The Green Bay Packers dropped a seventh game in eight weeks and are now 4-8 entering Week 13 after losing 40-33 to the high-powered Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night.
Here are the stars, the studs and the duds from the Packers’ loss to the Eagles:
Stars
CB/KR Keisean Nixon: Not only was Nixon excellent in coverage over 66 snaps from the slot, but he was also explosive and a big-play creator as a kickoff returner. Nixon made a pair of impressive stops in the open field against pass-catchers, including one tackle of Quez Watkins after just one yard. He was physical on a night when the defense otherwise got run over. Of Nixon’s five kickoff returns, three gained 35 or more yards, including two over 50. The Packers scored 10 points after the three big returns. Nixon is a hyper-confident returner with the speed and body type to burst through alleys and run through arm tackles. Would anyone be surprised if Nixon eventually got loose for a touchdown before the end of 2022? He’s been *this* close to a score on a handful of returns this season. And a logical question: Why wasn’t Nixon returning kicks for Rich Bisaccia all year?
WR Christian Watson: The rookie just keeps creating big plays. On 4th-and-5, he won up the seam from the slot and made a tough catch in traffic for 21 yards. Later, he took on a big hit after an 11-yard catch and gained another 15 off penalty. His signature play was a 63-yard touchdown from Jordan Love off a “strike” concept, a staple play in the Packers playbook. He won inside, got open on time, made the catch in stride, hit the jets around the corner and outran everyone to the end zone. On the very next drive, he caught another 15-yarder from Love. Despite his injuries this season, Watson isn’t afraid to make catches in traffic or between bodies in the middle of the field. And his speed is legendary. At 6-4, Watson has long, explosive strides that eat up grass and get him to top speed in a hurry. There haven’t been many players in this league’s history with his combination of length and speed at the wide receiver position.
Studs
RB A.J. Dillon: This was Dillon at his very best. He created 31 yards after contact and had three runs over 10 yards on just eight carries. The 247-pounder ran hard through contact and looked quick when the hole was there. He had the burst to get through an opening and into the second level on his 20-yard touchdown in the first half. Dillon added three catches and two first downs as a pass-catcher.
S Rudy Ford: The former Jaguar keeps impressing as a starting safety. He made a game-changing play in the first half when he smartly stripped A.J. Brown on third down, setting up Quay Walker’s long return and an eventual touchdown. Ford added two stops against the run and kept a (mostly) clean sheet in coverage (two catches on three targets for two yards). He also didn’t have a missed tackle in the passing game.
QB Jordan Love: The third-year quarterback handled the final two drives in relief of Aaron Rodgers and produced 10 total points. Love looked poised and confident in the pocket, trusted his arm to make throws over the middle and to the sideline and even extended a few plays with his legs. Overall, Love completed six of nine passes, including a 63-yarder to Christian Watson on a staple “strike” play. Aaron Jones dropped a perfectly-placed Cover-2 beater that likely would have gained 20 or more. He also ripped a ball to Allen Lazard to convert third down. Love was just a tiny bit off on an extended play to Randall Cobb, who was clearly contacted before the ball arrived (slightly behind him) in the end zone.
Duds
LB Quay Walker: The rookie had a miserable night chasing Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders around the field. He missed a tackle as a spy on Hurts on the game’s first third down, creating a 24-yard run and setting the stage for what was to come. PFF credited Walker with four missed tackles; that might have been conservative. Hurts and Sanders both skipped through Walker tackle attempts. The performance of the rookie was a big reason why the Packers gave up 363 rushing yards.
Front seven: Walker wasn’t the only dud on defense. In fact, the entire front seven deserves a mention here. The defensive line got blown off the ball time and time again, and second-level linebackers missed tackles and were consistently late to fill gaps. Walker, Isaiah McDuffie and Krys Barnes combined to miss eight tackles, per PFF, but I’d guess the number is higher internally because Matt LaFleur counted 20 misses for the defense overall. The Eagles ripped off 11 runs of 10 or more yards, and four different players had a run of at least 10 yards.
TE Tyler Davis: He ran the wrong route and wasn’t flat enough on the route he ran, resulting in Aaron Rodgers’ second interception. The quarterback probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball, but Davis made the kind of mental mistake that keeps plaguing this offense. Once again, Davis looked overwhelmed as a blocker over five run-blocking snaps and one pass-blocking snaps.
