Packers linebacker Clay Matthews shook off his inactive preseason like he shook off Eagles blockers Sunday, leading the Green Bay defense during a superlative defense.
Matthews finished with two sacks, a forced fumble, and seven tackles, including the game-clinching stuff of Michael Vick.
“There’s a lot of rust I need to shake off. It was a good way to start the season, let’s just leave it at that,” Mathews said after the game.
While the team’s 2009 first-round pick built off his fabulous rookie season, the No. 5 overall pick didn’t play a single snap on defense. A.J. Hawk only plays in Green Bay’s base defense. Since the Packers played in their nickel or dime packages all day, Hawk only played on special teams.
Hawk’s lack of a role on passing downs is nothing new. But it still says something when a guy making $4.6 million doesn’t play a snap on defense all day.
It also says we should probably change our definition of what’s a “base defense” in today’s NFL.