Advertisement

Packers PFF grades: Best, worst players from divisional round loss to 49ers

Massive failures on offense and special teams wasted a dominant defensive effort, and the Green Bay Packers squandered leads of 7-0 and 10-3 in the second half of a 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers during Saturday night’s divisional round of the NFC playoffs at Lambeau Field.

The 49ers are moving on to the NFC title game. For the Packers, the season is over.

Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst performers from the Packers’ divisional round loss to the 49ers.

Top 5 offense

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

1. WR Davante Adams, 75.3
2. RT Dennis Kelly, 72.5
3. LT Billy Turner, 69.2
4. QB Aaron Rodgers, 68.1
5. TE Dominique Dafney, 64.5

Adams caught nine of his 11 targets, averaged 2.73 yards per route run and created five first downs.

Kelly gave up five pressures as a pass-blocker, but he earned an elite grade as a run blocker.

Turner allowed two hurries and earned the team’s second-highest pass-blocking grade, trailing only Jon Runyan.

Rodgers didn’t have a big-time throw and took five sacks, but he did complete 69 percent of his passes despite being victimized by two drops.

Dafney played only eight snaps, but he was effective as a run blocker.

Top 5 defense

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary (52)

1. OLB Rashan Gary, 86.8
2. OLB Preston Smith, 70.5
3. S Henry Black, 70.4
3. LB De’Vondre Campbell, 70.4
3. DL Kenny Clark, 70.4

Gary delivered two sacks on third down, plus a team-high six pressures and four defensive stops (including a tackle for loss on fourth down) over 41 snaps.

Smith earned the team’s highest run-stopping grade, but he got dinged by giving up a completion in coverage.

Black played 20 snaps in place of Darnell Savage and produced two tackles without a miss and didn’t allow a completion.

Campbell was effective in coverage and earned the team’s highest tackling grade. Once again, he didn’t have a miss.

Clark created four pressures (including a sack) and three defensive stops, but he did miss two tackles against the run.

Bottom 5 offense

Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

1. TE Marcedes Lewis, 32.3
2. TE Josiah Deguara, 40.2
3. C Josh Myers, 48.0
4. WR Equanimeous St. Brown, 49.6
5. WR Randall Cobb, 50.4

Lewis turned the ball over with a fumble in the first quarter, a pivotal play in the game.

Deguara had a big drop and struggled as a run blocker. He didn’t have a catch despite running 20 routes.

Myers earned the offensive line’s worst run-blocking grade, and he gave up a pressure as a pass-blocker.

St. Brown wasn’t targeted despite running 10 routes, and his one carry gained marginal yardage.

Cobb ran 24 routes but had only one target and zero catches.

Bottom 5 defense

Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

1. CB Jaire Alexander, 36.9
2. OLB Whitney Mercilus, 47.2
3. S Darnell Savage, 47.4
4. OLB Za’Darius Smith, 54.8
5. CB Eric Stokes, 54.8

Alexander played only eight snaps, but he missed a crucial tackle on Deebo Samuel on the final third down of the contest.

Mercilus didn’t have a pressure and graded out poorly against the run.

Savage missed a tackle and didn’t make a play during his 34 snaps before departing with an injury.

Smith had a sack, but he struggled against the run and didn’t have another pressure over his other 11 pass-rushing snaps.

Stokes gave up two catches for a team-high 42 yards, including a big 24-yard completion to George Kittle on the final series.

Other notables

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12).

Aaron Rodgers was under pressure on 12 of his 34 dropbacks (34.8 percent). He had one turnover-worthy play (deep shot to Davante Adams on final third down) and nearly lost a fumble.

Jimmy Garoppolo was under pressure on 11 of his 23 dropbacks (47.8 percent).

Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Josiah Deguara combined to run 75 routes in the passing game but caught just one pass on three targets.

PFF put the responsibility on Aaron Rodgers for three of the five sacks.

49ers defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa were the highest-graded players in the game. They both overcame injuries to play. Warner was terrific in coverage, and Bosa had five pressures.

The 49ers forced only four missed tackles in the run game and three in the passing game, but Deebo Samuel created six of the seven.

The Packers made 15 “stops” against the run. A stop is considered a tackle constituting a failure for the offense.

Tyler Lancaster, who allowed the blocked field goal, earned the worst special teams grade of the game.

1

1