INDIANAPOLIS -- Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews tends to draw extra attention on a weekly basis. Straight double teams. Chips from tight ends and backs. Anything to slow down the long-haired whirling dervish.
Interim coach Bruce Arians said his Indianapolis Colts can't sacrifice offensive options to solely focus on Matthews.
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"You can get overwhelmed trying to chip and help and do things that I call butt nug," Arians said. "You're all blocked up and there's nowhere to throw the ball. You've got to have guys go out.
"I don't think you can overly concern yourself with a guy. You challenge who's blocking him because they move him all around. It's not going to be Anthony Castonzo the whole game. He's going to be inside putting spin moves on whoever is playing guard, he's going to be on the right side. You say you can account for him, but he's not where you put him and you're over there chipping someone who doesn't need to be chipped.
"Get your guys out, let the quarterback read his patterns and play football."
Arians compared it to his time spent in Cleveland as offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2003. He learned a lesson trying to block Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter.
"We tried to put a tight end on one and a halfback on the other and we got sacked about eight times," Arians said. "Then we went empty, spread out and threw it quick, we got hit a couple times, but we beat them."
Matthews, surely, welcomes the challenge. He ranks No. 2 in the NFL with seven sacks and is the favorite in most one-on-one matchups.
Arians' decision is a bold one considering the line has been the weak link of the Colts' offense. The unit has allowed just five sacks, but much of that is because of Andrew Luck's ability to avoid them. It doesn't help that center Samson Satele has a bad left knee and hasn't been able to finish the last two games.
The Matthews dynamic will be one to watch.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
