By Carmen Vitali
FOX Sports activities NFC North Author
The sport was imagined to be about Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Two of the very best quarterbacks to ever play the sport met face to face, maybe for the final time, this previous Sunday when the Inexperienced Bay Packers visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Naturally, it was a defensive showdown.
For the reason that recreation, lots of the narratives have been about how ‘boring' or ‘dangerous' it was. And certain, should you're solely watching the flashy aspect of the ball, you in all probability felt that method. However the lack of offensive firepower was a credit score to 2 of the very best defenses within the league they usually deserve their shine. Each groups are top-10 within the NFL in most main defensive classes and Tampa Bay is letting up a median of simply 9 factors per recreation. Inexperienced Bay is surrendering solely 15.
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, who was enjoying with out a number of starters on his aspect of the ball, was held to a passer ranking beneath 100 for the third straight recreation. The Packers' protection was in a position to exploit the weaknesses on this Buccaneers' offense and maybe none took benefit greater than nostril sort out Kenny Clark and the Inexperienced Bay line of defense.
Clark ended the day with two sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. Brady was taken down a complete of 3 times on the day, and Clark had one thing to do with the sack he did not get credit score for, too. Brady was pressured 10 occasions within the recreation, three by Clark. In actual fact, all however one have been by gamers alongside the line of defense, together with the surface linebackers.
And that strain threw Brady off his recreation, prevented the Bucs from stepping into any type of rhythm and allowed Inexperienced Bay to win a recreation over probably the greatest groups of their convention regardless of scoring simply 14 factors.
So let's put a highlight on it. I promise, the nearer you look, the much less ‘boring' it truly is.
Each of Clark's sacks got here on third down, the primary of which passed off on the primary series, as Inexperienced Bay bullied the Tampa Bay offense into settling for a discipline objective on their first drive of the sport.
It is third-and-5. The Bucs are in 11 personnel, however working again Leonard Fournette is cut up out as a receiver in a four-wide look. Tight finish Cam Brate is tight to the road however he releases into his route instantly, leaving the Tampa Bay offensive line – with their third-string left sort out due to an damage to each Donovan Smith and Josh Wells – to dam for Brady on an apparent passing down.
Clark is a part of a two-down entrance with each tackles mirroring one another within the 4-technique. This places the inside of the Bucs' line on their heels a bit, having to attend to see who engages first. Clark was lined up over Tampa Bay's left sort out, Brandon Walton, who's beginning his first recreation ever. Nonetheless, Clark rushed inside, participating the left guard, rookie Luke Goedeke, as he tried to get previous Goedeke's exterior shoulder. Clark has extra superior palms they usually confirmed up right here, as he swiped away the younger participant's try to take care of leverage. In the meantime, exterior linebacker Rashan Gary took on Walton as Brate blew proper previous him into his route. Walton struggled with Gary's sheer energy, as Gary backed Walton almost into his personal quarterback. This brought on Brady to step up and he ran proper into the trail of Clark's hand, which he had free after manhandling Goedeke. It is sufficient to get Brady to lose his footing and fall.
It is value noting right here too that Jarran Reed had drawn a double workforce, taking up each heart Robert Hainsey and proper guard Shaq Mason, which means Clark and Gary each solely have one man to beat. It is an ideal instance of the road working collectively, as they did on every of the sacks of Brady throughout Sunday's win.
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Whereas Gary did Clark a favor by sealing off the pocket, forcing Brady to step up into strain, Clark returned it afterward. The Packers once more exploited Tampa Bay's missing left aspect on the Bucs' first series of the second quarter. Whereas Gary is the participant who will get dwelling, he was aided by what Clark did on the play.
It is third-and-12, one other apparent passing down after Walton incurred a penalty on the earlier play, and the Bucs are once more in 11 personnel, Brate is offset from the road and Clark is shading the middle away from the tight finish. Gary is all the way in which out in a wide-9 alignment however watch what Clark is ready to do. He attracts a double workforce from each the middle and left guard, and with each of these gamers occupied, despite the fact that Gary is chipped by Brate, along with his velocity, he is ready to run full drive by Walton. By the point Goedeke is aware of what's taking place, Gary is already taking Brady to the bottom. Clark purchased Gary time on the play and one little inside transfer later, he is sacking a fellow former Michigan Wolverine.
The final sack of the day on Brady was not solely a matter of the line of defense working collectively, however the whole protection. Have a look under on the sideline angle.
It is second-and-22 for the Bucs. After all they are going to throw it. Tampa Bay sends two receivers deep whereas giving Brady bailout choices. One is to Brady's left the place Scotty Miller is working a hitch. It could require Brady to throw the ball earlier than Miller comes again and Brady would not appear to belief it, so he holds the ball. He would not see Brate large open within the flat and he isn't given sufficient time to see that cornerback Eric Stokes has handed his man off to the protection whose again is turned, as a result of the strain finally ends up getting there first. Brady did not have time for the routes to develop past their preliminary iteration, leading to Clark getting his second sack of the day. This time it was after he received previous the middle and proper guard, however this additionally warrants a giant shoutout for Reed, who exploited his matchup with the left aspect of Tampa's line to get to Brady first. Clark then completed the job.
It was an ideal effort by the Packers' defensive entrance. Simply because there was no offense to talk of does not imply this recreation wasn't value watching.
Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports activities. Carmen had earlier stops with The Draft Community and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, together with 2020, which added the title of Tremendous Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You'll be able to observe Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
