As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, scouting the Green Bay Packers’ defense.
ALEX’S SCHEME REPORT
Packers Run Defense
A 3-4 front with some big people up front. There are few better run pluggers than NT Kenny Clark, though his status as of this writing is a bit uncertain after suffering a shoulder injury in Week Nine. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. On the year, the Packers are allowing just 4.0 yards per carry, 13th in football. While that average isn’t bad, they’re a bit feast/famine having given up 27 runs of at least 10 yards this year, which is tied for 22nd.
Their leading tackle is second-year man Quay Walker and they boast an impressive inside linebacker duo between him and De’Vondre Campbell. But Walker’s 66 tackles far and away lead the team with second place having 48 by safety Rudy Ford. Nickel corner Keisean Nixon is aggressive and fits the run well and is a quality downhill player.
Conceptually, the Packers mix in one- and two-gapping but they’re more of the former, a slanting and stunting team. They want to screw up blocking schemes with run stunts and look to create penetration. Couple examples of that. In the first clip, watch No. 52 slant inside. In the second, watch the RDE and RDT exchange gaps and blow the run up.
And good luck trying to run the ball on the outside. They set the edge well, they chase hard after the ball, they have athletic inside linebackers. If the Steelers are going to run the ball, they’ll need to do it between the tackles. The only real weakness I’m seeing with this front, aside from if Clark does not play, is it will slant to the strong side of the line, and that can leave the Packers vulnerable when offenses run to the weak side. Of course, they have to deal with having fewer blockers on that side, but those moments have created cracks.
Some other defensive stats. They’re allowing just 19.9 points per game, 10th-best in football. They’ve allowed 20 or fewer points in three of their last four games, including holding the Rams (on their backup quarterback, granted) to three points last Sunday. On third down, they’re middle of the pack at 38.8 percent but they’re top 10 in the red zone, opponents finding the end zone just 46.2 percent of the time. That’s ninth-best in the league.
Packers Pass Defense
A solid pass defense that keeps a lid on things though as of this writing Thursday evening, the Packers are in danger of being without top CB Jaire Alexander. Without him, their cornerback room looks weak on the outside, as Jonathan will explain below.
But here are some numbers. They’re 11th in opposing YPA (6.7), ninth in yards per game allowed (196), tied for third in touchdowns (eight), 12th in sacks (20), and second in longest reception allowed (45 yards). They’ve also allowed just 23 completions gaining 20 or more yards, tied 10th-best in football. So the data looks strong.
One thing they don’t do? Take the ball away. Just eight turnovers on the season, which is tied for 28th, and they have a minus-two turnover differential because of it. They are sending pressure at a high clip, the sixth-highest blitzing team at over one-third of the time. Their pressure rate is a bit lower but still good at 23.9 percent, 12th in the NFL.
From a rush standpoint, they get production from lots of sources. Three players, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Kenny Clark have 4 to 4.5 sacks with Gary leading the group with 4.5 of them. Overall, five different Packers have at least two sacks on the year. It’s an active defensive line that can impact the passing game even without sacks. Collectively, their defensive linemen and outside linebackers have 11 pass deflections this season, including four from bowling ball rookie DT Karl Brooks, a great athlete who is playing a lot for them. And playing well. He logs about 25 snaps per game, a number that could increase if Clark is out or limited (though he’s a one-gap pass rusher, not the run stuffer Clark is). Clark, to his credit, certainly gets after the quarterback and plays a lot on passing downs. Prior to getting hurt last week, he was often seeing at least 70 percent of the reps.
The Packers’ safeties rotate quite a bit post-snap. Will present with a lot of two-high looks with one of them rotating down. And sometimes get Inverted Cover 2. Examples of both below.
Overall, you see a lot of single-high from this group. Cover 1 and Cover 3. Wonder if we’ll see more two-high looks post-snap if Alexander is out to protect their corners. Lot more trust to put your guys on an island when he’s out there, but that’s what they’ve been doing.
One final note. They will occasionally have an extreme drop into coverage. Drop eight and even nine players into coverage. Example of the latter here. Obviously getting these in more specialty and situation moments, primarily on third down.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to secure their second-straight win at home Sunday against a Packers squad that is trying to build some positive momentum themselves, sitting at 3-5 on the year. Green Bay’s defense is an underrated one in the league, especially against the pass. The Packers rank 10th in the league in total points allowed and 11th in yards allowed, being a top-10 defense against the pass with the third-fewest passing touchdowns allowed on the year (eight). However, Green Bay’s defense is susceptible to the run, ranking 23rd in football while allowing 124 yards per game.
Defensive Line
For the interior of the defensive line, No. 97 Kenny Clark is the name that you need to know. The two-time Pro Bowler has been a fixture on the Green Bay defensive line since 2016, giving the Packers a stout presence to defend the run as well as get after the passer. Clark is strong at the point of attack, having the base and anchor to control gaps and fight off blocks as a run defender. He also possesses the athleticism to chase after the quarterback, having 30.5 career sacks on his resume. Pittsburgh is likely to try and double team Clark often in this matchup to keep him from causing disruption in the backfield.
Starting opposite of Clark is No. 93 Tedarrell Slaton. I worked with Slaton back at Florida in 2018, seeing a 6-4, 330-pound man who displayed quickness and burst that is rare for a player of his size. He is a strong run stuffer who takes on blocks and can play chase in pursuit. He’s not much of a pass rusher, however, and rotates quite a bit with No. 95 Devonte Wyatt. Wyatt, a first-round pick last year out of Georgia, is a freak athlete himself at the position, having impressive acceleration and quickness to defeat blocks at the line of scrimmage. He’s started only two games this season but has 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss as a defender with more athletic upside than Slaton.
No. 96 Colby Wooden and No. 94 Karl Brooks also add young depth to the Packers’ defensive front, both being rookies with Brooks establishing himself as a capable sub-package rusher with two sacks and four pass breakups this season.
EDGE
Starring on the edge for Green Bay is former first round pick No. 52 Rashan Gary. Considered the top recruit in his class coming out of high school, the 6-5, 277-pound Gary has been known for being physical freak, with the speed and burst of some wide receivers. He has developed into a full-time starter for Green Bay, providing a disruptive force on the edge when healthy. He has 4.5 sacks on the season, using his hands to swipe down opposing tackles while using his speed to turn the corner into the quarterback. Gary will likely face Broderick Jones at right tackle, giving the rookie a notable challenge on Sunday.
Opposite of Gary on the edge is No. 91 Preston Smith. Smith has been in Green Bay for five seasons after coming over from Washington in free agency, giving the Packers another pumped-up pass rusher on the outside. Smith stands 6-5 and weighs 265 pounds with long arms and a filled-out frame, making him quite the run defender while also being an accomplished pass rusher in his own right. Smith has four sacks on the year, using his length and strength to overwhelm tackles at the point of attack. He should see a lot of Dan Moore Jr. on Sunday, giving Pittsburgh’s left tackle all he can handle in pursuit of QB Kenny Pickett.
The Packers have quite the rotation at outside linebacker with No. 55 Kingsley Enagbare providing a fiery, aggressive pass rusher as depth. He pursues the quarterback relentlessly and also holds his own against the run by setting the edge with his stocky, powerful frame. No. 90 Lukas Van Ness figures to the be future at outside linebacker for the Packers, being drafted in the first round this past spring. He’s played 35% of the defensive snaps and has one sack and three tackles for loss on the year. He is raw when it comes to technique at the position but often wins with his sheer athleticism and effort.
Linebackers
No. 7 Quay Walker missed Green Bay’s Week Eight game with a groin injury and hasn’t practiced yet this week, leaving his status up in the air for Sunday. Walker, a first-round pick in 2022, possesses notable size and length to occupy passing lanes as well as combat offensive linemen against the run. He logged 121 total tackles and seven pass deflections as a rookie last season. The Georgia product already has three pass breakups and a pick-six this season as a linebacker who has a feel for coverage in the middle of the field.
Starting opposite of Walker is No. 59 De’Vondre Campbell. The 6-3, 232-pounder is also a big-bodied linebacker with the speed and awareness to work sideline to sideline against the run. He takes good angles to the football and has been a starter in Green Bay the last three seasons. He plays well close to the line of scrimmage and holds his own in coverage but is a guy backs and tight ends can exploit when he drops.
No. 58 Isaiah McDuffie has started four games in place of Walker and Campbell this season as an injury fill-in, racking up 46 total stops and three tackles for loss so far. McDuffie plays with good instincts and does a good job following his reads to the football downhill against the run. McDuffie struggles in coverage, making him a target to pick on when manning the middle of the field. The Packers also have No 45. Eric Wilson, who rotates in a fair amount as a solid run defender with starting experience from his time in Minnesota with the Vikings.
Cornerbacks
CB No. 23 Jaire Alexander is one of the better young cornerbacks in football, having the speed, quickness, ball skills, and aggressiveness you desire in a defensive back. The two-time Pro Bowler is the main man in the Green Bay secondary, having a nose for the football with five picks last season. He’s missed time this season and is questionable to play Sunday with a shoulder injury, but he managed to play last week against the Rams. Alexander does a great job closing distance in coverage and playing the ball through the defender’s hands, making him a guy you need to be aware of when throwing his way.
Opposite of Alexander is No. 37 Carrington Valentine, a seventh-round pick out Kentucky. The rookie has come on strong for the Packers as he’s worked to earn a starting job. He is a competitive corner at the catch point having the size, length, and physicality to contest passes and force incompletions. He’s started four games this season and is allowing a 40% completion rate, quickly becoming a hidden gem from Green Bay’s rookie class.
Starting in the nickel for the Packers is No. 25 Keisean Nixon. The 2022 All-Pro kick returner currently leads the league in average yards on kickoffs and also sees a fair amount of run on defense, having 33 total stops and three pass breakups on the year. He’s someone you can pick on in coverage, however, allowing over 75% completion percentage, thus being a guy Pittsburgh should try and isolate on Sunday. The Packers also have No. 35 Corey Ballentine and No. 22 Robert Rochell adding depth at corner.
Safeties
No. 20 Rudy Ford missed last week’s game against the Rams with a calf injury, and his status for Sunday is currently up in the air. Ford has played well this sesason, notching 48 total stops four pass breakups, and two interceptions. Dave Bryan’s draft crush No. 36 Anthony Johnson Jr. fared well in relief of Ford last Sunday, picking off a pass in his first career start. If Ford isn’t ready to go, expect Johnson to get his second NFL start against Pittsburgh this weekend.
No. 34 Jonathan Owens also is starting in the secondary for the Packers, coming over from Houston this offseason after starting 17 games there last year. Owens plays well near the line of scrimmage in run support and is a capable coverage defender, often matching up with tight ends when not in zone coverage.
