The Green Bay Packers are headed into the bye week with more questions than answers about themselves. Their 2-1-1 record reflects an already up and down season from the contending NFC squad, as they look to figure out how to get more consistent in all phases.
Special teams and their defense scream out as their biggest weak points at the moment, but overall, the team could be doing a lot more to be getting themselves into a position to win games they should be winning - see: the Cleveland Browns fiasco in Week 3.
It's hard to bounce back from losses like that, or even their tie against the Dallas Cowboys, but they have a full bye week to get themselves situated again prior to facing off with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.
Ahead of that game, PackersOnSI's Bill Huber tabbed several Packers players as ones that need to improve before that contest, and two surprising additions to the list are players that haven't even suited up enough to make an impact on the team's record: Zach Tom and Devonte Wyatt.
Packers writer says Tom, Wyatt can make huge impact on Packers after bye week
Obviously, Tom and Wyatt are important players to watch for the Packers as it pertains to their health, and not their performance. That's something Huber emphasizes in his section on these two injured Packers, but it is fair to say that their returns would do wonders for both the Packers' pass protection and their ability to rush the quarterback.
READ MORE: A dose of reality is the best bye week medicine for the Green Bay Packers
Huber says of Tom that he has only taken more than one snap in just one game this season - in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. That's not going to get it done for Love or the Packers offense, so his health is paramount to their success there. As for Wyatt, Huber writes:
"Wyatt, a first-round pick in 2022, has slowly and steadily become an impact defensive tackle. Even while missing the end of the Cleveland game with a knee injury, he entered Week 4 at Dallas ranked second among interior defensive linemen in pressures. He’s sixth at the position in pass-rush win rate among those with at least 60 pass-rushing snaps. Plus, he’s been a key cog in Green Bay’s surprising run defense."
Taking a load off of Parsons on the D-line would go a long way for Green Bay's ability to have longevity in the postseason this year. He's already beginning to deal with some injuries lingering due to the lack of depth on Green Bay's defensive line at the moment. Wyatt's return, as Parsons has even said, would be an underrated one.
“We missing D-Wy. The dominant player that he is, his energy is so contagious. I think he’s under looked in his value on this team. He telling me he going to go get healthy and, hopefully, we get him back soon. You lose a great player like that, it kind of stings.”