The Green Bay Packers are coming off a dominant win over the Minnesota Vikings, and a lot of that success was because of improved play from the offensive line. Even with running back Josh Jacobs sidelined with a knee injury, RB2 Emanuel Wilson went off for 107 yards and two TDs, and quarterback Jordan Love was only sacked once.
Rookie Anthony Belton was a huge part of that success after being shifted inside to right guard, a position that had been held by Jordan Morgan. According to USA TODAY Packers writer Ryan Wood, head coach Matt LaFleur is not naming his starting right guard this week, but offered some high praise for the rookie following his impressive performance against the Vikings.
"(Belton) showed the physicality and the strain that we're looking for at that position," LaFleur said. "Obviously, he's a big man. First time playing guard, but all in all, he did a good job."
That is a pretty big endorsement, even if LaFleur is not naming a starter yet. At a crucial part of the season with the NFC North and playoff hopes in the balance, a major change on the offensive line could be exactly what Green Bay needs, which could spell bad news for Morgan.
Anthony Belton Praise Should Only Put More Pressure on Jordan Morgan
The decision to move Belton inside is something that had been in the works. According to ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Belton had been working at right guard for a few weeks in practice before they threw him in there against Minnesota.
"It was a move that we eventually wanted to do and give him a shot," Stenavich said, adding that does not mean they will play Belton there long term, but it is hard to argue that he is not deserving of more snaps at right guard after what he was able to do against the Vikings.
Morgan only has a 51.4 pass-blocking Pro Football Focus grade this season, good for 60th out of 81 qualified guards, so it is not like he has been playing out of his mind. Belton only had a 39.5 run block grade in the win over Minnesota, but he only allowed one pressure on 18 pass-blocking snaps, finishing with a grade of 77.8 in pass protection. He also did not commit a penalty during his 45 snaps, which was a far cry from the eight penalties in three preseason games.
If that performance was not an outlier, Belton may have pushed Morgan aside and injected some life into Green Bay's inconsistent line.
Following Elgton Jenkins' lower leg fracture, Sean Rhyan was moved over to center, making room for Morgan at guard. However, with his struggles so far and Belton's highlight of his rookie season, he has certainly made a case to be the starter at right guard. Rasheed Walker and Aaron Banks are already on the left side of the line with Rhyan at center and Zach Tom at right tackle, opening up the possibility of Belton taking over for Morgan at right guard if he can build off his Week 12 performance.
Belton's emergence has put Morgan's future with the Packers in jeopardy as the 2024 first-round pick looks to find his footing after constantly being moved around the offensive line. If Belton continues to shine at the position, Morgan could be in trouble, especially if LaFleur's most recent comments are any indication.