The Green Bay Packers scored two quick touchdowns and then held Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to only 12 points to score a big early-season victory at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday afternoon.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst performers from the Packers’ Week 3 win over the Buccaneers:
Top 5 offense
1. WR Randall Cobb: 81.3
2. WR Romeo Doubs: 74.8
3. QB Aaron Rodgers: 70.3
4. WR Allen Lazard: 69.1
5. TE Tyler Davis: 68.4
Cobb produced 57 receiving yards on 18 routes run, created 45 yards after the catch and broke two tackles. Doubs averaged a depth of target of just 3.0 yards but still created 49 yards after the catch and caught all eight targets. Rodgers got the ball out quick (average 2.4 seconds) and was excellent against the blitz and off play-action fakes. Lazard was penalized twice but he still created three first downs (two on third down) and a touchdown on four catches. Davis had a contested catch and the 23-yarder on third down despite being on the field for just six passing plays.
Top 5 defense
1. DL Kenny Clark: 87.4
2. CB Eric Stokes: 75.9
3. CB Rasul Douglas: 75.3
4. DL Dean Lowry: 71.5
5. OLB Rashan Gary: 67.5
Clark created three pressures and three stops during another disruptive performance. Stokes was on the field for 50 coverage snaps but was targeted just once, and his one tackle was considered to be a “stop.” Douglas was targeted eight times but gave up just 41 receiving yards, and he broke up a pass. Lowry had one run stop and one pressure over 33 snaps. Gary created three pressures and two stops. Note: rookie Devonte Wyatt played just seven snaps but earned a 90.7 grade, mostly due to one pressure on five pass-rushes.
[vertical-gallery id=84959]
Bottom 5 offense
1. LG Jon Runyan Jr: 46.5
2. LT Yosh Nijman: 53.0
3. RB A.J. Dillon: 54.1
4. WR Juwann Winfree: 54.5
5. TE Josiah Deguara: 54.5
Runyan earned the offensive line’s worst run-blocking grade while battling the likes of Vita Vea all afternoon. Nijman gave up a quarterback hit over 20 pass-blocking snaps and finished with the line’s worst pass-blocking grade. Dillon gained only 22 yards after contact on 12 carries, dropped a pass and produced just six receiving yards on 14 routes run. Winfree ran seven routes and was targeted twice but didn’t have a catch. A big play was ruined when he ran into another receiver in the second half. Deguara earned poor grades as a blocker.
Bottom 5 defense
1. LB Quay Walker: 36.3
2. OLB Jonathan Garvin: 45.9
3. S Darnell Savage: 51.8
4. OLB Preston Smith: 55.7
5. CB Keisean Nixon: 55.8
Walker gave up three catches in coverage and didn’t have a “stop” over five tackles, although he did force a turnover. He earned the team’s worst run-defending grade. Garvin played 12 empty snaps; he didn’t have a pressure or a tackle. Savage was charged with giving up the late touchdown to Russell Gage and he had a pass interference penalty in coverage. Smith rushed the passer 38 times and played 51 total snaps but didn’t have a single pressure or a stop. Nixon gave up eight catches on nine targets but did produce two stops and a strong tackling grade.
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 70.3
Rodgers canceled out his interception with a “big-time throw” on the completion to Allen Lazard on third down in the second half. He killed the Bucs’ blitz, completing 14 of 17 passes for 160 yards and two scores when Todd Bowles brought extra pressure. Rodgers also completed eight passes for 122 yards off run fakes. The Packers played the short quick passing game (26 attempts between 0-10 yards downfield, 5.4 yards average depth of target) and Rodgers was mostly decisive and accurate, completing 77 percent (including a drop and one throwaway). Overall, he was under pressure on 30.6 percent of dropbacks.
Special teams
Keisean Nixon, Rudy Ford, Isaiah McDuffie and Quay Walker all had a tackle and the Packers didn’t miss a special teams tackle for the first time all year. Once again, Tyler Davis led the way with 23 special teams snaps. McDuffie, Tipa Galeai and Dallin Leavitt also had 20 or more snaps. Punter Pat O’Donnell received a 72.8 grade (his best of the season) after placing five punts inside the 20-yard line and averaging almost 45 net yards per punt.
[lawrence-related id=84952,84915,84912,84895]