The Green Bay Packers hit the ground running and didn't find much trouble dominating the New England Patriots in Week 9. It was a well-rounded performance by Matt LaFleur's team, but even the best things can be improved.
The offensive line is still a work in progress, so to speak, but the weak links aren't likely to improve much. That's especially the case with the ever-struggling Aaron Banks, who missed four plays in the win over the New England Patriots.
While Banks was able to return to the game, he allowed three pressures, one sack, and had the team's lowest pass-blocking grade (7.6). Watching him has been painful, and it's about time they get Kevin Zeitler on the field.
The Packers must bench Aaron Banks and play Kevin Zeitler
Banks was terrible in his first season with the team, to the point that there was speculation he wouldn't be back this year. He's been banged up and has dealt with multiple ailments this season, and so far, he hasn't shown any signs of improvement.
Over his three games played, he's allowed eight pressures, one quarterback hit, and one sack. Pro Football Focus gives him a terrible 46.0 overall grade and a 38.1 run-blocking grade. He hasn't played enough snaps to qualify, but he would rank at the bottom of the league.
Laken Tomlinson has given this team a bit of a boost in the interior of the offensive line, and he's done enough to remain a starter. However, he should move to left guard to let Kevin Zeitler step up on the right side of the line.
The Packers were desperate enough to pursue Zeitler when no one else in the league was willing to pay him what he wanted, so not getting him on the field for this much feels like a disservice. Why wait until Banks gets hurt to play him, especially if Banks has already proven that he can't stay healthy?
Matt LaFleur's offense has been much better now that he's put the ball in Jordan Love's hands. They should remain a pass-first offense, though running the ball for a change should obviously work wonders for this team, given that one-dimensional offenses rarely thrive in the playoffs.
The running game won't get any better as long as Aaron Banks keeps playing; that's just a proven fact backed up by the tape and the data. Zeitler has been in the league for ages, and he's been a successful run-blocker wherever he's played, so why not play the man already?
Add us as a preferred source on Google