New York Giants Week 5: First Look at Green Bay Packers’ Offense
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When the New York Giants suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of their division rival Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, some characterized the primetime defeat as an obvious wakeup call that the team’s hot start was merely smoke and mirrors.
The latter’s response: a bounceback victory in challenging conditions with flashy playmaking on both sides of the football resulting in a 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears to improve their record to 3-1.
But now comes a tougher stretch of their schedule, starting with this Sunday's matchup with the Green Bay Packers (3-1) in London, the Giants' third appearance in a game played on British soil. This will also be the first time they've seen the Packers since 2019, when they fell 31-13 at MetLife Stadium in former quarterback Eli Manning’s final season.
Going back to 1928, the two sides have battled 62 times, and 24 of their contests have been decided by eight points or less. The Packers have won the last three games and hold a 34-26-2 advantage in the series.
As the Giants have found out in recent seasons, they’re crossing paths with a Packers team that boasts some of the best talent across the entire NFL landscape. At the forefront is 38-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the team’s fearful gunslinger for the past 17 seasons.
A four-time NFL Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl XLV champion holding numerous passing records over his career, Rodgers returns to Green Bay for his 18th campaign after winning his fourth MVP title and commanding the Packers to a 13-3 record and appearance in the NFC Conference Game. Following the team’s exit from the playoffs, there was speculation the quarterback could retire or demand a trade from the organization. Instead, he signed a 3-year, $150 million extension that made him the highest-paid North American sports player annually.
With 217 career games under his belt and an overall resume totaling 4,740 completions (65.4 percent), 56,295 passing yards, 455 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 104.4, Rodgers is on a mission to bring his team back to the promised land that they’ve come so close to over the few seasons. He will have to do that with a slightly different offense this time.
The dangerous rushing combination of running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon is standing behind him. The veteran Jones, a 2017 fifth-round pick by the Packers, sits as the team’s lead rusher and is coming off his fourth season with at least 133 carries, 728 yards, and four touchdowns. Dillon, a third-year player, has served as Jones’ sidekick and pass-catching counterpart, helping the duo accumulate 538 yards and two of the team’s three rushing touchdowns this season.
In the wide receiver room, Rodgers is confronted with throwing to a few unfamiliar faces. While Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb have returned and established themselves as top receiving options through four games, the Packers are running out two rookies in Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, both of which are still developmental pieces in the offense. Free agent signee Samuel Watkins and Robert Tonyan have also brought themselves into the mix.
In 2021, the Packers’ offense was one of the most efficient in the league, particularly in the passing game. A big reason for their dominance in the NFC North was their rankings in total points, yards, and turnovers, in which they finished the first two in 10th (450 and 6,215, respectively) and the latter in first (13). Through the air, the Packers were eighth in passing yards (4,315), fourth in touchdowns (39), and sixth in average yards per catch (6.9).
Those numbers have taken a hit through the first four games of the 2022 season, but the caveat is an improvement running the football. Green Bay currently ranks 21st in total points (75), sixth in total yards (1,510), 16th in passing yards (930), 11th in touchdowns (6), and 13th in average yards per catch (6.5). Meanwhile, on the ground, they stand in the top-10 in rushing attempts, yards, and average yards per rush.
The surging Packers could serve as their biggest test of the season, particularly with the injury woes that have already plagued them coming out of the Week 4 win. While the Giants wait to see what becomes of their locker room, let’s take a deeper look at the Green Bay offense and what it brings to the table.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) during the 3rd quarter of the Green Bay Packers 32-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC divisional playoff game Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Jo via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Quarterback
Coming out of the 2021 season, where the Packers finished with their third consecutive 13-3 season but were eliminated in the Divisional Round, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of the team’s quarterback position.
After 17 seasons of boasting one of the greatest quarterback talents of the modern era, Green Bay faced the challenge of attempting to quell the inner-organizational frustrations of Aaron Rodgers.
Following back-and-forth discussions and a new contract extension, the Packers were able to get Rodgers to stay for his 18th season, and now the two parties are on their renewed quest for their second Lombardi trophy together.
The 38-year-old Rodgers continues to defy his age and prove every Sunday that he is still one of the most talented quarterbacks in the entire NFL. Entering 2022, Rodgers has had four consecutive seasons with at least 353 completions, 4,000 passing yards, 7.0 yards per pass, and 25 touchdowns.
Last season, he played in 16 games for the Packers, amassing 366 completions (68.9 completion percentage), 4,115 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and four interceptions. En route to his fourth MVP recognition, Rodgers also held the best passer rating in the league at 111.9 and posted a 7.0-0.8 touchdown-to-interceptions ratio, one of the lowest marks of his career.
Beyond his experience and astounding numbers, the mystique of Rodgers starts with his prowess in throwing the ball. Standing in the pocket, even with pressure mounting on him, Rodgers remains as cool as a cucumber while the play develops and then fires a fast, sharp football down the field towards his intended target.
Whether in tight coverage or over the top of his receiver, Rodgers excels at fitting the football into the smallest of windows to allow his pass catchers to make a play against the toughest defenses.
Through four games of 2022, Rodgers has thrown 89 completions for 935 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions, with a rating of 95.6 and three long balls of at least 32 yards. Along with his arm, one cannot sleep on Rodgers’s elite vision and ability to extend plays moving with the football.
Using his collective calmness in the backfield, Rodgers can seem like he’s locking his eyes in a given direction. Still, in reality, he watches for his other receivers coming across the field. If he finds something open elsewhere, he can quickly shift his body and launch a pass anywhere to link up with a moving receiver.
Speaking of movement, Rodgers has plenty of rushing in his resume. In his 17 professional seasons, he has accumulated 693 rushes for 3,371 yards and 34 touchdowns, with his longest rush being 35 yards in the 2009 season. Often, he will use his legs to extend the play towards the sidelines, taking the ball upfield himself or guiding his receivers towards an intended area and sending it through the sky into their breadbaskets.
There’s only so much one could say about the great Aaron Rodgers because that’s truly what he is. He’s one of the best examples of talent and athleticism defying age in the NFL. The film speaks for itself, so the Giants’ defense will need another sharp outing if they want to limit the effectiveness of Rodgers on Sunday.
New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai (48) brings down Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) by the hair during their football game on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Running Backs
The Packers enter this weekend's game with the seventh-best rushing attack, averaging 145.0 yards on the ground per game. Their lead back is Aaron Jones, a fifth-round pick out of UTEP in the 2017 draft who shared the lead in rushing touchdowns (16) in 2019 with Derrick Henry of the Titans and who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2020.
Jones recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2019 and 2020, carrying the rock over 200 times, but in 2021, his rushing attempts dripped to 171 times, and he only mustered up 799 yards on the ground.
So far this year, Jones is averaging a career-best 6.8 yards per carry, having recorded 327 yards on 48 carries. Jones is also a dual threat out as a receiver of the backfield, having recorded at least 47 receptions in the last three seasons. Jones, who is powerfully built for a man standing 5-foot-9 and 208 pounds, is second among NFL running backs in yards after contact (4.42) based on 30 rushing attempts.
AJ Dillon, nicknamed "Quadzilla" (sorry Saquon!), is the Packers' No. 2 running back and is no small sack of potatoes--in size or production. Last year, Dillon posted his best rushing season, recording 803 yards on 187 carries and five touchdowns. Dillon's powerful legs are a big reason he's averaging 3.11 yards after contact for his career.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) runs the ball against New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones (31) in overtime on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis.
Wide Receivers
The Packers boldly decided to trade away Davante Adams in the off-season. So far, it's fair to wonder if that was the right way to go, as after finishing in the top 10 league-wide in passing the last two seasons, the Packers currently sit in the middle of the pack at No. 16 (232.5 yards/game).
Rookie Romeo Doubs, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, leads the wide receivers with 184 yards on 19 receptions and two touchdowns. Doubs was a two-time first-team All-Mountain West honoree 2020, 2021) and impressed his teammates and coaches literally from Day 1 following his selection by the Packers. Standing 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, Doubs checks the boxes as far as size and speed go and can separate.
Will check the boxes for height, weight, and speed, but tightness in his lower half limits the upside. Doubs has been a productive, high-volume target with speed to separate deep. He's posted 124 of his 184 yards after the catch and is primarily used on crossing routes and short passes to the outside, where he has enough elusiveness to escape past defenders. But when facing tight man coverage, Doubs has his issues.
Behind Doubs on the Packers receiver leaderboard is veteran Allen Lazard, who originally signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Lazard, who has been with the Packers since December 2018, stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 227 pounds.
More of a complementary receiver, Lazard began the season with an ankle issue he suffered during the preseason that cost him the first week of the current campaign. But when healthy, Lazard is perfectly capable of delivering the explosive play and is tied with Doubs with four explosive plays through four games.
Randall Cobb is the Packers primary slot receiver. A second-round pick out of Kentucky in 2011, Cobb is back with the Packers for a second stint after spending the 2019 season with the Cowboys and the 2020 season with the Texans.
Cobb, a 10-year veteran, has been Aaron Rodgers' go-to on third down this season. Five of his ten receptions have come on third down attempts (four on scoring drives), and he's recorded eight first down conversions for the Packers. Cobb's two huge plays last week against the Patriots--a 24-yard pass on third-and-6 in the fourth quarter on the game-tying touchdown drive and an 11-yard catch on 3rd-and-1 to set up a field goal--were instrumental in the Packers' 27-24 overtime victory.
Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan (85) makes a reception against the Chicago Bears during their football game on Sunday, September 18, 2022 at Lambeau Field. in Green Bay, Wis.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsi
Tight Ends
A former undrafted free agent out of Indiana State, Robert Tonyan returns to the Packers for his fifth season after seeing a decline in his production in 2021. With injuries limiting him to eight games of action, the 6’5”, 240-pound tight end secured 18 receptions for 204 yards (11.3 average) and two touchdowns, his lowest numbers since 2019.
During the 2020 season, Tonyan had his breakout campaign at Lambeau Field. Playing in 16 games, he reached career-highs with 52 receptions for 586 yards (11.3 average) and 11 touchdowns. He’s off to a fast start in 2022 to potentially repeat that record season, holding 13 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown as one of Aaron Rodgers’s key targets.
Among everything Tonyan brings to the team, the first skill is his versatility. Going into college, including his freshman year at Indiana State, he was listed as a quarterback. He even played a few snaps in his debut season, throwing one touchdown. For the remainder of his collegiate career, he was moved to wide receiver and found his ultimate niche as a true tight end.
One can’t look past Tonyan’s abilities to create separation from coverage and make a huge play with his speed. When he was being recruited, Tonyan had excellent marks at his Pro Day, earning a 4.58 40-yard dash time, among other impressive stats. Those numbers only improved when he rose to the regional Combine despite eventually not being drafted by an NFL team.
Given his wide receiver background and speed, the Packers like to line up their No. 1 tight end in different spots based on potential mismatches in the coverage. Watching his film, Tonyan often gets deployed as a slot receiver, where the Packers send him vertically, and Rodgers fits the ball over the top to the long arms of his tight end.
If the Packers want to show the 11-man personnel formation, Tonyan will become the end man on the offensive line, shedding his assigned block and getting out to the flat for a short pass along the sidelines. However, he can also take off from his stance, elevate to the second or third level on a corner or post route and make a play towards the end zone. This situation can play out with three wide receiver formations, where Tonyan is the player closest to the snap.
Rodgers has developed a connection with Tonyan, especially with the turnover and incoming youth at his wide receiver position. The Packers are an offense that will get their tight ends involved, so the Giants' defense must be prepared for any schemes that may take their focus off Tonyan and leave him wide open for game-altering plays.
Behind Tonyan, the Packers also have 17-year veteran Mercedes Lewis on their depth chart. Lewis is in his fourth season with Green Bay after spending the first 13 with Jacksonville and so far has totaled 45 receptions for 516 yards and four touchdowns over that span. He’s yet to catch a pass through the first quarter of the 2022 season.
Green Bay Packers' David Bakhtiari (69) looks to Blok New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (58) during the first quarter of their game Sunday, October 2, 2022 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK
Offensive Line
Heading into the 2022 season, the deepest area of the Green Bay Packers’ offense undoubtedly comes in their offensive line. That’s because it needed to be, as the team lost several of their key starters to the annual free agent market and the vast experience along the front.
During free agency, three players--tackle/guard Bully Turner, center Lucas Patrick, and right tackle Dennis Kelly--departed.
Without adequate depth on their offensive line, the Packers made the area a priority in last April’s draft selecting three linemen and adding three more from the undrafted free agent market. Now, they hold 11 players in that department, nearly all being homegrown and young in their career development with less than three years of experience.
That left head coach Matt LaFleur and recently promoted offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich with a lot of work to do in rebuilding their offensive line, keeping Aaron Rodgers upright behind it, and pushing the rushing piles forward. They’ve chosen two veterans along the outside for their starting front, with the youth taking up the middle spots.
Beginning on the left end of the line, the Packers are getting back 10-year veteran David Bakhtiari. A former All-Pro, Bakhtiari has been dubbed one of the most elite offensive tackles in the entire NFL, but recent injuries have left question marks about his future.
In 2020, he suffered an ACL tear that cost him an entire campaign. Then last season, he dealt with lingering inflammation issues and only played in one regular season game before missing the entirety of the Packers’ playoff run, where his protection was certainly missed on the left side of the ball.
Bakhtiari, who missed the first two games of the season while in the later stages of his recovery from his ailments, is one of the meanest blockers in the league, and that starts with his consistent balance and movement.
Maintaining a consistent low posture the entire way, he flashes an attack mode rather than being passive and ensures the first point of contact is made with his hands. With that contact established, he uses his strong grip and powerful legs to drive the defender forward into friendly traffic and open up space on the edge for the ball carrier.
Next to Bakhtiari, the Packers have Jon Runyan Jr. filling in the left guard position. A sixth-round pick by Green Bay in 2020, Runyan was a breakout player on the offensive line last season, making 16 starts and proving himself talented enough to solidify the left guard spot this year.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, the 25-year-old Runyan was another player with questionable physical traits coming out of Michigan. What he may still lack in that department, he makes up with athleticism, body control, and overall football intelligence.
Runyan is one of the best at being observant before the snap, and it helps the Packers’ offense make changes on the fly. He can pick on schemes the defense is showing before the snap and can relay trends back to the huddle on the other end. He also boasts quick recognition of any switches by the defensive front, which may serve as an advantage against the Giants defense that has found success shielding their incoming blitz packages against other teams.
Taking the snaps under center for his second consecutive season will be Josh Myers. A 2021 second-round pick by the Packers, Myers was inserted into the starting center spot for the first six games of last season after replacing All-Pro Corey Linsley, who departed for the Los Angeles Chargers in the offseason.
The Packers held high expectations for Myers at the start of last year, but a bout with knee injuries kept him on the sidelines for most of their games. With Lucas Patrick, his backup, having gone to Chicago, Myers returns hoping to stay healthy and take his production to the next level in 2022.
Myers has been battle-tested throughout his brief career, and his growth has taken shape in the Packers’ run-blocking schemes. He possesses the mass, mobility, and pop off the line to match the initial constant of run-stuffers in zero techniques and remain active through any secondary moves.
Like Runyan, Myers also has great football intelligence before and after the snap. Besides making the calls up front to forewarn the entire line of incoming schemes, Myers can process moving fronts mid-play and adjust accordingly. He knows how to slide feet and hips in both directions to seal off new rushing lanes and maintains eye contact beyond the first level of defense for climb-up targets.
At right guard is Royce Newman, a two-year pro and fourth-round draft pick last year. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 310 pounds, Newman has started in 20 of 21 games played and has a 96.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating over that span.
The former Mississippi State lineman's strength is in run blocking, where he does a good job with his hand placement, balance, and quickness in getting to the second level. Newman played offensive tackle in college and has improved as a pass blocker in solo and combo efforts.
Right tackle Elgton Jenkins is a four-year veteran. The 6-foot-5, 311-pound Jenkins earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2019 and his first career Pro Bowl berth in 2020, having primarily played left guard in those first two seasons.
Jenkins, who also has taken snaps at center for the Packers, has started the last three games at right tackle. Still, given his position versatility, he could be looking at a move back to left guard in place of Runyan if Yosh Nijman, who has been making a push to earn playing time, convinces head coach Matt LaFleur that he's ready.
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