Packers offensive line will have biggest test yet in Week 6 vs. Bucs
The Packers’ offensive line will be tested by the Bucs in Week 6.
Despite battling injuries all season, the Green Bay Packers‘ offensive line has been unstoppable in their opening four games.
The Packers have had to regularly reshuffle their starting five. Billy Turner missed the first two games of the season, while Lane Taylor tore his ACL and is out the rest of the year. Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick have been asked to play different positions due to the injuries.
However, no matter who has been out there at each position, the Packers have dominated up front. According to ESPN, the Packers rank first in the NFL for pass block win rate and third for run block win rate after five weeks. David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, and Jenkins are all among the top 10 at their respective positions.
Updated offense win rates after Sunday. Horizontal is pass block. Vertical is run block. Up and right are good. ESPN model based on tracking data via NextGen Stats. pic.twitter.com/2AgZ5L5JtN
— Brian Burke (@bburkeESPN) October 12, 2020
In four games, Aaron Rodgers has only been sacked three times. He’s regularly had time to throw while the offensive line has also been dominant in the run game.
However, the Packers’ offensive line will face their toughest test of the season to date on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay leads the NFL in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric, and they also have 17 sacks on the season, good for fourth-best in the league. The Bucs are also strong against the run, ranking sixth in the league for run stop win rate, while also allowing a league-low 58.4 yards per game on the ground.
The Bucs are getting contributions from a number of players on defense this year. Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett have combined for seven sacks, while five different players have two sacks on the season.
One player Tampa Bay will be without is defensive tackle Vita Vea, who has been placed on injured reserve. Vea had two sacks and four tackles for loss in the opening five games and is a strong run defender.
Even without Vea, the Buccaneers defense is the strongest the Packers have faced this season. They rank eighth in scoring defense, allowing just 22.4 points per game. Green Bay’s offense will need to be at its best, and that starts by winning up front.