Green Bay Packers: TEs Will Play Important Role on Monday

The Green Bay Packers’ tight end group is coming off their most productive game of the season, and they’ll have another opportunity to produce on Monday.

For years under Mike McCarthy, the Green Bay Packers struggled to find consistent production at the tight end position, although it wasn’t from a lack of effort with several “big” free agent signings. But even so, in McCarthy’s offense, the tight end was never crucial to the overall success of the unit.

With Matt LaFleur, however, that isn’t the case. And while Green Bay is still looking for that consistent production, which I believe they have found in Robert Tonyan, Josiah Deguara, and Jace Sternberger, unlike McCarthy’s system, the tight end is a key part of this offense.

LaFleur sees the tight end as an extra blocker on the field in the run game, but also a matchup problem for defenses, lining them up in the backfield, inline, in the slot, and out wide. With Tonyan, Deguara, and Sternberger’s ability to line up anywhere, run a wide variety of routes, along with their willingness as blockers, that all helps create that “illusion of complexity” that LaFleur desires. Thus, keeping defenses off balance.

From a personnel standpoint, Green Bay’s tight end usage shows how over the last three years, the importance of the position within the offense has grown. In 2018, McCarthy’s final season, the Green Bay Packers ran 16 percent of their plays from 12 personnel – one RB & 2 TEs – while in Year 1 of the LaFleur offense, we saw that percentage increase to 20 percent. Through three games this season, Green Bay has played out of 12 personnel 25 percent of the time, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL.

Although right away this season, we didn’t see the tight end unit filling up the stat sheet, they were making an impact in the running and passing games as blockers. However, in Week 3 against New Orleans, we saw this group have their breakout game, as Marcedes Lewis, Sternberger, and Tonyan combined for nine receptions, 104 yards, and two touchdowns.

With no Davante Adams last week, others needed to step up in the passing game, and with more injuries hitting the wide receiver group, I expect the Green Bay Packers’ tight ends to play key roles once again.

As we all know by now, Allen Lazard is sidelined for the time being, and while Adams is back at practice, we still don’t know if he will play or not. This means Green Bay could be left with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Darrius Shepherd, Malik Taylor, and either Robert Foster or Reggie Begelton from the practice squad.

In a recent article, I made it clear that even if that is the receivers, Green Bay has to work with on Monday, I still expect this offense to put up points. With that said, the tight ends are going to be a big part of the passing game against Atlanta.

This is an Atlanta defense that is one of the worst in the game, giving up a league-high 36 points per game along with the second-most yards. And they haven’t faired any better against tight ends either. Through three games, opposing tight ends have caught 27 of 32 passes for 238 yards with four touchdowns.

As the Packer passing attack looks to stay hot – and they should – without potentially two of their top pass-catchers, look for the likes of Tonyan, Sternberger, and possibly Josiah Deguara, who was back at practice this week, to have big games.

While there is no replacing Adams or Lazard in this offense, unlike in year’s past, this group is better equipped to handle their top players being out. And a big reason why is because of the tight end position that is made up of versatile players that can affect both the run and passing games.

For the second straight week, I expect this group to fill up the stat sheet a bit as they take advantage of this Falcons’ defense and pick up the receiver room that is battling injuries.