We Need Clay

The news is less than great. McCarthy told reporters that Clay would be out for 'at least a couple of weeks,' which is not a resounding endorsement for the health of our best defensive player. Hamstring injuries are notoriously tough to overcome, often becoming season long monsters that won't relent until the offseason. Just ask Clay Matthews, who's explosive abilities were severely limited last season due to the very same hamstring he's dealing with now.

Football is wonderful for many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that it is truly the ultimate team sport. No one star can succeed on his own, all eleven players on the field must work in unison, and one player failing to execute his task (no matter what the task) can lead to failure on any given play. That being said, there are individual players that are absolutely crucial to the success of their team. I would argue that the Packers employ two such players, Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. You could argue that other players on the team fit into this category (Charles Woodson, Josh Sitton, Tramon Williams, etc.), but I don't think you can argue against the lynch-pin importance of Aaron and Clay.

Does the team have a chance at succeeding without either of these players? Of course. The possibility of a Superbowl cannot be mathematically eliminated until it is, well, mathematically eliminated. However, reaching the pinnacle of proffessional football would be damn near impossible without the help of these two stars. The importance of Aaron Rodgers is obvious and warrants no discussion, but let's take a look at why I think Clay is nearly as indispensible.

Why was our defense so horrible last year? Well, for many reasons, but the biggest factor was our anemic pass rush. We lost an inside force in Cullen Jenkins, Clay Matthews wasn't himself, and nobody else filled the void. If you cannot rush the passer, even Mark Sanchez can tear your defense apart. No matter how good your secondary is (and I happen to think we have a pretty darn good one), they simply cannot cover forever. Sacking the quarterback is an unquantifiable skill, in other words, just being fast and strong is not enough to be a pass rusher. Furthermore there are two types of pass rushers, inside rushers, and outside rushers (of course there are more ways to break down rushing the quarterback, but these two categories encompass any and all players blitzing on any play), which require different skills, again beyond the obvious physical requirements. You saw what happens last year when you have neither.

An outstanding outside pass rusher is not enough on his own. The quarterback can simply step up in the pocket (since nobody will be in his face) and deliver an accurate ball. A great inside pass rusher is not enough on his own, since the quarterback can roll to one side of the field or another to buy time, and again deliver an accurate throw. Clay Matthews was consistently double and triple teamed last year, as he had already proven himself to be a premier outside pass rusher, and indeed the team's only effective pass rusher. He was effective considering the circumstances (extra blockers, nagging injury, no help), but could not do enough to disrupt opposing offenses.

This year had been a different story. Ted Thompson brought in defensive help at every level, and the Packers were getting pressure from multiple players not named Matthews. At this point in the season, 13 different players have recorded a sack, eight have multiple sacks, and the list includes two defensive backs, three middle linebackers, four outside linebackers, and four defensive linemen. What is the result of such a diverse and effective pass rush? The star pass rusher (Clay Matthews) has been able to record nine sacks on his own, already surpassing his total from last year.

The numbers sure paint a rosy picture of the Packers' pass rush this year, but the problem is this: no other player on the team has more than two sacks. Which means that although we are getting after opposing qb's much better than last year, and sacks are coming from all over the field, there is still no complementary elite pass rusher. Clay is still the heart and soul of our pass rush, and second place is simply not on the same level. Our offense is not clicking like it was last year, the league seems to have figured out our offense (a little bit, I mean, we're still the Green Bay Fucking Packers), and points have been harder to come by. If we lose Matthews for an extended period of time, or he is hobbled like he was last year, we are in serious trouble. As much as I believe in my team, I do not believe that we can win a Superbowl without an effective Clay Matthews. Of all the injuries we've dealt with so far this year, this one is by far the most critical.

At this point it looks like Matthews could be back as early as week 11, when we face the Giants in the Meadowlands. We'll need him for that contest, but we'll need him even more if we make the playoffs. I'm REALLY hoping our coaching and medical staffs do not rush him back into action prematurely (as they did with Jordy Nelson, with unfortunate results), because if he reaggravates the injury and is done for the year, I believe the team will be as well. I'd much rather see us lose two games in November than one game in January because we can't get after the quarterback.

This was kind of a rambling post, but fuck off, it's a bye week.