The Green Bay Packers defense gave up just nine points to the Chicago Bears during Sunday’s playoff-clinching win, and that success started with winning at the line of scrimmage.
This was a Bears offense that came into Sunday’s game with one of the more productive rushing attacks in football, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt as a team. This included Justin Fields ranking second among quarterbacks in rushing yards this season and running back Khalil Herbert being one of the more elusive backs, averaging just shy of 5.0 yards per carry on his own.
However, the Packers’ run defense, which has been playing sound football over the last few weeks, held the Bears to just 3.0 yards per carry. Fields would total only 27 yards on eight attempts and Herbert 28 yards on 12 carries.
“I think it was just our guys playing physical and playing aggressive and playing downhill,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “Certainly, they had their moments where they got some yardage, but all in all I felt our guys were flying to the football.
“I think you saw it on the first play of the game, Jaire (Alexander) went in there and made a very physical football play. Just very happy for our defense, and really everybody, but in particular our defense. Those guys are playing their butt off right now.”
The Packers pass rush also did a very good job of getting after Fields and making him uncomfortable. Five different Packers players would record a sack. Three of those sacks came on third downs, including two when Joe Barry dialed up a blitz, something we saw his defense do effectively last week in Minnesota as well.
That success for the Packers front against both the run and the pass began with the interior defensive line taking advantage of the Bears’ shorthanded interior offensive line that was dealing with injuries.
That steady push up the middle, which is the best way to quickly wreck any play, coupled with the edge rushers being disciplined and setting strong edges, allowed the Packers to limit the running lanes for Herbert and Roschon Johnson. That interior push also helped keep Fields in the pocket, limiting his scramble opportunities.
“Rushing together,” said Rashan Gary on the Packers’ five sack performance. “Keeping him in the pocket sometimes. Making everything hard. Making sure when he do see his first read and is able to move, just making it uncomfortable so we can get home.”
Without the run game to lean on, the Bears found themselves behind the sticks and in obvious passing situations–giving the defense the advantage from a schematic standpoint. When the defensive front is winning, the entire defense benefits from it.
“Anytime we can take away his first read,” said Quay Walker of Fields, “whether we in man or zone, he’s pretty much going to take off. Whenever we can keep him in the pocket and allow him to play quarterback and not allow him to run, we’ve got a real, real good chance of winning the game once we can do that.”
The Packers’ defensive front isn’t as young as the wide receiver or tight end positions overall, but there is a lot of inexperience within that group. Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, and Lukas Van Ness are rookies. Devonte Wyatt and Kingsley Enagbare are in Year 2, and TJ Slaton in Year 3.
So there has been some hot and cold play from the front this season as several key contributors navigate the learning curve that comes with being a young player in the NFL. But right over these last few games, the Packers appear to be playing some of their best football in the trenches.
The Packers previous three opponents averaged a combined 3.9 yards per carry, while Green Bay is coming off a 36-pressure performance against Minnesota. Every playoff-bound team wants to be playing its best football at this time of the year, and upfront on defense, the Packers seem to be doing so.
“I just think guys are getting better,” said Kenny Clark. “We got two rookies, TJ’s in this third, D-Wy in his second year. All young guys that are going to continue to get better and they’ve been getting better each and every week.
“You got these guys that got a hell of an ability. TJ can stop the run with the best of them. D-Wy (Devonte Wyatt), Colby (Wooden), and KB (Karl Brooks), those guys can rush and rush they asses off and explosive in the run game and be disruptive. You’ve got a good combination of guys and when you put that work in the only thing you can do is get better.”
