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Green Bay Packers wise to keep Clay Matthews hybrid role going

By Kevin Parvizi

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For the most part, the Green Bay Packers had major issues at the heart of their defense, as they were unable to receive strong play from their traditional options at the inside linebacker position. This led to the Packers fielding a run defense that quickly became a punching back for top backs, and they were particularly vulnerable to fading in games after Mike Daniels and the defensive linemen weren’t able to generate as much of a push.

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In Week 10 against workhorse back Matt Forte and the Chicago Bears, the Packers turned star pass rusher Clay Matthews loose against their bitter rivals. But instead of just using him to get after Jay Cutler, they debuted him as an inside linebacker in an effort to improve their disappointing run defense. Dom Capers and Mike McCarthy utilized him to perfection, as he wreaked havoc on the Bears defense with a season-high 11 tackles (nine solo) and one sack.

From then on, the Packers mixed-and-matched Matthews inside and outside, keeping him on the outside in obvious passing situations. Whether this was a coincidence or not I’m unsure, but Matthews was at his best as a pass rusher after his move to a hybrid role in Week 10. 8.5 of his 11 sacks came during this period of time, and he further showed off his well-rounded work in the passing game with nine passes defended.

According to ESPN NFL Nation’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers will continue to use Matthews in this hybrid capacity in 2015, so defenses can continue to look forward to trying to find No. 52, who showed that he can play the run and cover in addition to his acclaimed work as a pass rusher.

Per Demovsky, Matthews was spotted working as an inside linebacker in 11-0n-11s, and he worked with members of the ILB position in individual drills.

The star defensive player said, “Obviously, this spring we’re putting a little more emphasis on me understanding the inside position, as you saw from the position drills and everything. I know the outside. I still will continue to work with them. As you’ll see, we’ll be alternating inside and outside as far as rushing to stacking the box. But mentally I’m ready. Like I said, they’re going to rush me from all over the field, they’re going to drop me from all over the field and I expect to do a multitude of things this year.”

While Clay Matthews will cause offensive coordinators headaches next season, this all should come as great news to Packers fans. We always talk about how valuable it is to have a versatile tight end who can line up in the slot, out wide, or as a traditional TE and make life tough for defenses, and I view Matthews as that kind of a player on defense. Except, he’s an even more rare breed than the hybrid TE, because, well, who else plays as an OLB and ILB in a 3-4 and makes this kind of an impact in all facets of the game?

If Matthews can improve on the number of plays he makes in run defense, then he could truly be an unstoppable force on the inside. I mean, he’s already quite the difference-maker no matter where he plays, but it seems like the main benefits to him playing ILB are that their other options aren’t the best and that his efficiency as a pass rusher apparently improves (potentially because defenses are more imbalanced when he moves around the field during a game, but this is harder to prove, especially since the sacks can be attributed to “regression to the mean”).

Dec 21, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) rushes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps one of the scariest thoughts for defenses could be Matthews’s improvement as an inside linebacker, because he now has an entire offseason of work ahead of him to prepare him better for the rigors of the position (particularly with understanding the nuances of the position against the run).

Defenses now have to check whether or not he’ll blitz from the inside or drop off into coverage, because he’s quite capable of doing both.

The Green Bay Packers certainly got better at ILB by drafting Jake Ryan, who can immediately be a solid player and notable upgrade, and Packers fans have Carl Bradford to look forward to.

But the team’s biggest weapon at ILB is Matthews, and I wonder if this unique role will catch on if teams find future linebackers who have the unique physical traits to do it.

Next: Packers: Expectations for Ty Montgomery

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