One of the things that jumped out at us after the Arizona game was the fact that Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews put up a zero in the box score. Not even a single tackle.
It turns out, that’s the second game in a row that’s happened.
Is Matthews injured? Is he loafing? Does he just all of the sudden suck? Enquiring minds want to know!
Well, the man himself doesn’t even have an explanation.
“I need to find a way to be more impactful. It’s not for a lack of not being where I’m supposed to and not doing my job,” Matthews said. “It’s just playmakers have to continue to show up. You can’t have games where you have one or zero tackles despite being disruptive. All you can really do is look forward to the next game.”
You know, Matthews is a master at moving his lips and not saying anything.
There’s one more example of that.
Anyway, the real problem here is the Packers can’t have Matthews disappearing for stretches anymore. When he was an outside linebacker who primarily rushed the passer, then okay. It’s not ideal, but most pass rushers don’t get sacks every week.
That’s understood.
Inside linebackers, which Matthews now is, are measured by tackles. It’s straight-up unacceptable for one of your starting inside backers to go an entire game — forget about two — without a tackle.
That’s their primary responsibility.
Tackle the ball carrier!
This is an indication of one of two things.
Has Matthews play dropped off? We’d say it has. He played much better and was much more impactful in the second half of 2014. So that’s part of the problem.
A potentially worse problem is opposing offenses have figured out how to game plan for Matthews. And that possibility raises a whole other set of potential issues. Either the defensive staff doesn’t know how to put Matthews in position to make plays or Matthews was never really that good to begin with.
quit expecting him to do so much…if terrible ted can focus and get an ILB who is worth a shit and move CM3 back outside fine…he’s getting worn out….JJ Watt has had the same lapses in play, its a long season…maybe the Pack should just dump McCarthy, trade Rodgers and Matthews and start over…then all the bitching would be justified….im gonna sic Vic Ketchman on this site…
Finally the voice of reason!
Actually Clay Matthews has been rushing the passer a lot these last weeks, and he’s been ineffective.
He needs to stay inside and make tackles. Too much time spent trying to get sacks from the outside means too little time inside as an impact linebacker. We MUST have those inside tackles on Sunday or AP will have a ginormous day. With the Packers offense struggling, the defense can’t afford the risk of him running wild beyond the linebackers.
perhaps if he’d spend more time at his job on the field rather than playing patty cake with opposing QB’s, there wouldn’t be a need for this discussion. yep.
Waiting on NFL Sunday’s Game with Vikings we need everyone on their A game.
Go Packers
Maybe less BS crap with commercials, building his “brand” and, of course, gunning for stats, he can just be a team-focused player.
If he’s getting paid $66 million over a 5 year period, he needs to show up for every… single… game. Not just when he feels like it.
I guess when you get paid millions and you cry about how the coach switched to another position to play, you subsequently don’t put any effort at the new position to which you sucked all year. Yeah, I guess maybe it’s best to put him back at his original position. Matthews has done nothing, but bitch and moan like a little girl for since last season. The fact that he was put at ILB doesn’t mean his impact was diminished. It just means Matthews never had his heart into it; and therefore, put very little effort into making the most of it FOR THE TEAM.