How many sacks will Clay have this year ?

[steve823]

What do you guys think? If we had someone that was a threat opposite him I would go with over 20, but since all offenses will probably focus on him, I'm going with 17.

[gbgary]

he's on pace for 48...lol. 48 sacks. he can get 20+.

[Cheesehead Craig]

He'll break Strahan's record, but do it legit.

[packerbacker1234]

I say he competes for the record, barring injury. He wont get 3 sacks a game every game - but we do have the lions and the bears in our division, as well as a slow Brett Favre. Those games alone should give him roughly 10 sacks. That would be 6 mroe games, so in 8 games alone, 16 sacks. I think he can somehow get 7 sacks more in the remaining 8 games.

The thing that makes him so great is even if you do double team him, he apepars to still beat it. WHats next, a tripple team?

[hoosier]

I am guessing a nice round 16. Philly and Buffalo have very inadequate pass protection and aren't a good test of how far Matthews can go this year. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Dallas, New England and Atlanta in particular. If he can have success against offenses that can pass protect and that are scheming for him, then it will be time to start thinking of him as an elite, top-5 LB.

[bobblehead]

I think he slows his pace a bit and finishes with a mere 33 sacks.

[Gunakor]

He needs 14 more to make 20. He has 14 more games left to do it in. I think there's a pretty good chance he'll make it. Look how Dom uses him. Moving him around at the line pre-snap. That confuses the offense and eliminates many double teams. The way he's used at the line he's gonna have plenty more free runs at the QB. I mean completely unblocked due to the confusion his movement creates. I think 20 is a very fair expectation, and TBH, even that might be a bit low.

[Lurker64]

I think the fact that Matthews has a positive matchup against all of the offensive tackles in the division (Loadholt, McKinnie, Backus, and Cherilus all struggle with speed, and neither Omiyale nor Williams are especially good in pass pro) means that he should probably hit 20.

Assuming that key players in the front seven (notably Jenkins and Raji) stay healthy, I'd go with 20+.

[wist43]

I can see him getting to 20... but it won't be easy. He is the one guy OC's have to account for on every play; he's going to be drawing more double teams and chips.

[packerbacker1234]

I am guessing a nice round 16. Philly and Buffalo have very inadequate pass protection and aren't a good test of how far Matthews can go this year. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Dallas, New England and Atlanta in particular. If he can have success against offenses that can pass protect and that are scheming for him, then it will be time to start thinking of him as an elite, top-5 LB.

Dallas has done a horrible job protecting Romo so far. That one tackle looks like he would be a 4th stringer on our team.

It's all about how we use Matthews, and Dom has said as much. Matthews and Woodson are the types of players that are so good you disguise them, you confuse the other side opf the ball. Matthews came up the left side, came from the right, came formt he left - they really moved him around. Sometime he was in on nickle and faked a blitz and dropped back - where he notably played decent in zone middle coverage.

Woodson is the same way. We move him around a lot. Put him in the slot, put him at safety, zone him in the middle - have him play wolf, blitz off the ege... It's really hard to preplan double teams on a guy who could come from anywhere on the field. It's not like an elite DE like Kampman who you always know he is coming from x side. Matthews is all over so far this season. His play seems to be casuing other LB's to step up too.

Barnett has looked quicker and gotten more pressure up the middel himself, compared to last year.

Guy is scary good. Top 5? Hell, he was already, statistically (I Believe), top 5 last year... and that was what... in 12 games?

[HarveyWallbangers]

In 2001, KGB had 4 sacks after two games and finished with 13 1/2.
In 2006, Kampman had 4 sacks after two games and finished with 15 1/2 sacks.

I'll say Clay has 15-17 sacks. 20 sacks is hard to do.

[Packers4Ever]

I think he slows his pace a bit and finishes with a
mere 33 sacks.

Hi, BH, I'll be just a tad :) more conservative, my brain says to shoot for

21. What an exciting player to watch. Between him, Findley, Raji

and the big guy, Bulaga, + all the rest of the guys, it ought to be an

exciting season !!

[get louder at lambeau]

Well, based on his average number of sacks per game started in his NFL regular season career so far, he should get 17.1 sacks in 16 games. I'll take the over since he's off to such a fast start, and guess he ends up with 19.

[hoosier]

I am guessing a nice round 16. Philly and Buffalo have very inadequate pass protection and aren't a good test of how far Matthews can go this year. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Dallas, New England and Atlanta in particular. If he can have success against offenses that can pass protect and that are scheming for him, then it will be time to start thinking of him as an elite, top-5 LB.

Dallas has done a horrible job protecting Romo so far. That one tackle looks like he would be a 4th stringer on our team.

It's all about how we use Matthews, and Dom has said as much. Matthews and Woodson are the types of players that are so good you disguise them, you confuse the other side opf the ball. Matthews came up the left side, came from the right, came formt he left - they really moved him around. Sometime he was in on nickle and faked a blitz and dropped back - where he notably played decent in zone middle coverage.

Woodson is the same way. We move him around a lot. Put him in the slot, put him at safety, zone him in the middle - have him play wolf, blitz off the ege... It's really hard to preplan double teams on a guy who could come from anywhere on the field. It's not like an elite DE like Kampman who you always know he is coming from x side. Matthews is all over so far this season. His play seems to be casuing other LB's to step up too.

Barnett has looked quicker and gotten more pressure up the middel himself, compared to last year.

Guy is scary good. Top 5? Hell, he was already, statistically (I Believe), top 5 last year... and that was what... in 12 games?

Dallas has given up one sack in two games. No matter how bad their LT might be, Romo still gets the ball out of there (for better or for worse).

[Waldo]

As long as Raji stays healthy.

Matthews has been doubled a lot less than you would think the NFL sack leader would be. He has big #90 to thank for that. OL's typically set their protection inside out. And most of the time they are rolling protection to Raji. Up the middle pressure is MUCH worse than edge pressure for the play, and much more precarious for the QB's health situation. A single lineman has not been able to stop Raji's bullrush from moving them backwards rapidly. Heck two guys have had trouble with him at times.

I look for 20+.

Matthews is a lot better pass rusher than KGB or Kamp ever were.

[Scott Campbell]

He's number 52 - right?

[Fritz]

I am guessing a nice round 16. Philly and Buffalo have very inadequate pass protection and aren't a good test of how far Matthews can go this year. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Dallas, New England and Atlanta in particular. If he can have success against offenses that can pass protect and that are scheming for him, then it will be time to start thinking of him as an elite, top-5 LB.

Dallas has done a horrible job protecting Romo so far. That one tackle looks like he would be a 4th stringer on our team.

It's all about how we use Matthews, and Dom has said as much. Matthews and Woodson are the types of players that are so good you disguise them, you confuse the other side opf the ball. Matthews came up the left side, came from the right, came formt he left - they really moved him around. Sometime he was in on nickle and faked a blitz and dropped back - where he notably played decent in zone middle coverage.

Woodson is the same way. We move him around a lot. Put him in the slot, put him at safety, zone him in the middle - have him play wolf, blitz off the ege... It's really hard to preplan double teams on a guy who could come from anywhere on the field. It's not like an elite DE like Kampman who you always know he is coming from x side. Matthews is all over so far this season. His play seems to be casuing other LB's to step up too.

Barnett has looked quicker and gotten more pressure up the middel himself, compared to last year.

Guy is scary good. Top 5? Hell, he was already, statistically (I Believe), top 5 last year... and that was what... in 12 games?

Your post made me remember an old article in the JSO, I think. One of the writers - old Cliffy Christl, or someone else? - was bemoaning the "fact" that Thompson was too conservative in his draft and FA choices and did not choose high-upside guys who could become playmakers. He had, according to the writer, too many pedestrian players and not enough blue-chippers. I think the writer even assigned a color to each kind of player (blue for difference-maker, etc). He was right that the team didn't have enough playmakers, but wrong in thinking this was due to TT's proclivities in player acquisition.

But look at the defense now. Woodson, Raji, Mathews, Collins. Playmakers.

I hope the pass rush stays strong. I hated watching just a few years ago when Aaron Kampman a-l-m-o-s-t getting to the QB was the entire pass rush.

[Tony Oday]

32...write that down

[SkinBasket]

He picks up 36 sacks this season, does a special in Sports Illustrated about killing bears with his bare hands and eating them uncooked with the fur still on, then takes Fritz's mom out for a nice night on the town and picks up his 37th sack.

[RashanGary]

How many elite players do we have?

Clay
Chuck
Rodgers (maybe)


Finley
Collins
Jennings


Sitton
Raji
Driver
Barnett
Jenkins
Pickett


I count 2 elite, maybe three if Rodgers turns this year into something special.

[Tony Oday]

How many elite players do we have?

Clay
Chuck
Rodgers (maybe)


Finley
Collins
Jennings


Sitton
Raji
Driver
Barnett
Jenkins
Pickett


I count 2 elite, maybe three if Rodgers turns this year into something special.

You kidding? AR is an ELITE QB in the NFL. Jennings is Elite.

[pbmax]

Matthews is a lot better pass rusher than KGB or Kamp ever were.
Preach it Brother Waldo.

I am still worried about consistent pressure overall (the meat of the schedule is yet to come), but I agree with Waldo that Raji has helped more this year. Pickett at times as well, though that might be in place of Neal. If Neal, Jenkins and Jones get close to healthy, this may no longer be a concern. Except for the other sideline.

16 sacks.

[channtheman]

I don't know if Matthews can continue at his pace. As such I'm tempering my expectations.

45.

[HarveyWallbangers]

How many elite players do we have?

Clay
Chuck
Rodgers (maybe)

Finley
Collins
Jennings

Sitton
Raji
Driver
Barnett
Jenkins
Pickett

I count 2 elite, maybe three if Rodgers turns this year into something special.

Blue Chips - Woodson, Matthews, Rodgers, Collins, Jennings, Finley
Red chips - Sitton, Raji, Driver, Jenkins, Barnett, Pickett

I think Sitton is close to Blue Chip. That's how good I think he is. Raji has that potential. Jenkins is a damn good 3-4 DE. Barnett and Pickett were close. I gave it to them. Clifton used to be up there. A healthy Al Harris goes on the list somewhere.

[RashanGary]

I was more talking MVP and DPOY type elite. I'm talking our 96 team had Favre and White. . . .


Woodson and Matthews are that type of elite player right now. I think Rodgers might be too.


In the probowl sense, yeah, there are more legit elite players, but I'm talking HOF type guys.

[Smidgeon]

Alright...who voted that the Claymaker would get four sacks or fewer in the next fourteen games?? :x

[rbaloha1]

Breaks the record.

[Smidgeon]

Breaks the record.

At the very least, he's got the kind of start necessary to be angling for it.

[Scott Campbell]

For perspective, there are only 2 entire TEAMS in the NFL (besides GB) that have more than 6 sacks heading in to today's games. Detroit with 9 and TN with 8.

[Smidgeon]

For perspective, there are only 2 entire TEAMS in the NFL (besides GB) that have more than 6 sacks heading in to today's games. Detroit with 9 and TN with 8.

I thought Detroit was tied with GB at 10 before this week. Did they have a sack taken away during the middle of the week, or had I read that wrong?

[Pugger]

In 2001, KGB had 4 sacks after two games and finished with 13 1/2.
In 2006, Kampman had 4 sacks after two games and finished with 15 1/2 sacks.

I'll say Clay has 15-17 sacks. 20 sacks is hard to do.

Especially when more teams triple team him. Of course that should allow other guys to get their licks in. :)

[Scott Campbell]

For perspective, there are only 2 entire TEAMS in the NFL (besides GB) that have more than 6 sacks heading in to today's games. Detroit with 9 and TN with 8.

I thought Detroit was tied with GB at 10 before this week. Did they have a sack taken away during the middle of the week, or had I read that wrong?


Dunno.

Just got the numbers from ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team?stat=defense&sort=sacks

[denverYooper]

If Loadholt plays the way he played today, Clay'll have 10 sacks vs. the Vikings alone.