Green Bay Packers: Nick Perry broke out when needed most

The Green Bay Packers were desperate for a win in against the Chicago Bears. They handled business, with a monster game from Nick Perry assisting.

It’s been no secret that the Green Bay Packers defense hasn’t exactly been dominant this year. While that might not be a big surprise, the lack of pressure on the quarterback is. The Packers front seven heading into the season looked strong. They had the tools to help the defense take the next step and start to build into somewhat of a force.

One of the heads of that front seven is Nick Perry. Fresh off a monster year and a contract to match it, the bar was set high for Perry. The 27-year old started off the season hot. He picked up 1.5 sacks in the first game of the year. In Week 2 though, not only did he not record a sack, his day ended with an injury.

Although he needed surgery, it was nothing severe, and Perry only ended up missing one game. His return has been quiet though. The linebacker only had four sacks total coming into the Packers week 10 matchup with the Chicago Bears.

This was suddenly a must-win game for Green Bay. After starting the year 4-1, an Aaron Rodgers injury started a bad trend. The Packers lost three straight, and sat at 4-4. With a .500 record and no Rodgers, their playoff chances seemed to be slipping.

What Green Bay needed was for the defense (particularly the front seven) to bring the pressure. Perry responded with his best game of the year. He recorded three sacks and six total tackles. He led the way for a defense that picked up a season-high five sacks on the night. Obviously, the sack numbers are nice. More importantly though, it helped a young secondary in a must-win game.

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The Packers won 23-16, and the play of the defense can’t be overlooked. At this point in the year, every game will be under a microscope. Green Bay needs to stay in the hunt long enough for Aaron Rodgers to return (possibly).

This starts with the defense picking up the slack. While you can’t expect Nick Perry to have three-sack days every week, you can expect him to be more active. With No. 53 awake again, the Packers stand a chance.