The Green Bay Packers struggled in several areas during their Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, they did a solid job in one area, containing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ ability to run.
Hurts, who scored 15 times on the ground and rushed for more than 600 yards in 2023, finished with just 33 yards on 13 attempts, averaging 2.5 yards per carry. It was a much better performance than the Eagles quarterback’s previous meeting, when he tore apart the Packers for 157 yards in 2022.
Under modern defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Green Bay had a much better game plan this time around. After the game, defensive quarterback Kenny Clark said the pass rush wasn’t as aggressive as usual to keep Hurts from leaving the pocket. In particular, the edge rushers were much more conservative in the passing game, instead of keeping their ears pressed back.
The strategy worked until Philadelphia’s final drive, when they ran 16 plays and ate more than seven minutes of clock before chipping a field goal for a 34-29 lead with less than 30 seconds left. Hurts had three significant fumbles on the drive, including one on third down where his breakaway helped him draw a defensive holding penalty against Clark that resulted in a first down.
Before the final play, Matt LaFleur was pleased with his defense’s ability to keep Hurts’ mobility in check.
“I thought we did a really good job of blocking Jalen in the pocket for three and a half quarters last week,” LaFleur said. “Then, on the final drive, he was able to use his legs a couple of times to move the sticks when we were a little more on the field and open up some gaps inside. There was one time when we were empty and we were coming down, and we shouldn’t have been coming down in that situation. It opened up a huge avenue for him to attack inside that he was able to get out of.”
This week, the Packers are once again tasked with containing a quarterback known for his legs. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson poses a formidable challenge after a season-opening performance in which he rushed for 56 yards on six attempts (9.3 average) and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).
Richardson ran a 4.43-second time at the 2023 NFL Combine, which is fourth-best among quarterbacks in event history. He also has a substantial arm that can test your coverage on the field.
Green Bay will have to find a balance between putting pressure on Richardson and keeping him from running past them.
“He’s a strong, athletic quarterback who can beat you with his arm and his legs,” LaFleur said. “It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
