The in-game rotation at right guard continued for the Green Bay Packers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Sean Rhyan took on a much larger role this week.
The rotation between Rhyan and Jon Runyan has been going on steadily since Week 9. But even so, Runyan has still dominated that playing time. Coming into this week’s matchup, the most snaps Rhyan had seen in a game were 15 in Week 9. In two of those games he didn’t see more than seven. At most Rhyan was playing a series or two.
“It’s not as easy as playing,” said Rhyan about the rotation. “There’s the flow of the game. You know how that guy or this guy is going to play this or that. So coming out there about with two minutes of warming up on the sideline, it’s not hard but it’s definitely not easy. Just doing my job and hopefully track on and get after them.”
However, versus the Bucs, the snap count between the two was nearly a 50-50 split, with Runyan playing 31 offensive snaps and Rhyan playing 29.
Where Rhyan has been able to differentiate himself, not only from Runyan but others on the offensive line, is with his ability in the run game. Overall, this is a Packers’ offensive line that has struggled to create movement up front, but that has been where Rhyan has excelled.
In true pass-blocking sets, Rhyan is yet to allow a pressure since Week 9, although I will throw out the disclaimer that it is a relatively small sample size.
“My play speed,” said Rhyan on where he’s seen the most growth from Year 1 to Year 2. “Understanding the book and the plays. There’s the surface level of understanding the plays and then there is more in-depth. I think I’m starting to understand that a little bit more and playing a little bit faster.”
What led to the sudden change in Rhyan’s playing time this week is unknown. Unlike at the left tackle position where there has been a cadence to the rotation, there has seemingly been little rhyme or reason behind when Rhyan goes into the game.
My guess is that the decision this week was matchup based, rather than this being the beginning of the changing of the (right) guard—pun intended. With Vita Vea in the middle of what has been a stout Bucs’ run defense this season. Rhyan has shown to be a more physical player than Runyan, so perhaps the thought was that he would hold up better at the point of attack against an immovable force like Vea.
As a team, the Packers found modest success on the ground, with Aaron Jones averaging 4.1 yards per rush. In pass protection, there were some missed blocks, specifically off blitzes by Tampa Bay, but Green Bay held its own overall. According to PFF, Jordan Love was under pressure on just 31 percent of his dropbacks, despite the Bucs’ willingness to send extra defenders on over half of Love’s dropbacks. This was the fourth game in five weeks that the Packers have faced a blitz-heavy opponent.
“We have rules and plays and plans to pick up all these blitzes,” said Rhyan, “and it’s been nice that it’s all been back to back to back. It allows us to keep flowing, just tweak things here and there and knowing that if we pick those up there’s plays to be had. So there’s some comfortability in that uncomfortably that it provides.”
Both LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich have sounded very pleased with how the right guard and left tackle rotation has gone over the last month-plus. Specifically, they’ve been encouraged by the added competition it’s created along with it elevating the play of everyone on that unit, not only at the two positions being rotated.
Rhyan was a major unknown coming into the season after a rough rookie year that either saw him as a healthy scratch on game day or suspended. Runyan is set to be a free agent in 2024, and with his up and down play this season, he could be playing his final games in Green Bay. Rhyan still has two years left on his rookie contract, and what the Packers need to figure out is if he is someone who can compete for playing and be a potential starter, or if he’s best as a backup off the bench.
