Green Bay Packers: 3 Unsung Heroes at the Halfway Point

We are at the halfway point in the Green Bay Packers’ season, and here are three unsung heroes from their first eight games.

It’s the halfway point in the season for the Green Bay Packers, who sit at 6-2 overall, lead the NFC North and hold the No. 3 seed – behind Seattle and Tampa Bay – in the NFC. As is the case with any team, there are certain areas to improve upon, and I covered a few of those things yesterday in an article, but by an large, this team has dominated–especially on offense.

Anytime that a team has a good season or is off to a fast start, they are, of course getting contributions from their star players. In the Green Bay Packers’ case, this includes Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Jaire Alexander, Za’Darius Smith, and others.

However, they’re also getting elevated play from the non-stars on the team as well. And some of these players get more recognition than others, so I wanted to highlight my three unsung heroes of the first half.

Green Bay Packers WR/RB: Tyler Ervin

By no means has Tyler Ervin filled the stat sheet this season; even after he was featured much more heavily in San Francisco, his numbers still don’t jump off the page. In six games, he’s hauled in 10 receptions for 81 yards and has 12 carries for 67 yards.

But his speed combined with his versatility makes him someone that defenses always have to account for, which helps play into the “illusion of complexity” that Matt LaFleur strives for on offense and creates mismatches for Ervin’s teammates.

Ervin’s biggest contributions come as the motion man and on jet sweeps, which plays an integral part in the LaFleur offense. Ervin motioning across at the snap freezes the linebackers, which opens up passing lanes and allows the offensive line to get into a better position at the second level.

As I said, Ervin hasn’t filled the stat sheet, but he’s still dangerous with the ball in his hands, and pre-snap he has become a weapon for the offense.