The year before Clay Matthews III arrived in Green Bay, the Packers ranked 25th in the league in sacks, with just 27. The following year, Matthews had 10 sacks in 13 starts, leading the team to a respectable total of 37, 11th best in the league.
In Matthews’ next six years the team has only finished worse than a tie for ninth once.
After finishing with 41 sacks in 2014, and 43 last year, are the Packers poised to hit the 50 mark? It doesn’t appear farfetched, for Matthews is back full-time as an outside linebacker, and he has a strong supporting group around him.
When a team has several strong rushers, each aids the other, with sacks often registered by the second or third man to arrive at the scene.
In 2010, the Packers ranked second in the league, with 47 sacks. Its top achievers were Matthews, Cullen Jenkins, B.J. Raji, and Frank Zombo.
When they ranked fourth in 2012, with 46, the leaders were Matthews, Mike Neal, Dezman Moses, A.J. Hawk, and Erik Walden.
This year the top prospects are veterans Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Nick Perry – with rookie Kenny Clark being the wild card. It looks like the most formidable sack crew in Matthews’ time in Green Bay. If all goes well, any or all of the first three names could register 10 or more sacks.
The bold prediction here is 50-plus sacks by the Packers this year.