How five Packers players to watch performed vs Panthers
The Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers 33-30 on Sunday, getting back into the NFC wild card race. Jordan Love was the biggest factor in the game, but there were other players to talk about. Aaron Jones was extremely important, and the main defensive pieces let the team down under underwhelming coaching circumstances. Let’s […]
The Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers 33-30 on Sunday, getting back into the NFC wild card race. Jordan Love was the biggest factor in the game, but there were other players to talk about. Aaron Jones was extremely important, and the main defensive pieces let the team down under underwhelming coaching circumstances.
Let’s evaluate how five Packers players to watch performed in Charlotte.
Aaron Jones
Running backs might not matter for the most part, but Jones is one of a few who do. He's extremely valuable for the Packers offense, being efficient in the run game and opening lanes for everybody else when the defense is forced to add resources to stop him.
With Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Luke Musgrave out, Jones would obviously be a big part of the offense. And that was clear from the get go. In the first Packers offensive drive, Jones had four runs for 38 yards, plus an eight-yard reception to put the Packers in position to score.
To start the second round, Jones broke a big 39-yard run. He finished the game with 127 rushing yards, six per carry.
Rasheed Walker
Jordan Love had time to progress in his reads, evade the pocket, and make plays. That's in part Walker's merit, as the left tackle had a solid performance. He also had a good run block in the first drive, for example, allowing Aaron Jones to break away. Outside of a false start in the second quarter, it was a good showing from the Packers second-year lineman.
He was also helped by a strong performance by left guard Elgton Jenkins. The former Pro Bowler is extremely valuable, and when he plays well, the entire offensive line is elevated.
Kenny Clark
The Packers defensive front can't dominate, and Clark is part of that negative equation. He is an explosive penetrator, and eventually he will make impactful plays. One example happened when he was not fooled on a Panthers trick play and generated a quick pressure on Bryce Young to avoid a potential big play.
But against the run, it was another uninspiring performance. Even against a bad offense, the Packers weren't able to limit their rushing efficiency.
Quay Walker
To be clear, Isaiah McDuffie has been the most impactful off-ball linebacker for the Packers this season, and that tells you everything you need to know when the primary options are a first-round pick and a $50 million veteran.
That being said, Walker had a great pressure in the first drive as a blitzer, getting half a sack alongside Preston Smith. It converted a 2nd & 1 into a 3rd & 8, which ended up as a three-and-out for the Panthers. Outside of that play, though, Walker wasn't very active.
Eric Stokes
The Packers must be concerned with Stokes' lack of athleticism since he returned from a sequence of injuries. A big example was when he allowed a big third-down conversion to veteran Adam Thielen. Stokes was forced to play soft against Thielen, to get things worse.
Maybe he's just rust coming back from so much time away from football. At least, Green Bay hopes it's just that.
Under imperfect circumstances, Jordan Love has been beyond impressive
Packers QB has played at a high level
