3 Packers to blame for embarrassing loss to Lions in Week 4
2. Royce Newman
The Royce Newman experiment needs to end. The Packers have a mini-bye to fix some of their biggest areas of concern. Strengthening their depth at guard is a must. Either they trust Sean Rhyan to step in, or general manager Brian Gutekunst needs to add a free agent. Green Bay can't keep starting Newman at left guard as cover for Elgton Jenkins.
Playing Royce Newman is coaching malpractice. You're risking Jordan Love's health at this point.
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) September 29, 2023
Newman showed us in the preseason that he wasn't good enough to start in the NFL. And nothing has changed. After a poor performance against the New Orleans Saints four days earlier, Newman picked up where he left off against the Lions.
Newman and Josh Myers gave up a sack in the first quarter on a double team. Later in the game, Jordan Love wasn't on the same page as Romeo Doubs, leading to his second interception. Where was Newman on the play? Blocking air. It was like a Madden glitch. It looked like he was blocking someone; there were just no Lions defenders near him.
The Packers lack depth at guard, and they miss Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins in a big way. The good news is they have time between games to consider their options. Newman can't start in Week 5.