Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, but the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker was nothing if not ultra-productive rushing the passer.
Position coach Mike Smith told Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official site that the Packers recorded 14 total pressures from Smith.
The official box score credited Smith with nothing more than three quarterback hits. A good day at the office, to be sure. But box scores often lie, and clearly Smith was far more impactful as a rusher than his traditional statistics indicated.
The same was true for Kenny Clark, who set a new career-high with 10 pressures but didn’t have a sack.
The Packers lined Smith up all over the defensive front, and he won pass-rushing battles from both edges and inside against the guards. On several reps, he had Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen in his sights but couldn’t finish the sack.
Overall, the Packers produced nine quarterback hits and three sacks of Allen, who was surprisingly elusive despite consistent pressure.
After 10 games, Smith ranks second in the NFL with a career-high 20 quarterback hits. He’s also sixth in the NFL in sacks with 8.5 and third among outside linebackers in total pressures.
