Packers: Highest and lowest graded players in Saints’ loss
For those of you who’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, make sure you check out PFF.com as they grade every single snap from every single NFL game. Unfortunately, I took the liberty to check out the grades they handed out for the Green Bay Packers’ embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The Packers got whooped 38-3 and were clearly not ready for anything the Saints had prepared for them. Not a great way to start the season, to say the least.
In this article, we’ll check out the grades PFF handed out by examining the highest and lowest rated Packers from this game. It requires a subscription to access, so if you don’t already have one, I highly encourage getting one. Let’s dive in.
Let’s check out the highest and lowest graded Green Bay Packers according to PFF from their embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Highest Graded:
Elgton Jenkins: 89.6
Despite technically being the backup left tackle, Jenkins proved what everyone thought–he’s a stud no matter where he lined up. He did his best work in the running game where he earned a 91.4 grade on very few opportunities. In the passing game, he only allowed one pressure on 37 dropbacks. It’s safe to say Aaron Rodgers’ blindside is safe with Jenkins out there.
Preston Smith: 86.3
It’s surprising to see anyone from the defense on this list due to their porous play, but here we are with Smith making an appearance at no. 2. His best grade came in the running game where he earned an 85.1 mark. He was also solid in coverage and when making tackles, but struggled to get after the quarterback.
Eric Stokes: 79.3
We’ll slip 2021 first-round pick Stokes in here even if he did only play eight snaps on defense. He recorded the only pass breakup for the defense and was solid on his only two coverage opportunities in the game. Given Kevin King’s ongoing struggles, don’t be surprised to see more of Stokes moving forward.
Jordan Love: 76.8
Fans didn’t expect to see Jordan Love play nearly a quarter of football, especially with Green Bay on the losing side. However, the 2020 first-round pick got the first real action of his NFL career and had a pretty good showing. In eight dropbacks, he completed five of his seven passes for 68 yards and three first downs. Of course, the big red mark on his day was the red zone fumble he lost on a strip-sack which cost Green Bay points toward the end of the game.
Lowest Graded:
Kingsley Keke: 36.8
Considering the struggles of the entire defense, it seems Keke has flown under the radar of criticism. He earned the Packers’ lowest grade on either side of the ball and was on the field for 31 plays–20 rushes and 11 passes. He was solid in his tackling, but absolutely awful in his run defense altogether–earning a 40.5 grade in that department. Green Bay needs someone to step up on the defensive line alongside Kenny Clark and this wasn’t a good start.
Krys Barnes: 42.2
The Packers woes at inside linebacker continue. They haven’t invested in that position and their struggles reared their ugly head once again. Barnes was awful, just awful in the running game as he earned a 32.9 mark from PFF in this contest–the lowest run defense grade on the team. He needs to improve moving forward or the Packers are in serious trouble.
Next. 8 stats to know about Packers' embarrassing loss. dark
Aaron Rodgers: 43.3
Rodgers deserves his fair share of criticism for this game as well. He was out of rhythm, late on his reads, and tried to play hero ball early in the game. It all resulted in a disastrous performance for the reigning MVP. Hopefully, he gets back on track quickly as it could be a long season if he isn’t playing up to his standard.