Well, Clay Matthews should play a little better this week than he did last week, thanks to getting that giant club taken off his right hand.
On Thursday, Matthews admitted that he didn’t know how to play with the club. And then he likened himself to a cat because, of course.
“You know, it’s funny because you think you can play with a club — and then my first time playing with a club — there’s something about it, which, it’s kind of like a cat cut its whiskers off. It just loses its balance,” Matthews said on Thursday. “I’ve never done that before, but I’ve heard that’s what happens. That’s how I felt. So, you have to overcome that. I’m hoping with my fingers back, I’ll be like a feline who got his whiskers back and then I’ll be able to be more spry out there.”
Matthews finished with two tackles in the Green Bay Packers loss to Philadelphia and couldn’t get after the quarterback at all. We weren’t terribly happy with his performance and neither was he.
“It’s human nature to try and baby injuries that you have and, obviously, I think that was clearly evident,” Matthews said. “At the same time, when push comes to shove and there’s a runner in my face or something which requires two hands, you throw it in there and try and do the best you can. I attempted it, but it was hard watching that film.”
While Matthews was sitting out four games with his broken thumb, the Packers still managed to generate some pressure. They are currently 11th in the NFL in sacks with 27, although no one has more than Mike Daniels’ 4.5.
The Giants, meanwhile, have been decent enough protecting Eli Manning. He’s been sacked 22 times this season, which is the 10th lowest number in the league.
A less encumbered Matthews should help the pass rush cause.