No team in the NFL has committed more penalties on special teams this season than the Green Bay Packers.
Entering Week 15, the Packers have 20 penalties on special teams, including two declined penalties. The team’s 163 yards of penalties on special teams also lead the NFL.
Per PFF, 13 different players have committed a penalty for Rich Bisaccia’s special teams, including four accepted penalties each by Kingsley Enagbare and Dallin Leavitt. Enagbare and Leavitt (who is no longer on the roster) are two of just five players with an NFL-high four penalties on special teams in 2023.
Of the 20 penalties, nine have been holding penalties. Five other penalties have been of the 15-yard variety.
Monday night’s loss to the New York Giants represented the sixth game this season that the Packers have committed multiple penalties on special teams.
Bisaccia said one of the penalties — an illegal blindside block on rookie Anthony Johnson Jr. — was a poor call.
“The first one on Anthony Johnson was not a penalty,” Bisaccia said Thursday.
Bisaccia said Johnson wasn’t facing the end zone and should not have been called for an illegal block. However, Rudy Ford’s penalty was legitimate.
In the first quarter, Ford ran into the returner and was flagged for kick catch interference, a 15-yard penalty.
Penalties have played a big part in another disappointing season for the special teams. The Packers rank 19th in PFF’s special teams grade and 28th in DVOA entering Week 15.
Last season, the Packers finished with exactly 20 penalties on special teams, which ranked as the third-most. The NFL-high in 2022 was 23 special teams penalties (Carolina Panthers). The Packers lead the NFL in special teams penalties and penalty yards since Bisaccia arrived in 2022.