Are you bored of the Green Bay Packers' Week 6 highlights yet? No, didn't think so. We've waited an entire offseason to see the Packers lay the smackdown on the Chicago Bears, and it felt good.
The team has shifted its attention to the Dallas Cowboys, who visit Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football.
Micah Parsons won't return to face his former team. Matt LaFleur was asked about Parsons' status during his latest press conference. He also answered questions about Josh Jacobs and Kevin Zeitler. Let's dive in.
Latest Packers news
- Micah Parsons unlikely to practice this week
- Matt LaFleur still has no update on Josh Jacobs' status
- Kevin Zeitler is nearing his Packers debut
- Week 5 Packers superlatives
- By the numbers
- This day in Packers history
Micah Parsons unlikely to practice this week
Micah Parsons loved what he saw from the sideline on Sunday, but his return to the field still requires some patience.
"As soon as they give us the green light, he'll be out there," said Matt LaFleur on Monday. "That hasn't happened yet, but I think we're getting closer."
The Packers play at Ford Field in Week 7. Could the turf impact the decision on Parsons?
"I don't think so. First of all, you've got to get him back on the practice field," LaFleur said. "There's a lot of testing that goes on before he gets medically cleared to get out there, and then I'm sure we're gonna want to give him some time to get back to playing football."
Once Parsons returns to practice, he'll likely need at least two or three weeks to ramp up his reps. The Packers will have a 21-day window before needing to activate him to the 53-man roster.
It means Parsons won't return for Week 6, which was the optimistic target many discussed, and we may not see him until November. But he remains on track. The Packers are smartly giving Parsons the time he needs to return at 100 percent.
Matt LaFleur still has no update on Josh Jacobs' status
Josh Jacobs remains on the commissioner's exempt list and has missed the Packers' opening five games. We can assume he won't be available again for this week's game against the Dallas Cowboys, and it's unclear what's next for the Packers running back.
"I have got no updates there," said LaFleur. "That's out of my hands."
Time will tell.
Kevin Zeitler is nearing his Packers debut
Matt LaFleur said Kevin Zeitler could've played if the Packers needed him in Week 5.
Zeitler was active this week but didn't play, with Travis Glover again getting the start. It's an unsurprising move, as Zeitler had no offseason workout program or training camp to ramp up his reps.
By the time the Packers play on Sunday Night Football, Zeitler will have had over two weeks of practice time, so we could see him get the start in Week 6.
Week 5 Packers superlatives
Award | Player |
|---|---|
MVP of the Week | Jordan Love |
Unsung Hero | Keisean Nixon |
Biggest Disappointment | Trey Smack |
Best PFF Grade | Jordan Love (95.1) |
Jordan Love was the star of the show. He had only one more incompletion (six) than the Bears had turnovers (five). Love was at his devastating best, averaging an impressive 11.8 yards per attempt.
The Bears couldn't stop him. Love punished them deep, completing five passes of 30-plus air yards. He hit J. Michael Sturdivant for a would-be 43-yard touchdown, only for it to be nullified due to a penalty. It pushed the Packers back 10 yards to face 3rd-and-22, but Love didn't care. He launched another beautiful rainbow pass to Christian Watson for a 53-yard touchdown.
Love was unstoppable, earning an elite PFF grade of 95.1, the Packers' highest in Week 5.
Keisean Nixon deserves some praise for this performance. He has quietly stacked success in recent weeks. Per PFF, Nixon gave up just 39 yards in coverage despite being targeted eight times. The Bears' quarterbacks averaged 7.8 yards per reception with an average depth of target of just 4.5 yards against him.
Nixon also dominated in run defense. PFF credited him with three run stops, which included a tackle for loss. It's exactly what Jonathan Gannon wants from his cornerbacks.
Should we be concerned about rookie kicker Trey Smack? Possibly.
Smack has mostly been automatic this season, but he struggled with the wind at Lambeau on Sunday. The concern is that his performance follows a trend from training camp. Smack's kicks became erratic anytime the wind began to swirl. It won't get any easier as the cold evenings draw in later in the season.
The rookie missed field goals from 43 and 47 yards, along with a PAT. It cost the Packers seven points, which he got away with due to the team's massive lead.
It's too early to hit the panic button, but it's a potential warning.
By the numbers
25-6-18: Christian Watson and Randy Moss.
According to Cheesehead TV's Aaron Nagler, they are the only two players since 1986 to catch 25-plus passes, post six-plus touchdowns, and average 18-plus yards per reception in the first five games of a season. That works.
871: That's how many combined receiving yards Watson and Matthew Golden have through five games. No receiving duo in the NFL has more.
2,960: At their current pace, this is how many receiving yards Watson and Golden will combine for this season. That would beat the 2,806 yards Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb posted in 2014. They both made the Pro Bowl that year, while Aaron Rodgers won the NFL MVP award and the Packers reached the NFC Championship Game.
2nd: That's where Jordan Love ranks in the NFL for passing yards. He's thrown for 1,408 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions, with a 95.5 rating. Only Jared Goff has more passing yards (1,485).
70.0 percent: Unfortunately, this is Trey Smack's field-goal percentage through five weeks. Only the San Francisco 49ers' Eddy Pineiro has a worse percentage (62.5 percent). Smack has missed three field goals this season. One was blocked, but he put two wide of the posts on Sunday. He also missed an extra point, his second of the year.
This day in Packers history
October 13, 2013: Packers take down the defending champs in a low-scoring thriller
The 2013 season is best remembered for Aaron Rodgers' broken collarbone, the 4th-and-8 to Randall Cobb to win the NFC North at Soldier Field, and another playoff heartbreak at the hands of the 49ers.
But there were some forgotten classics that season, including the Packers' Week 6 road win against the Baltimore Ravens, who were the defending Super Bowl champions.
It was a heavyweight, defensive battle for much of the game, with both teams trading field goals until deep in the third quarter, when the Packers finally broke the game open. Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson on a vintage play-action deep shot, connecting on a 64-yard touchdown.
The score gave Green Bay a 16-3 lead, and while Baltimore pulled it back to within three points, it was too little, too late. The Packers picked up a statement road win after an up-and-down start to the regular season.
The Packers lost Cobb to a right fibula fracture in this game. Three weeks later, Rodgers broke his collarbone. Neither played another snap until Week 17, when they returned to connect on that pass to take down the Bears.
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