Paul Bretl | 10/18/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers offense faces one of the stingier defenses in football this season, taking on the Houston Texans this Sunday, and finding any sort of success begins with the offensive line finding a way to contain an extremely disruptive pass rush.
“Across the board they’ve got really good rushers,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “So I think one of the big strengths of their defense is their pass rush, especially on third downs. So it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
Collectively as a unit, the Texans will enter Week 7 ranked 10th in pressure rate, fifth in sacks, and fourth in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric. In Week 5 against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Allen finished the game just 9-of-30 passing and a lot of those issues the Bills experienced started up front. Allen was under pressure on 42 percent of his dropbacks and was 0-for-13 passing on those plays.
Leading the charge behind those incredibly disruptive performances are edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. Among all edge rushers this season, both Anderson and Hunter rank among the best in generating pressure, with Anderson coming in at No. 7 and Hunter tied for 11th. Not surprisingly, if you’re generating that kind of pressure production, it means the defender is winning his matchups pretty steadily.
By ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric, which measures how often a pass rusher beats his blocker within 2.5 seconds, Hunter ranks eighth and Anderson is 10th.
“I think he’s one of those guys that got a high motor,” said Jordan Love about Anderson. “He’s always going 100% and he finds ways to wreak havoc in the backfield, so he’s a really good edge rusher. I think Danielle Hunter on the other side is a really good edge rusher, as well, so they got two really good guys on the outside, so guys we always gotta be alert for and I think they do a good job.”
It’s not only that both Anderson and Hunter win regularly, but it’s how they do it, utilizing both power and speed, along with throwing a variety of pass-rush moves at the offensive tackles that they face. Within the Houston scheme, Anderson and Hunter will line up on both sides of the line, so Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom will have to study and prepare for both defenders.
“They both play with great motors,” added Stenavich. “They both can beat you with power and with speed. So those pass rushers are guys you’ve really got to be on point with your balance and your technique because they can run you over and they can put moves on you, too. It’s going to be a big challenge.”
Over the last two weeks, the Packers offensive line unit has held up particularly well in pass protection, along with cutting back on the penalties. In the two games against Los Angeles and Arizona, Jordan Love was pressured on about 30 percent of his dropbacks. For some context, over the course of the season, that would be the ninth-lowest rate in football among qualified quarterbacks.
Of course, the combination of Hunter and Anderson on the outside will present Walker and Tom with a very different challenge. However, Tom has been one of the most steady tackles in football, ranking ninth in pass-blocking efficiency, while Walker has been on the upswing.
“They’re both getting better and they both work at it,” said offensive line coach Luke Butkus about Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker. “In practice, they work their butts off. We’ve got a challenge with these two rushers this week. They’re going to continue to fight and we’re always going to harp fundamentals. That’s what this position is about.
“So, we can constantly get better and keep improving by using our fundamentals, our sets, our pad level, our hands and our footwork, and those guys are professionals. They’re going to keep working at it and keep battling every day.”
Utilizing tight-end chips and moving the ball in the run game are two ways to help negate a pass rush. We also could see the Packers utilize the quick game and screens as methods to combat the Houston front. However, perhaps most importantly, it will be finding success on early downs to stay ahead of the sticks and keeping the offense out of those obvious passing situations, where Anderson and Hunter can pin their ears back and go.
Of note in this game, Texans’ defensive tackle Mario Edwards has been suspended for four games for violating substance abuse policy. Houston is also dealing with injuries on that side of the ball, with cornerback Kamari Lassiter, safety Jimmie Ward, and linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o all sidelined this week.
Perhaps those potential missing players open up opportunities for the Packers elsewhere, but the dynamic duo of Anderson and Hunter can certainly make up for those losses with their abilities to wreak havoc, get after the quarterback, and disrupt the timing and rhythm of the entire play.
“He is a problem,” said Matt LaFleur of Anderson. “He’s another one of the problems that they’ve got. There’s a lot of guys, he’s just so disruptive and he’s relentless, too. I just love his play style. I mean he’s going to come off the ball. He’s going to fight you every snap. He plays the game the way it’s meant to be played.”