The Green Bay Packers were unable to overcome major issues along the offensive line and defending the talented Detroit Lions offense in a 34-31 loss at Ford Field on Thursday night.
While the Packers earned their highest passing grade of the season at Pro Football Focus, they also finished with their lowest pass-blocking grade and another below average defense grade in the defeat.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 14 loss to the Lions:
Top 5 offense
1. QB Jordan Love: 83.8
2. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 78.6
3. LG Elgton Jenkins: 72.9
4. RT Zach Tom: 72.0
5. RB Chris Brooks: 69.3
Love played turnover free despite being under pressure on almost 40 percent of dropbacks, and he produced two big-time throws while playing excellent from clean pockets. Wicks caught four passes, averaged 2.72 yards per route run and forced a missed tackle. Jenkins got flagged for holding but otherwise pitched a shutout in pass protection. Tom allowed a sack and had a false start penalty, but he was the team’s highest-graded run blocker. Brooks was excellent over three pass-blocking opportunities and also had a hard-earned first down on the ground.
Top 5 defense
1. DL Kenny Clark: 80.1
2. CB Keisean Nixon: 76.4
3. DE Arron Mosby: 76.4
4. DL Devonte Wyatt: 73.9
5. DE Lukas Van Ness: 68.4
Clark produced a team-high and season-high six stops, plus a hurry as a pass-rusher. Nixon intercepted a pass, broke up a pass and made 10 tackles without a miss. Mosby had a hurry and a run stop. Wyatt produced a quarterback hit and two run stops. Van Ness had a hurry and a run stop.
Bottom 5 offense
1. C Josh Myers: 37.1
2. TE Ben Sims: 43.5
3. WR Jayden Reed: 44.5
4. WR Christian Watson: 56.3
5. TE Tucker Kraft: 61.2
Myers gave up two pressures and earned the worst pass-blocking grade (0.0) of his NFL career. Sims gave up a pressure as an inline blocker and was poor as a run blocker over 10 snaps. Reed had a drop and didn’t have a catch or touch over 25 snaps. Watson had four catches for 114 yards but struggled as a run blocker, drew a critical OPI penalty and lost a fumble. Kraft struggled as a run blocker.
Bottom 5 defense
1. CB Javon Bullard: 30.0
2. DL Colby Wooden: 41.2
3. DL TJ Slaton: 46.9
4. DE Brenton Cox Jr: 47.9
5. DL Karl Brooks: 51.6
Bullard gave up three catches — including two for third-down conversions — and earned the defense’s lowest run defense grade. Wooden made an impressive third-down stop but otherwise didn’t impact the game as a pass-rusher. Slaton didn’t have a single pressure over 25 pass-rushing snaps. Cox Jr. didn’t have a pressure and struggled against the run. Brooks nearly blew up a run play but didn’t have a pressure or a run stop.
Special teams
No punts or kickoffs were returned, so no special teams tackles were made or missed. Robert Rochell was flagged for holding on a punt return. The Packers did not return a kickoff or punt. Brandon McManus made his only field goal and all four extra points, while Daniel Whelan put two punts inside the 20-yard line.
Quarterback play
Jordan Love: 83.8
Love had two big-time throw and zero turnover worthy plays overall while averaging 11.6 yards per attempt from clean pockets and 11.5 yards per attempt while being blitzed. He connected on 4-of-6 passes thrown over 10 yards in the air for 126 yards and a score. The Lions had Love under pressure on nine of 24 dropbacks, or 37.5 percent. Jayden Reed had the lone drop, and Love scrambled three times.
Stat to know
When throwing to the middle of the field, Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 16 of 21 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns. One of the incompletions was a drop by Sam LaPorta. He also completed 13 of 16 passes off play-action. The Packers had no answers defending the middle of the field, especially off run action.
