Two Dogs, Gary and Hutchinson, Ready to Hunt Quarterbacks

Former Michigan standouts Rashan Gary and Aiden Hutchinson will be in the spotlight when the Green Bay Packers play at the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Nov 6, 2022 7:17 AM EST

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Rashan Gary’s face lit up when he was told that Aiden Hutchinson had called him a “dog.”

“Word. He’s a dog himself, man,” Gary said on Thursday, a few days before the Green Bay Packers play at the Detroit Lions. “A little hot take: I feel like Michigan’s becoming the new Pass Rusher U. A little hot take on that. Man, he’s a great guy, great competitor. You see it on tape. I’ve been watching him since college.”

Gary, the Packers’ No. 1 pick in 2019, leads the team with six sacks. Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, leads his team with 4.5 sacks. They are the driving forces behind a pair of defenses that must play better entering the second half of the season. Green Bay ranks a disappointing 16th in points allowed despite a powerful roster. Detroit ranks 32nd and is on pace to give up the most points in NFL history.

“Every one of us in the room, we’ve got to do our one-eleventh,” Gary said. “We’ve got to play together. You can go back and watch the games, it’s only about four, five plays that put us behind.

“We’re challenging each other in the room to be perfect. Everybody’s accepting that challenge. We’ve got to go in, day in and day out, starting from the practice to the film, whether you’re in the building or out of the building, to prepare for Sunday. Everybody is stepping up to that challenge. We had a good practice this week and we can’t wait for Sunday.”

Gary vs. Hutchinson – not that they’ll be going up against each other – will provide an interesting subplot to Sunday’s game.

They spent the 2018 season together in Ann Arbor. They were two hyped prospects, Gary being a five-star recruit and Hutchinson the son of former Michigan All-American Chris Hutchinson.

“Rashan is a dog, you know?” Hutchinson told reporters in Detroit on Thursday. “So, every day, watching him in practice and watching him do what he does, it was just pretty cool. And he had all that hype, being a top draft pick, so to have a guy like that coming it, it was good.”

Gary credited Hutchinson for developing into a star; he set the Michigan record with 14 sacks last season and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

“I don’t want to say mentor,” Gary said. “I feel like I was there, I was able to teach him certain things, help him feel comfortable with the system. At the end of the day, he blossomed into who he became through himself and his hard work.”

Gary has kept tabs as much as possible on Hutchinson’s NFL career. To get ready for the recent game against the Commanders, Gary watched film of Detroit’s victory over Washington. Hutchinson had three sacks in that game.

“Good player. Very talented,” said Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, who also played at Michigan. “High-motor guy that’s got really good twitch, good strength at the point of attack. He’s got some really good pass-rush moves. It’s going to be interesting to see how he progresses over the years and becomes a one of the best (and) a good pass rusher in the league.”

Hutchinson said he’s hoping to swap jerseys with Gary after the game, a must-win for the Packers, who have dropped four in a row to plunge to a stunning 3-5.

“Just takes one of them,” Gary said of winning. “Just takes one of them. Offensively, defensively, special teams-wise, we all understand the standard. We understand what it looks like to play good ball. We’ve just got to get back to it. That’s it. Simple as that.”