The Packers best and worst performances from matchup with Bills
By Paul Bretl
Winning in Buffalo always felt like a long shot for the Green Bay Packers, and the game played out that way for the most part. In all three phases of the game, the Bills were clearly the superior team.
Regardless of how the game ends up, there is always some good and some bad. So as we continue looking back at Sunday’s matchup, here are the best and worst performances from the Packers.
The Green Bay Packers’ best performances against Buffalo
Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon
If you’re looking for a silver lining, despite falling down early and rather quickly, the Packers’ best chance at moving the ball was always going to be on the ground against a Bills defense that plays with light boxes, and they stuck with that for much of the game. Jones averaged 7.2 yards per rush on 20 carries, totaling 143 yards on the ground. This also included an impressive 13 missed tackles forced. Dillon, meanwhile, averaged 5.4 yards per carry on 10 attempts. Together the two had five runs of 10 or more yards.
Packers rookie wide receivers
Christian Watson left early on but had one reception for 12 yards. In total, the Packers’ trio of rookie receivers hauled in six passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Romeo Doubs had a pair of impressive receptions that showcased some trust between him and Aaron Rodgers. Samori Toure would make a nice route adjustment based on what the defense was doing that resulted in a touchdown.
Preston Smith
Preston Smith’s play seems to be flying under the radar, given the Packers’ play in recent weeks, but he has been a steady presence at edge rusher. Against Buffalo, Smith totaled two pressures and was once again very good in run defense. Smith’s PFF run defense grade in the last four weeks is the fourth-highest among all edge rushers.
Rashan Gary
Another week and another game where Rashan Gary leads the Packers in pressures with seven. For some context, that is the second-highest total recorded in Week 8. With that said, I will mention that Gary does have to do a better job of not getting so far upfield. While he’s generating pressures, he’s missing out on sack opportunities and creating running lanes for the quarterback.
Jaire Alexander
According to Matt LaFleur, because of Josh Allen’s mobility, the Packers didn’t want to play man coverage and have the defenders’ backs to the play. This resulted in Alexander not following Stefon Diggs, much to the chagrin of fans, but he handled his responsibilities very well, allowing no completions on five targets.
David Bakhtiari
Matched up often with Von Miller, one of the game’s best pass rushers, David Bakhtiari once again played at a high level. He didn’t allow a single pressure, and his run-blocking grade was the fourth-best among all tackles in Week 8.
Josiah Deguara
After playing just 15% of the total offensive snaps this season, Josiah Deguara played a much larger role against Buffalo. He tallied just one reception for nine yards but was excellent as a blocker, creating several running lanes for the backs, and he provided the offense with additional versatility.
The Green Bay Packers’ worst performances against Buffalo
Darnell Savage
Apparently, tackling is optional for Darnell Savage. He was credited with three missed tackles, including one on Josh Allen on a third and long that resulted in a first down and another where he should have held Devin Singletary to a minimal gain, but his miss ended in a big run. Savage also allowed one reception for 29 yards.
Adrian Amos
Amos’ performance may have flown under the radar in comparison to Savage’s, but he didn’t play much better. Like Savage, Amos had a team-high three missed tackles. The safety play on the Packers this season has been incredibly underwhelming.
Rasul Douglas
With Alexander not following Diggs, Douglas was tasked with covering him for much of the game and in a matchup that very much favored Diggs with his speed. In total, Douglas allowed five receptions on seven targets for 99 yards and a touchdown. Three of those receptions and 85 yards were when he was on Diggs.
Sammy Watkins
Short-handed at wide receiver, especially when Christian Watson left the game, Watkins had a very quiet game as a pass catcher. He was targeted only one time and totaled three yards. This offense needs more from him.
Penalties
As I wrote about in my 3 Big Things article following this game, penalties were a major issue once again for the Packers. They seemingly come at the worst times when the offense is moving the ball, or it allows the defense to extend drives. When it was all said and done, the Packers were flagged eight times.
Quay Walker
Following the game, Walker was remorseful after being ejected for pushing a player on the Bills’ sidelines who wasn’t even suited up. However, that ejection just simply can’t happen, and its impact was magnified when De’Vondre Campbell later left with an injury, which meant Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie were the Packers’ starting linebackers.
All stats courtesy of PFF.com