What Packers can learn from Super Bowl 59 matchup

Paul Bretl | 2/10/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers pass rush has to improve. We knew that as we watched the 2024 season unfold, we knew that roughly a month ago when their season came to an end in Philadelphia, and it became even more evident watching the Super Bowl.

The Eagles dominated the game and doing so began with their ability to control the line of scrimmage. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Patrick Mahomes was pressured on 16 of his 42 dropbacks, which included the Eagles generating 11 quarterback hits and six sacks as well. Even more impressive was that the Eagles created that steady pressure without blitzing one time. That was just their four man rush doing the damage.

Mahomes would finish the game 21-of-32 passing for 257 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. But those numbers don’t tell the entire story. For nearly three quarters the Chiefs weren’t just held scoreless, but couldn’t pass midfield. It was a dominant performance by the Eagles front that left Mahomes with little time, disrupting the timing and rhythm of many plays, resulting in errant throws, sacks, or nowhere to go with the ball.

When the Packers faced the Eagles’ they had similar difficulties. With the Eagles able to slow the Packers’ run game and pressure Jordan Love with only their four-man rush, it made moving the ball against Philadelphia’s two-high shell that featured seven defenders in coverage a very difficult task.

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Throughout the entire 2024 season, the Green Bay front four struggled to create steady pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In fact, it was very all-or-nothing, with the Packers front often given their overall production a boost against lesser opponents, but struggling to get home against the NFC’s best.

“Sometimes that’s just the way the NFL season goes,” said Brian Gutekunst in his end of season press conference. “I think, again, there was some transition to a new scheme, but I think we didn’t grow into that consistent front like we had hoped, but there were times that we showed it, so I know it’s capable. I think we’ve got the right guys. They’re workers in there, I think they’re all passionate about the game, they’re unselfish team guys so I expect us to get better there.”

According to PFF’s metrics, in the playoff game against Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts was pressured on 33% of his dropbacks. In the Week 17 game versus Minnesota, Sam Darnold was pressured 31% of the time and Jared Goff just 28% of the time in Week 14.

To add some context around what those numbers mean, Justin Herbert was pressured on almost 34% of his dropbacks over the course of the 2024 season, and that would rank 25th out of 42 eligible quarterbacks. A season-long pressure rate of 31% would rank 32nd and 28% would rank 38th.

When a quarterback has time in the pocket and can go through his progressions, it’s often going to be a long day for an opposing defense, specifically the secondary, who now have to routinely defend for three or four seconds–which can be a lifetime in the NFL in this regard.

So, not surprisingly, in those games against top teams where the four-man front didn’t get after the quarterback, Darnold and Goff in particular, picked apart the Green Bay defense. Darnold was 26-of-30 for 315 yards with three touchdowns from a clean pocket. Goff, meanwhile, would also 26-for-30 for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“I would say in those known passing situations, get back on track, third and medium plus, guys got to be able to win one on ones and there’s certain things you can do structurally to help create some one-on-one opportunities for our guys,” Matt LaFleur said after the season. Typically, if you put a linebacker on the ball and you space it out so that each lineman is covered, you’re going to get a 5-0, and you’ll have five one-on-ones, but somebody’s gotta win.”

The trickle-down effect of a lack-luster pass rush is not only the impact and added stressors that it puts on the secondary, but it can alter an entire gameplan. After the season, Matt LaFleur acknowledged that we didn’t truly see what he envisioned for the Jeff Hafley defense. On one hand, that’s a credit to Hafley for his willingness to adapt and adjust in an effort to find ways to be productive, given the players that he had and how the team was performing. On the other hand, it further speaks to the pass rush issues.

“I envisioned rushing four and playing three deep/four under a heck of a lot more and we ended up doing a lot of simulated blitzes and different pressures and playing a bunch of cover-2,” said LaFleur. “But I think, again, you always evolve throughout the course of the season, through the offseason, but that was the foundation, I would say, of the defense. But I thought our guys did a great job of adjusting. I thought we were playing some pretty good football at the end.”

Overall, on paper, the Packers pass rush production seems fine. They finished top 10 in sacks and were in the middle of the pack in terms of pressure rate. However, more than anything, as mentioned, that is a product of a few big games against lesser opponents. These pressures and sacks were often drummed up by Hafley through blitzes or simulated pressures to throw added eye-candy and confusion at the offense.

When it comes to the four-man front’s ability to win regularly, a more accurate portrayal of how the season went is with ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric. This measures how often a defender beats their blocker within 2.5 seconds. As a collective unit, the Packers ranked 26th in this category.

“I knew there would be a little bit,” said Gutekunst about the transition from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense. “I was encouraged in training camp, just because I thought we were, we were really humming in training camp at times. And then there was just some inconsistencies through the year. You know, there’s times we kind of broke out, and then there’s times we’d have these lulls where we just we just we weren’t probably playing as well as we would like. But those guys, I did liked the way they work together. And, you know, I do think we’ve got a really good group in that room.”

To help remedy what we saw in 2024, the Packers moved on from defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich this offseason and hired former New England Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington to fill this role. Before taking over as the Patriots defensive coordinator in 2024, Covington was the team’s defensive line coach and his fronts finished top-11 in pressure rate in three of his four seasons in that role.

It’s not as if the defensive front isn’t a position that the Packers have invested into heavily. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark have both received extensions somewhat recently. Brian Gutekunst has also spent first-round picks on Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt.

The hope is that in Year 2 of Hafley’s system, and with a new voice in the defensive line room that this unit can make a big jump in 2025. But with how important the pass rush is to overall success, is that something the Packers can bank on? After all, hope is not a plan.

Chances are we see the Packers continue to invest premium capital into this position group and the Eagles’ performance against Mahomes and the Chiefs is a prime example as to why the Packers should continue to do that. On the other side of the ball, the same rings true with the offensive line, who is tasked with slowing opposing pass rushes. This offseason, Josh Myers is a free agent, and right now, Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, and Rasheed Walker are all set to be free agents in 2026.

The good news for the Packers is that this year’s draft class is absolutely loaded at the defensive line position. One of the best draft analysts in the business, Daniel Jeremiah, recently put together his initial top 50 prospect big board, and included were 16 defensive linemen.

Make no mistake about it: the Packers’ defense as a whole made big strides in Hafley’s first year at the helm. This included finishing top-10 in scoring, generating takeaways, and fielding one of the more stingy run defense units as well. But if this group is going to make a jump in Year 2, the pass rush has to improve. The name of the game is getting after the quarterback, and ultimately, how well the Packers’ four-man front does that will determine the ceiling for this unit.

“I think you’re always looking with pass rushers, you can never have enough,” added Gutekunst. “And I thought there were times this year we did that we were able to rush with four. I think every team in the league, that’s how you’d prefer to do it. Drill rush with four and affect the quarterback. There was periods of time where we didn’t do that well enough. I think everybody understands that that affects your football team.”

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