Paul Bretl | 9/23/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Last week I asked the question, would this be the game where we see the Packers pass rush let it rip? Well, it certainly was, particularly in the second half.
“It’s free, freedom,” said JJ Enagbare post-game. “We knew what we’re capable of. Last two weeks, we was just following the game plan and pretty much this just showed how dominant we could be.”
All throughout training camp and the preseason, we had heard about this attack front play-style under Jeff Hafley, where in short, the job is to get off the ball as quickly as possible and into the backfield. However, through the first two games, the governor was on as the Packers prioritize keeping Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson in the pocket with more controlled power rushes.
As both Hafley and Matt LaFleur made clear leading up to this game, Titans’ quarterback Will Levis certainly has the ability to hurt defenses with his legs. But from the outside looking in, it also appeared that there was going to be a much more grand opportunity to get after Levis against a Titans’ offensive line unit that has struggled mightily in pass protection.
The Packers finished the game with eight sacks, the most that the team has had in a single game since 2005 when they recorded nine against the Bears that season. ESPN also credited the Green Bay defense with 12 quarterback hits as well.
“I just think we stayed with the plan,” said Preston Smith. “We knew the opportunities were going to come. We maximized on the opportunities. We left some out there and we didn’t capitalize on every opportunity, obviously with the eight. Guys played really hard. A lot of people were getting sacks. I was almost like, ‘Oh man, when my turn coming?’ Everybody was rushing hard, playing hard. Our defense played really well.”
Through the first two quarters of the game, the Packers had only one sack. However, playing with a two score lead for much of the second half, the Packers were able to turn up the pressure–literally–as the Titans became more pass heavy.
On the Titans’ opening possession of the third quarter, Devonte Wyatt recorded a first down that put Tennessee behind the sticks. A few players later, Quay Walker came up with the fourth-down sack, with Isaiah McDuffie and Jaire Alexander taking away the throw to the running back in the flat.
Two possessions later, JJ Enagbare won his pass rush rep about as quickly as one can, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Lukas Van Ness. From that point on, the Packers pass rush was like snowball rolling down a mountain, gaining momentum and size with each passing play.
“Pretty much tackle just over-set it,” said Enagbare of his strip-sack. “I was able to grab his hand and pretty much get a clear lane for the sack. Then my dog Lukas scooped it up.”
The next time Tennessee had the ball, Preston Smith came up with a third-down sack. On the possession after that, the Packers recorded back-to-back sacks on second and third down. Then, on the Titans’ final full possession of the game, Smith recorded another first down sack, putting Tennessee behind the sticks. Two plays later, Xavier McKinney came up with his third interception.
“Oh my goodness, they went crazy,” said Malik Willis of the pass rush. “That was amazing. Eight sacks, right? Oh my goodness. That was super. They won the game for us, if you want to say that. Them guys did great. Everybody deserves a game ball. I’ll pay however much money out of my pocket to everybody if they keep doing that. I’ll add to their salaries. Oh my goodness. That was amazing. It was good to see. Those guys work hard all week. You just love to see it come to fruition out on the field.”
Going beyond the impressive numbers that the Packers put together, you see a defense under Hafley that is willing to adjust its play-style based upon the game-flow. In the early going, there again was a more controlled pass rush approach with an emphasis on lane integrity because Willis does have the ability to extend plays, along with wanting to limit rushing lanes for the Titans’ running backs. Tennessee was also using the quick passing game often in the early portion of Sunday’s contest.
But as the game went on and the Packers established their two or three-score leads, the Titans’ became more pass-heavy, with longer developing routes, at which point there became a greater opportunity to truly get after the quarterback–which the Green Bay pass rush took full advantage of.
There isn’t a player on the defensive side of the ball who doesn’t benefit from a stout pass rush. Obviously, sacks create long down-and-distance situations for the offense, but pressures will also disrupt the timing and rhythm of the play, can lead to mistakes, and mean less time in coverage for the defensive backs.
“It’s amazing,” said Jaire Alexander of the pass rush. “Like, it’s just so good. It’s complementary. When I’m covering down the field and I hear a big roar or something, I’m like, ‘Well, I guess we got another sack.’ This is amazing.”
We often talk about complementary football in terms of the three phases of the game–offense, defense, and special teams–working together. But defensively on Sunday, we saw complementary football with the defensive front and the back end of the defense working together in unison. The end result was a dominant performance with eight sacks, three takeaways, and the Titans’ averaging just 4.5 yards per play.
“I think it ties in, coverage and the rush,” said Xavier McKinney after the game. “But when they rushing like that, man, those guys up front, we got a special group and I just know that every time, every play, they gonna make something happen and they gonna be able to cause chaos and that’s gonna speed up the quarterback’s process and it’s gonna make it a hell of a lot easier for us as DBs to go out there and cover because we know that pressure gonna get there, so we get more opportunities to go make plays on the ball, so it’s been special.”