T'Vondre Sweat can be an unexpected game wrecker in Jets-Packers Week 2 matchup

As the New York Jets prepare for their Week 2 clash against the Green Bay Packers, they'll look to exploit matchups and hang another victory on the board. The Packers are still reeling from their Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and will be looking to scheme around weaknesses to get back to their winning ways.

One key deficiency is their offensive line in pass protection, particularly on the interior. The unit's failings put Jordan Love under consistent pressure, and while he ended up throwing for 387 yards, most of those were empty calories.

Love was sacked four times as Green Bay's line allowed 25 pressures, and the constant barrage allowed the 27-year-old signal caller to complete just 50% of his passes. A huge part of the issue was the incessant blitzes called by Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who led the league with an eye-popping 82.1% blitz rate.

One has to imagine that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur will try to scheme up something to slow down the blitz, especially considering that the Aaron Glenn-led Jets came in third with a 44.9% blitz rate.

Confusing the defense will be one of his keys, and it's likely that Green Bay will try to establish the run early and then use play action to pass off of any success established by the ground game. With that, it's likely a lot of 12 personnel and other heavy packages are utilized.

The Jets have a weapon to combat that in the form of nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. At six-foot-four and 362 pounds, Sweat has the requisite beef to stymie the Packers' run game. After playing just 15 snaps in Week 1, in large part due to the Titans trailing throughout and mostly abandoning the run game, the big man should have a much bigger role against Green Bay.

T'Vondre Sweat's underrated pass rushing skills will be a Jets' Week 2 key

New York is going to want to dial up the pressure on Love once again, but things will be a bit more difficult in Week 2 than they were in Week 1. The Jets are still without Joseph Ossai, and Will McDonald IV, who was a terror against Tennessee, is dealing with an ankle injury.

If McDonald is slowed or can't play on Sunday, the edge depth will be weaker, and the pass rush will need to be supplemented from the interior.

While Glenn likely dials up a lot of blitzes, there's some logic to him dialing it back against Green Bay. The Vikings went full throttle with extra rushers, but there were points where Love was relatively effective, posting a 66.1 passing grade against the blitz. He struggled the most in the few situations when Minnesota got home with just four.

If the Packers lean into the ground game and heavy personnel more, the blitz will be less effective. This is where Sweat can be an unsung hero.

Apart from stuffing up rushing lanes, Sweat can make an impact as a pass rusher in his own right. 11 of his 15 snaps last Sunday came against the pass, and the Texas product came away with a pressure, breaking through almost immediately to force Cam Ward to the outside and resulting in a throwaway.

That wasn't just a one-off, either. Sweat can push the pocket, as can many of the better nose tackles in the game, but he's also much more slippery than many realize. Last year, he posted a superb 74.1 pass-rushing grade, ranking 16th out of 97 qualified defensive tackles. He generated pressure at a better-than-average 9% rate, while also posting an above-average 9.4% pass-rush win rate.

He might not be your first choice to run out there on third-and-long, but if the Packers try to catch the Jets by surprise throwing on early downs, in common rushing situations, and out of heavy packages, Sweat can be an excellent counter and take full advantage of their weak center and guards.

Keep an eye on big number 99 this Sunday. The matchup could serve as his coming-out party, and it's likely he'll contribute in ways most Jets fans don't expect.

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