The Green Bay Packers used a big-time rushing performance from Josh Jacobs, a couple of key takeaways, big plays from Tucker Kraft and Jayden Reed and a game-winning drive from Malik Willis to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
By overall grade at Pro Football Focus, Sunday’s performance was the Packers’ third best of the season.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 8 win over the Jaguars:
Top 5 offense
1. TE Tucker Kraft: 82.5
2. QB Malik Willis: 78.6
3. RB Josh Jacobs: 76.1
4. QB Jordan Love: 74.6
5. OL Jordan Morgan: 71.7
Kraft caught all three of his targets for 78 yards, including a 67-yarder setting up a score and a 3-yard touchdown. He was also solid as a run blocker. Willis had an adjusted completion percentage of 100.0, and he produced both a 20-yard scramble and a 51-yard completion. Jacobs created 98 yards after first contact, forced eight missed tackles and produced two runs over 10 yards. Love hit three completions over 20 yards downfield but did throw a red-zone interception. Morgan was the team’s highest graded pass-blocker after not allowing a pressure over 12 pass-blocking snaps.
Top 5 defense
1. LB Eric Wilson: 81.1
2. LB Edgerrin Cooper: 74.3
3. CB Jaire Alexander: 72.1
4. DE Preston Smith: 70.4
5. DL Karl Brooks: 67.9
Wilson delivered five tackles, six assisted tackles and two stops while not giving up a single catch in coverage over 57 total snaps. Cooper missed two tackles but also delivered a game-changing strip-sack, three total stops and a pass breakup. Alexander broke up a pass and allowed just one catch for two yards into his coverage. Smith had a quarterback hit and earned a solid run defense grade. Brooks had two hurries, including one forcing an incompletion on third down, and a run stop.
Bottom 5 offense
1. C Josh Myers: 44.0
2. TE Ben Sims: 45.5
3. LT Rasheed Walker: 52.6
4. LG Elgton Jenkins: 53.9
5. WR Jayden Reed: 54.3
Myers allowed a pressure and earned the team’s worst run-blocking grade (38.1) by a significant margin. Sims was poor as a run-blocker over 14 run-blocking snaps. Walker allowed a hurry and committed a holding penalty. Jenkins gave up a team-high two pressures. Reed had a drop on third down, ending a drive.
Bottom 5 defense
1. DL TJ Slaton: 37.3
2. DB Javon Bullard: 44.5
3. CB Keisean Nixon: 46.0
4. CB Eric Stokes: 46.7
5. DL Devonte Wyatt: 55.2
Slaton missed a tackle and struggling against the run across 16 snaps. Bullard missed two tackles and gave up four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown in coverage. Nixon gave up a touchdown catch and missed two tackles. Stokes allowed two catches for 43 yards on just 16 coverage snaps. Wyatt rushed the passer 15 times but produced just one hurry.
Special teams
Zayne Anderson had a tackle and the team’s highest special teams grade. Javon Bullard, Edgerrin Cooper and Bo Melton also made tackles covering kickoffs or punts. Arron Mosby was charged with the lone missed tackle. Brandon McManus made all six kicks, including three field goals under 40 yards. Daniel Whelan had a net average of 44.8 yards.
Quarterback play
Malik Wills: 78.6
Jordan Love: 74.6
Willis completed 4-of-5 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown, and he scrambled twice under pressure, including one run for 20 yards. His lone incompletion was a dropped pass, so his adjusted completion percentage was 100.0. Love, who played through a groin injury for roughly two quarters, had one big time throw and one interception. He completed 3-of-5 passes thrown over 20 yards in the air and was 5-for-5 for 56 yards off play-action. Eight of Love’s 14 completions produced first downs.
Stat to know
The Packers defense missed 15 tackles, a season high. Five different defenders missed two or more tackles. Tackling Tank Bigsby — who forced seven misses — was a challenge. The Jaguars actually forced nine missed tackles after the catch in the passing game.