Packers' pass protection was a bright spot during loss to Steelers
One of the hardest parts about evaluating Jordan Love this year is the play around him has been subpar, at best. And we're talking about just about everyone on the Green Bay Packers offense.The offensive line, once considered a strength in training camp and preseason, has been a part of the equation. Whether it's the […]
One of the hardest parts about evaluating Jordan Love this year is the play around him has been subpar, at best. And we're talking about just about everyone on the Green Bay Packers offense.
The offensive line, once considered a strength in training camp and preseason, has been a part of the equation. Whether it's the failure to open up rushing lanes or give Love the proper time to execute a play – the front five hasn't been very good. Although, the play has picked up over the last few weeks and that continued on Sunday against the Steelers.
The Packers offensive line had allowed a 6.45% sack rate before Week 10, which was just a little better than league average. Per Pro Football Focus, Love had been pressured on 29.1% of his dropbacks over the first eight games, which was the third-lowest rate among qualifying quarterbacks. Overall, the unit has been pretty good at keeping Love clean all year long. There are just lapses in key moments that make things seem worse than they really are.
No one is excusing those mistakes, by any means. And it doesn't just come in the form of blown blocks or miscues. There have been crucial penalties (think Jon Runyan's 4th down mishaps in Week 9 or Rasheed Walker's ineligible downfield flag in Week 8), as well.
But getting back to the point of the Packers offensive line playing well in pass pro: Against the Steelers, Love was sacked just once. He was hit five times, which is more than you'd like to see, but his pressure rate was still pretty low. Per PFF, Love was pressured on 32.6% of his dropbacks against the Steelers and just 7.1% of those were converted into sacks. The pressure rate would be good for ninth-best in the NFL if extrapolated over the course of the entire season and the pressure-to-sack rate would lead the league.
"I thought our oline battled," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters after the game. "That's a really good front. I mean, those are two. Everybody knows about [T.J.] Watt as an edge rusher, but [Alex] Highsmith, is, I think he's just as dangerous. I know he doesn't have the sack numbers, necessarily, but he's gotten a ton of pressure on the quarterback. And then their interior does a really good job with the push. So, it is a formidable front [and] one of the better fronts that we've seen. And I thought you know, considering how many times we dropped back in this game, I thought our oline did did a pretty good job."
Packers' pass pro has been a rare bright spot in 2023 and is a building block for 2024
The Packers are going to have a lot of questions, again, on offense heading into the 2024 offseason, but the pass protection shouldn't be one. LaFleur and co. -if they're around- need to make sure they build on it as much as possible, as well.
Especially if Love is considered the guy for 2024. We'll table "future" discussions, now, for obvious reasons.
"I think pass pro was awesome today," Love said after the game. "They have two really good edge rushers, right there, and I think we did a really good job against them… We expected some of the pressures they were doing. I think it picked up more at the end, right there. And I think we had a good plan for TJ and I think our tackles did a good job. I think Zack Tom did a really good job against him, kind of limiting him to making some of those big plays he makes."
The Packers have two very good starting points in Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins and the ascending Zach Tom. Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich recently said center Josh Myers was playing the best football of his career, but the Packers could stand to bring in some competition over the summer. The team also has to decide whether or not it wants to bring back Jon Runyan in 2024.
Where the team has its biggest question mark is at left tackle. David Bakhtiari simply can't be relied on, anymore, and Rasheed Walker has looked like a seventh-round pick too many times this year. Yosh Nijman hasn't been able to stay healthy enough for a proper evaluation, either.
The Packers need to put serious thought and effort into upholding the pass pro standard the front five is setting in 2023. Because if they can improve, then there's a great chance Love will be around for the long haul.
