Category: Latest Packers News

Can Packers stay unbeaten against teams with winning records vs. 49ers?

The Packers are 4-0 against teams with winning records. They can get to 5-0 on Sunday night.

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The Green Bay Packers are the only team in the NFL with an unbeaten record against teams currently possessing a winning record.

After 11 weeks, 31 of the 32 NFL teams have at least one loss against a team with a winning record. The Packers are 4-0, with wins over the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

Matt LaFleur’s team will have a chance to improve to 5-0 with a win over the 9-1 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in Santa Clara.

“That matters, that definitely matters. That’s a confidence booster for us,” Rodgers said Wednesday when asked about the experience of beating good teams. “That’s important stuff.”

The 49ers are just 1-1, with a win over the Los Angeles Rams and a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Eight of San Francisco’s nine wins are against teams with a .500 record or worse.

The Packers, Chiefs (3-3), Baltimore Ravens (3-1) and New Orleans Saints (3-1) are the only teams with three or more wins against teams with a winning record.

Two of the Packers’ wins came on the road.

“We’ve won on the road in tough environments. We won in Dallas, won Kansas City,” Rodgers said. “We’ve gone on the road and taken care of business, so we’ll take that confidence with us. We’ve also had a stinker on the road, so we have to learn from that experience and get out there and get ready to rock and roll.”

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Packers QB Aaron Rodgers understands importance of showdown vs. 49ers

The Packers will probably have to beat the 49ers in San Francisco at some point. Aaron Rodgers wants to get it done this week.

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The path forward looks pretty simple to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Either the Packers beat the 49ers in San Francisco on Sunday night, or they’ll likely have to do it at some point in January.

This week’s showdown at Levi’s Stadium features the top two seeds in the NFC entering Week 12. The winner will emerge as the favorite to earn home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

“This is an important one for us,” Rodgers said at his locker Wednesday. “The way I look at it, we have to beat them once at their place at some point. It’d be nice to do it now. They are a good football team.”

The 49ers are 9-1 and leading the NFC West. The Packers are 8-2 and leading the NFC North. Together, the two teams have a winning percentage of .850.

Sunday night’s matchup will feature only the sixth game featuring two teams with two or fewer losses at this point in the season since 2007. The last two winners of such games – the Denver Broncos in 2015 and the Seahawks Seahawks in 2013 – went on to win the Super Bowl.

The significance of the game isn’t lost on Rodgers, who knows that if the Packers lose Sunday night, any rematch in the playoffs would likely be back in San Francisco.

“We’re all aware of where we’re at in the seeding going into Week 12 and what’s in front of us and the opportunities,” Rodgers said. “There’s still a lot of football to be played and a lot can happen. You’re in denial if you don’t think about the implications of a ‘dub’ or an ‘L’ this week and how that affects stuff down the line. The way we look at it, we’re going to have to win there one time. It’d be nice to get it done this week.”

The Packers and 49ers are two of five teams in the NFC with eight or more wins. While the Packers are in a strong position to qualify for the postseason, either as the NFC North champion or wild card, Rodgers believes the strength of the conference only amplifies the importance of coming together and getting on a roll to end the regular season.

“It feels like one of those years where you just have to get in,” Rodgers said. “Any of those teams that are in position right now could make a move and get hot. That’s what it’s all about. Getting hot at the right time and being healthy.”

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Packers’ first injury report of Week 12 reveals an almost fully healthy team

The Packers are at full strength entering Week 12.

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Football teams don’t get much healthier than this in Week 12.

The Green Bay Packers provided their first injury report of the week on Wednesday, and it revealed an almost fully healthy roster coming out of the bye week.

Tight end Jimmy Graham and cornerback Tramon Williams were given a day of veteran’s rest, but everyone else practiced on Wednesday, and only two others – receiver Davante Adams (toe) and fullback Danny Vitale (knee) – were listed as limited.

Even tight end Robert Tonyan, who has missed the last five games with a hip injury, was listed as a full participant. Linebacker Ty Summers and kick returner Tremon Smith, who both left the Packers’ win over the Carolina Panthers with concussions, were able to practice in full, too.

It’s a much different story for the San Francisco 49ers.

Running back Matt Breida, edge rusher Dee Ford, kicker Robbie Gould, tight end George Kittle, receiver Deebo Samuel, receiver Emmanuel Sanders and offensive tackle Joe Staley all missed Wednesday’s practice. All seven could be game-time decisions for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.

More than likely, Matt LaFleur will have to pick seven healthy scratches in deciding the 46-man gameday roster.

The Packers and 49ers are scheduled for kickoff at 7:20 p.m. CT on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium. Official injury designations are provided on Friday.

Packers have 5 different top vote getters in early Pro Bowl voting

Preston Smith and Adrian Amos highlight the Packers’ top vote getters in early Pro Bowl voting.

Two free-agent additions and two specialists are among the five Green Bay Packers players currently leading their respective positions in Pro Bowl votes through the first week of fan voting.

Outside linebacker Preston Smith, strong safety Adrian Amos, kicker Mason Crosby, punter JK Scott and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari are all the leading vote getters in the NFC at their individual positions so far, according to the NFL.

Overall, the Packers have received the third-most total votes, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

Smith, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal in March, leads the Packers and ranks fourth in the NFL in sacks (10).

Amos, who also signed a four-year deal, has 53 tackles, one interception, two pass breakups resulting in interceptions and one pass breakup preventing a two-point conversion.

Crosby, 35, has made 13-of-14 field goals and all 29 extra points. His 92.9 field goal percentage ranks fourth in the NFL, and he’s one of only six kicker without an extra point miss.

Scott, a second-year pro, is averaging 45.9 total yards and 41.9 net yards per punt, both career-highs. He ranks eighth in the NFL in punts downed inside the 20 (19).

Bakhtiari, a three-time All-Pro, remains one of the NFL’s top pass-blocking offensive tackles. He ranks third among offensive tackles in pass block win rate, per ESPN.

Pro Bowl rosters will be announced on Dec. 17. Fan voting is open through Dec. 12. The 2020 Pro Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 26.

Packers must improve on special teams to be true contender

The Packers need big improvements on special teams over the final 6 games of the 2019 season.

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Special teams: That one phase of football we all forget about when everything’s clicking, but as soon as the tides turn and mistakes are made, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

It’s no secret the Green Bay Packers have struggled on special teams this season. After struggling under coordinator Ron Zook the last several years, the Packers cut ties this past offseason and brought in Shawn Mennenga, a former assistant with the Cleveland Browns who spent the 2018 season in the NCAA at Vanderbilt.

So far, it’s been tough sledding for Green Bay’s rookie special teams coordinator. In addition to failing the eye test, the Packers rank very poorly in some key metrics.

According to Pro Football Focus, Green Bay is currently ranked the NFL’s second-worst special teams unit through 11 weeks. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been worse by PFF’s standards.

One of the biggest disappointments this season has been the team’s inability to find a consistent kick/punt returner.

After trading away the reliable Trevor Davis to the Oakland Raiders after Week 2, Green Bay elected to give rookie undrafted free agent Darrius Shepherd a chance as their primary return man. The team also claimed Tremon Smith off waivers after the trade.

Shepherd has since been waived and re-signed to the team’s practice squad, while Smith continues to be the focal point on returns. Smith makes up for nearly half (191) of Green Bay’s total kick return yardage.

But even Smith, who was electric as a rookie for the Kansas City Chiefs last season (26.8 yards per kick return), can only do so much with what’s provided around him.

The Packers currently rank 17th in the NFL in kick return yards (395) and 32nd in punt return yards (-8). On the contrary, Green Bay has given up the eighth-most kick return yards (523) and 12th-most punt return yards (148).

The Packers have mostly relied on inexperienced youth on kick coverage and kick returns, which is a big reason for their downfall. Players like Ty Summers, Josh Jackson and Chandon Sullivan have all been staples on special teams this season. All three will need to step up their game going forward, particularly on kick coverage.

But things aren’t all bad. One of the few bright spots on special teams has been second-year punter J.K. Scott. After struggling to find consistency as a rookie, Scott has found his form in 2019. He’s currently averaging 45.8 yards per punt, with a net average of 41.9 yards. Scott is currently PFF’s No. 2 rated punter.

Meanwhile, veteran kicker Mason Crosby has quietly had one of his best seasons to date. Crosby has converted 13-of-14 field goals and has made all 29 of his extra point attempts.

All in all, the Packers special teams unit as a whole has plenty to improve on. While there’s been a few instances of hope, the team will need to find their groove on special teams if they’re to be a true contender going forward.

5 important Packers to watch over final 6 games of 2019

Keep an eye on these five important Packers players over the final six games of the 2019 season.

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The Green Bay Packers are 8-2 coming out of the bye week and beginning preparations for Sunday night’s showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, which will start a crucial six-game stretch to finish the 2019 season

Here are five important players to watch over the final six games:

DL Kenny Clark

Clark doesn’t have flashy stats in 2019, but he went into the bye week with a dominant individual performance against the Carolina Panthers in which he produced a career-high 10 pressures. Don’t be surprised if Clark resumes his status as an every-game difference-maker over the final six games. He had a week off to rest his lingering injuries, and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine had a week to figure out ways to get him more one-on-one opportunities. All the coaches agree: Clark is still playing a high level. In most cases, playing at a high level over an extended period of time eventually manifests itself in the box score. Clark is primed for a big finish to 2019.

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Packers, even at 8-2, still searching for complete game from all 3 phases

The Packers are looking for a complete game from the offense, defense and special teams.

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Coaches are designed to want more, to chase perfection. So even though his team is 8-2 coming out of the bye week, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur believes his team is capable of so much more.

Specifically, LaFleur doesn’t think the Packers have put together a complete game so far in 2019.

“I don’t think we’ve gotten to a point where all three phases have really put it together for all four quarters,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “There have been glimpses in each phase.”

A look at “expected points added” from each phase during the team’s first 10 games validates LaFleur’s opinion. The Packers still haven’t finished a game with positive expected points added on offense, defense and special teams.

And there have been flashes from all three. It just hasn’t all come together at once. Every team strives for consistency, and the Packers haven’t found it in any one phase.

“I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in all three phases. I think more than anything, just playing consistent football,” LaFleur said.

The lack of a complete game doesn’t just fall on the special teams, either. The Packers only have two games where both the offense and defense provided positive expected points added.

Sunday night would be an ideal time for the Packers’ first complete game. A trip to San Francisco to play the 9-1 49ers figures to provide the biggest test of the year for LaFleur’s team, and it could be a season-defining game for a team with aspirations of obtaining homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Beating good teams on the road almost always requires positive contributions  from all three phases. Can the Packers be efficient on offense against the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense? Can Mike Pettine’s defense control the 49ers’ versatile and creative offense? And will the Packers special teams find its footing and avoid crippling mistakes?

The answers to those questions may determine whether or not the Packers come back from San Francisco with the top seed in the NFC on Sunday night.

Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith both rank in top 10 of pass rush win rate

Packers OLBs Preston and Za’Darius Smith are both in the top 10 of pass rush win rate this season.

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The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys are the only two teams in the NFL with two edge rushers in the top 10 of pass rush win rate, according to ESPN.

Preston Smith ranks fourth in the NFL at 27 percent, while Za’Darius Smith is eighth at 25 percent.

ESPN’s data measures how often pass rushers beat their block in under 2.5 seconds. It’s one way to determine who is winning their one-on-one matchups in the passing game the most often, even if the win doesn’t produce a volume statistic such as a sack or a quarterback hit.

The Dallas Cowboys also have two in the top 10: Robert Quinn (third, 29 percent) and Demarcus Lawrence (fifth, 26 percent).

However, the Packers are the only team with two players within the top 10 in the NFL in number of sacks. Preston is fourth with 10, while Za’Darius is tied for seventh with 8.5.

They’re also the only team with two players in the top 10 of quarterback hits: Za’Darius is tied for fifth with 20, while Preston is tied for seventh with 18.

There is also this graph to consider:

It shows pass rush win rate and double team rate, illustrating which pass rushers are both winning matchups and drawing extra attention. Za’Darius is in the upper right quadrant, painting him as the rare pass rusher who is both productive and drawing more double teams. He’s grouped in with rushers such as Lawrence, Quinn, Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. The extra attention for Za’Darius has had a trickle-down effect for Preston, who isn’t getting double teamed as often but who is winning more one-on-one matchups. He’s in the upper left quadrant.

The Packers signed both Smiths during free agency in March.

Packers want to fix pre-snap penalty problem

The Green Bay Packers have a pre-snap penalty problem, and coach Matt LaFleur wants to fix it coming out of the bye week. 

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The Green Bay Packers have a pre-snap penalty problem, and coach Matt LaFleur wants to fix it coming out of the bye week.

Speaking about areas of improvement identified during the team’s self-scouting exercises this past week, LaFleur pointed to third down – and how all the pre-snap penalties have handcuffed the offense at times.

“A lot of it has been self-inflicted,” LaFleur said Monday. “Too many penalties, just pre-snap penalties, discipline penalties that we’ve got to clean up in order for us to be the team we want to be.”

The Packers have 16 false starts penalties and a league-high nine delay of game infractions. Of those 25 penalties, 14 have come at home – an unacceptable number for a team with a veteran quarterback and veteran offensive line.

All five of the Packers’ starting offensive linemen have at least one false start. Left tackle David Bakhtiari has a team-high four false starts and 10 penalties overall. Only Laremy Tunsil (11) has more total accepted penalties this season.

The Packers’ 16 false starts overall rank as the sixth-most in the NFL.

NFL leaders in false starts, delay of games in 2019:

Packers 25
Texans 22
Buccaneers 21
Titans 20
Rams 20
Bills 19
Browns 19
Lions 19

LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers shoulder the majority of the blame for delay of game penalties. LaFleur mentioned issues in substitution that need resolving and also took blame for not getting every playcall in to Rodgers in a timely fashion.

The Packers have nine delay of game penalties. No other team has more than six. Of the 32 NFL teams, 81 percent have three or fewer delay of game penalties in 2019.

The Packers’ desire to fix the pre-snap penalty problem will be tested Sunday night. Can they get plays in on time on the road and stay focused before the snap? Levi’s Stadium isn’t one of the NFL’s loudest environments, but the 49ers do present a major challenge for the Packers offense, especially along the defensive line.

LaFleur’s main goal is to eliminate the discipline penalties and keep the Packers offense ahead of the sticks, which – in theory – would help the Packers convert more third downs. The offense currently ranks 19th in the NFL on third down, and they’ll be tested by the NFL’s second-ranked third-down defense on Sunday night.

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49ers will likely be without edge rusher Dee Ford against Packers

Ford could miss Sunday’s showdown with the Packers with a hamstring injury.

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The Green Bay Packers might benefit from an injury to one of the San Francisco 49ers’ most disruptive defensive players on Sunday night in Santa Clara.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, the 49ers are concerned edge rusher Dee Ford could miss multiple games, including Sunday’s night visit from the Packers, with a hamstring injury suffered during a win against the Arizona Cardinals.

Ford, who was dealt from the Kansas City Chiefs to the 49ers in March, has 6.5 sacks, six tackles for losses, six quarterback hits and two forced fumbles in 10 games this season.

A devastating speed rusher when healthy, Ford had 13.0 sacks, 29 quarterback hits and seven forced fumbles during a Pro Bowl season for the Chiefs in 2018.

Ford was injured during a sack of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray on Sunday.

The 49ers are deep and talented along the defensive front. Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Soloman Thomas are all first-round picks. Together, the four have 22 sacks and 38 quarterback hits in 2019.

If Ford can’t go Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will have one fewer pass-rusher to worry about in primetime at Levi’s Stadium.

The 49ers will provide the first injury report of the week on Wednesday.