Much has been made of the Green Bay Packers’ lack of a pass rush this season. The Packers’ big two pass rushers — Clay Matthews and Nick Perry — have combined for six sacks.
Matthews has 2.5 on the season and Perry has 3.5.
Maybe the Packers should have kept Julius Peppers around a little longer? Peppers returned to the team that drafted him, the Carolina Panthers, as a free agent this past offseason.
After Sunday’s contest, Peppers has bested Perry and Matthews’ sack total by himself. In a non-starting role — similar to the one he played last year with the Packers — Peppers has 7.5 sacks. He’s also forced two fumbles.
Certainly at 37-years-old, the Packers weren’t going to invest heavily or long-term in Peppers. However, he clearly still has something to offer. And that something is probably more than a Kyler Fackrell currently, or perhaps ever, has to offer.
Of course, you could look at it from another perspective. That perspective would be that they actually know how to build a defense in Carolina. That Peppers’ performance is partially because he can still play, but also partially because he’s surrounded by other guys who can actually play.
Ted Thompson and his minions have proven time and again they don’t know how to build a consistently-good defense.
The other thing that Peppers provides is leadership. After Carolina’s 17-3 win over Tampa on Sunday, it wasn’t Cam Newton who addressed the team. It was Julius Peppers.
But Thompson and the Packers don’t value that either. We knew that the second they axed Charles Woodson, who went on to have two solid (and one Pro Bowl) seasons with the Raiders to end his career.
Hey, coulda, shoulda, woulda.
8 Comments
Meanwhile….Micah Hyde is tearing it up.
This
Cam Newton won’t address his Mom after a bad game, until she holds him tight and sings him a lullaby and gives him a cookie to feel better.
Peppers is getting it done on a limited basis, no doubt. Julius Peppers addressed the team because he was awarded the game ball.
For those keeping count, Perry got his last sack because his blocker fell backwards on his ass getting tripped up by his teammates feet. I’m not trying to say Perry isn’t worth the money Ted paid him, i’m just saying that Perry isn’t worth the money Ted paid him.
Peppers is still a solid player. I’m actually happy for him to be back home again. His leadership is bonus for a team that desperately needs it.
AssFace TED made bad decisions all around, total shock that is.
Lang, Tretter, Sitton, Peppers, Hyde, Cook should all still be Packers. That’s on Cadaver Ted. Keeping the WORST DC in the league for 10 years is “pull your hair outta your skull” Baffling??????
You forgot the pro bowler Casey Hayward! This article implies rat boy mental patient doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. How can that be true if they go to the playoffs ever year?
Oh, that’s right, because shit for brains has had two HOF QB’s getting him there singlehandedly.
For fucks sake, why is it that all of these players that leave the Packers end up performing extremely well elsewhere????