Breaking down Lukas Van Ness's breakout Week 2 performance vs. Jets - Packers Wire

Green Bay Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness had his Herculean moment on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The man they call "Hercules" looked the part of mythic hero as the Packers erased a 10-point deficit, got the game to overtime and then won on a walk-off field goal after Van Ness and the defense provided a quick three-and-out to open the extra period.

How good was Van Ness on Sunday? If Dallas Turner didn't exist, Van Ness would probably be a favorite to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Among NFL defenders in Week 2, Van Ness ranked first in quick pressures (5), tied for first in total stops (8) and second in total pressures (9), per Next Gen Stats. His nine pressures were a career high, and his five quick pressures ranked as the third-most by a Packers defender since 2020. Only Turner, who had 10 pressures and the game-winning sack in Chicago, had more pressures.

The final box score numbers had Van Ness with 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Van Ness was "all over the place" for Jonathan Gannon's defense, which held the New York Jets to only 17 points.

Plays from Van Ness directly led to stops on five different possessions by the Jets on Sunday. He also had a crunching tackle while covering a punt in the first half.

"I had a lot of fun today," Van Ness said.

No kidding. The performance was extra sweet for the Packers considering Van Ness was selected with the Jets' first-round pick in the 2023 draft, which was swapped with Green Bay in the trade that sent Aaron Rodgers to New York. Will McDonald IV, who the Jets picked two spots later, did not record a tackle or pressure over 25 snaps.

It has been a long road to this moment for Van Ness, who needed time to develop early in his pro career and dealt with injuries during each of the last two seasons. In Year 4, Van Ness looks ready to make good on his first-round promise. Per Next Gen Stats, Van Ness has 2.5 sacks, 12 total pressures and a pressure percentage of 25.5 over 47 pass-rushing snaps through the first two weeks.