After rewatching Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, here are five six things worth knowing:
1) There’s no question Aaron Rodgers isn’t the player he was a decade ago, but truth be told, age had very little to do with the reigning league MVP’s pedestrian performance against the Jets. Rodgers was under intense pressure on at least half of his 45 dropbacks, and even when he was able to avoid a sack and extend the play, receivers simply weren’t getting open down the field. Was the future Hall of Famer inaccurate at times? Absolutely, but he also made some outstanding throws. The soon-to-be 39-year-old showed admirable grit playing with a banged-up right thumb and behind a porous offensive line.
2) AJ Dillon’s somewhat disappointing third season continued on Sunday. Not only did the former Boston College star fumble an exchange with Rodgers and drop two passes, but he failed to pick up more than one yard on half of his 10 carries. While some of that was due to poor blocking by the offensive line, Dillon simply isn’t running with the same authority as he did a year ago. He’s too easy to tackle for a 240-pounder with quads the size of a bodybuilder. Maybe he’ll improve over the next few months, but right now, it’s impossible to watch Dillon and think he’ll ever be an elite back.
3) David Bakhtiari was one of the few bright spots on Sunday. The former Colorado star played all but four snaps and looked pretty darn close to the left tackle who was named to five straight All-Pro teams from 2016 to 2020. The 31-year-old got the better of dynamic edge rusher Carl Lawson, who had 19 pressures going into the contest, including eight in Week 5. Not only was Bakhtiari nearly impenetrable in protection, but he also did a nice job in the run game. Watching him move around against the Jets, you would’ve never known it was only his fourth game in 22 months. He looked that good.
4) Royce Newman started at right guard vs. the Jets despite not playing particularly well in any of the first five games, but it’s difficult to imagine him keeping his job after Sunday’s brutal performance. In fact, he was so inept that Jake Hanson replaced him in the second quarter. (Imagine being so bad the coaches thought Hanson was a better option.) The former Ole Miss star lacks bulk and can be overpowered by big-bodied defensive tackles like Quinnen Williams, who physically abused him for 60 minutes. There’s a place for Newman in Green Bay, but that place should be on the bench.
Believe it or not, Newman (#70) had worse plays vs. the Jets, but this is the one that finally got him benched – possibly for the rest of the season.
5) Jaire Alexander is the type of cornerback who plays best when presented with a significant challenge. He spent most of Sunday covering talented rookie Garrett Wilson, and he made the speedy first-round draft pick disappear. The only completions Alexander allowed were to tight end C.J. Uzomah (14 yards) and wide receivers Corey Davis (11 yards) and Braxton Berrios (6 yards). Alexander typically rises to the occasion when tasked with shutting down the opponent’s most dangerous weapon, so it would make sense for coordinator Joe Barry to continue using him in that way going forward.
6) Rookie Kingsley Enagbare recorded the first sack of his career on Sunday, but the lack of quality depth at outside linebacker continues to be a problem. Both Enagbare and Jonathan Garvin were liabilities versus the run, especially in the second half. The former on Berrios’ 20-yard touchdown, and the latter on Breece Hall’s 34-yard touchdown. Why general manager Brian Gutekunst still hasn’t added a proven veteran to back up Rashan Gary and Preston Smith is a mystery. Garvin has regressed in his third season, and while Enagbare might be a quality No. 3 in the future, he’s not now.
OVERALL: In theory, there’s no reason to panic. Even with back-to-back losses, the Packers are still tied for the fifth-best record in the NFC. In reality, there’s every reason to panic. The three-time defending NFC North champs haven’t played a good game all season, and they seem to be getting worse each week. The non-competitive loss to the Jets was a new low. It’s silly to say that any game in October is a must-win, but Sunday at Washington sure feels that way with the mighty Bills waiting on deck. It’s difficult to imagine this particular team bouncing back from a four-game losing streak.
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Surprised at the poll results. This packer team has been really bad. But the NFC is so weak that it’ll take 8 or 9 wins to make the tournament. I expect them to get there, for better or worse.
good performances from Adrian Amos, Jaire, Bahk overshadowed by terrible overall offensive line play, two blocked kicks, inability to keep drives going. hard to think of this team as a Super Bowl contender.