The Green Bay Packers used a dominant pass-blocking performance from the offensive line, a dominant pass-rushing performance from the defensive front and a clean game on special teams to create an impressive 38-20 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Big advantages created by the Packers at the line of scrimmage ultimately created the blowout. Jordan Love was well-protected, while Justin Fields was under constant pressure.
Buy Packers TicketsBased on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst performers from the Packers’ Week 1 win over the Bears:
Top 5 offense
1. RT Zach Tom: 84.8
2. WR Romeo Doubs: 78.4
3. LT David Bakhtiari: 78.3
4. RB Aaron Jones: 71.3
5. WR Samori Toure: 66.9
Tom and Bakhtiari played 30 pass-blocking snaps and didn’t give up a pressure. Tom finished with the team’s top run-blocking grade, while Bakhtiari was second among the five offensive linemen. Doubs caught two touchdown passes, including one contested touchdown, and delivered a key third-down conversion on the first drive. Jones turned 11 touches into 127 yards and two scores. He gained 85 yards after the catch, and 24 of his 41 rushing yards came after first contact. Toure caught two of his three targets for 18 yards over 12 routes.
Top 5 defense
1. LB Quay Walker: 92.1
2. OLB Rashan Gary: 83.4
3. DL Devonte Wyatt: 82.5
4. CB Rasul Douglas: 75.7
5. S Darnell Savage: 72.3
Walker delivered the game-sealing pick-six while also contributing two stops against the run. Gary produced five pressures on just 10 pass-rushing snaps. Wyatt led the team with six total pressures, including a strip-sack, and he was solid against the run. Douglas made three stops, broke up a pass in the end zone and gave up just two catches for 11 yards. Savage made 10 tackles, including three stops, without a missed tackle. He was excellent against the run.
Bottom 5 offense
1. C Josh Myers: 44.0
2. TE Josiah Deguara: 47.3
3. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 47.7
4. TE Tucker Kraft: 53.2
5. RB A.J. Dillon: 55.0
Myers didn’t give up a pressure but was the team’s lowest-graded run-blocker, and the Packers had two more botched snaps. Deguara had a penalty and earned poor run-blocking grades over 14 run-blocking snaps. Wicks was targeted twice and ran 19 routes but didn’t have a catch. Kraft had poor run-blocking grades on 10 run-blocking snaps. Dillon had a drop and created just 19 yards on 13 carries.
Bottom 5 defense
1. CB Keisean Nixon: 49.3
2. LB Isaiah McDuffie: 49.3
3. S Rudy Ford: 52.1
4. DL Karl Brooks: 54.8
5. S Jonathan Owens: 57.3
Nixon missed two tackles and gave up a team-high seven catches for 60 yards, including the touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney. McDuffie had two tackles in garbage time but earned below-average grades in coverage. Ford missed two tackles (both on DJ Moore) and had a penalty. Brooks delivered three pressures and a sack but earned poor run-defense grades. Owens was charged with giving up two catches in the fourth quarter.
Special teams
Jonathan Owens had a special teams tackle and earned the highest special teams grade overall. Isaiah McDuffie, Keisean Nixon, Innis Gaines, Eric Wilson and Josiah Deguara also had special teams tackles. Gaines had the only missed tackle and only penalty. A high snap caused Matt Orzech to earn the lowest special teams grade. Anders Carlson made all five of his extra points and a 52-yard field goal, while Daniel Whelan had a net average of 38.6 over five punts, largely because of two touchbacks.
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 60.8
Sean Clifford: 37.5
Love averaged 9.1 yards per attempt and threw three touchdown passes, but he got dinged for the fumbled snap (which he recovered and then found Luke Musgrave for a big play) and one turnover-worthy play. He completed 55.6 percent of his passes and was erratic at times with ball placement. All three of his touchdown passes came from clean pockets. Love was at his best targeting the intermediate middle part of the field (3/4, 54 yards, TD). Clifford got a poor grade largely due to a botched snap in garbage time.
First-round pick
Van Ness, the 13th overall pick, produced five pressures, including a sack of Justin Fields. The sack was impressive; Van Ness chased downs Fields on the edge and tossed him down before he could turn the corner. Several times, his athleticism on the edge helped kill keeper or bootleg actions. Van Ness finished with an average overall grade but was solid as a pass-rusher.
One grade/stat to know
The Packers tallied 36 total pressures on defense and had Justin Fields under pressure on 26 of his 49 dropbacks (53.1 percent). When under pressure, Fields completed just eight passes and had both of his turnovers. Eight different defenders had at least two pressures, including four or more from Devonte Wyatt, Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kenny Clark and Colby Wooden. Of the 36 pressures, 30 were considered hurries.
