Green Bay Packers must finally contain Colin Kaepernick

The Green Bay Packers and Colin Kaepernick are headed in two drastically different directions this season. The Packers have rolled out of the gates 3-0, even patching up their porous run defense over the past two weeks to hold both Marshawn Lynch and Jamaal Charles under 50 yards. Kaepernick, on the other hand, is coming off a week three performance against the Arizona Cardinals in which he threw for 67 yards and four interceptions. Throw those numbers out the window.

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Despite plugging up the run game, due in large part to the play from Clay Matthews on the inside, the Green Bay Packers have still been burned by opposing quarterbacks moving outside of the pocket. Russell Wilson managed 78 yards on 10 carries in week two, while even the majestic Jay Cutler broke off four rushes for 31 yards in the opening week of the season.

While some of this is a side effect of focusing so strongly on the tailback, it’s also the result of some very poor tackling in the open field. Kaepernick’s top-shelf athleticism will pose a problem for the Packers, and he already has the blueprint.

His regular season performance against Green Bay is more efficient than electric. Over those two games he completed 27-of-39 passes for 412 yards and three touchdowns while adding 39 yards rushing. It’s in the playoffs, though, that Kaepernick has been a thorn in the Packers’ side.

In a 2013 win over Green Bay, Kaepernick rushed seven times for 98 yards, adding 227 yards with another score through the air. Their 2012 meeting, which Packers fans still try to mentally suppress until this day, saw Kaepernick rush 16 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns. One of the most dominant athletic performances from a quarterback in recent NFL history.

Thankfully for Green Bay, they receive some immediate help just from the reality of San Francisco’s decreased offensive talent. Kaepernick does not have the offensive line he once did, and the entire passing attack has looked out of sorts through the early stages of 2015. On Sunday, look for Matthews and Kaepernick to get very familiar.

With Nate Palmer emerging as a potential option at inside linebacker along with rookie Jake Ryan, Dom Capers will have the ability to shadow Kaepernick with Matthews if and when he chooses. This is enabled by Green Bay’s young secondary, especially Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, who have been trustworthy options early.

Green Bay’s greatest weapon against Lynch and Charles over the past two weeks was their consistency in setting a strong edge and keeping the ballcarrier in front of them. This forces an adjustment or lane change, sending the running back directly into the arms of a secondary rusher or interior defender. That’s the plan that must be re-engineered to attack Kaepernick.

Veteran Julius Peppers will need mother big game, but more importantly, a smart one. Two tackles with zero sacks could still be a fantastic performance for the outside ‘backer, so long as he maintains position and prevents the immediate burst around the edge from Kaepernick. The same will be asked of Nick Perry, Mike Neal, Mike Daniels and Jayrone Elliot.

This isn’t a game of perfection, admittedly. Kaepernick will do his damage on the ground, but if Green Bay can keep the damage at a digestible level, their team matches up well enough in all other areas to leave San Francisco with a 4-0 record on Sunday as they return home to face the Rams and Chargers.

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