3 Packers players who could be replaced after bye week
Now that their bye week is over, the Green Bay Packers must begin preparing for their Week 7 encounter against the Denver Broncos.
Their upcoming AFC West encounter will be their second straight; hopefully, things go better than they did the last time.
Following a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5, the Packers dropped to 2-3, leaving fans unsure of what to think of this team currently.
The season started off on a positive note, but Jordan Love and the offense have had setbacks, and Joe Barry’s defense has raised some red flags.
It looks like the NFC North is slipping away.
Green Bay ought to think about looking for other options for these three players after the bye.
1.
The CB Keisean Nixon.
In the first six weeks, the defense has undoubtedly been the target of many inquiries and criticisms, but slot cornerback Keisean Nixon has drawn particular criticism from the team.
While it’s true that Joe Barry has struggled with cunning and strategy, there are other important players who should also be held accountable.
This season, Nixon has given up 19 receptions on 23 targets, or an completion percentage of more than 82 percent. He has only been given credit for one pass breakup so far, and he is giving up 107 points to the opposing quarterback.
Nixon has only received a 58 point overall grade from Pro Football Focus, meaning that he has performed below average in all major graded categories.
Though Green Bay might not have Nixon’s exact replacement, it’s still worth a shot.
- An. A.
J. RB Dillon.
Aaron Jones’s departure earlier in the year and A.
D. J.
After briefly taking the lead back, one would have expected Dillon to make the most of it.
To be a key component of their offense and serve as the “thunder” to Jones’ lightning, Dillon was, after all, drafted by the Packers.
Nevertheless, Dillon had previously demonstrated his ability to catch the football, and he appeared to be a capable backup starter in Jones’ absence. Dillon has done very little to nothing as the lead back, though.
He actually had his best game to date in Week 5 against the Raiders, when he finally scored a touchdown despite averaging only 3.08 yards per carry.
Aside from those few instances, Dillon’s season average of less than 3 points per carry has been maintained in a few of his games.
Not exactly a part of a winning formula, the former second-round pick.
Why not try the undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson at this point?
Dillon has only had two runs of more than ten yards out of 64 carries this year.
Of course, Jones ought to return, but in the meantime, the Packers need a backup running back if Dillon is going to stay average at best, or bland.
Three. McDuffie, Isaiah.
De’Vondre Campbell was injured, so Isaiah McDuffie, a sixth-round pick in 2021, has been filling in.
To be honest, though, McDuffie hasn’t exactly been great.
McDuffie hasn’t exactly been awful, but improvements to the defense are necessary. McDuffie hasn’t produced anything particularly noteworthy either.
McDuffie has given up 10 receptions on 10 targets while covering. That is the worst that can be said, for want of a better explanation.
Again, nothing very encouraging there, but he has done well against the run.
The Packers should give former undrafted free agent Kristian Welch a chance at this point if Campbell isn’t back anytime soon.
Why not fulfill Welch’s dream as he has been waiting a long time for this chance and is a lifelong fan of the Packers?
At this point, Welch performing below par would be the worst that could occur.
After that, McDuffie is given another opportunity, and ideally he won’t be the cause of Green Bay’s subsequent defeats.
The ideal situation, of course, would be for Campbell to return. That would completely resolve the issue.
