SnakeLH2006
01-06-2010, 05:34 AM
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100105/PKR01/100105150/1058/Matthews-doesn-t-play-like-a-rookie-at-LB
With several strong candidates for the award, it’s no surprise Clay Matthews wasn’t the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year.
But a distant, distant third? That was hard to project.
One of Matthews’ former teammates at USC, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, won the award by a landslide with 39 votes among a panel of 50 writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Matthews was third with three votes, behind Buffalo cornerback Jairus Byrd (six votes) and ahead of Washington outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (two).
The voting gap is a surprise because by the end of the season, Matthews appeared to be strongly in the running. He had attention-getting sack production --he had 10 -- and ascending play at the end of the season that figured to leave a good impression on voters shortly before they cast their ballots. It turned out to not even dent Cushing’s edge.
Nevertheless, Matthews has been one of General Manager Ted Thompson’s most inspired draft picks. He had perhaps the best rookie season of any Packers player over the last 20 years.
“I know this. (Matthews) certainly has made a major contribution to this defense, and I like his future,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said Monday, a day before The Associated Press announced the results. “I like where he’s come from and what he’s done his first year. I like his attitude and approach, and I think he has a really bright future as long as he continues to do things the same way.”
The Packers have had two winners of the defensive rookie of the year award, which the NFL began in 1967: cornerback Willie Buchanon in 1972 and safety Tom Flynn in 1984.
Cushing, whom the Texans selected at No. 15 overall in last spring’s draft, was a starter for the Texans from Week 1 and by the halfway point of the season had opened eyes around the league and become a front-runner for the award. He finished with 133 tackles, 86 of them primary, according to the Texans. He also had five sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Matthews, the No. 26 pick overall, didn’t become a starter at right outside linebacker until Week 4 but by the end of the season was one of the Packers’ top defensive players. He finished with 58 tackles (42 solo), 10 sacks, one fumble forced, three fumble recoveries and no interceptions.
Matthews’ production was a key in helping the Packers weather the loss in the 10th game of left outside linebacker Aaron Kampman, who was their best outside rusher. Matthews’ 10 sacks led the team, as did his 35 hits on the quarterback. In the last several weeks, Matthews has been at his most productive. In the last six games, he had six sacks, and in the last three games he had 14 hits on the quarterback.
The degree to which Matthews’ play took off in the second half of the season surprised even the Packers, though Thompson liked him enough to make an out-of-character trade and give up a second-round draft pick and two third-rounders to move up and get Matthews with the No. 26 overall selection in the first round. Though Matthews missed almost three full weeks of training camp because of a pulled hamstring, he has been unusually sound and consistent in his play since after becoming a starter in Week 4.
“You don’t see that in younger players,” coach Mike McCarthy said Monday.
Capers, a 24-year NFL coaching veteran, said the best defensive rookies he’d worked with were cornerback Tyrone Poole with Carolina in 1995 and cornerback Fernando Bryant with Jacksonville in 1999.
Capers said Matthews’ mature approach to football was the primary reason his rookie play has taken off, and much of that comes from Matthews’ father, Clay Jr., who had a 19-year career as an NFL linebacker.
“When we met with Clay (at the NFL scouting combine), you could see Clay had those intangibles,” Capers said. “His dad played for a long, long time. He’s been around the game from the time he was a small guy. There’s so much that goes into this in terms of being successful far beyond the physical tools — football intelligence, the motivation behind pushing yourself. Clay went to USC as a walk-on and was kind of a self-made guy; he’s got that same work ethic here.
“There’s been a few times I’ve come in to the parking lot in the morning and it’s pretty early, and I see his car pulling in here. You like seeing that, because it’s so competitive with the 32 teams, and you’re competing against that group from every other team, and he competes against himself (too). I think he’s got a lot of pride and wants to be good, that’s a good part of the battle.”
Matthews will be a key player in the Packers’ wild-card playoff game on Sunday against Arizona, which has one of the most explosive passing games in the NFL.
In the regular-season finale against the Cardinals last week, Matthews dominated left tackle Jeremy Bridges in one-on-one rushes and left guard Reggie Wells on stunts. Though he had no sacks, Matthews finished the game with seven hits on the quarterback and also drew a holding penalty in the end zone that gave the Packers a safety.
After watching the game videotape, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt almost surely will change his pass-protection calls to help Bridges, either with a halfback chipping on Matthews or sliding protections his way. The Cardinals have one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history in Kurt Warner, but the 38-year-old lacks mobility and needs plenty of help from his offensive line.
“That’s one thing about playing a team twice,” Capers said. “They’re going to look at any problem areas they thought they had, just like we will, and try to account for those.”
_________________________________-
Looking back at the 2009 Draft, I was gung-ho over Raji (still think he'll be elite soon), but was pretty ecstatic over Matthews.
Did I think he'd do this at 22/23? Nope. Near this good, maybe. Either way, Matthews, as a rookie, is one of a few young beasts in the NFL...and only getting better. Matthews is really ahead of the curve at this stage of his career.
With several strong candidates for the award, it’s no surprise Clay Matthews wasn’t the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year.
But a distant, distant third? That was hard to project.
One of Matthews’ former teammates at USC, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, won the award by a landslide with 39 votes among a panel of 50 writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Matthews was third with three votes, behind Buffalo cornerback Jairus Byrd (six votes) and ahead of Washington outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (two).
The voting gap is a surprise because by the end of the season, Matthews appeared to be strongly in the running. He had attention-getting sack production --he had 10 -- and ascending play at the end of the season that figured to leave a good impression on voters shortly before they cast their ballots. It turned out to not even dent Cushing’s edge.
Nevertheless, Matthews has been one of General Manager Ted Thompson’s most inspired draft picks. He had perhaps the best rookie season of any Packers player over the last 20 years.
“I know this. (Matthews) certainly has made a major contribution to this defense, and I like his future,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said Monday, a day before The Associated Press announced the results. “I like where he’s come from and what he’s done his first year. I like his attitude and approach, and I think he has a really bright future as long as he continues to do things the same way.”
The Packers have had two winners of the defensive rookie of the year award, which the NFL began in 1967: cornerback Willie Buchanon in 1972 and safety Tom Flynn in 1984.
Cushing, whom the Texans selected at No. 15 overall in last spring’s draft, was a starter for the Texans from Week 1 and by the halfway point of the season had opened eyes around the league and become a front-runner for the award. He finished with 133 tackles, 86 of them primary, according to the Texans. He also had five sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Matthews, the No. 26 pick overall, didn’t become a starter at right outside linebacker until Week 4 but by the end of the season was one of the Packers’ top defensive players. He finished with 58 tackles (42 solo), 10 sacks, one fumble forced, three fumble recoveries and no interceptions.
Matthews’ production was a key in helping the Packers weather the loss in the 10th game of left outside linebacker Aaron Kampman, who was their best outside rusher. Matthews’ 10 sacks led the team, as did his 35 hits on the quarterback. In the last several weeks, Matthews has been at his most productive. In the last six games, he had six sacks, and in the last three games he had 14 hits on the quarterback.
The degree to which Matthews’ play took off in the second half of the season surprised even the Packers, though Thompson liked him enough to make an out-of-character trade and give up a second-round draft pick and two third-rounders to move up and get Matthews with the No. 26 overall selection in the first round. Though Matthews missed almost three full weeks of training camp because of a pulled hamstring, he has been unusually sound and consistent in his play since after becoming a starter in Week 4.
“You don’t see that in younger players,” coach Mike McCarthy said Monday.
Capers, a 24-year NFL coaching veteran, said the best defensive rookies he’d worked with were cornerback Tyrone Poole with Carolina in 1995 and cornerback Fernando Bryant with Jacksonville in 1999.
Capers said Matthews’ mature approach to football was the primary reason his rookie play has taken off, and much of that comes from Matthews’ father, Clay Jr., who had a 19-year career as an NFL linebacker.
“When we met with Clay (at the NFL scouting combine), you could see Clay had those intangibles,” Capers said. “His dad played for a long, long time. He’s been around the game from the time he was a small guy. There’s so much that goes into this in terms of being successful far beyond the physical tools — football intelligence, the motivation behind pushing yourself. Clay went to USC as a walk-on and was kind of a self-made guy; he’s got that same work ethic here.
“There’s been a few times I’ve come in to the parking lot in the morning and it’s pretty early, and I see his car pulling in here. You like seeing that, because it’s so competitive with the 32 teams, and you’re competing against that group from every other team, and he competes against himself (too). I think he’s got a lot of pride and wants to be good, that’s a good part of the battle.”
Matthews will be a key player in the Packers’ wild-card playoff game on Sunday against Arizona, which has one of the most explosive passing games in the NFL.
In the regular-season finale against the Cardinals last week, Matthews dominated left tackle Jeremy Bridges in one-on-one rushes and left guard Reggie Wells on stunts. Though he had no sacks, Matthews finished the game with seven hits on the quarterback and also drew a holding penalty in the end zone that gave the Packers a safety.
After watching the game videotape, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt almost surely will change his pass-protection calls to help Bridges, either with a halfback chipping on Matthews or sliding protections his way. The Cardinals have one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history in Kurt Warner, but the 38-year-old lacks mobility and needs plenty of help from his offensive line.
“That’s one thing about playing a team twice,” Capers said. “They’re going to look at any problem areas they thought they had, just like we will, and try to account for those.”
_________________________________-
Looking back at the 2009 Draft, I was gung-ho over Raji (still think he'll be elite soon), but was pretty ecstatic over Matthews.
Did I think he'd do this at 22/23? Nope. Near this good, maybe. Either way, Matthews, as a rookie, is one of a few young beasts in the NFL...and only getting better. Matthews is really ahead of the curve at this stage of his career.