Paul Bretl | 12/16/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Up against a Seattle passing game that features two of the most productive wide receivers in football, the Packers’ shorthanded cornerback position helped take away big plays and kept points off the board, which included an interception from Carrington Valentine at a pivotal moment.
“That was huge because they were driving the field,” Kenny Clark said of Valentine’s interception. “They were trying to get momentum back and we were up. I think once CV got that pick, that kind of took it out of them a little bit.”
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With Jaire Alexander and Javon Bullard sidelined for this game due to injuries, Keisean Nixon would move to the slot, while Eric Stokes and Valentine started on the boundary.
One of the plays of the game would come from Carrington Valentine, who came away with a red zone interception. With 3:11 left in the second quarter and the Packers up 17-3, the Seahawks were at the Green Bay 12 yard line with an opportunity to cut the deficit to just one score and then begin with the ball at the start of the third quarter.
On 2nd-and-9 from the aforementioned 12 yard line, Geno Smith looked for Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the left sideline but Valentine was in position to break the pass up and it looked like he even had a chance at an interception.
But on the next play, Valentine would capitalize when the ball came his way again. With pressure up the middle from Karl Brooks and Eric Wilson, Smith had to get rid of the ball quickly and floated it to the back left corner of the end zone. Valentine, who was covering the underneath route, recognized where the ball was going, rerouted himself towards the back pylon, and made the play on the football.
This interception by Valentine was one of many plays dialed up by Jeff Hafley in this game that came with late rotations in the secondary to help disguise what the coverage was, causing some confusion for the quarterback. Oftentimes, where the defensive backs were located when the quarterback took the snap versus when he hit the top of his drop were quite different. At the NFL level, all it takes is a split-second of indecisiveness for a pass play to be ineffective.
“It was super big,” said McKinney of the interception. “I think we needed it. I think that was another one of those things where the disguise game played a big role into that. He thought we were in one high and we weren’t. He really threw right into – the first one that he dropped, that’s the one where he didn’t think we were in a two-high defense. He thought we were in one high and threw it. But I think it helped us a lot, the momentum obviously shifted when we got that. It was a big play for us.”
Obviously, given where Seattle was on the field, this was as well-time of an interception as a player can have, but the pick also provided the Packers’ cornerback room with some on-ball production–an area this group has struggled in this season. Entering Sunday night’s game, of the 12 interceptions by the defense, seven belong to Xavier McKinney. Green Bay also ranked 30th in pass deflections.
Overall, Valentine was targeted four times in this game, allowing three completions but for only 32 yards or 10.7 yards per catch with a forced incompletion.
“It means a lot,” said Valentine of the interception. “A testimony to a lot of hard work that I’ve put in, the guys put in. It’s not just about me. That play doesn’t happen without a lot of things that come with it.”
Along with Valentine, Stokes and Nixon played crucial roles in limiting the dynamic duo that is Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf. According to PFF’s metrics, Stokes allowed two receptions on five targets for only 10 yards, while Nixon held pass-catchers to just 6.5 yards per completion.
Smith-Njigba, who is nearing the 1,000-yard mark this season, and Metcalf, one of the best downfield targets in football, were both efficient against the Green Bay defense, catching 13 of their 15 total targets. However, they were also limited, averaging under 8.5 yards per catch.
“He played a hell of a game,” said McKinney of Valentine. “We got some special guys on this defense from top to bottom. I’m never surprised when our guys go out there and play like how he did today. He prepares the right way. He’s focused. He’s locked in. He’s got a really good skill set. I thought he played a good game today.”
Providing the Packers’ cornerbacks with help was the Green Bay pass rush, specifically the defensive front’s ability to generate consistent pressure.
Smith was under pressure on 39.1% of his dropbacks in this game. Sam Howell, once he took over, was under duress on 53.3% of his dropbacks as well. Combined, the two quarterbacks were pressured on 17 of their 38 total dropbacks. For some context, that total pressure rate of 44.7% would be the second-highest mark for any one quarterback over the course of the 2024 NFL season.
Those pressures turned into seven sacks by six different Packers’ defenders, along with 12 quarterback hits by nine different defenders. The trickle-down effect of that pressure, particularly when it’s frequently coming from the four-man rush, is it takes some of the burden off of the secondary, disrupting the timing and rhythm of the play, potentially leading to mistakes and less time in coverage for the defensive backs.
“Obviously we’re always trying to get pressure on the quarterback, that’s the No. 1 way to disrupt anything on offense,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “But our D-line came to play and they did a hell of a job and just got constant pressure.”
The Packers’ defense also benefitted greatly from having Edgerrin Cooper back at linebacker and patrolling the middle of the field. His speed and athleticism allows him to close passing windows quickly and assist on tackles to limit yards after the catch opportunities.
“It meant a lot to have him back,” said McKinney of Cooper. “It adds to a lot to our team, it adds a lot to our defense and it adds a lot to the linebackers room in general. I think the linebackers room, we got a pretty good room and guys who can do a lot of things in coverage and the rush game. It helps us be able to open our playbook up a little bit and do some things schematically that can frustrate the offense.”
As is going to be the case when down two starters at the cornerback position, it’s going to take a group effort to limit the opposing offense.
Not surprisingly, this has been a very different cornerback unit when Alexander is available versus when he’s not. However, since before the draft, Brian Gutekunst, Matt LaFleur, and the coaching staff have continued to express their confidence in the depth of the cornerback group, even while question marks–at least from the outside perspective–remain.
But on Sunday night in Seattle, the trio of Valentine, Stokes, and Nixon rewarded that confidence by showcasing why the organization has continued to be bullish about this position group.
“It means a lot,” McKinney said of the win. “We just played a good opponent on the road in a hard atmosphere to play inside. We came out here and we looked pretty damn good. I think we’re still growing. We played a good game but I think we could still play a lot better. As we keep going on and keep building with each other, building that connection within each other, it’s gonna keep growing and we’re gonna keep getting better.”