Matt LaFleur won’t hide that Packers’ offense will rely increasingly on one player after insane individual performance
Tight end Tucker Kraft leads the Packers in receiving yards and touchdowns. More than that, he’s become a truly elite player at his position in the NFL.
Seven receptions, 143 receiving yards, two touchdowns. It was an absolutely impressive performance from tight end Tucker Kraft, and he was one of the big reasons why the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-25 on “Sunday Night Football.”
But that’s far away from being an outlier. Kraft has reached an elite level this season, due to his consistent ability to generate yards after the catch, to break tackles, and to create explosive plays out of nowhere.
“Any time I get the ball in my hands, all I’m thinking about is going South,” Kraft said after the game on Sunday. “How can I squeeze every amount of yard out of this play? When these opportunities come, you just execute it.”
The offense will go through Kraft
Since trading Davante Adams away, the Packers have been a balanced philosophy on offense. Head coach Matt LaFleur frequently talks about giving opportunities for everyone — and the unit certainly doesn’t lack talented pass-catchers. But by the way Kraft is playing, it’s getting harder to not feed him the ball.
“You’d be crazy not to,” LaFleur said when asked if he could build the passing offense around a tight end. “He was a beast. He was a man possessed, and you just got to find ways to get him the ball.”
It’s not only LaFleur that has been impressed by what Kraft can do. Quarterback Jordan Love has created a productive connection with his tight end, and the results on the field are obvious.
“That’s big time. He’s a big-time player, and I think everybody’s seen what he’s capable of when he gets the ball in his hands,” Love said. “Making guys miss, running people over, getting those extra yards. Anytime he touches the ball, he’s going to fight for all those yards, and he’s just an explosive playmaker. I’m just glad that everybody’s seeing what he’s all about now.”
Tucker Kraft has been the Packers’ most productive receiving weapon. Through seven games, he’s had 30 receptions for 469 yards and six touchdowns. He leads the NFL in yards after the catch and passer rating when targeted.
For a player who will be eligible for a contract extension next offseason, Kraft has shown his value in a big way. And the Packers won’t shy away from giving him the ball more and more.
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