Clay Matthews: Veteran linebacker brought the heat at Jacksonville
Clay Matthews showed up in a big way for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the first half, he brought a ton of energy to the defense. He was putting pressure on the quarterback and even if he didn’t get the tackle or sack, he was affecting plays right off the bat. With the injuries the team was riddled with last season, it was nice to see them fresh for the opener.
He had three tackles on the day, with one sack.
When you look at single game statistics on defense, that might not seem like a big deal, but it’s a great start for him.
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve already seen all of the different ways Matthews can put pressure on an offense. He can play inside or outside and still find a way to get to the QB.
However, if you look at the stats for the game, you’ll find that the Jaguars outperformed the Packers in total yards, time of possession, and number of first downs.
The main difference is that the Jaguars had a turnover and the Packers didn’t. That’s where the defense comes in.
Could they have been better?
Yes, but they got the job done and it’s a good sign of things to come.
Back to Clay Matthews for a bit now.
I would have loved to see him put some more pressure on for those handful of fourth down conversions that the Jaguars convertedr. That’s really where the team fell short on Sunday. The Jaguars went 3-for-4 on fourth down conversions and thankfully the Packers stuffed the last one with less than 20 seconds left on the clock.
If they hadn’t it could have cost them the game.
During these attempts, the pressure always felt close to getting a sack or a stop, but three of those times it didn’t happen. Clay Matthews should have been the guy to break through during at least one of those three conversions.
There’s a good chance that a lot of these young linebackers coming in look up to Matthews, as they should.
He’s a fantastic player and provided he stays healthy, he can have another outstanding season. This game is a good start, but I’d still like to see him bring a little more pressure in those fourth down situations.
Other teams will likely try it and they’ll need to be prepared to see more fourth down attempts.
All in all, things are looking good for Clay Matthews. Here’s to hoping he stays healthy this season.
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