The Packers hold the secret weapon to slowing down Jahmyr Gibbs (again)
In a matchup packed with division implications -- Packers at 7-3-1, Lions at 7-4 -- Green Bay enters its 22nd Thanksgiving meeting with Detroit knowing the ballgame could shape the second half of the NFC North race.
And while quarterbacks and big-name playmakers usually drive headlines, no defender may be more important to Green Bay’s plan than second-year 'backer Edgerrin Cooper. Against a Detroit offense built on spacing, misdirection, and stressing the second level, Cooper’s blend of twitch and range becomes the hinge point of Thursday’s contest.
Pulling the lens in on Detroit's offensive structure, the Lions weaponize Jahmyr Gibbs as well as any team in football. He’s an explosive accelerator who thrives when he gets to the edge, wins leverage in space, can outrun any defender in the game, and bottom line, he changes the math defensively in how, and who, aligns opposite of him when flexed in space.
Edgerrin Cooper is key to Packers slowing down Jahmyr Gibbs again in Week 13
Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Packers in Week 1
|
Total yards |
50 |
|---|---|
|
Rushing yards |
19 |
|
Yards per carry |
2.1 |
|
Receiving yards |
31 |
For Green Bay, however, it's exactly where Cooper’s strengths intersect with Detroit’s intentions. The Packers need him to erase space, limiting Gibbs' running lanes and forcing him back into the teeth of the defense.
Looking at Cooper, his speed to the perimeter is the first piece. Whether Detroit tests the boundary with toss, stretch, or motion-based misdirection, Cooper has the rare ability to meet Gibbs at a width and depth that most linebackers simply can’t reach. But, it’s not just about beating Gibbs to the corner -- it’s about forcing him back inside, redirecting the run into Green Bay’s interior help rather than giving the Lions’ electric back one-on-one tracks to the sideline.
His angles will matter... his discipline will matter more.
Coverage, though, is where Cooper could make his biggest impact. Detroit’s offense leans heavily on intermediate crossers, layered routes, and play-action concepts designed to move linebackers out of windows.
While the Lions will be without TE Sam LaPorta, one of the top young flex weapons in the sport, Cooper has to consistently gain correct depth in the middle of the field, carry crossers without over-committing, and take away the very space Goff depends on to stay in rhythm. When Cooper handles his drops cleanly, he shrinks Detroit’s intermediate game -- something that often forces Goff to hold the ball longer and look outside his comfort zone.
If the Packers are going to disrupt Detroit’s play script, it starts with making Gibbs work for every inch after the hand-off, and Goff uncomfortable between the numbers. To do that, it requires a uniquely athletic linebacker who can handle both responsibilities without substitution.
Fortunately for Green Bay, Cooper has quickly become exactly that.
Insider Drops Shocking Bombshell on Kevin Stefanski’s Future With Browns
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski could have to make a stunning decision on Monday.
Stefanski gave up offensive play-calling duties earlier this season to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Yet, Browns insider Ken Carman of 92.3 The Fan believes Stefanski could have to take back the play-calling duties come Monday.
Carman believes Rees could leave the Browns this weekend to take the UCLA head coaching job, leaving Cleveland without an OC.
“I am telling you this, dead serious. Kevin Stefanski could take over play-calling on Monday,” Carman said on 92.3 The Fan on Wednesday. “Want to know how? I’m getting that from Vegas. He may have to take over play-calling on Monday because he has no choice. According to three Vegas books out there, take your pick, the leader in the clubhouse, the odds leader for the UCLA job, the head coaching job is Tommy Rees.
“If you are Tommy Rees, I don’t know what your obligation is. If you are Tommy Rees, you are not staying for another month with the Cleveland Browns. This is a program that needs as much help as it can possibly get. Your first signing day is December, portal opens up in January. You have to go.”
If Rees does take the UCLA job, Carman believes Rees would leave the Browns ASAP, which would force Stefanski to take back the play-calling duties.
Rees is a Popular Candidate for the UCLA job
With the UCLA Bruins’ season coming to an end this weekend, the search for a head coach will ramp up.
The team will want a new coach in place ASAP for signing day, and the transfer portal, and Rees has been a popular name for the job. ESPN named Rees one of the top candidates for the job.
“He was born in Los Angeles and has ties to the UCLA program through his father, Bill, a Bruins assistant from 1979 to 1994 under Terry Donahue,” the ESPN article read. “Tommy Rees has quickly risen up the coaching ranks, earning offensive coordinator titles at Notre Dame, where he played quarterback, as well as Alabama and now the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.
“Just 33, Rees was a strong candidate for North Carolina’s head-coaching vacancy this past offseason and likely will be leading his own team in the near future.”
Rees has been linked to college football head coaching jobs, given that he has experience at the college level. So, the Browns could very well need a new OC for the final five games of the season.
Browns Coach Explains Why He Gave up Play-Calling
Stefanski was calling the Browns’ offensive plays to begin the season, but gave it up to allow Rees to call them after the team struggled.
Stefanski made the move before the Browns’ road game against the New York Jets after the bye, and he explained why.
“I have a ton of trust and faith in Tommy,” Stefanski said. “He’s more than capable, so excited for him. But bottom line is we have to just get better collectively. “I just felt like Tommy is somebody that I believed in,” Stefanski later said. “Obviously hired him here a couple years back, because I really believe in Tommy as a coach, and he’s done everything that we’ve asked, and I just feel like this is the right time.”
Since taking over play-calling, the Browns are 1-2 and are averaging 20 points per game.
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