Packers: Five players key to victory in Week 2 vs. Lions
By Jesse Fry
2. Preston Smith
Za’Darius Smith got a sack on Sunday. Rashan Gary lead the team in pressures. Two thirds of the Packers’ three-headed monster at linebacker affected the game. Missing in action was Preston Smith.
It’s not completely fair to say Smith was an absolute non-factor in the game. To the naked eye, it seemed he did not get as many chances as the other two.
It could have been by design as to not show all their cards in a week one game, it could have been because Smith is better in coverage than the other two. Either way, Smith needs to be more of a factor in this game.
Matthew Stafford is still a very dangerous quarterback. He’s also prone to bad decisions and mistakes, especially under pressure.
Smith had a good game against the Lions in Lambeau a season ago, recording a sack-and-a-half and disrupting Stafford all game long. If he can repeat the same type of statistics, it would go a long way in making life miserable for Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
I expected more exotic looks from the team than what we saw last week. I get it, you don’t want to empty the bag in week one. But to come away with only one sack from the trio was a bit disappointing. Especially considering how much the Vikings needed to throw at the end. I don’t think that happens again.