The Cavalry Has Arrived, And They’re Packing Heat
GREEN BAY, Wis. – It was a remarkable sight on the Green Bay Packers’ practice field on Thursday.
The second-most-injured team in the NFL this season, according to ManGamesLost.com’s analytics, the Packers were practically the picture of health.
On the south side of the practice field, outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Whitney Mercilus were going through individual drills. Along the side of the field that’s across the street from Lambeau Field, left tackle David Bakhtiari, right tackle Billy Turner and center Josh Myers were blocking a series of four pass rushers in rapid-fire fashion while cornerback Jaire Alexander was making a leaping grab for an interception. On the north side across from the new convention center, Randall Cobb was running routes and catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. Next to the Don Hutson Center, running back Aaron Jones and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell were doing their thing.
Combined, they had missed 73 games: 16 for Bakhtiari and Smith, 13 for Alexander, 10 for Myers, seven for Mercilus, five for Cobb, four for Turner and the finales for Jones and Campbell. Next weekend, all nine of those players could be on the field for Green Bay’s NFC divisional playoff game.
The Packers aren’t fully healthy, as Robert Tonyan driving onto the practice field in a cart demonstrated, but they’re probably healthier than any of the other 13 teams remaining in the chase for the Super Bowl.
The cavalry has arrived. With the help of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions, here’s the ammo they’re bringing to the playoff gunfight.
Alexander: In 2020, according to PFF, 78 corners played at least half of the passing snaps. Alexander ranked sixth with 15.1 snaps per reception, third with 0.64 yards per snap and fifth with a 68.3 passer rating. SIS had Alexander giving up a paltry 40.6 percent completion rate, the lowest rate among starters. He intercepted two passes in the NFC Championship Game and earned All-Pro honors. In about four games this season, he had allowed a 46.7 percent completion rate and 27 yards per contest.
Bakhtiari: Bakhtiari earned All-Pro honors five consecutive years from 2016 through 2020. According to PFF, he allowed 12 sacks during those seasons. Yosh Nijman did an excellent job replacing Bakhtiari, yielding three sacks and 20 pressures in seven starts and nine games. By contrast, Bakhtiari allowed one sack and nine pressures in 12 starts last year. The torn ACL suffered just before last year’s finale might have kept the Packers out of the Super Bowl. His return in this year’s finale has the Packers primed to make a run at their elusive fifth Super Bowl title. In his debut last week coming off a week of two practices, he was spotless in protection.
Turner: When Turner was healthy, Rodgers had hyped him as a potential Pro Bowler. He’s perhaps not to that level but he allowed just seven sacks the past two seasons after allowing nine while at guard in 2019. In 2020, he ranked No. 1 among offensive tackles in ESPN.com’s pass-block win rate. Before the injury, he was on a six-game streak without a sack. His athleticism gives him an edge over his capable replacement, veteran Dennis Kelly.
Myers: The team’s second-round pick got off to an impressive start before missing one game with a finger injury and then sustaining a knee injury that required surgery a couple weeks later. In about four-and-a-half games in the starting lineup, he didn’t allow a sack. His replacement, Lucas Patrick, didn’t allow one, either.
Smith: In 2019, his first season with the team, Smith had 13.5 sacks and led the NFL with 93 pressures. He wasn’t nearly as disruptive in 2020 but his 12.5 sacks, 51 pressures and four forced fumbles were nothing to sneeze at. If he returns to the lineup next week, he’ll be the top backup to Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. As the backups for much of the season, Jonathan Garvin and Tipa Galeai combined for 2.5 sacks and 31 pressures in 306 pass-rushing snaps. Smith had one sack and seven pressures in last year’s playoff win vs. the Rams alone.
Mercilus: A change of scenery brought the best out of the 31-year-old Mercilus. In six games that included 110 pass-rushing snaps with Houston, he had two sacks and five pressures. In four games that included 80 pass-rushing snaps with Green Bay, he had one sack and 10 pressures. Of 144 edge rushers with at least Mercilus’ number of rushes, Gary was second, Preston Smith was 17th and Mercilus was 36th in PFF’s pass-rush win percentage.
Cobb: Rodgers just needs someone to provide a threat opposite Davante Adams. Sometimes, that’s been Allen Lazard. Sometimes, that’s been Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And sometimes, that’s been Cobb, who scored two touchdowns vs. Pittsburgh, two touchdowns vs. Arizona and was the best player on the field before suffering a core-muscle injury just before halftime against the Rams. He caught 28 passes vs. one drop and averaged 5.3 yards after the catch.
Jones: With byes for Week 18 and the wild-card round, Jones should be rejuvenated and explosive in hopes of avenging his nightmare performance in last year’s NFC title game. In limited duty in his final four games of the season, he ranked third in the NFL with 6.2 yards per carry. Of the 51 backs with at least 100 rushes, he ranked 13th with 3.18 yards after contact. More than a runner, he set career highs with 52 receptions and six receiving touchdowns.
Campbell: Had he not been given the finale off, Campbell might have become the first Packers defender since at least 1994 to lead the league in solo tackles. Among linebackers, he ranked among the league leaders in average tackle depth, yards per target and missed-tackle percentage. His play had slumped just a bit down the stretch, so the extra week off should have him in prime form.
