Packers pass rushers try to make a statement as they open the post-Smith era against the struggling Bears

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Green Bay’s new defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Jeff Hafley has led to more turnover but has not yet resulted in an improved pass rush.

The Packers have a chance to change that this weekend.

Green Bay showed confidence in its other pass rushers by sending in veteran Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 seventh-round pick last week. The Packers (6-3) will play their first game since that trade when they visit the Chicago Bears (4-5), who fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after one 19-3 loss to New England, in which they allowed nine sacks.

“We’ll be licking our chops,” defensive lineman Arron Mosby said. “It’s an NFC North opponent, divisional game. We’re currently 0-2 (in the division), so we need to make a statement.”

That pass rush hasn’t made enough noise so far.

Green Bay has 19 points – one more than its 2023 season total – and is tied for second in the league in that category. But the Packers have produced just 22 sacks and rank 18th in the league with 2.4 sacks per game. Last year, the Packers collected 45 sacks, ranking 16th in the league.

“I think we’re still waiting for that big breakout game for us,” said 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, who has just one sack this season after allowing four as a rookie. “But I think we have a goal in mind to come back from this break, and I think our best ball is ahead of us.”

Green Bay’s sack totals are somewhat misleading, as 12 of them came in just two games — eight on September 22. victory at Tennessee and four on October 20 victory over the Houston Texans. The Packers have not collected more than one sack in three of their last four games.

Green Bay is credited with pressing 24.5% of an opponent’s dropbacks, which ranks 13th in the league. The Packers had a 24.3% push to finish in seventh place last year.

The Packers’ willingness to trade Smith indicates they believe their younger pass rushers are capable of much more.

Smith’s playing time was down this season, but his 2½ sacks put him tied for second among all Packers, behind Devonte Wyatt’s team-high three. Smith’s 44 sacks for the Packers since joining the team in 2019 ranked sixth among all Packers since 1982.

Rashan Gary viewed the trade as a clear message to Green Bay’s other pass rushers.

“Go forward,” Gary said. ‘Step up. Simple and clear. There is a big chance. Everyone prays and asks for opportunities like this, so the opportunity is there. Let’s make the best of it and finish the season the way we want to finish it.”

Smith told reporters after arriving in Pittsburgh that he requested a trade because he was concerned about his role after Green Bay switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense this year. Statistics show that other Packers veterans have also taken some time to adjust to the move.

Gary has 2½ sacks in nine games this year after recording 24½ in 42 games from 2021-2023. Three-time Pro Bowl selection Kenny Clark is still looking for his first sack of the year after posting a career-high 7½ last season.

“The numbers will come,” Gary said. “Numbers, people are misinterpreted. Put the tape on, watch how we play, watch how we set edges, watch how we pressure quarterbacks. The numbers will come if we continue to play our way of football.”

The trade also opens up opportunities for younger players like 2022 fifth-round pick Kingsley Enagbare and 25-year-old Mosby, who won a roster spot with an impressive preseason and had his first career sack along with Gary on Nov. 3. loss to Detroit just before the bye week.

They have a showcase opportunity in Chicago on Sunday as the Bears have struggled to protect the starting quarterback Caleb Williams the whole season. The Bears have allowed 4.1 sacks per game this season, and only the Cleveland Browns (4.8) have yielded more.

That gives Green Bay’s pass rushers a chance to fulfill the potential they showed earlier this season.

“We can all hope for one of those types of games, a repeat of Tennessee,” Enagbare said. “Fingers crossed.”

Notes: QB Jordan Love practiced fully on Wednesday after playing through a groin injury in the loss to Detroit. … CB Jaire Alexander (knee), C Josh Myers (wrist) and S Evan Williams (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis after missing the Lions game. … RB MarShawn Lloyd (ankle/hamstring) also practiced on a limited basis. Lloyd has been on injured reserve since September 17.

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