The Green Bay Packers managed to bounce back from back-to-back losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers in a less-than-assuring way against the New York Giants last weekend, with the team securing a 27-20 in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium.
However, one thing that stood out on Sunday was the involvement of defensive end, Rashan Gary in the game.
Gary is the team’s starting edge rusher, alongside All-Pro Micah Parsons, and is currently 10th in the league in sacks with 7.5 on the season. But in New York in Week 11, the team took a slightly odd decision to reduce his snap count on defense.
The Pro Bowler has not played fewer than 60% of defensive snaps all season long, managing up to the early 70s mark on some occasions. Yet this past weekend he played just 54%, or 39/72.
And when asked about it on Wednesday, Matt LaFleur divulged some information as to why Gary did not play as many snaps as usual against the Giants, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
“Matt LaFleur said Rashan Gary only played 39/72 snaps Sunday because of a couple reasons.” Schneidman reported on Wednesday. ” [Gary has] Never been a high snap count guy, product of how game went, Kingsley Enagbare earning more snaps.”
Schneidman also added the former Michigan man’s contract details, for context.
“Gary is making $24 million per year as the 13th-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL.”
Perhaps it was not solely a performance issue on the behalf of Gary – indeed LaFleur’s comments point to the opposite – but one can’t help thinking that in what was a very close game for the longest time, seeing less of Gary feels like a very specific, telling tactical move.
Packers Defense Underperforming Relative To Lofty Expectations
Although Gary and Parsons have combined for 15.5 sacks this season, the most of any pass-rushing tandem outside of the Denver Broncos‘ Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto, who have 17 as they continue to impress over the course of their currently 9-2 campaign, neither player is quite what the Packers would have hoped they would be in 2025.
Parsons has been excellent in fits and spurts, but both his inconsistency in the passing game and general liability against the run has drawn criticism this year. Gary, meanwhile – despite being on track to break his season sack record of 9.5, which he managed back in 2021 – has scored not performed well on some advanced metrics.
His quick pressure rate in 2025, for example, is the lowest it has ever been – hovering around the 2% level.
What Will The Packers Be Looking To Do In Week 12?
Green Bay currently stand second in the NFC North – the division that they had otherwise lead for long periods of the season to-date – behind arch rivals, the Chicago Bears, who maintain a half game lead at 7-3.
Facing a Minnesota Vikings team in Week 12 that has lost four out of their past five and has broadly seen very poor returns from quarterback, JJ McCarthy, the Packers will be under no illusion that this is a must-win game ahead of a brutal end-of-season schedule.
One that will see them face the Lions, Bears twice, Broncos and Ravens, before travelling to Minneapolis to close out the season in January.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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