The Green Bay Packers scored a Christmas Day win over the visiting Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field on Saturday despite a second-half lull on offense and shaky play against the run on defense. The 24-22 victory improved Matt LaFleur’s team to 12-3 overall and 7-0 at home this season.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst performers from the Packers’ Week 16 win over the Browns.
Top 5 offense
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
1. WR Davante Adams, 85.6
2. QB Aaron Rodgers, 84.7
3. RB Aaron Jones, 84.1
4. LG Jon Runyan, 76.6
5. RG Royce Newman, 73.2
Adams caught 10 passes on 34 routes run and created seven first downs and two scores. He did have two drops but averaged almost 3.4 yards per route run.
Rodgers had three big time throws without a turnover worthy play, and he averaged 2.26 seconds to throw, negating the pass rush.
Jones forced six missed tackles and averaged 5.5 yards per rush. He finished with 66 rushing yards but gained 68 yards after first contact, highlighting his incredible ability to create production on his own. He also caught five passes.
Runyan earned strong grades in both the run game and pass protection, and he didn’t allow a single pressure over 35 pass-blocking snaps.
Newman gave up three pressures, including a quarterback hit, but he earned the team’s highest grade as a run blocker. This is his third-straight game with a grade over 70.0.
Top 5 defense
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
1. OLB Rashan Gary, 82.0
2. DL Dean Lowry, 71.8
3. DL Kenny Clark, 70.1
4. LB De’Vondre Campbell, 64.7
5. S Adrian Amos, 64.4
Gary earned an elite pass-rushing grade with five total pressures, including two sacks. He also had three defensive stops.
Lowry also had five pressures, which included a third-down sack.
Clark was the third player on the defense to produce five pressures. He set up two sacks with pressure and had three defensive stops.
Campbell had 12 tackles with a miss and also deflected a pass. He gave up four completions in coverage, but none gained more than eight yards.
Amos missed two tackles but was strong in coverage, allowing just one catch for eight yards on four targets.
Bottom 5 offense
Green Bay Packers center Lucas Patrick (62).
1. WR Equanimeous St. Brown, 52.4
2. TE Tyler Davis, 52.5
3. TE Josiah Deguara, 54.8
4. TE Marcedes Lewis, 59.9
5. C Lucas Patrick, 62.9
St. Brown was strong as a run blocker, but he didn’t have a target over 29 passing snaps and got stuffed for a 10-yard loss on his one carry.
Davis didn’t see a target in the passing game and was only average as a run blocker over 13 snaps.
Deguara caught two passes but gained only five yards despite running 21 routes.
Lewis caught two passes on three targets for just two total yards, earning a poor receiving grade.
Patrick graded out high as a pass blocker, but he received poor grades in the run game.
Bottom 5 defense
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
1. LB Krys Barnes, 30.1
2. OLB Tipa Galeai, 33.8
3. DL Tyler Lancaster, 47.6
4. DL TJ Slaton 51.4
5. S Henry Black, 52.7
Barnes allowed a team-high six catches for 77 yards into his coverage, and he received poor grades against the run over 36 total snaps.
Galeai was credited with his first career sack, but he didn’t grade out well as a run defender or pass-rusher, and he gave up a first-down catch in coverage.
Lancaster didn’t have a pressure and struggled to hold the point of attack against the run over 34 snaps.
Slaton had one stop but also missed a tackle. He wasn’t impactful as a rusher.
Black produced average grades against the run and in coverage but was on the field for only 11 snaps.
Other notables
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12).
This was the Packers’ third-worst graded game on defense this season, and by far the worst by run defense grade. It was also the defense’s lowest game by tackling grade.
Aaron Rodgers was under pressure on nine of 34 dropbacks, or 26.5 percent. Baker Mayfield was under pressure on 14 of 42 dropbacks, or 33.3 percent.
Mayfield threw three interceptions from clean pockets.
Rodgers completed both of his passes thrown over 20 yards in the air.
Myles Garrett, who had a groin injury, was limited to just three total pressures.
The Browns defense missed 11 tackles. The Packers missed nine, including four total from safeties Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage.
Rasul Douglas had two tackles on special teams. Henry Black had one and two assists. Juwann Winfree missed two tackles.
1
1