The Green Bay Packers have moved on from that Week 3 beating by Bijan Robinson, but they can’t pretend it never happened. With a Week 7 trip to Detroit looming, that ugly loss still hangs there as the clearest warning sign for what might happen if they let another elite back get loose.
This time, the problem is Jahmyr Gibbs. And he arrives with plenty of momentum.
Gibbs is averaging 100.8 rushing yards per game and already has seven rushing touchdowns. After putting the Cardinals’ defense through the wringer in Week 5, he’ll be coming in rested after the bye. That alone makes him a major test for a Green Bay run defense that has been protected by the script more than it has been battle-tested.
The Packers’ secondary answered the call against the Dallas Cowboys’ passing game, but the front seven hasn’t had to live on an island lately. Over the last two games, Green Bay has jumped out to big leads against the Bears and Cowboys, which forced those offenses away from the run.
Dallas wanted to throw anyway, and Chicago spent most of the second half trying to dig out of a deep hole. The Bears also were without running back Kyle Monangai because of injury.
That means the run defense hasn’t really been pushed since Robinson ran wild in the home opener, when he piled up 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 6.7 yards per carry. The Buccaneers found some success the next week, but the Packers have been locked in since then, and now they’re staring at their toughest ground-game challenge since Atlanta.
And that’s before you even get to what Gibbs adds as a receiver.
This isn’t just about slowing him between the tackles. The Lions bring an explosive passing attack with Jared Goff and a loaded group of weapons, which means Green Bay can’t just sell out to stop one dimension. Still, the Packers’ secondary has reasons to feel good after holding CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to 143 receiving yards on 29 targets.
The run defense is the group under the microscope now, especially with Edgerrin Cooper out for the year. That loss matters against the run, and it comes at a time when the defensive line is already missing multiple key pieces. Green Bay has been scrambling to patch things together, giving undrafted rookie Anthony Campbell 32 snaps in Week 6 and signing former Cowboys draft bust Mazi Smith to the practice squad.
Gibbs, like Robinson, can wreck a game before an opponent ever settles in. He has at least four catches and 30 receiving yards in every game, which gives the Packers even more to worry about than his rushing production alone. Green Bay’s linebackers and its roaming defensive backs are going to be busy if it wants to keep this one from turning into another long day.
In Other News...
Packers Receiver Situation Just Got More Interesting After Savion Williams Debut
The Packers receiver room keeps shifting, and Savion Williams season debut gave the staff another look at how the rookie might fit once he settles in. Activated from injured reserve on Saturday after missing the first five games with an ankle injury, Williams got his first action of the year in the recent game against the Dallas Cowboys, where Green Bays coaches came away encouraged by the impact he made.
There is still a development curve here, especially with Williams continuing to work on his route running, but the conversation around the group has changed a bit with his return. The Packers also placed Skyy Moore on injured reserve, while Jayden Reed remains on injured reserve, leaving Green Bay with more questions than answers as it tries to piece together the position and figure out how much Williams can handle right away. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Trade Deadline Debate They Cant Ignore
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline creeping closer, the Packers are being pushed into a familiar kind of roster conversation: not whether they have needs, but how aggressively they want to address them. The speculative shopping list around Green Bay stretches across linebacker, cornerback, defensive tackle and guard, a reflection of a team that has enough talent to stay in the mix but still has a few obvious spots where upgrades could matter.
Among the names being floated are Cody Barton, Donte Jackson, Daron Payne and Landon Dickerson, each tied to a different area of need and each bringing a different price point and level of availability. Dickerson is the most intriguing of the bunch because of his status, and that is where the Packers' debate gets interesting - whether to chase help now, or wait and see how the board breaks as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Still Have A Real Problem At Left Guard vs Lions
The Packers left guard situation remains murky heading into Week 7, and Aaron Banks is still at the center of it. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said the team wants Banks back healthy and able to hold up with consistency, but the linemans recovery from knee and toe injuries has kept him out of action and forced Green Bay to keep waiting for stability on the interior.
Banks has returned to limited practice, which at least suggests progress, but there is still no confirmed timetable for his return. For a Packers offense preparing to face Detroit, that uncertainty matters, because the left guard spot has become one of the few unresolved questions in an otherwise important stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]