Smith Raises Game to Greater Heights
MINNEAPOLIS – Last week, left tackle David Bakhtiari expressed his disappointment over Za’Darius Smith being left off the NFC Pro Bowl team. Bakhtiari called Smith the Green Bay Packers’ best player, and hoped he’d take his frustration out on the Minnesota Vikings.
On Monday night, Smith turned in one of the great defensive performances of recent Packers history. Smith almost single-handedly kept the Packers from being blown out in the first half and turned up the heat even further in the second half. By the end of the night, Smith had 3.5 sacks, five tackles for losses, five quarterback hits and seven tackles to send the Packers to a 23-10 victory and the NFC North championship.
“It seemed like he was unblockable,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Can’t say enough about him, not only as a player, but as a leader and just how he totally embraces the team concept, how he takes these young guys under his wing and is a good example for them. He’s been a huge addition to this football team.”
Added quarterback Aaron Rodgers: “When you have guys who can single-handedly take over games it covers up for a lot of stuff on a squad. We’re pretty lucky to have him.”
The Packers signed Smith to a four-year, $64 million contract in free agency, even though Smith was never more than a part-time starter who never had more than 8.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens. After Monday’s devastating performance, he’s got a team-high 13.5 sacks, which is good for fourth in the NFL.
“We’re not worried about the Pro Bowl. We trying to go to a Super Bowl,” Smith said.
The Packers took a big step in that direction on Monday. Not only did they clinch the division – and got championship hats and T-shirts to mark the occasion – but they need only a victory over three-win Detroit on Sunday to clinch the No. 2 seed, a first-round bye and a divisional-round home game. If Green Bay wins at Seattle beats San Francisco, the Packers will be the No. 1 seed.
“It means a lot because I told the guys earlier, man, you know what, the only thing I want for Christmas is a hat and a T-shirt and they came through with it, man. My Christmas gift is here already and I’m happy, I’m excited.”
Smith has been dominant all season but played his best game in the biggest game of the season. Late in the first quarter, with the score tied 3-3, he collected a tackle for loss on first down and a quarterback hit on second down. Midway through the second quarter, he recorded his first sack. Late in the first half, he tallied his second tackle for loss – a key play that helped the defense force a three-and-out punt and positioned the Packers for a field goal just before halftime that cut the deficit to 10-9.
Early in the third quarter, Smith recorded his second sack. And with the Packers in front 23-10, the feeding frenzy began. Smith and Preston Smith shared one sack, and Smith got one more sack before the two-minute warning to extinguish Minnesota’s last gasp.
Smith entered the night with 78 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. That was four behind Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter for the league lead. Smith quite likely has taken the lead.
As good as Smith has been on the field, he’s meant just as much in the locker room.
“He means a lot,” said defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who had one sack to give him 4.5 in his last three games. “We put him everywhere on the field. Honestly, the field stuff speaks for itself, but just from when he first came in here, he was a guy that’s all about football, all about winning. Everybody gravitated toward that. He’s just a great leader. He works hard, he plays his butt off every single play, doesn’t take any snaps off. Everybody sees that. Everybody sees that and gravitates toward that.”
“It’s the same stuff that we’ve been talking about,” Rodgers said. “It’s an energy, it’s a force. He just has a great presence about him. When he talks, guys listen and he reminds me a lot of Julius (Peppers), who was so special to our success over the years. I think Z is a more willing talker. Julius, as you guys probably remember, was a man of not too many words, but when he spoke it carried a lot of weight. Z’s that type of player. Getting him while he’s still really young in his career is pretty special. But when you pair that with Preston and Kenny and those guys, it’s a formidable pass rush. And I’m glad he’s on our team. but he’s meant a lot to our success, obviously, in more ways than just his play on the field.”
