While Rashan Gary has improved over the past two weeks, the Green Bay Packers still need a lot more from their star pass-rusher.
Gary has struggled to consistently pressure quarterbacks, with only two sacks in his previous 15 games (including playoffs). He only has one sack since Week 1, which came against the Houston Texans when the right tackle slipped over to give Gary a clear path to C.J. Stroud. His production became a concern early in the season, and the former first-round pick has done little to change that.
The Packers could miss Jaire Alexander and Evan Williams in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions, leaving them thin in the secondary. Gary and the pass rush must step up for the Packers to have any shot at slowing down the league's most explosive offense.
Per Pro Football Focus, Gary's 18 pressures tie for 41st among all edge-rushers this season, while league leader Nick Bosa has 41. Meanwhile, Gary's PFF 61.9 pass-rush grade ties for 75th at the position.
The Packers' pass rush has underwhelmed in the opening eight weeks, and that must change for this team to make a deep playoff run. According to ESPN, Green Bay ranks 30th in pass-rush win rate entering Week 9.
Gary is the Packers' most talented and highest-paid pass-rusher. He needs to lead the way. But the coaches continue to use the double-team excuse, and it's beginning to wear thin with the fan base.
Packers' reasoning for Rashan Gary's struggles doesn't hold up
While speaking to reporters this week, Packers defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich defended Gary's lack of production. It's understandable. He's not going to throw him under the bus and will defend his players, but the Packers keep using the same excuse.
"He's going through a transition, just like we're all going through," said Rebrovich via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "But when you demand a double team or a chip or a thump, that's a respect thing. Hopefully a lot of people are understanding that."
Rebrovich isn't wrong about Gary seeing double teams. Per PFF, Gary has been chipped on 16.5 percent of his pass-rush snaps, the sixth-highest in the league.
But every great pass-rusher gets chipped and has to find a way around it. T.J. Watt gets chipped more than any other player but has made seven sacks this season. Myles Garrett has 36 pressures despite being chipped on 21.9 percent of his snaps. Micah Parsons has more pressures in four games than Gary does in eight, and he is chipped slightly more often.
Getting chipped and doubled-teamed is part of life as a star pass-rusher. ESPN's Jason Wilde put it best on a recent radio show for ESPN Milwaukee.
"If I hear any more about chips and thumps," said Wilde. "You're paying Rashan Gary $96 million. He has to win those. I never hear Mike McCarthy talk about Micah Parsons and go, 'I don't know what we're going to do. They just keep chipping him and he can't get home.'"
Rebrovich also blamed the transition to a new scheme. Come on. It's Week 9. We're too far into the season to blame the new system, especially when the secondary has played lights-out football all year.
The Packers may need to consider searching for pass-rush help before the trade deadline, but they shouldn't need to. They have enough talent on the roster. The entire group needs to improve, but it starts with Gary, who is the Packers' best pass-rusher.
