After two seasons where the talent was clear but the production wasn’t quite there, Green Bay Packers pass rusher Lukas Van Ness has absolutely exploded onto the scene this year. The change isn’t just a fluke, either, the film shows *specific* reasons why this dude is suddenly a wrecking ball. Against the New York Jets in Week 2, Van Ness went off, stacking up nine tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and four QB hits in their 20-17 overtime win. Seriously, for some perspective, he only had 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss in nine games all of last season. That’s a massive leap, and he’s not just showing up in the box score, he’s everywhere the stat sheet doesn’t even tell you.
From Raw Talent to Relentless Production
Overall, through three games, Van Ness has recorded a ridiculous 12 tackles, six assists, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and four QB hits. He’s got 10 total pressures, breaking down into those three sacks, four hits, and three hurries. Pro Football Focus even has him clocking a 20.7% pass rush win rate in true pass sets, which is just elite stuff. This isn’t just about getting lucky; the tape confirms this guy is playing a whole different game right now. He’s been showcasing exactly how he’s doing it, and it’s impressive.
An Absolute Monster Against the Run
First off, Van Ness’s work in the run game this season is straight-up outstanding. Heading into that Jets game, he knew the defense expected New York to lean hard on the run in the rain, trying to win the trenches. Van Ness was prepared, man. The result? Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, two legit running backs, combined for only 36 yards on 21 carries. That’s insane. He was winning his run game reps in a bunch of different ways. Remember the first quarter? He just shoved tight end Jelani Woods aside like he was nothing to help bring down Hall for a 3-yard loss on first-and-10. Then in the third quarter, he literally threw right tackle Armand Membou to the ground and still helped tackle Hall for another 3-yard loss on second-and-6. Tossing a tight end is one thing, but putting a first-round offensive tackle on the ground? That’s the kind of play that makes offensive coordinators have nightmares. His performance against Minnesota earlier in the season was a sign of things to come, too. He completely tossed tight end Josh Oliver aside on the Vikings’ outside toss play. He read that block so fast, forced the running back to cut back inside, and then chased him down for the stop. Even in the Falcons game, he had a couple more stops and a solid run defense grade, even though the overall defense wasn’t exactly great against Atlanta’s run game. Bottom line, he’s probably their most reliable edge setter at this point in the season.
It’s only been three games, and the Packers are sitting at 1-2, but Van Ness was a primary reason they closed out that Week 2 win. That late stand shows him doing three different jobs on consecutive downs. With 2:40 left in a tie game in the fourth quarter, and the Jets facing second-and-10 from their own 41, he… well, you can bet he was making things happen. If this is the start of Van Ness really putting it all together, the league better be ready.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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