks, Since '61
Cartwright
September 19, 2024 at 02:22 am
Wondering if he and LVN took Samba lessons while in Brasil to improve their swim move, it's all in the rhythm
crayzpackfan
September 19, 2024 at 07:37 am
Kingsly is another guy who isn't getting any stats either, I mean zero stats. Yet somehow he is getting more snaps than LVN and Smith. In LVN's case, he had 17 snaps in game one and 19 in game two. Kingsly is in the high 30's low 40's in snaps without so much as recording a hurry. Not sure what the coaches are seeing in practice that we don't get to, but LVN is doing more with very little playing time than Kingsly is playing damn near the whole game. Between the D line and O line, GB does some silly things the last few years.
stockholder
September 19, 2024 at 09:44 am
Gary is done as a pass Rusher.
It's time to trade him and build the
the 4-3 with faster OLBs.
Oppy
September 20, 2024 at 07:26 pm
I will check in with you in 8 weeks
EricTorkelson
September 19, 2024 at 10:47 am
Gary ... last 13 games 5.5 sacks 16 assists. Three of those sacks came in one game. Why rush him out of one spot ? Could the Packers move him around on the line in passing situations, he is super quick and a relentless pursuer maybe the coaches could scheme him a little better.
WestCoastPackerBacker
September 19, 2024 at 04:00 pm
"The Packers opted for a more conservative pass rush in the first two weeks due to facing mobile quarterbacks."
Didn't you answer it right there? He had a decent showing in Brazil with awful footing. The pass rush clearly came up the middle against IND, so it may not just be the IND game plan, it may have been the GB game plan. The D got the job done well in IND so you gotta pick on a guy for not getting stats in a win where the D did its job?
Coldworld
September 19, 2024 at 05:41 pm
Let’s see what the DL do in the next two games before we leap to the conclusion that something as rational as containing Hurts and Richardson first is not the reason. We complain when they lose contain, now we complain if they contain first. Against those 2, containing them is the first step to winning. Hurts ran all over us under Barry in ‘22. 157 yards on 17 attempts. Slightly more than he threw for.
Levis and particularly Darnold are much more conventional propositions. If the DL are not getting home after 4 games, then it’s fair to start raising questions. It’s worth noting that, the no stats (tackles or sacks) statement exclude pressures. I understand we have the 5th most pressures in the league after 2 games. Some of those have led directly to our league leading turnover figure. Not all is passive.