Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, September 05, 2008
Allen presents a challenge for Packers
GREEN BAY — Joe Philbin has it all figured out. The Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator knows exactly how the Packers’ offense will handle the Minnesota Vikings’ major offseason acquisition, defensive end Jared Allen, while also handling the Vikings’ terrific tackle tandem of Pat Williams and Kevin Williams in Monday night’s regular-season opener at Lambeau Field.
Not only will the Packers double-team block Allen, they’ll double-team each of the Williamses as well.
There’s only one problem with that idea.
“The math doesn’t work,” Philbin said after practice Thursday. “You have five offensive linemen and they have four defensive linemen, so you can’t double-team everybody. Our guys are going to have to step up and perform.”
And that’s the Packers’ challenge — and the reason the Vikings gave up a king’s ransom before the draft to acquire Allen from the Kansas City Chiefs.
After sending their first-round pick (No. 17 overall) and two third-rounders to the Chiefs, the Vikings made Allen the highest-paid defensive player in the league with a six-year deal that included $31 million in guaranteed money and could be worth more than $74 million if he reaches certain incentives. In turn, the Vikings — 8-8 a year ago — instantly became a Super Bowl contender.
“I don’t think there’s any downside to adding a good edge rush guy,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said of Allen, who had an NFL-leading 151/2 sacks in 14 games last year. “And it’s not like they play off of each other, but guys inside appreciate the fact that there’s a good rusher outside, and vice versa.”
When the Packers faced Allen’s Chiefs last season, Allen moved around a bit — left end, right end, even at three-technique tackle — and finished with three tackles, a half-sack and a pressure. He spent most of the game at right end against Packers left tackle Chad Clifton, who’ll match up with him again Monday. The Packers would prefer not to help Clifton very often.
“The foundation of pass blocking is one man blocking one man. If you can’t operate like that, you can’t have a pass offense,” Philbin said. “We’re going to have to manage his impact on the ballgame, and how well we do that is going to determine a lot about how much success we’ll have. He’s definitely a guy who can change the game.”
While the Packers expect Allen to stay put at right end, Philbin said the Vikings are “probably going to twist him around a little bit because he’s got speed and he moves well. I’m sure they’ll try to isolate him on guys and see what they come up with.”
Allen said he and Clifton, who didn’t practice Thursday and won’t do so today because of knee soreness and a mild chest strain, “had a pretty well-fought battle” last year, but with new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers replacing Brett Favre, Allen said he would “watch more film this week and try to get a feel for how they’re trying to protect with Aaron back there.”
Allen, who told Yahoo! Sports last month he’s hoping he “can put my helmet square in the back of (Rodgers’) spine,” downplayed his trash-talking in a conference call with Wisconsin reporters Thursday. But he’s clearly licking his chops to get to Rodgers, especially after missing last year’s season-opener because of an NFL-imposed suspension.
“I know he’s been in the league, this is his (fourth) year, but this is his first year starting. And what a scene to be put into: Vikings-Packers, ’Monday Night Football,’ ” Allen said. “That’s our job up front. They pay us to get in the quarterback’s face, to hit him, and hopefully disrupt his timing. And if we can do that, we feel like we have a great chance of winning.”
20080905T004859Z
All stories copyright 2000 - 2006 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources.