loss to the Seahawks was an incomplete pass that Aaron Rodgers wishes he could have back.The play was a third-and-2 and Marquez Valdes-Scantling was open for a first down. Rodgers threw to him but missed badly. He said afterward that it was an easy pass he could make 100 times in a row.鈥淚 could do that a hundred times and probably not do that again
Womens Kentrell Brice Jersey ,鈥?Rodgers said. 鈥淚t was a gimme. It was a gimme out there. It stuck to my hand.鈥漌hether the ball is sticking to his hand or whatever else the reason may be, the fact is Rodgers is missing a lot of throws he used to make. This season Rodgers has a completing 61.8 percent of his passes, which is a significant decline from his career average of 64.9 percent. And that decline is particularly concerning because it’s happening in an NFL season when passing offenses are exploding: The league-wide completion percentage is 65.1 percent.Rodgers signed the biggest contract in NFL history before the season, so the Packers are heavily invested in seeing him play like the Rodgers of old. With Mike McCarthy looking unlikely to make it to 2019, that’s going to be the top priority of the Packers’ next coach.Three overlooked numbers that have contributed to the Packers’ slow start With a quarter of the season already in the books after this weekend’s slate of games, the Green Bay Packers are entering a crucial three-game stretch before their bye week. An organization that underwent a thorough cleaning of house on the coaching staff in the offseason must re-energize a team that has looked largely confused and out-coached through the first three games of the regular season. Adjustments to the game plan are especially needed in light a few concerning figures affecting the team’s all-around performance in the early going, especially among one of the team’s impressive units a season ago.Here are three numbers that Green Bay must address immediately against Buffalo this week.0The number of catches Marcedes Lewis has recorded through the first three games of his Packers career. When Green Bay signed the veteran tight end in the offseason, there were visions of an increase in 12-personnel sets. A praised run blocker
Reggie White Jersey , Lewis was expected to bring stability in that respect while increasing the offense’s productivity in short-yardage and goal line sets. So far, any ideas of Lewis becoming an integral part of the offense have been far-fetched. The Packers haven’t used 12 personnel formations with regularity and Lance Kendricks has totaled far more snaps than Lewis. Meanwhile, Lewis has just one target in a mere 23 snaps over three games. Green Bay has struggled in key third-and-short opportunities, and a big-bodied tight end that can block and catch would seem to be a logical weapon in these situations. Here’s hoping that Green Bay finds a way to employ Lewis sooner rather than later.32Football Outsiders’ ranking of Green Bay’s defensive line according to “adjusted line yards” and “stuffed percentage.”The defensive line was starting to be considered as one of the NFL’s best heading into the 2018 season after seeing significant growth from younger players like Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry. However, in three contests this season, the line has been far from a strength.The interior of the Packers’ line has been noticeably bullied early in the season and took yet another hit when Muhammad Wilkerson was lost for the season during last Sunday’s game against Washington. Each game has been a regression for the defensive line, which is allowing an average of 124.3 yards rushing per game. It hit a low point last week when 33-year old Adrian Peterson rushed for 120 of the Redskins’ 166 yards on the ground.Furthermore, the stats back up the disappointing nature of the line. Football Outsiders ranks the unit last in the NFL with 5.19 adjusted yards allowed per carry. As a reference
Lance Kendricks Jersey White , New Orleans tops the list with just 2.95 yards per rush. In addition, the Packers rank dead last thus far in stuffed percentage, the rate at which the defensive line stops ballcarriers either at or behind the line of scrimmage. The Packers do so just 8% of the time, while the NFL’s best unit, Philadelphia, boasts a 35% clip.Green Bay’s defense hasn’t proven it can rush the passer with any consistency. It can’t afford to struggle against the run as well.10The average number of yards the Green Bay offense has needed in order to convert on third down attempts this season.According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers have averaged exactly 10.0 yards to go over 41 third downs faced this season. By comparison, the NFL’s average third down distance in 2018 is 7.23 yards. This stat alone paints a clear picture of just how difficult a predicament Green Bay has created for itself to sustain offensive drives throughout the first three games. While the Packers have gained a little over seven yards per third down attempt
Womens Jaire Alexander Jersey , it’s still not enough to earn a new set of downs most of the time.In addition to reducing penalties, the simple answer to improve this trend is to be more effective on first and second downs. The Packers are more than two yards below league average on those downs and rank 30th in the league in rushing attempts, a method of creating manageable third downs. Aaron Jones averaged seven yards per carry last week, yet only received six hand-offs. Green Bay’s most explosive running back must see the field more often this week and help the team’s overall efficiency and time of possession.