Packers PFF grades: Best, worst players from Week 1 vs. Saints
The individual grades at Pro Football Focus reflect how poorly the Green Bay Packers played during a 38-3 defeat to the New Orleans Saints in the season opener on Sunday.
Matt LaFleur said his team was “absolutely embarrassed” in Week 1. It didn’t help that his MVP quarterback played one of the worst games of his long career.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst performers from the Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Saints.
Top 5 offense
(AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
1. LT Elgton Jenkins, 89.6 2. QB Jordan Love, 76.8 3. TE Marcedes Lewis, 75.0 4. G Lucas Patrick, 73.9 5. C Josh Myers, 71.9 Jenkins, in his first start at left tackle, was dominant. He allowed one pressure over 41 pass-blocking snaps and received elite grades as a run blocker. Love had one "big time throw" while completing over 70 percent of his passes and averaging 9.4 yards per attempt. He played two series. Lewis was once again rock-solid as a blocker. He also caught one pass for 19 yards. Myers got high marks for pass-blocking. He allowed just one pressure over 41 pass-blocking snaps. Patrick gave up three pressures and had low scores as a pass-blocker, but his work in the run game elevated his final grade. He was the team's second-highest graded run blocker.
Bottom 5 offense
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
1. RB Aaron Jones, 53.2 2. TE Dominique Dafney, 50.5 3. WR Allen Lazard, 50.3 4. TE Robert Tonyan, 44.2 5. QB Aaron Rodgers, 43.3 Jones carried five times for just nine yards. He wasn't able to break a tackle and averaged just one yard after contact. Dafney wasn't targeted on 11 passing plays and received low grades as blocker. Lazard ran 28 routes but managed just four targets, two catches and 16 yards. He averaged 0.64 yards per route run and went 1-for-2 on contested catch opportunities. Tonyan had a rare drop and averaged only 0.38 yards per route run (eight receiving yards). Rodgers held the ball on average for 2.9 seconds and threw two bad interceptions. He averaged only 5.0 yards per attempt from clean pockets.
Top 5 defense
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
1. OLB Preston Smith, 86.3 2. CB Eric Stokes, 79.3 3. CB Jaire Alexander, 75.9 4. S Adrian Amos, 75.1 5. ILB Oren Burks, 73.8 Smith produced a quarterback hit and three run stops over 38 snaps. Stokes played just eight snaps but the rookie managed to break up the only target into his coverage. Alexander allowed two catches on three targets for only 15 yards. Amos was in coverage for one of Jameis Winston's touchdown passes, but he also had six tackles without a miss and was generally good against the run. Burks produced one stop against the run over seven snaps.
Bottom 5 defense
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Deonte Harris (11).
1. OLB Chauncey Rivers, 47.1 2. CB Kevin King, 46.8 3. OLB Jonathan Garvin, 44.2 4. LB Krys Barnes 42.2 5. DL Kingsley Keke, 36.8 Rivers was on the field for 11 snaps. He was poor against the run and as a pass-rusher. King gave up two completions for 72 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown in the second half. Winston had a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting him. Garvin played a career-high 27 snaps but didn't have a tackle or a pressure. He was invisible. Keke produced one stop against the run but had poor grades as both a run defender and rusher. His 11 rushes didn't create a pressure.
Special teams, other notables
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Rashan Gary led the Packers with four pressures, including two quarterback hits. He rushed 16 times. Rookie right guard Royce Newman gave up two pressures (including one on Rodgers' first interception) and received low grades as a run blocker. Of Davante Adams' seven targets, just one was thrown over 10 yards in the air. Right tackle Billy Turner gave up three pressures and had the offensive line's worst pass-blocking efficiency score. The Packers missed only two tackles. One came from new inside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, who has generally been a good tackler in his career. New punter Corey Bojorquez put two punts inside the 20-yard line, but his hangtime was just 4.59 seconds, below his own standards. Linebacker Ty Summers had a special teams tackle. Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling was targeted six times but produced only 17 receiving yards.
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