There were positives and negatives to take away from the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. On the one hand, they pushed the best team in football all the way, and had it not been for some poor referee decisions in the fourth quarter, they may have won the game.
But it's far from all positive. The Packers had the perfect opportunity to beat a depleted Lions team but failed. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had his way against Jeff Hafley's defense, exposing some concerning problems. He attacked the middle of the field with ease, and whenever the Packers attempted to send pressure, Johnson turned to the screen game.
Green Bay's offensive line struggled to contain a Detroit defensive line featuring almost exclusively backups.
The Packers are determined to get revenge on the Lions in the playoffs, and they showed they were close. However, we learned a lot from the loss on Thursday night. Several players are on the hot seat entering the final four games of the regular season.
Eric Stokes, CB
The Packers hoped that a healthier Eric Stokes would lead to better performances than we have seen in recent years. While the former first-rounder has avoided injury, his play hasn't improved. Green Bay hoped he could recapture the form from his rookie season, but Stokes now faces an uphill battle to land a new deal when his contract expires in March.
Declining his fifth-year option last spring proved the Packers weren't fully confident, but his struggles are likely far worse than they feared. Per PFF, Stokes has allowed 301 yards and three touchdowns with a 108.8 passer rating in his coverage while recording no pass breakups or interceptions.
Stokes' awful PFF coverage grade of 53.3 ranks 154th among 209 cornerbacks. His overall defensive grade is even worse, ranking 159th.
Cornerback is a glaring need for the Packers, and Stokes' future is almost certainly not in Green Bay.
Josh Myers, C
The Packers' decision to draft Josh Myers one pick before Creed Humphrey still haunts them. Myers seemed to have finally turned the corner after a frustratingly inconsistent start to his NFL career. At his best, he can lock down pass-rushers and create lanes in the run game, but those moments are few and far between.
Myers hasn't given up a sack, but his 21 pressures allowed are the fourth-most among centers, per PFF. He also has their third-worst run-blocking grade, with Myers ranking 57th at the position.
Compare that to Humphrey, who ranks first in pass-blocking and second in run-blocking. The Packers could've drafted him, but he has become a two-time Pro Bowler for the Kansas City Chiefs instead.
Isaiah McDuffie, LB
Linebacker is still an area of concern for the Packers. Part of that is due to injuries, as second-round pick Edgerrin Cooper has missed the past three games with a hamstring issue. Quay Walker also took a while to get up to speed in the new defensive system but has shown promise in recent weeks.
It certainly doesn't help that third-round pick Ty'Ron Hopper can't get on the field, playing all of seven defensive snaps this season.
It has forced Isaiah McDuffie to play an extended role. While McDuffie has made plays — he has a forced fumble and three pass defenses — he is a limited player, and teams are going after him. The Lions targeted him in coverage, and he had no answer. Per PFF, McDuffie allowed all nine targets to be completed in his coverage against Detroit.
Over the past three games, he has given up 23 receptions on 26 targets for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Across the entire season, quarterbacks have gone 50-of-60 for 508 yards and four touchdowns against McDuffie.
The Packers need to find a better solution, especially on passing downs, even if that means experimenting with Hopper until Cooper returns.
