An elite performance from Xavier McKinney and Tucker Kraft powered the Green Bay Packers past the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Sofi Stadium. McKinney and Kraft turned the game around in the second half, with Kraft converting a pair of McKinney takeaways into passing touchdowns.
The Packers were able to overcome a shaky performance from the passing game overall to improve to 3-2 after five weeks.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 5 win over the Rams:
Top 5 offense
1. RB Josh Jacobs: 78.3
2. TE Tucker Kraft: 75.3
3. RB Emanuel Wilson: 71.8
4. WR Jayden Reed: 71.6
5. LT Rasheed Walker: 68.1
Jacobs gained 68 yards after first contact, forced two missed tackles, had two runs over 10 yards and a 21-yard catch. Kraft caught four of six targets for 88 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 3.83 yards per route run, gained 69 yards after the catch and forced three missed tackles. Wilson forced two missed tackles and had 25 yards after first contact. Reed caught four passes for 78 yards, made two contested catches and had an 11-yard run, but he did have a third-down drop. Walker gave up just one pressure on 30 pass-blocking snaps and was the highest-graded run blocker along the offensive line.
Top 5 defense
1. DL TJ Slaton: 89.3
2. S Xavier McKinney: 88.3
3. LB Edgerrin Cooper: 85.5
4. DE Kingsley Enagbare: 84.4
5. S Evan Williams: 81.9
Slaton had two pressures, including a QB hit, and he was effective against the run over 27 total snaps. McKinney recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, disrupted two other passes, made four tackles without a miss and didn’t allow a completion into his coverage. Cooper had two pressures, including a sack, and he gave up just one catch in coverage while playing 30 total snaps. Kingsley Enagbare forced a fumble, had a quarterback hit and a top grade against the run. Williams missed two tackles but also broke up two passes.
Bottom 5 offense
1. C Josh Myers: 38.5
2. QB Jordan Love: 51.1
3. WR Malik Heath: 51.1
4. RT Zach Tom: 52.1
5. RG Sean Rhyan: 53.3
Myers gave up two pressures in the passing game and earned a very poor run blocking grade. Love threw a terrible interception and struggled under pressure overall. Heath was penalized twice — one for holding, another for false start — and he produced only 14 receiving yards on 21 routes run. Tom had a false start and allowed four pressures, including a sack. Rhyan gave up two sacks. Neither Tom nor Rhyan graded out well in the run game.
Bottom 5 defense
1. DL Karl Brooks: 38.6
2. CB Eric Stokes: 41.7
3. DB Javon Bullard: 45.2
4. CB Carrington Valentine: 51.2
5. DL Colby Wooden: 52.0
Brooks had four pressures, including two important sacks, but his run defense grade dragged down his overall grade. Stokes gave up seven completions and a touchdown pass on 10 targets into his coverage and missed a tackle. Bullard missed a tackle and gave up five catches on eight targets into his coverage while playing mostly in the slot. Valentine missed two tackles and was penalized once. Wooden had two pressures but missed a tackle and struggled against the run.
Special teams
Corey Ballentine had a tackle, a forced fair catch and the highest special teams grade of the week. Javon Bullard, Zayne Anderson and Arron Mosby also had tackles covering kickoffs or punts. Robert Rochell was flagged for holding but also drew a penalty for holding. Evan Williams and Eric Wilson missed tackles. Brayden Narveson made all three extra points and a 46-yard field goal. Daniel Whelan averaged only 37.2 net yard per punt but did force three fair catches. His average hang time was only 4.40 seconds, a season low.
Quarterback play
Jordan Love: 51.1
Love had one big-time throw (53-yard bomb to Jayden Reed) and one turnover-worthy play (pick-six from the end zone). He completed 3-of-6 passes under pressure but had the big mistake — the interception — while pressured. Three completions off play-action resulted in 122 yards and a touchdown. Love completed only 2-of-6 passes thrown over 10 yards in the air, but they created 119 yards and a touchdown. While understandable given the mistake, it’s clear Love’s pick-six and his fumble — on a pass thrown backwards under pressure — brought his final grade down considerably.
Stat to know
Dontayvion Wicks caught only 2-of-6 targets. Jordan Love missed him twice while open. He had a drop while open. And he failed on a contested catch down the field on third down. More and more, it’s looking like one of the keys to unlocking consistency within the Packers passing game is the Love-to-Wicks connection finally getting off the ground.
