The Good, Bad and Okay from the Packers first four games
By Paul Bretl
The Okay from the Packers first four games
Aaron Rodgers
Overall, Aaron Rodgers stat line looks just fine. He’s completed 69% of his passes at 7.2 yards per attempt with six touchdowns. Rodgers has also been very efficient in the quick passing game, as already mentioned, against the blitz and off play-action. However, he has already thrown three interceptions, including a pick-six, hasn’t been very accurate on downfield throws, and in general, has made some uncharacteristic passes at times. He’s also had a tendency to hold on to the ball at times while maneuvering the pocket. In short, he hasn’t been at the MVP level that we’ve seen the last two seasons, which shouldn’t be a surprise, given the adjustments that the offense is going through.
Special teams
The fact that I have the Packers special teams uni in the “okay” category isn’t a bad thing. In fact, considering where this unit has been, it’s a good thing. Overall, the Packers rank 21st by DVOA after finishing last a season ago. Pat O’Donnell has been very good as a punter with the help of Rudy Ford and Keisean Nixon as gunners, all three of whom played a key role in Green Bay’s win against Tampa Bay. The coverage units have been better, but as we saw against New England, there is still room for improvement, and the field goal unit has looked solid. Meanwhile, Amari Rodgers does look more confident and decisive as a return man, but has still been underwhelming.
Pass protection
The Packers offensive line in pass protection has been fine this season, but not great by any means. They rank 15th — right in the middle — of ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric. Rodgers isn’t being pressured immediately in most instances, but it’s not as if he has all day either. The quick passing game I referenced earlier has helped this unit out as well. In order for this Packers offense to be firing on all cylinders, it begins with the play up front, which I would expect to continue improving as Bakhtiari and Jenkins get more reps.