The Green Bay Packers struggled to block Maxx Crosby and Jordan Love threw three interceptions during a primetime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. An excellent performance from a pair of players in the Packers secondary and A.J. Dillon’s best game as a runner of the season wasn’t enough to overcome Crosby’s dominance and Love’s mistakes.
Here are the stars, studs and duds from the Packers’ 17-13 loss to the Raiders in Week 5:
Stars
CB Rasul Douglas: The veteran cornerback (and former Raider) broke up a pair of passes intended for Jakobi Myers, dropped Myers for no gain on third down and gave up just two short completions against his coverage over 64 snaps. When Jimmy Garoppolo targeted Myers with Douglas in coverage, he completed just one pass on three attempts for six yards. An underrated play he made came when Douglas instantly recognized the Raiders’ throw-back pass attempt and forced Josh Jacobs to keep the ball for a loss.
Studs
S Rudy Ford: He was ultimately responsible for Jimmy Garoppolo’s touchdown pass to Jakobi Myers even if Lukas Van Ness appeared to blow an assignment in terms of dropping into coverage. Ford had a game-changing interception that led to seven points, made three solid tackles at or near the line of scrimmage on Josh Jacobs and was generally solid in coverage and as a tackler. He played through an oblique injury and was one of only three Packers defenders to play all 64 snaps.
RB A.J. Dillon: When he wasn’t getting hit in or near the backfield, Dillon ran hard and decisively. A big chunk of his production — or 34 of 76 rushing yards — came on the Packers’ lone touchdown drive. His best play on the night — and maybe the season — came when he found a cutback lane, burst up field through an arm tackle and gained 11 yards. Frequently, he hit second-level defenders and fell forward for an extra yard or two. PFF charted 54 of his 76 yards as coming after first contact.
Duds
TE Tucker Kraft: The Packers asked him to execute tough blocks on the move and on the edge and he consistently failed to get the job done. The rookie was also penalized for holding on a first-down play in the fourth quarter, creating a quick three-and-out, and he wasn’t targeted despite playing a season-high 23 snaps.
LT Rasheed Walker: Along with the failures of the tight ends, Walker’s performance in the run game was another reason why the Packers couldn’t consistently avoid negative plays on the ground. Maxx Crosby beat him at least three times for disruptions or tackles for loss. PFF also charted Walker with allowing four hurries, although the number probably could have been higher.
QB Jordan Love: Quarterbacks don’t last long in the league when turning the ball over. Love threw three interceptions: one was a terrible, indefensible decision, one was an unlucky deflection on a contested throw and one was a late, underthrown and over-aggressive attempt to win the game. Love did scramble twice for 37 yards, showcasing his ability to get outside the pocket and make things happen. He also found Christian Watson for an explosive play. But Love also completed just two passes over 10 yards, went 0-for-2 passing in the red zone and once again struggled under pressure.
WR Romeo Doubs: The second-year receiver was on the field for a team-high 34 passing plays but managed just one catch on three targets for four yards. His drop on the final drive was the start of a chain reaction that led to the game-ending interception. While not his fault, he wasn’t even close to open on Jordan Love’s first interception.
