In need of a bounce-back performance, the Green Bay Packers played another four quarters of uninspiring football. Now at 3-3 and with three straight road games upcoming, this 2022 season really feels like it is at a crossroads as Green Bay embarks on what could be a season-defining stretch.
As always, to help unpack what took place on the football field, we are going Behind the Numbers with the stats and figures you need to know from the Packers’ performance.
5
It was another week where Royce Newman led the Packers offensive linemen in pressures allowed, this time with five, which puts him at 17 on the season, the fourth-most among all guards per PFF. I’m not sure how Yosh Nijman would hold up at right tackle, given he has no in-game experience there in the NFL and, from the sounds of it, not much practice time either, but something has to change. As they did a season ago, Green Bay can use tight-end chips to help Nijman, and hopefully, moving Elgton Jenkins back to guard would provide some assistance as well.
110
Perhaps lost in the overall poor performance was the play of the secondary and the changes that Joe Barry made. We saw a more aggressive group, who provided the receivers with less cushion. Jaire Alexander lined up in the slot and would follow Garrett Mitchell at times. We also saw more dime personnel in obvious passing situations, with Adrian Amos lined up in the box for Quay Walker and Rudy Ford deep with Darnell Savage. Outside of a 41-yard completion on Eric Stokes, the Jets really struggled to move the ball through the air, totaling only 110 passing yards at 5.0 yards per attempt.
10
This game would have been closer had it not been for a pair of special teams blunders that made the Packers’ most consistent unit in 2022 look like the 2021 version. A blocked field goal took three points off the board, and a blocked punt by the Jets resulted in a touchdown. Does the game end differently if these two plays don’t occur?
12
Here we are, once again, wondering why Aaron Jones played such a small role in the Packers’ offense. Green Bay’s offense finished with 13 possessions, and Jones had just 12 touches, including only four at halftime. Running the ball didn’t come easy, so I’m not saying that running Jones up the middle constantly would have been a good solution. But in an offense that is lacking playmaking, Jones is thier playmaker. Regardless of the opponent or how the defense is lining up against Green Bay, Jones needs to be a focal point in the offense. Find ways to get him the ball in space.
63%
When Robert Tonyan was fully healthy for the 2020 season, he was on the field for over 60% of the Packers’ offensive snaps. This season, as he works his way back from injury, he has regularly been in the 45% range until this past Sunday. Tonyan played 63% of the snaps on offense and totaled 10 receptions on 12 targets for 90 yards. Tonyan is still reliable as ever as a pass catcher; the next step is seeing that playmaking ability reemerge.
69
David Bakhtiari played 69 of the Packers’ 73 offensive snaps, with the final possession of the game being the only time he missed. He was also the lone bright spot on the offensive line, allowing just one pressure and recording the second-highest run-blocking grade among tackles. Given that the Packers should be entertaining the idea of moving Nijman to right tackle, Bakhtiari being able to essentially play an entire game is a key component.
9
Missed tackles were again an issue for the Packers’ defense. They missed nine on Sunday, which is the fourth time this season they have missed at least seven in a game, including two times where they missed at least 10. De’Vondre Campbell taking a few steps back this season, along with Quay Walker going through some growing pains, have been big contributors to the Packers’ issues against the run.
5-of-6
In five of the six games this season, the Packers have lost a fumble. They are also yet to win the turnover battle and sit at minus-four in turnover differential, which ranks 27th. This past week, Aaron Rodgers mentioned that oftentimes takeaways can help mask any deficiencies on offense by providing that unit with more opportunities and, oftentimes, shorter fields. While the Packers’ offense has its inconsistencies, they unfortunately, haven’t been able to benefit from a ton of turnovers, and they aren’t doing the defense any favors with how often they are giving the ball away.
3.0 and 4.4
The Packers’ offense could barely move the ball on Sunday, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry and 4.4 yards per pass attempt. For some context, Arizona entered Week 6 ranked last with 5.7 yards per pass attempt this season. After the game, Rodgers mentioned simplifying things, which is a bit vague, but he did also add that when the offense found a little bit of success, there wasn’t any motion–a staple of the LaFleur system. Regardless of how LaFleur and Rodgers go about addressing this, it doesn’t much matter if the offensive line is going to continue playing as poorly as they did. Oftentimes with just a four-man rush and some stunts, the Jets defensive front bullied the Packers’ offensive line. The rest of the offense never stood a chance.
116
Last week, Matt LaFleur called Jets running back Breece Hall a “monster” and a “problem,” and the Packers’ defense found out why in the second half. After containing him in the first half, Hall finished with 116 yards at 5.8 yards per carry. His 3.85 yards after contact were the fifth most in Week 6, his five tackles forced were tied for the most, and his four carries of 10-plus yards also tied for first. The defense’s inability to stop Hall late in the game allowed the Jets to comfortably put this game away.
