The Green Bay Packers defense didn’t live up to expectations during the 2023 season. They finished 17th in yardage and points allowed as they couldn’t get stops when they needed them most. Where they especially struggled was against the run.
Green Bay finished 26th in rushing yards allowed and 28th in rushing yards per attempt last season. That is a stark difference from their passing defense, as they finished sixth in passing yards allowed.
A big reason for the team’s inability to stop the run was the drop-off in performance from linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Packers in 2021 and turned in an All-Pro season, which earned him a five-year, $50 million deal to remain in Green Bay.
His performance slipped in 2022, which led to the Packers worsening as well. However, why his performance slipped has recently been revealed. Campbell revealed that the Week 7 matchup against the Washington Commanders when he recorded three tackles for loss and had a pick-six, was the only time he was fully healthy.
“I was just hitting my stride this game starting to feel like myself after dealing with a nagging shoulder that I never told anyone about and then I injured my knee the next game in Buffalo . I never question Gods plan but I’m feeling 100% healthy and everyone gotta deal with me,” Campbell said.
That knee injury suffered against the Buffalo Bills led to Campbell missing four games and the team’s performance defensively was even worse without him. It is no coincidence that he was back in the lineup for the final five games of the season when the Packers made a push for the playoffs.
They ultimately fell one game short, losing to the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field in the regular season finale. Had the Packers won that game, they would have claimed the final Wild Card spot, not the Seattle Seahawks.
Now healthy once again, Campbell is ready to show people just how good of a player he can be. That the 2021 All-Pro season wasn’t just a blip on the radar, but what to expect year in and year out.
“I’m at my best when the world is against me I love pressure. My whole football career has been built off pressure this ain’t nothing new to me,” Campbell wrote. (H/T ProFootballTalk)
In 13 games last season, Campbell recorded 96 total tackles, six tackles for loss, with two interceptions and three passes defended. If he can return to the level of play that he had in 2021, the Packers’ defense is going to take off in 2023.
