Defensive woes: Packers’ Defense Suffers as Kenny Clark Struggles

The Green Bay Packers were expecting a lot from defensive lineman Kenny Clark this season. The team just signed the UCLA alum to a three-year, $64 million extension, giving him a rare, third contract with the club. However, the three-time Pro Bowl lineman has failed to live up to expectations this season. He has struggled in the team’s new 4-3 defense. Unfortunately, the Packers do not have better alternatives to Clark on their current roster.

Packers DL Kenny Clark Continues to Struggle: Clark’s Career Success

Clark entered the 2024 season as the Packers top interior lineman. The 2023 campaign was one of his better seasons. He made a career-high 7.5 sacks and tied his career best with nine tackles for loss. He also was credited with 16 quarterback hits, which was also a new career best mark.

After the season, Clark was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career. He had previously earned Pro Bowl honors after the 2019 and 2021 seasons.

Clark’s success was due to his diverse skill set. Few interior defensive linemen in the league could both stop the run and get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Clark was able to penetrate at the line of scrimmage and be a disruptive force along the line of scrimmage.

The Big Change

This past offseason, the Packers made a major change in their defensive scheme. Head coach Matt LaFleur opted to replace Joe Barry with Jeff Hafley. Hafley changed the team’s base defense to a four-man front as opposed to the three-man front the Packers played under Barry.

The approach would be simplified. Under Barry’s defense, each interior lineman was responsible for two gaps on most plays. They also had to read the offense and then choose which gap was more vulnerable and then attack. Hafley’s defense gave each lineman responsibility for just one gap. The linemen had to be proactive and attack a gap at the snap of the ball.

Clark was looking forward to the switch although it would require an adjustment on his part. “I think this scheme … it’ll be good for us up front,” Clark said back in April. “It’s going to allow us to be way more disruptive.”

Since disrupting offensive lines was a big part of Clark’s game, he seemed a natural fit for the new defense.

“I’ve always been a technical guy, but it’s going to give that mentality to just cut it loose more within the defense,” Clark added. “That suits my game well … especially with my get-off and how I play technique.”

The expectations for the defense and for Clark were high. The belief was that Hafley’s new system would simplify things for the Green Bay defense and allow a team with a lot of talented players to finally reach their potential, be more aggressive and be more effective. Clark was expected to be one of the leaders of the defense both on the field and in the locker room.

Packers DL Kenny Clark Continues to Struggle: A Disappointing Season

Unfortunately, the early preseason optimism has yet to pan out and we are more than halfway through the 2024 season.

Through 10 games, Clark has been a non-factor far too often. He has recorded only 20 total tackles or two per game. Clark’s numbers are down across the board. He has yet to record a sack this season and has just two quarterback hits and two tackles for loss.

While adjusting to the new defense may be part of the problem, Clark has actually seen his play tail off in recent weeks. In the team’s last two games, he played roughly two-thirds of the team’s defensive snaps and made exactly zero tackles.

It may be possible Clark is playing through an undisclosed injury, but he has played in every game this season.

The Packers need more from Clark down the stretch. They will be facing tougher opponents featuring more some very talented quarterbacks in the final seven games. The team’s top interior defensive lineman cannot continue to be invisible if the defense is going to live up to its potential. A strong finish by Clark would go a long way towards making people forget the slow start he’s had in 2024.