Clay Matthews displays his personal grooming habits (photo: www.roemerphotoblog.com)

Clay Matthews is the grandson, son and nephew of NFL royalty: the Matthews family.  He is big, fast, and plays with abandon.  He is quickly becoming one of the elite players at his position– 22.5 sacks in less than two full NFL seasons.

As is the case with so many good players, 25 teams passed on Matthews in the 2009 draft– including this week’s opponent for Green Bay, the New England Patriots.   The Patriots traded the 26th pick in the first round for picks that turned out to be Darius Butler (CB), Brandon Tate (WR), Julian Edelman (WR), and Rob Gronkowski (TE).  All but Gronkowski have failed to have a meaningful impact on the field.

A rare athlete, Matthews is also the only football player I know who is business in the front, party in the back, and hairless under the arms. To be sure, bad grooming decisions have long been a hallmark of the football player, particularly at the linebacker position. Consider, for example, Brian Bosworth:

The Boz sports his rainbow 'do (photo: www.complex.com)

Or the curious case of Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Adrian Ross:

Adrian Ross is a Bengal (photo: www.sportshair.com)

But, never, has there been a player with Matthews’ hair/hairless pits combination.  Fascinating grooming habits aside, coming into this season, Matthews was exactly the kind of pressure player everyone thought the Patriots needed.  And, when the Patriots went through the most recent draft without acquiring a dynamic pass rusher, fans assailed the team’s “value” approach to drafting– an approach that, at times, gives off the appearance that the team is more interested in trading down and accumulating picks than it is in filling out its current roster.

What a difference 3/4 of a season makes.   Now, with a legitimate shot at finishing the season 14-2, the Patriots’ nation spends most of its time on talk radio wondering if Brady is better than Montana.

I, for one, remain skeptical of the Patriots and think that Matthews’ visit to Gillette will serve as a good reminder of what the Patriots still needs to prove they have: a championship defense.  Statistically, the Patriots’ defense has been mediocre at best.  What they have lacked in statistics, though, they have made up for with opportunism– lack of a consistent pass rush notwithstanding.  Yet, while they have shown an ability to force mistake-prone quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez and Jay Cutler to do what they do (make mistakes), and corralled (a weaponless) Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers (if he plays) poses a different kind of threat.  Although one dimensional, the Packers’ offense has been prolific and Rodgers is (a) accurate, and (b) has weapons.

If Rodgers plays, the Packers will represent the last meaningful defensive test the Patriots will face until the playoffs.  It will be interesting to see if the Patriots can take advantage of the Packers’ lack of a running game, or whether fans will leave wondering “what if” it had Clay Matthews to pressure the quarterback.

If you disagree as to the awesomeness of this piece, I don’t think things are going to work out between us … sorry.

(Via WithLeather)