Tuesday Cheese Curds: Packers need more from Kenny Clark in 2023

There were many reasons the Packers’ 2022 season didn’t go as hoped, but one of the biggest and most obvious is pretty simple: their best players didn’t play their best.

Defensive lineman Kenny Clark falls into that category. As good as he’s been over his career, the Packers still needed more out of him in 2022 than he was able to provide.

Clark’s counting stats still look mostly fine. His four sacks and 10 quarterback hits were roughly in line with where he was in 2021. But game-to-game consistency was an issue, and it’s one he wants to address in 2023.

To be sure, Clark still didn’t have much help on the defensive line. We barely saw first-round pick Devante Wyatt this year, and Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry were NFL players in name only for much of the season. But Clark could still be better, and heading into 2023, a year in which he still may not have much help up front, he’ll have to be.

‘Too much inconsistency’ will motivate Kenny Clark in 2023 | Packers.com

Clark wants to clean up his game heading into next season.

Packers’ 10 best players on defense from 2022 season | Packers Wire

Not many surprises here, but even their best players needed to be better.

Packers kicker Mason Crosby is entering free agency but has no plans to retire this offseason | Packers News ($)

Crosby is no guarantee to be back in Green Bay next season, if he even wants to play football at all.

2023 NFL offseason: Key free agents, draft notes, predictions | ESPN+ ($)

A league-wide look at the impending offseason, with plenty of changes apparently on the way.

Purdy’s Prodigious Playoff Debut | Football Outsiders

Brock Purdy got off to a tremendous start in his postseason career.

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How, exactly, does a rare, dangerous animal go missing?