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Green Bay - Linebacker Clay Matthews thinks the Packers' pass rush is going to be better this year and his coach agrees with him.

Matthews, speaking after practice Monday, said there's too much talent upfront not to have more sacks.

Said Matthews: "I’m excited about it, obviously, just with the maturation of the players that we’ve had on this team, myself included, but with Mike Neal getting down to a weight where’s flying around and I know he’s been switching positions over the years; Mike Daniels continuing to step his game up; Datone going into his big second year; and then adding someone of Peppers’ caliber to pass rush is only going to demand attention from the offense as well as allow him to get after the quarterback.

"When you put those type of guys in that front line, I think it presents some problems for the opposing as (far) as getting after the quarterback."

Coach MIke McCarthy echoed that sentiment in his press conference Monday.

"We’re a better pass rush team today than we’ve been in a long time," he said.

Matthews said part of the reason he sees an increase in the 44 sacks the Packers had last season is a shift of philosophy on how they're going to challenge opponents. They have gone to a sleeker look in the front seven and traded girth for quickness.

Instead of having 330-pound behemoths Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly anchoring the defense the Packers will feature quicker defensive linemen such as Mike Daniels, Letroy Guion, Josh Boyd and on occasion, Julius Peppers.

"You look at the type of guys in which we have this year as opposed to years past, it’s – I wouldn’t say smaller, but I would say it’s a more active, faster, more aggressive D-line as well as linebacker group, so we feel good about," Matthews said.

The gamble McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers are taking is that they're defense will be able to stand in there and hold firm against the run game. They'll face a very stern test on Thursday night against Seattle when they go up against RB Marshawn Lynch.

He's exactly the kind of power back who could gash the Packers' defense and control the game if the players upfront aren't able to stand up to Seattle's offensive line.

"We’ll find out," Matthews said. "But we’ve done a pretty good job of holding them a few years ago in check with the running the game as well as, I know it was preseason, but last year. We know what we have to do.

"They’re very good. Marshawn’s a very good one, stick your foot down, one-plant type of guy and get up field north and south. We have to do a good job with that, shutting down the edge and forcing Russell (Wilson) to beat us with his arm."

