Almost everything was bad during the Green Bay Packers’ lopsided loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. Some things are what they are: We have already talked multiple times about Joe Barry, about the young offensive weapons, and about the natural ups and downs from Jordan Love that are expected for a first-year starting quarterback. But one thing we didn’t expect was a major factor in the loss, especially in the slow start in the first half: the offensive line.
“We gotta block,” head coach Matt LaFleur told the Amazon Prime broadcast coming back to the second half. “A hell of a lot better.”
After three solid performances by the group, even when they didn’t have the complete lineup available, the unit was absolutely exposed on Thursday by the Lions’ front. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Packers. Earlier on Thursday, they moved left tackle David Bakhtiari to injured reserve. That means he is going to miss at least four games. However, the expectation is he will miss the rest of the season, going through new surgeries.
The reality is that Detroit is simply a much better team in all three phases. That’s to be expected to a certain point, understanding how ahead the Lions are on their roster-building process. However, the Packers need answers if they want to keep contending for the playoffs this year, and they need to protect Jordan Love, now and for the future. And, speaking of the future, they need to figure out the configuration of the line considering David Bakhtiari might never play another down in Green Bay.
Rasheed Walker had his worst game so far, but he is a second-year seventh-round pick who has shown promising moments. He still deserves more shots. Zach Tom has been by far the best offensive lineman for the Packers this season, so he would theoretically keep his right tackle spot, the more valuable among his options. But center Josh Myers has been basically unplayable. He misses blocks and is on the ground way too many times. The Lions have a strong front, but they are not the Philadelphia Eagles. Myers should be better.
The Packers have Yosh Nijman under contract for this season, and the dropoff from Tom to Nijman isn’t that big — not as big as the difference between Tom and Myers. Ideally, the Packers may find a better long-term solution at center, but this might be the time to contain the damage.
Guards are a big issue
There’s no reason to play Royce Newman at this point. The Packers know exactly what he is. Even though left guard is his best position, it’s still not good enough. It just says how bad he was at right tackle last year. Sean Rhyan played over Newman during preseason, so it’s hard to understand the thought process. LaFleur probably wanted a more experienced option, but experience doesn’t mean much when the performance level is so low.
Right guard Jon Runyan also had a bad game. He is still a playable option, especially in the passing game, but that doesn’t mean the Packers couldn’t look for an upgrade there.
At this point, the ideal scenario is that starting left guard Elgton Jenkins is back after the mini-bye, so Royce Newman would be automatically out of the lineup. Other than that, moving Tom to center and starting Nijman at right tackle is an option. Another alternative is Sean Rhyan. He can be a right guard over Jon Runyan, or he can enter the lineup at left guard, moving Jenkins to center.
Can Jenkins be the long-term left tackle?
When the Packers extended Jenkins’ deal, they included incentives in the case Jenkins plays — and plays at a high level — a determined amount of snaps at left tackle. He did so for the first half of the 2021 season, right after Bakhtiari initially got hurt and before Jenkins tore his ACL. Walker is still probably one of the Packers’ five best offensive linemen, but they should evaluate every possibility, as this has become an evaluation season. Especially for next year, when Bakhtiari might get traded, released, or even retire, Jenkins is an obvious option.
Ups and downs are expected for such a young offense, and now, without David Bakhtiari, the offensive line is pretty young, too. So Matt LaFleur has to balance the results and the process to find long-term pieces. At least the group got together and played better in the second half. At the same time, the Packers need to make sure they give Love every chance to succeed, and a strong line is a priority for that to happen. Maybe, the same formation that lost to the Lions on Thursday will have another shot versus the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the clock is ticking, and Green Bay’s depth may allow immediate changes if the performance doesn’t get better soon.
