The Green Bay Packers have been one of the most consistent and dominant NFL teams since Week 10 ended. Since Week 11, the Packers rank third in EPA/offensive play and fourth in EPA/defensive play. Matt LaFleur’s team has an overall record of 5-1 and has made the playoffs with two weeks left.
Who helped power the dominant stretch?
The improvements of these players certainly played a role:
QB Jordan Love
PFF grade since bye: 79.5
In the six games since his bye, Love has averaged an NFL-best 9.2 yards per attempt, thrown nine touchdown passes and just one interception, and had a passer rating of 113.8. He still makes all the explosive plays in overtime without all the turnovers. It’s a winning combination for Love, who is now hearty, more mobile and more true after overcoming knee and groin injuries during the bye. Not surprisingly, the Packers have scored 30 or more points in five straight games, and Love hasn’t thrown an interception since Nov. 17.
LB Edgerrin Cooper
PFF grade since bye: 88.5
Since his bye, Cooper has only played in three games due to a hamstring injury, but he has been dominant on the field. In total, in just 123 snaps, Cooper had 19 tackles, 11 stops, three tackles (including a sack), an interception and a near-interception. His overall rating since Week 11 is behind only Myles Garrett, Nik Bonitto, Leonard Williams and Will Anderson Jr. Throughout his rookie season, he has emerged as a legitimate game-changer.
RB Josh Jacobs
PFF grade since bye: 90.3
Jacobs hasn’t been a slouch through the first half of the season, but since the bye he’s been the third-highest-rated player in the NFL in terms of skill. Over the past six weeks, he has thrown an NFL-high 10 rushing touchdowns and 31 missed tackles while also catching 16 passes for 212 yards (third-most among running backs). His rating of 92.0 is first among runners. He has become almost automatic in the red zone while drastically improving his effectiveness as a weapon off the field.
WR Christian Watson
PFF grade since bye: 71.6
Since the bye, Watson has gained 387 yards, the most on the team so far over the past six games (Tucker Kraft is second with 242). He averaged 29.8 yards per catch (first in the NFL) compared to 13 catches and 3.37 yards per route run (third-best), with four catches on seven opportunities. He’s dealing with a knee injury after Monday’s win, but the Packers need him to get back to near 100 percent for the postseason. It not only influences relationships, but also creates great art.
DE Brenton Cox Jr.
PFF grade since the bye: : 75.3
Since the Packers traded Preston Smith and opened up opportunities at edge rusher, Cox has produced 4.0 sacks and 13 pressures in 80 rushing snaps, producing a rushing win rate of 16.5 and leading the team in rushing productivity. Converts over 25.0 percent of his pass rush opportunities from “true pass sets.” The Packers may need to put him on the field more often in obvious passing situations.
CB Eric Stokes
PFF grade since bye: 75.5
After a rocky start to the season, Stokes has settled into his role as a perimeter starter. Since his bye, Stokes has only allowed six catches for 22 yards (a length of just 5 yards) on 14 targets. He gave up a touchdown pass in Detroit and still hasn’t broken up a pass this season, but his overall passing through Week 11 ranks fourth among NFL defenders. The drastic improvement came at the perfect time considering Jaire Alexander has only played 10 snaps since October 28th.
DE Rashan Gary
PFF grade since bye: 78.0
Gary has 22 pressures over the last six weeks, which ranks 11th among edge rushers, and his 12 defensive stops rank eighth among edge rushers. Since his bye, his disruptive play has increased and he has become an excellent run defender. The Packers have essential games ahead of them. Can Gary make the 1-2 large plays per game that any championship contender needs while using his star player?
Others
DE Lukas Van Ness: His overall grade from PFF hasn’t been spectacular since his bye, but second-year edge rusher has 13 pressures since his bye and a near-elite pass rush mark.
DL Kenny Clark: Since the bye, Clark has 12 pressures, 10 stops and much improved run defense.
LB Quay Walker: Before his injury, Walker was showing dominant, game-changing running ability. Since his bye, his run defense rating is 80.2.
