How to Watch Kenny Clark Dominate From Your Couch

After the Packers’ win over the Bears, we got a very good listener question. Angus writes:

How am I, as somebody who watches all of the broadcasts but little else (all-22 replays etc), supposed to work out for myself if Kenny Clark is any good? To be clear, I am in no doubt that he is in fact an extremely good player — people I trust who are far more knowledgeable than myself remind me regularly that this is the case.

But, when I watch the broadcasts, what should the layman be looking for in a player who plays in Clarke's position? I guess where I am coming from is that it is pretty easy to see if a, say, QB, WR, EDGE or CB is good — they get at the ball and make exciting things happen. Of course, we sometimes see Clark get at the opposing QB, but I also understand much of his value is what he opens up for other people. Undeniably invaluable - but hard to spot to the untrained eye (or at least this untrained eye). In the spirit of becoming a smarter Packers fan, I was wondering if you had any tips for spotting talent at the more subtle positions.

Angus is exactly right. It is really hard to see what guys like Kenny Clark do well unless you're watching the all-22 film. It’s hard to see what people like Clark do on the broadcast because that’s not how TV broadcasts are set up to work. So if you want to evaluate Kenny Clark and see what he’s doing well, there are three things you need to do.

Step 1: Stop watching the ball

First,  remind yourself to take your eye off the ball. You want to follow the ball on every play because after the action is and that's how broadcasts are set up to make you watch. This is not a criticism of TV broadcasts, I should note. The whole point of football is either to move the ball into the end zone or to try to stop the other guys from doing that. If you’re focusing on that when you’re watching games, it’s not wrong. But a lot of what makes the goals of football possible happens far away from the ball. The vast majority of it does. And unfortunately, even when they’re playing at a really high level, Kenny Clark and guys like him are not going to be around the ball the vast majority of the time. So, to figure out what he's doing well, you have to remind yourself to take your eyes off the ball and focus on who you're trying to track.

Step 2: Know what to watch instead

Secondly, when you’re watching Clark or someone like him, watch for three major things: resetting the line of scrimmage, penetration, and occupying blockers. 

First, resetting the line of scrimmage. This is a very scout jargon-type phrase, but all they're talking about here is pushing guys back and getting them off the line of scrimmage. Offensive linemen want to stay on the line or move beyond it, giving them a chance to affect linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs. They want to stop you from moving them backward. If they get moved off the line, it makes it easier for the defense's guys to get into the backfield or around the offensive line and make plays. If you, as a defensive lineman like Kenny Clark, can disrupt what the offense is doing by moving guys off the line of scrimmage it makes it so much easier for your linebackers, your fellow defensive lineman, and your edge rushers to get into the backfield and make plays.

Clark bullies his man off the line of scrimmage here, pushing him back and nearly making the tackle himself. Ultimately, his teammates are able to swarm in and make the play.

Secondly, watch for penetration. This is just what it sounds like: getting through the line, the primary goal of rushing the passer. As a defensive lineman, you’re trying to get through the offensive line to where the quarterback is, and when you’re evaluating Kenny Clark, keep an eye on how often he's getting doing that.

In addition, look at what he does when he gets there. Is he sacking the quarterback? Is he hitting the quarterback after he’s gotten rid of the ball? That also affects how a quarterback plays. Does he move a quarterback off his spot? Quarterbacks want to sit back in the pocket and have their protection around them. If you’re a pass rusher like Kenny Clark, can you get him to move? IF you can, chances are he’s going to have a more difficult time throwing an accurate ball. 

It’s hard to tell what the offense was thinking here, but Clark’s penetration forced Trubisky to put a bit more loft on the ball and throw a bit sooner than he otherwise would have. This pass should have been stopped for a loss, but poor tackling means Clark’s effort is wasted.

Finally, watch for Kenny Clark to occupy blockers. If he's not resetting the line or penetrating, ask yourself why. What happened on that play that didn't allow him to get into the backfield? It could be because he's getting blocked by the offensive line, but it could also be because he's occupying blockers. As a nose tackle, that is often Kenny Clark's responsibility. He’ll line up directly over the center and try to head off anything going to either side of where the center lines up. That’s what’s often referred to as “two-gapping.” Or he might be playing to one side of the center or one side of a guard and trying to occupy the center and guard at the same time or a guard and the tackle at the same time. That’s also a key part of his job. It's not always to get into the backfield. Sometimes it's just soaking up blockers.

Not a perfect example of two-gapping here, but Clark, seeing he’s not going to get into the backfield, holds his ground instead. If not for a minor hold, he probably makes a tackle for little to no gain here.

Step 3: Write down what you see

So you’ve taken your eye off the ball, you’ve looked for the three things above. What else should you do? I’d encourage you to write down your observations. Even if you are doing it casually, get in the habit of watching the game with a notebook. I do this for podcasting and for writing projects, and even if I didn't do those things I would still try to write a few things down. This habit has transformed not only the way I watch games but how I remember them as well.  

Looking through my notes, I can pretty much create recreate entire games in my mind is from what I've written down. It can be as simple as writing the relevant down and distance and what happened as briefly as possible while adding little details about what stood out to you on a given play. You can be as detailed or as basic as you like, but getting in the habit of doing that will help you remember what you’re seeing so much better. 

These are my notes from the early portion of the Packers’ Week 17 win over the Bears.

And if you’re combining this practice with what you’ve learned about watching a specific player, you’ll be able to come up with an even more informed opinion about not just Kenny Clark, but any player in a more difficult-to-evaluate position. 

This post is an adapted transcript from the most recent episode of Blue 58 —A Packers Podcast from The Power Sweep. If you found this post helpful, listen to the full episode below and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen.