The Packers had to patch together a Week 7 lineup on the fly, and the snap counts against the Lions show just how much shuffling was going on behind the scenes. Green Bay made four roster moves on Saturday just to get to kickoff, then dealt with three in-game injuries on top of being without starting Mike linebacker Zaire Franklin. By the end of the day, the personnel picture was as scrambled as it’s been all season.
At quarterback, there was no drama: Jordan Love played all 65 snaps, while Tyrod Taylor didn’t get onto the field.
The backfield, though, looks different with Josh Jacobs back in a full-time role. Jacobs logged 35 snaps, which was 54 percent of the offense, and for the most part he was used like a normal starter rather than being managed on a strict snap count.
He had played 59 percent of the Packers’ offensive snaps in the 15 games he suited up for last season, so this outing fit the usual pattern more than it signaled any limitation. MarShawn Lloyd handled 22 snaps, Pierre Strong Jr. got 8, and Kaleb Johnson was inactive as a healthy scratch.
That reshuffling has already changed the pecking order. Strong is now plainly the RB3, while Johnson has slid out of the game-day picture.
The next layer will matter once Chris Brooks returns from injured reserve, because Brooks had been splitting work with Lloyd before his injury. If that happens, it would not be surprising to see Brooks take Strong’s roster spot and the Packers attempt to bring Strong back to the practice squad.
Johnson’s rookie contract is also part of the equation, since waiving him would terminate the three-year cost-controlled deal.
At receiver, the snap distribution continues to point toward Savion Williams as the answer in the slot after the losses of Jayden Reed and Skyy Moore. Matthew G0lden led the group with 55 snaps, followed closely by Christian Watson at 53 and Williams at 40.
Bo Melton played 13 snaps, J. Michael Sturdivant had 4, and Coleman Owen didn’t get an offensive snap.
Williams has clearly moved into the Packers’ WR3 role and is getting the premier opportunities over Melton and Sturdivant. Owen has now gone two straight weeks without an offensive snap and is being used only as the punt returner.
Melton is handling kick returns, while Sturdivant is serving as the “off returner.” Before that change, Moore had been the team’s punt and kick returner, with Melton in the “off returner” role.
The tight end rotation stayed relatively stable. Tucker Kraft was on the field for 57 snaps, Mark Redman for 16, Jonnu Smith for 15, and Josh Whyle for 7.
Outside of one unusual week, Whyle has been the TE4 all season. Redman and Smith usually occupy the TE2 and TE3 spots, though they do it with different assignments: Redman is the stronger blocker, while Smith is the route-running option.
Along the offensive line, the biggest story was the injuries. Jordan Morgan, Laken Tomlinson, Travis Glover and Anthony Belton all played every snap, while John Williams logged 56.
Jacob Monk had 5 and Sean Rhyan had 4, and Aaron Banks didn’t play. Kevin Zeitler, Donovan Jennings and Jager Burton were scratched.
Rhyan and Monk combined for only nine snaps before both left with injuries and did not return. Matt LaFleur has already said both will miss the Carolina game on Thursday Night Football, which means John Williams should make his first career start in Week 8.
The good news for Green Bay is that the team has extra bodies available up front, so the adjustment should be manageable. The expectation is a bench group of Aaron Banks, Kevin Zeitler and Donovan Jennings next week, with Jennings likely next man up at center and Banks or Zeitler ready if guard help is needed.
If tackle depth is tested, Travis Glover may have to slide out from right guard.
On the defensive line, Karl Brooks led the way with 46 snaps, followed by Chris McClellan at 38, Jordon Riley at 29, Anthony Campbell at 26 and Devonte Wyatt at 23. Wyatt left early with an injury before returning, and that opened the door for more second-half work for Riley, who had just come off the PUP list after starting the year rehabbing his season-ending Achilles injury.
McClellan’s role is also growing fast. He started the season behind Brooks, Wyatt, Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Ford, with Warren Brinson also ahead of him before his preseason injury, but injuries have pushed the rookie third-round pick quickly up the depth chart. He’s gone from DL6 to DL2 in a hurry.
The edge rotation was spread out again. Lukas Van Ness played 41 snaps, Dani Dennis-Sutton 33, Barryn Sorrell 32 and Brenton Cox Jr. 28, while Arron Mosby did not play.
Green Bay kept rotating that group heavily, and Detroit’s passing volume when Van Ness was on the field wasn’t especially high. Van Ness rushed the passer just 15 times in the game, so on more than half of Jared Goff’s dropbacks, Van Ness wasn’t the guy pressuring him.
He also dropped into coverage a few times when other blitzers came.
At linebacker, the absence of Franklin meant the expected duo was in place. Isaiah McDuffie played 66 snaps and Ty’Ron Hopper played 62, with Nick Niemann getting 1 and Kristian Welch not seeing the field.
Franklin was scratched because of a shin injury. The Packers got the alignment they expected, with McDuffie at Mike and Hopper at Will, but the blitz looks from that spot didn’t pay off against Detroit, and Goff worked Green Bay’s zone coverage over the middle.
The secondary was straightforward. Keisean Nixon and Brandon Cisse each played 65 snaps, Carrington Valentine had 4, Kamal Hadden had 0, and Benjamin St-Juste was out with an injury. Nixon and Cisse are the starters, while Valentine continues to get a few dime snaps as the second slot defender.
At safety, Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams each logged 66 snaps, Javon Bullard played 35, and Kitan Oladapo did not play.
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