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After first examining the pivot points for Green Bay’s offense in Sunday’s season opener against Detroit, the defense — which now boasts All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons after a trade with Dallas — is next to go under the microscope ahead of Week 1.
In what figures to be a heavyweight battle on Sunday afternoon, here are three keys to the game for the Packers defense:
Quick pressure
At this point it is well known what kind of quarterback Jared Goff is. He is not a creative or mobile player, but when protected, Detroit’s signal caller is as accurate as they come and can carve up any defense.
He does not attack the deep parts of the field very often, ranking 38th of 42 qualified quarterbacks in deep attempt rate last year.
Detroit’s pass catchers somewhat dictate that. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs are able to hurt teams in the short and intermediate areas specifically, with Jameson Williams (who should not be dismissed) the only real deep threat.
Goff is much more dangerous when he is able to hold the ball and let plays develop, rather than if he has to get rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds or less. His offensive line, which has previously been one of the best in the NFL, has often allowed for pristine passing conditions.
Few QBs are as effective under pressure compared to when they are kept clean, but Goff is one of the passers who suffers most. In 2024, he threw 30 touchdowns to nine interceptions when kept clean, compared to eight touchdowns and six picks when under pressure.
Goff’s lack of mobility is his biggest downfall, as he is not able to escape or effectively throw from a compromised position when moved off his spot.
However, as a cerebral quarterback, he can find solutions if the pressure comes later in the play. In addition, he was excellent against the blitz in 2024. This all means the Packers will need to impact Goff with four rushers if possible, and do it quickly.
Enter: Micah Parsons. The Packers’ newly acquired pass rusher wins quicker than almost anyone, and can be in the backfield in a flash on any given play.
Arguably the fastest way to pressure a quarterback is right up the middle, constricting the pocket. This could be the matchup Green Bay looks to exploit as a pass rush on Sunday.
While Detroit boasts an impressive tackle combination of Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker, both of their guards are new. One of them is rookie Tate Ratledge and the other is a second-year player in Christian Mahogany who only saw a handful of snaps last season.
Frank Ragnow, one of the best centers in the NFL, retired this offseason, with middling veteran Graham Glasgow moving from guard to center to fill the void.
The Packers have versatile pieces in their front, with Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness capable of kicking inside and rushing over guards, and Parsons able to be lined up anywhere, including off-ball linebacker, keeping opposing offensive play callers and quarterbacks guessing.
They lost their most consistent interior player in Kenny Clark in the Parsons trade, but in Devonte Wyatt, they have one of the better pass rushing defensive tackles in the league.
They also have the option of blitzing Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker from the linebacker spot, with the former excelling in that role as a rookie.
Adding Parsons to the pass rush should make life easier for everyone else in Green Bay’s front seven, and could make life hell for Goff as long as they can get Detroit in more obvious passing situations.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown is the number one target in the Lions offense and is one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL. He spends the majority of his time in the slot, and the Packers will need to have a plan for how to match up against him.
With Nate Hobbs’ status for Week 1 still in question, it seems even more likely Javon Bullard will be the primary slot corner for Green Bay on Sunday.
Bullard certainly took his lumps as a rookie while trying to learn two positions at once, but is a talented player as a former second-round pick. The Packers will be hoping he takes a step in Year 2 and looks more comfortable in his hybrid role.
Starting off against St. Brown is a stiff early test of how much Bullard has progressed entering his second season. St. Brown versus Bullard could turn out to be the biggest mismatch on the field for Green Bay defensively.
Jahmyr Gibbs
Stopping the Lions’ run game has been a daunting task for NFL defenses in the last couple of years, with the speedy Jahmyr Gibbs breaking out last year in his second season.
Keeping Detroit out of favorable down-and-distances will of course be a priority for Green Bay, and could be tougher after losing Kenny Clark, but the Packers must also be keenly aware of how Gibbs can hurt them in the passing game.
The former first-round pick has caught 121 passes in his first two years and ranked fourth among running backs in 2024 in yards per route run.
Picking up Gibbs out of the backfield will be crucial, placing a lot of responsibility on Green Bay’s linebackers to limit his impact. Former play caller Ben Johnson did a great job of getting their backs the ball in space, and that will likely continue to be an emphasis for Detroit’s offense.
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