Green Bay Packers: Under the Scope (Week 2)

Nov 28, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end B.J. Raji (90) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

B.J. Raji was sorely missed

The first drive set the tone for the rest of the game. McCarthy emphasized the importance of stopping star running back Marshawn Lynch first and foremost. How did he do on the day? A measly 41 yards on 15 carries and no touchdowns.

So when Seattle finally got their hands on the ball, they sought to exploit the Packers run defense. When a first down pass to receiver Lockett went nowhere, thanks to the gang tackle led by Sam Shields, they ran the next two downs. On second and ten, B.J. Raji showed great penetration, pushing back his man and tackling Lynch for a loss of two yards. On third down, Lynch was again tackled for a loss, this time by Nick Perry sniffing out the play.

The Packers defensive line missed Raji last year when he was on IR for the entire season. Letroy Guion was brought in last season to fill in for him and now the roles are somewhat reversed, with Guion still serving his three-game suspension. When both return to the field and play side-by-side, it would go a long way in shoring up the run defense. You can never have enough of the big guys, as they say.

Raji scored very positively for the game, according to Pro Football Focus, with a +2.8. He followed up last week’s strong performance with yet another one on Sunday night. Raji was credited with three quarterback hurries and three defensive stops against the run. Raji was abusing Seattle’s interior linemen all night long and he will certainly be called upon Monday night, when the Packers host the Kansas City Chiefs.

Next: Inside LB: Next man up