Packers Power Rankings: Rodgers (Shockingly) at the Top

Here are the Green Bay Packers' best players with the season one-quarter complete.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have won all four games and are fourth in Super Bowl championship odds.

To keep with the theme of four, here are the team’s four most valuable players with the season one-quarter complete.

No. 4: Za’Darius Smith

Smith had a sack in Week 1 vs. Minnesota and Week 2 vs. Detroit and a game-changing forced fumble in Week 3 against New Orleans. Despite the splash plays, Smith lacked the down-to-down impact that he showed so often last season, when he led the NFL in quarterback hits and pressures. That dominance showed up against the Falcons with his three sacks, four tackles for losses and five quarterback hits – numbers that exceeded his total production from the first three games.

“Z’s a guy that’s very prideful,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said last week. “He’s hard on himself. We know when something’s not right with him. The ankle was bothering him. I’m not making excuses for him, but you could just tell he wasn’t the guy, didn’t have the explosiveness that he had demonstrated before. And that’s Matt’s job: He sees a guy that he can get going a little bit and have that talk with, especially a guy that’s a captain. He pulled him aside. We challenge all of our guys, but he was the guy especially that we needed to step up. Obviously, showed what he’s capable of, that he can dominate a game from a variety of positions.”

Given the way the offense has been scoring points and, in turn, putting pressure on opponents to keep pace, Green Bay’s pass rushers should be in a prime position to tee off. When Smith is rolling like he was against the Falcons, the impact is profound. It’s a big-play league and the Packers will need those big plays from Smith if they’re going to keep winning.

“It makes our job way easier; 10 times easier,” cornerback Jaire Alexander said.

No. 3: Aaron Jones

Aaron Jones, who has his own breakfast cereal, is devouring opponents with an even greater appetite than last season.

During a breakout 2019, Jones rushed for 1,084 yards (4.59 yards per carry) and tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. He added 49 receptions for 474 yards and three more touchdowns, dwarfing his two-year totals of 35 receptions for 228 yards and one score. He finished with 1,558 total yards and tied for the NFL lead with 19 total touchdowns.

Through four games, Jones is tied for fourth with 374 rushing yards – despite playing one fewer game – and is sixth with 5.75 yards per carry. He’s also second on the team with 15 receptions, which he’s turned into 145 more yards. He’s tied for third in the NFL with six total touchdowns.

According to PFF, of 39 backs with at least 30 carries, Jones is fifth in the league with 3.69 yards after contact per carry. He’s also eighth in elusive rating, a formula that measures missed tackles and yards after contact. With so much focus on Jones from opposing defenses, Aaron Rodgers’ play-action passer rating is a lofty 128.4.

“That’s fine with me,” Jones said. “Let ‘12’ do it and the receivers. As long as we’re putting points up on the board and we come out with that W, that’s all that matters to me.”

No. 2: Jaire Alexander

Alexander was an all-rookie selection in 2018 and a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019. He’s played at an All-Pro form to start 2020, highlighted by a pair of dominating primetime matchups against the Saints and Falcons.

Through four games, according to Pro Football Focus and its best guess of coverage responsibilities, Alexander has allowed 12-of-19 passing for 95 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Most of the damage came in a blowout of the Vikings in the opener. The last three games, PFF has charged Alexander with eight completions in 12 targets for just 29 yards.

According to the Next Gen Stats provided by Zebra Technologies' RFID data, Alexander matched up against Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley on 23 of the 27 routes ran and did not have a catch on any of the five targets when lined up opposite each other.

“I don’t get caught in the hype of players. I think the first battle starts within and it starts with myself,” Alexander said. “If I focus on myself more, I will ultimately be able to win my opponent because I’ll know what I need to do. I know what I have to do and know where I need to improve and know where my strengths are, (and) that allows me to be dominant with no hesitation. I don’t even look that way during warmups because I don’t care. It starts with me and that’s just the mentality I have to approach the game.”

According to PFF, Alexander is one of 61 cornerbacks to play at least half the defensive snaps. If that group, he is second in yards allowed per coverage snap.

No. 1: Aaron Rodgers

Through four games, Rodgers has completed 70.5 percent of his passes and is on pace for about 4,850 yards with 52 touchdowns. Each of those figures would crush his career-best marks. His passer rating of 128.4 trails only Seattle’s Russell Wilson (129.8). His touchdown rate of 9.4 percent (though it lags behind Wilson’s 11.2 percent) would set an NFL record, a key reason why Green Bay is No. 1 in the NFL in scoring.

Never mind the numbers, though. For all of Green Bay’s perceived personnel shortcomings, leading the NFL in scoring seemed unlikely under the best of circumstances. Rodgers has thrived without the best of circumstances. Star receiver Davante Adams has missed the last two-and-a-half games. No. 2 receiver Allen Lazard is on injured reserve. Devin Funchess, who might have been the No. 3 receiver, opted out. The offensive line had three different starting combos in as many weeks. No fresh faces have emerged as even role players, let alone major contributors.

The great quarterbacks are capable of raising their supporting casts to new heights. That the Packers are No. 1 in scoring with 152 points and the only team in NFL history with 100-plus points and zero giveaways speaks volumes to Rodgers’ sublime performance this season.

“I like where we’re at. I really do,” Rodgers said after the Atlanta game. “I like the diversity in our approach. I think Matt (LaFleur) was really with the calls. Obviously, we had to do some different things without Davante, without Allen and without Marcedes (Lewis), but I thought we had a nice plan and we executed really well. Had a number of guys who stepped up and played really well. Jamaal Williams, to have almost 100 yards receiving was fantastic. Aaron Jones getting the ball in the run and the pass game. He’s such a consistent, solid player in so many different areas. Love him as a teammate and person. And then Bobby having a big game was important. I thought the line was excellent again.”

Led by the indomitable duo of left tackle David Bakhtiari and center Corey Linsley, the line has been exquisite in protecting Rodgers and opening holes for the running game. When given a clean pocket, Rodgers’ passer rating is a sizzling 141.1, according to PFF.