Jets @ Packers
Final Score: Jets 27, Packers 10
Writer: Justin Havelock (@HavelockJustin on Twitter)
For the first time in his career, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has lost back-to-back games. LaFleur came into this game 10-0 after a loss. Are back-to-back losses to the New York Giants and New York Jets, and plenty of questions around Aaron Rodgers and the Packers backfield usage enough to put him in the hot seat just yet?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Robert Saleh’s young Jets team is on the rise thanks to outstanding performances by Breece Hall and the defense, most notably defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Zach Wilson: 10/18, 110 Yards | 5 Carries, -1 Yard
Zach Wilson wasn’t asked to do too much against the Green Bay Packers, finishing the game with only 18 pass attempts. Head coach Robert Saleh used his young quarterback perfectly, focusing on handing the ball off to an elite running back, limiting turnovers, and using lots of short pass plays to keep moving the chains en route to the win. Sound familiar? Hint: It’s the same game script that beat the Packers in Week 5 and nearly got the Patriots a win in Week 4.
Wilson may not have given us much, but he proved once again today that he has a solid arm and now that he’s fully healthy, it should be worth monitoring what Saleh can get out of him going forward.
Zach Wilson goes deep! #TakeFlight
📺: #NYJvsGB on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/EIJdhxKIY3 pic.twitter.com/c0GAqTILIl— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2022
Running Back
Breece Hall: 20 Carries, 116 Yards, TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 5 Yards
Michael Carter: 6 Carries, 41 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Breece Hall simply looks like he’s playing Madden on the football field. Coming into this week, Hall led the league in Yards Per Touch (6.7) and as a rookie nonetheless. Hall put up an elite 5.8 Yards Per Carry as the Packers’ run defense was completely unable to stop the young running back.
Breece Hall going, going, gone! @BreeceH
📺: #NYJvsGB on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/EIJdhy1M03 pic.twitter.com/j8QfzNBJJZ— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2022
Michael Carter took a backseat to Hall for most of this game, with his four of his six carries coming on the Jets’ final drive.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Corey Davis: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 52 Yards
Braxton Berrios: 1 Carry, 20 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
C.J. Uzomah: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Tyler Conklin: 1 Carry, 1 Yard | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
Garrett Wilson: 5 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Corey Davis caught his only two receptions of the day back-to-back early in the second half, including the above 41-yard bomb from Zach Wilson.
Braxton Berrios scored a touchdown on a reverse play, as the Packers defense continues to get fooled by trick plays week after week.
Braxton Berrios gets past the Packers' defense for the touchdown. ✈️
(🎥: @NFL)pic.twitter.com/7cl5bJF0ZL
— theScore (@theScore) October 16, 2022
Garrett Wilson was held to one catch, spending most of this game under coverage by Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander who single-handedly eliminated the rookie wide receiver from the game script. Elijah Moore was also active this week, but did not receive any targets as the Jets leaned heavily on their run game to come up with the win.
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 26/41, 246 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, Fumble (Lost)
Jordan Love: 2/4, 8 Yards
If you haven’t been worrying about Aaron Rodgers so far this season, now is the time to start. Rodgers was under fire all day, getting sacked four times with two of those sacks coming from Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams who caused serious problems for the Packers’ offensive line. Rodgers also reportedly suffered a thumb injury in his right hand at the end of last week’s game that caused him to miss practice going into this contest. With that out of the way though, this season Rodgers simply has not looked like the quarterback that won back-to-back MVP awards, and no matter how optimistic you are, elite pressure and lingering injuries are factors that will continue to impact Rodgers and this offense throughout the season.
Early in the game, Rodgers threw a low pass to Robert Tonyan that was nearly turned into a pick-six by cornerback Sauce Gardner. Thankfully the ball hit the ground and the pass was ruled incomplete, but this season has seen Rodgers struggle more with ball control than ever before. For a quarterback well-known for his ability to limit turnovers, this has been a definite red flag for Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers can still throw a deep ball that few quarterbacks in the league are capable of, as evidenced by these two big plays to Allen Lazard, but how consistently he can deliver each week will be what ultimately makes or breaks this offense.
Dropping it in the bucket 🎯@AaronRodgers12 ➡️ @AllenLazard #NYJvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/zePNt1Mfoe
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 16, 2022
.@AllenLazard gets in the end zone!
TOUCHDOWN 🙌#NYJvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/DOt0FihB6l
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 16, 2022
Another one of the Packers’ best offensive plays of the day came from Robert Saleh and the Jets bench. The Packers were getting ready to punt on 4th & 6, when a flag was dropped for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Jets bench. Fans never received a clear explanation as to what led to the call, and the Packers were unable to convert on the drive, punting just a few plays later. Penalties amounted to 2/7 first downs for the Packers in a first half that saw the team struggle greatly to put points on the board.
Jordan Love only came in for a few plays late in the game with Rodgers on the bench as the Jets had already put this one away.
Running Back
AJ Dillon: 10 Carries, 41 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 11 Yards
Aaron Jones: 9 Carries, 19 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards | Fumble (Recovered)
The Packers’ backfield has continued to mystify those watching the team this season. AJ Dillon was once again the 1A in the run game, but has not looked impressive with the role that he’s been given. The bulk of Dillon’s production came on a single 19-yard gain in the third quarter and his 4.1 Yards Per Carry marked his lowest total since Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Aaron Jones came into Week 6 second in the league in Yards Per Touch (6.5) behind only Breece Hall, so the Packers reluctance to feature him heavily in the offense is interesting, to say the least. It was Jones that made the biggest play of the day on the ground for the Packers with a 22-yard run that was unfortunately brought back due to an offensive holding call.
Jones limped off the field in the third quarter with what appeared to be a leg injury, but managed to return to the game not long after and picked up another two carries for seven yards.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Robert Tonyan: 12 Targets, 10 Receptions, 90 Yards
Allen Lazard: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 76 Yards, TD
Romeo Doubs: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 21 Yards
Amari Rodgers: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Josiah Deguara: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Randall Cobb: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Juwann Winfree: 1 Target
The void left by Davante Adams in Green Bay has turned guessing the Packers’ top receiver each week into a roulette wheel. Just pick a number and spin. A different player has led the Packers in receiving yards every single week this season. This week it was tight end Robert Tonyan that came out on top and he delivered in a big way.
Rodgers escapes initial sack and finds Tonyan for a first down. Gets hit hard and low after the completion pic.twitter.com/TA0E0gAvLH
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports2) October 16, 2022
Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs continue to have the most reliable target share of the Packers receivers, but a bounce-back from Aaron Rodgers will be pivotal to their success in this offense.
After a 13-target game last week, veteran Randall Cobb saw his lone target late in the first half as Rodgers attempted to spark some life into the offense. While the drive led to a 29-yard field goal for the Packers, Cobb would be forced out of the game shortly after halftime with a high-ankle sprain.