Packers' run defense has improved since Clay Matthews moved inside

[News Bot]

This much is certain: the run defense has improved and Clay Matthews’ statistics have all gone up since he moved inside.

Source: JSOnline.com

 

[longtimefan]

Nice!!!!!

The starkest change is in a reduction in long runs. In the first eight games, the Packers gave up 30 runs of 10 yards or more (3.75 per game), including six of 20 or more. Since the bye week, after which Matthews moved inside, the Packers have allowed nine runs of 10 yards or more (2.25 per game), none longer than 13 yards.

To understand how bad the run defense was before the bye, the Packers have only moved four spots (28th) in the league rankings despite averaging 90 yards rushing allowed the last four games.



New England, however, had run for 246 yards two weeks earlier against Indianapolis and yet managed a modest 84 yards on 16 carries. The Patriots didn't run much, but it's not because they were hopelessly behind. Coach Bill Belichick chose to attack the Packers through the air.


Still, a look at the runs in which Matthews was in the middle shows an undeniable trend toward the better for the Packers. Of the times he was an inside linebacker in the nickel package Capers started playing an overwhelming amount of the time after the bye, the opposition has averaged roughly 3.6 yards per carry.

That's well below the 4.8 yards opponents were averaging before the bye.

If you take out the runs in which Matthews walked up from his inside position to either end of the defensive line, leaving A.J. Hawk or Barrington in the middle, the average drops to 3.35.

In the four games since moving, Matthews has almost doubled his number of tackles (27 to 52), has two sacks (41/2 for the season), two passes broken up (six) and three quarterback knockdowns (seven). His number of pass rushes has decreased considerably, but the team's number of sacks per game has stayed about the same.

 

[longtimefan]

no one cares

 

[Deleted member 6794]

no one cares

I think a lot of us care a lot about the improved run defense. I read the article in the Journal Sentinel as well. It was obvious though that the run defense improved as soon as the team moved Matthews inside, the numbers just reflect what we've all been seeing over the last four weeks.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Yeah, I had read it already as well.

I have a hard time getting all "yippee and yahoo" over it for a couple of reasons.

- It was an emergency move to stop the bleeding.
- We've got a $10 million / year Pro Bowl edge rusher out of position and banging heads at Will backer.
- The decline in yds/carry has come about in stifling the longer runs. That doesn't address what the line is doing.
- Two of those games were blowouts where the opponent was taken out of their game plan; another was against McKinnon; in the other Blount ran for a 5.8 yd. average on limited carries.

While the improvement is something to smile about compared to what occurred before, it does not impress me as a coherent or permanent solution.

We'll have to see what happens against the next physical back that's faced where the opponent is able to stay within their plan. That would appear to be Jackson + Dixon at Buffalo. Jackson is deceptively strong between the tackles; Dixon is a load.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

We have bigger faster more physical LBs on the field when Mathews moves inside to make room.

 

[XPack]

Despite termed ILB, he does start at multiple positions. Imaging a ILB outside of the OLB.

 

[DaveRoller]

Not only is Clay good, but he takes a liability off the field (Lattimore or B. Jones).

With Barrington hopefully replacing another huge liability in Hawk, there is room for optimism at ILB for the future.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Not only is Clay good, but he takes a liability off the field (Lattimore or B. Jones).

With Barrington hopefully replacing another huge liability in Hawk, there is room for optimism at ILB for the future.

I don't think Matthews will primarily play inside next season as well.

 

[GoPGo]

- We've got a $10 million / year Pro Bowl edge rusher out of position and banging heads at Will backer.

On the contrary, I think they finally got it right. Clay hasn't been nearly as productive as an edge rusher the past two seasons. He's making a far greater impact by moving him around. And he's not just playing at Will. He's playing all over.

 

[GoPGo]

I don't think Matthews will primarily play inside next season as well.

I hope he does, because his effectiveness working purely from the outside has been declining. He can be everything Urlacher was in his prime and then some as an inside backer.

 

[HardRightEdge]

On the contrary, I think they finally got it right. Clay hasn't been nearly as productive as an edge rusher the past two seasons. He's making a far greater impact by moving him around. And he's not just playing at Will. He's playing all over.

I didn't say he's "just playing Will."

If you want to contend that his days as an elite edge rusher are over then he's being overpaid.

 

[XPack]

And he's not just playing at Will. He's playing all over.

This. Keeps the teams guessing.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Has there been a Hawk sighting? .........eh...... nope.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Has there been a Hawk sighting? .........eh...... nope.

He played in nickel D in the first half; I didn't notice if took any snaps in the second half. It was hard to miss Brad Jones' missing plays in his stead in at least the 4th. quarter.

I was a little disappointed Chuckie didn't do his homework on this topic. He commented on Hawk's apparent absence in the first half without noticing he was in the game when there were 2 down linemen with Clay stepping up to the edge, just as Capers has worked it the last few games.

 

[scotscheese]

i really don't get all the bashing of Hawk on here, is he really that bad? i have admitted my own ignorance/lack of knowledge here before, and if this is the case again, ok. but while AJ Hawk is not one of the top in his position, is he not a steady performer? does he make lots of mistakes? what should i be looking at here?

 

[Greenbayphil]

i really don't get all the bashing of Hawk on here, is he really that bad? i have admitted my own ignorance/lack of knowledge here before, and if this is the case again, ok. but while AJ Hawk is not one of the top in his position, is he not a steady performer? does he make lots of mistakes? what should i be looking at here?

He is getting old, slow and gets beat on coverage way too often. Plenty of missed tackles. We need some youth at that position, hopefully Barrington keeps on improving and we find a decent ILB in next years draft.

Chris Borland would of been a nice addition to this team

However, the defense has shown steady improvement since the bye week and last night we just didn't play well enough in the second half. Detroit is going to be the biggun.

 

[yooperpackfan]

He played in nickel D in the first half; I didn't notice if took any snaps in the second half. It was hard to miss Brad Jones' missing plays in his stead in at least the 4th. quarter.

I was a little disappointed Chuckie didn't do his homework on this topic. He commented on Hawk's apparent absence in the first half without noticing he was in the game when there were 2 down linemen with Clay stepping up to the edge, just as Capers has worked it the last few games.

I didn't see the game but I'm wondering, if Brad Jones was playing in place of Hawk, where was Barrington.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I didn't see the game but I'm wondering, if Brad Jones was playing in place of Hawk, where was Barrington.

Jones played as the lone LB in the dime package.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I hope he does, because his effectiveness working purely from the outside has been declining. He can be everything Urlacher was in his prime and then some as an inside backer.

I rather have the Packers draft a true ILB early in next year´s draft. I´m fine with moving Matthews around, don´t want to see them play him primarily inside permanently though.

 

[El Guapo]

Hawk played some, Barrington played some, and Jones played some. They all seemed to be a step slow on plays. Maybe they can move Peppers to ILB as well! (I kid, I kid)....

 

[GoPGo]

I didn't say he's "just playing Will."

If you want to contend that his days as an elite edge rusher are over then he's being overpaid.

He's most definitely NOT being overpaid by no longer being a one-trick pony.

 

[GoPGo]

I rather have the Packers draft a true ILB early in next year´s draft. I´m fine with moving Matthews around, don´t want to see them play him primarily inside permanently though.

Define "true ILB" if you would. Does that mean someone who has never played anywhere else? What makes Clay not a "true ILB?"

 

[HardRightEdge]

He's most definitely NOT being overpaid by no longer being a one-trick pony.

He never was a one trick pony.

If you believe he's not being overpaid, then you must agree his days as elite edge rusher are not over.

I can pretty much guarantee Matthews will not make regular appearances at ILB past this season. I'll clue you in...he's not that good at it; he's out of position a lot. He looks better than he is because he's being contrasted to what we've seen from Hawk and Jones the last couple of years. The novelty and energizing affect is already wearing off.

It has been a needed move given how bad those other guys were playing, but long term it's no solution.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Define "true ILB" if you would. Does that mean someone who has never played anywhere else? What makes Clay not a "true ILB?"

He's not a true ILB because he plays the position like an edge rusher. His reads are often incorrect and they get him out of position. His motor helps in recovery, but it also gets him attacking when he should be reading. They have him playing Will crashing the line and he's going to get hurt if he keeps it up; he doesn't have the build for it.

You're going to see 2 guys you never heard of this coming Sunday who play the position at an equal or better level who get paid peanuts. The Bills played nickel all day against Denver, sitting their ILB backer Spikes except for the 4th. quarter, with Brown and Bradham inside playing 6 in the box. The B's read well, can stand up runners in the hole, play sideline to sideline, and are sure tacklers in space. Browns logs the tackle stats; Bradham is the better all around player being the go-to cover guy between the two. Watch these guys and you'll see the kinds of players the Packers could use inside.