The Green Bay Packers got to kick back last Sunday and watch two of their division rivals boost their standing in the competitive NFC North. In the midst of Green Bay getting some much-needed rest after their sloppy performance against Detroit in Week 9, Matt LaFleur and the rest of the Green Bay coaching staff are going to need to key in on fixing the mistakes that have been present on the field before the Packers bye week. Here are three underperforming players that Green Bay is going to be dependent on for the latter side of the Packers bye.
Here Are Three Player Improvements To Be Made After The Packers Bye
Dontayvion Wicks
In October, a highly brainwashed Last Word on Sports writer (definitely not the one writing this article) predicted that Dontayvion Wicks would have a breakout month as one of Jordan Love’s deep ball and red zone threats after his two-touchdown performance against Minnesota. It turned out to be quite the opposite.
In 2024, Wicks is second in the league in dropped passes with 7, despite just 43 targets on the year. For reference, Giants rookie Malik Nabers has the same amount of drops as Wicks but has twice as many targets.
As far as the target share is concerned, Love targets Wicks just about as much as any other wideout on the field, yet has less than half the amount of catches as Jayden Reed and almost 50% less than Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft. Considering the amount of targets Wicks is receiving, too many opportunities to convert on late downs are wasted. Wicks is third worst in the league in catch rate, hauling in just 37.2% of his targets while roughly one-fourth of his targets come on 3rd down, more than any other Packers receiver.
Many of these struggles can be attributed to Love’s poor decision-making under pressure and the ongoing health concerns he faces each week. Nonetheless, while throwing accuracy has been an issue for Love, four Packers receivers reside in the top 25 in total passes dropped on the year, making Love tied for second in the league in dropped balls.
The Packers wideouts have not been the most productive in the first half of the year, and Wicks is the glaring conflict in the Packers offense thus far. If Green Bay wants to address their woes in the pass game, Wicks is a good place to start.
Rashan Gary
The Green Bay pass rush has been a major concern of Packers fans around the league and was a hot topic amidst the passing of the trade deadline. Gary is at the forefront of these problems within the Packers defensive line, as his lack of production and pressures have been frustrating for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. There are big expectations for Gary after the Preston Smith departure and large shoes to fill as he will be the main focus of offensive lines in the pass rush. With more attention gravitating toward Gary, the defense cannot afford for him to continue to be a liability on the edge.
With just 2.5 sacks on the year as the main guy in Titletown, it seems as if Gary has yet to conquer the slump he fell into halfway through the 2023 season. Gary was a force to be reckoned with from his sophomore year into 2023, where he was one of just two DEs in the NFL to record 25 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 70 quarterback hits in that timespan, with T.J. Watt being the other. Gary began to struggle with five weeks left in the 2023 regular season and in the Packers two playoff games, failing to record any sacks or forced fumbles. The 2024 season has seen much of the same.
With Gary recording a sack and a stuff heading into the Packers bye week, Gary should remain confident in the athletic abilities and explosiveness he was drafted 12th overall for in 2019. If the Packers defense wants to remain the strength of the team, as they have been thus far, Gary is going to need to put some of those physical advantages to work and help out his secondary.
Lukas Van Ness
Like Gary, Van Ness has yet to impress this season with the limited snaps he has received behind Preston Smith. With Smith representing the black and yellow the rest of the year, Van Ness is next in line for an increase in workload.
The first-round draft pick out of Iowa is in his second year and is going to need to take advantage of the snap increase that Green Bay foresees. Having always embodied a limited role on the Packers front, this is a dramatic change to occur halfway through the season for a guy who has just one sack on the year and has made little impact on games. Before entering the NFL, it was the same way on the Hawkeyes as there was a heavy rotation of guys that could get it done.
As the Packers enter the latter part of the season, Van Ness will likely adjust to playing more snaps than he’s accustomed to. However, it will allow Van Ness to get into the flow of a game and take advantage of offensive lines that prioritize the stagnation of Gary. Van Ness and Gary will need to work together as a cohesive unit in Smith’s absence in order to dominate in every facet come Sundays and take the North.
Main Image: Dan Powers – USA Today Sports
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