Green Bay Packers: Five lessons learned in Week 3 win
4. Ahmad Brooks has been a free-agent godsend
The recently-signed free agent couldn’t have come back at a better time from his concussion and filled in capably for the oft-injured Nick Perry at outside linebacker with a sack, 2 tackles and several pressures.
His third quarter sack showed that despite being in the twilight of his career, the 33-year-old Brooks still has the juice to go around blockers, as he did against Jake Fisher.
Prior to acquiring the former 49er earlier in the month, the Packers were set to go into the season with Kyler Fackrell and Jayrone Elliott as their primary backups behind Perry and Clay Matthews before the latter was traded to Dallas for a seventh-round pick.
Fackrell continues to disappoint with his inability to beat opponents with power while the likes of Datone Jones and Julius Peppers are long gone and collecting paychecks from other franchises.
Fellow youngster Chris Odom, conversely, is an intriguing talent, who shows flashes, but remains a work in progress.
Brooks’ veteran presence and “old-man” strength in the trenches gives the defense another pass rusher that opponents have to account for.
Some may have bristled at the front office handing over the princely sum of about $5 million to the 12th-year veteran, but just imagine where the defense would be without him.