The Green Bay Packers aren’t ready to hit the panic button, but things are looking pretty dim after the last two performances.
Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets has put the Packers at 3-3 to start the season, with back-to-back losses to Daniel Jones and Zach Wilson. Wilson completed just 10 passes for 110 yards in Week 6, so Green Bay’s defense fixed one problem only to highlight another.
The Packers were gashed for 179 yards by New York’s rushing attack. Green Bay’s run defense has been an issue all season, as this is the fifth game in which they have allowed at least 125 yards. On the bright side, at least the pass defense looked better, but it turns out teams can beat you in more than one way.
Offensively, there is almost too much blame to go around. Aaron Rodgers didn’t play particularly well, but he was also running for his life most of the game, taking nine hits and four sacks in the process. When the Packers did run the ball, they did so with minimal success, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry on 19 attempts.
Rodgers said postgame that simplifying the offense could limit some mistakes and create more efficiency. Perhaps this is prefatory to a conversation that needs to be had with Matt LaFleur sometime this week.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, their special teams weren’t good either. Through the first five weeks, Green Bay’s special teams had looked respectable, but that came crashing down against New York. The Jets blocked a first-half field goal and then returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to take a 17-3 lead in the third quarter.
Six games in, and the compounding of mistakes has been the only consistent thing about this Packers team. Right now, it is difficult to identify one thing they do well. The offense is a mess, and the defense continues to be a complete letdown. And now, special teams just turned in their worst performance of the season.
But through all the turmoil, we still have to identify some standouts. So, here goes.
TE Robert Tonyan
Big Bob was a featured part of Green Bay’s offense on Sunday. Tonyan totaled 10 catches for 90 yards, setting a new franchise record for catches by a tight end in a game. Tonyan battled back from a torn ACL to be available at the start of the regular season but only caught 17 passes for 129 yards through the first five games. Tonyan was expected to have a prominent role in this year’s offense, yet today was the first time he showed any volume as a reliable pass catcher. Rodgers views Tonyan as a Pro-Bowl talent, so the Packers will hope he continues to look his way.
WR Allen Lazard
Lazard didn’t have a great day, but it was good enough to stand out on a dreary day of offense. He caught four out of nine targets, including a 35-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to seven points in the second half. Lazard’s score came on a nice adjustment on a deep ball from Rodgers. He is now up to a team-high four receiving touchdowns on the season.
CB Jaire Alexander
When Alexander said the defensive game plan was “flawless” earlier in the week, he must have only been referring to the pass defense. Alexander followed first-round wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, for most of the day and held him to just one catch for eight yards. He also had three pass defenses, which tripled his total for the season. This game should have given Green Bay the blueprint for how to use their corners moving forward.
OLB Kingsley Enagbare
The Packers’ fifth-round draft pick recorded his first career sack in the second quarter. Enagbare beat tight end CJ Uzomah around the edge to bring Wilson down for a loss of four. The edge rusher out of South Carolina showed flashes in the preseason, but this was the first time he produced in an actual game. Enagbare’s snap count could increase, especially with Rashan Gary battling a toe injury.
OLB Rashan Gary
And speaking of Gary, Green Bay’s premier edge rusher is now up to six sacks in 2022. Granted, the Jets quarterback kind of ran into it, but it still counts all the same. Gary was impactful as a pass rusher and also made a couple of plays against the run. He finished with four tackles and two tackles for loss despite playing on a bum toe. Hopefully, Gary did not suffer any setbacks, as he has been one of the Packers’ best players on defense.
LB Eric Wilson
Overall, it was a brutal day for Green Bay’s special teams’ unit, but they did block their first punt since the 2018 season. Wilson busted through protection to block Braden Mann’s punt and give the Packers’ offense possession at New York’s 36-yard line. Green Bay failed to capitalize on the turnover, but at least Wilson is making his presence felt after being signed out of free agency less than two weeks ago.
