No doubt, Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage would have wanted his team to be in a better situation for his first-ever game at Lincoln Financial Field as an NFL player.
But the Packers, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, are 4-7, as both the offense and the defense have struggled at various times during the season.
Savage, who starred at Caravel Academy and the University of Maryland, has started every game he has played in since Green Bay made him its first-round pick in 2019 (21st overall).
But this season, Savage has seen some time as the nickel corner, especially over the last few weeks as injuries have forced the secondary to shuffle. And that could continue when the Packers face the Eagles, who are 9-1, this Sunday night.
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That has also affected two former Eagles in cornerback Rasul Douglas, the Eagles’ third-round pick in 2017, and safety Rudy Ford, who was strictly a special teams player with the Eagles. Both were released over the past few years and revived their careers with the Packers.
Douglas, in fact, has been with four other teams since the Eagles waived him in Sept. 2020, before the Packers signed him off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad early last season. He played so well for the Packers that they gave him a three-year, $21 million contract with $5.3 million guaranteed.
Douglas was playing the slot, but moved outside when cornerback Eric Stokes was injured. Then Savage moved to the slot while Ford took over at safety. Ford, in fact, had 2 interceptions in his first start at safety, on Nov. 13, in the Packers’ 31-28 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
But it’s in the Packers’ interest to find a role that will benefit Savage. After all, Green Bay has already picked up Savage’s fifth-year rookie contract option for 2023, worth $7.9 million. After that, Savage would be eligible for free agency.
Savage had 8 interceptions in his first three seasons, but he doesn’t have any yet this season.
“I think Darnell Savage would be an unbelievable nickel, and we’ve repped him there at times over the years,” Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry told reporters before the reshuffling. “But in order to do that, if you’re going to move him to the nickel corner position, you’ve got to feel comfortable with putting someone in at safety.”
That finally happened, but it didn’t go well for the entire Packers’ secondary last Thursday in their 27-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans. While the Pack held star running back Derrick Henry in check, with 87 yards on 28 carries, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
Savage said last summer that he knows the deal.
He was one of three NFL players from Delaware, along with Troy Reeder, a linebacker with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Brian O’Neill, a right tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, to hold a free football clinic for 250 campers at the TITUS Free Community Football Clinic at the Chase Center in Wilmington last summer.
Back then, Savage was asked about the Packers’ changes on offense, when star receiver Davante Adams was traded to the Raiders and Marquez Valdes-Scandling was signed by the Chiefs as a free agent.
But his answer could certainly apply to the defense as well.
“The NFL is a revolving door,” Savage said. “It’s always that next-man-up mentality at the end of the day because sadly, the sport that we play, there’s a good chance that guys get nicked up during the year, guys miss games. As long as we keep that, stay hungry and continue to compete with each other, we’ll be fine.”
That hasn’t happened.
Rodgers, who turns 39 next week, has clearly missed his two star receivers. The two-time defending NFL MVP has thrown 7 interceptions this season, the most in an entire season since he threw 8 in 2015. Rodgers’ passer rating of 93.2 is his lowest since that 2015 season and the second worst since he became a full-time starter in 2008.
But Savage knows Rodgers can turn it around, and he has the last two games, mainly because of the emergence of rookie wide receiver Christian Watson.
Rodgers has thrown 5 TD passes − all to Watson − over the last two games, without an interception. Rodgers’ rating during those games is 115.9, more along the lines of his better seasons.
Savage sees this in practice, and that makes him better, too.
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“It’s more of a mind thing,” Savage said last summer about going against Rodgers in practice. “When you go against a guy every day, who has seen every coverage a thousand times over, and seen hundreds of different guys do it, you gotta try to find new tricks.
“But he’s really good about that kind of stuff. He’s receptive to the questions that we ask him. And he asks us questions, too, so we pick each other’s brains. It’s always fun.”
It just hasn’t been as much fun for the Packers this season.
But it’s not too late. There are six games left in the season, and the Packers can still grab one of the three wildcard spots. After all, the Eagles were 3-6 and 5-7 last season, and they got in.
So if Rodgers reverts to form, that can carry the Packers. Savage and the secondary have actually done well for the most part. Green Bay is ranked fifth in pass defense, allowing 193 yards per game. It’s the run defense that has been susceptible, ranking 24th, allowing 136 yards per game.
But if Savage is playing more nickel, he won’t have to worry as much about stopping the run. That could make the run defense better, and that might be enough for Rodgers to carry the Packers’ offense.
The Eagles will find out if that’s the case.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
