Taking Stock of Green Bay Packers Ahead of Week 7 Bye

The Green Bay Packers head into their Week 7 bye undefeated at 6-0, and the break couldn't come at a better time. 

Multiple starters are injured ahead of the break, including wide receiver Davante Adams, nose tackle B.J. Raji, strong safety Morgan Burnett and outside linebacker Nick Perry.

The Packers need to get back to full strength before beginning a second-half schedule that includes five divisional games and matchups against the currently undefeated Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. 

Ahead of the bye, let's take a look back at the last six weeks for the Packers, taking stock of the offense, the defense, the injury situation and more. 

Injury Updates

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WR Ty Montgomery

After exiting the Week 6 game against the San Diego Chargers with an ankle injury, X-rays on Montgomery's ankle came back negative, according to NFL Network's Rand Getlin. That was the first piece of good news.

The second piece of good news came Monday, when Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed that Montgomery did not suffer a high-ankle sprain but rather a regular sprain, and he hasn't been ruled out for Week 8. 

WR Davante Adams

In a cautious move, the Packers held No. 3 wideout Adams out in Week 6 against the Chargers. However, Rapoport reported that he's expected to be back Week 8 against Denver. 

NT B.J. Raji 

Raji, who suffered a groin injury in Week 5 against the St. Louis Rams and sat out in Week 6, is progressing through the injury process "better than expected," head coach Mike McCarthy revealed on Oct. 15, per Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. While there's no timetable for his return, McCarthy's optimism could mean a Week 8 return isn't out of the question. 

SS Morgan Burnett

Burnett has missed nearly the whole season with a calf injury. While Micah Hyde has done fine in his place, getting Burnett back would be a boost for this secondary. Burnett did "more than expected" in practice on Oct. 16, according to McCarthy, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. The bye week could be the final step. 

Taking Stock of the Offense

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Through the first six weeks of their season, the Packers offense has been quietly effective and methodical. 

It's led the team to an undefeated record of 6-0, so it's not necessarily an issue, but it's certainly different from the explosive downfield style of play we're used to seeing from Aaron Rodgers and Co.

Opening the season, however, the Packers knew they would have to adjust their playbook without Jordy Nelson, their top downfield target. Rodgers currently has just three passes of 40-plus yards, putting him at 19th among all NFL quarterbacks.

In 2014, Rodgers led the league in that category with 15 such passes. Then again, he had Nelson.

This season, it has been difficult for Rodgers to connect with top target Randall Cobb due to double coverage. Injuries to Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery have not helped as well. But Adams should be good to go in Week 8, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

The Packers have also taken a dip in the effectiveness of their run game this season, due in large part to Eddie Lacy's apparent lingering ankle injury. He hurt the ankle in Week 2 against Seattle and missed the rest of that game, but he has played in every game since. 

However, he hasn't been particularly effective. He's averaging 11.2 attempts per game with just 260 yards and one touchdown. Through six games last season, he had three touchdowns. 

But the Packers had the foresight to retain James Starks, who is on the second year of his two-year deal, and he's been keeping the offense moving on the ground. Still, after the bye the Packers will look for a little more out of their star back.

The Packers have also experienced some reshuffling on the offensive line this season, as right tackle Bryan Bulaga and then right guard T.J. Lang missed time with injuries. Veteran backup Don Barclay had some trouble filling in, and the Packers also gave former practice-squad player Josh Walker some snaps. 

A healed-up line heading into Week 8 will boost both the passing and rushing games. 

Taking Stock of the Defense

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

The Green Bay Packers are experiencing what can only be termed a defensive resurgence. 

Green Bay is ranked 19th in total defense—16th in passing and 27th in rushing—but their successes are about so much more than yards allowed (or not allowed), which is all the ranking takes into account.

For instance, the pass rush has been elite. The Packers are second in the NFL in sacks with 23, behind the Denver Broncos. 

That pass rush has also helped the secondary make some plays by pressuring quarterbacks into making bad decisions. Green Bay is third in the league in interceptions, with eight.

Particularly impressive has been the development of the rookie cornerbacks. Damarious Randall is proving to be a skilled cover corner despite being a college safety, demonstrating solid technique and understanding of the scheme. He may steal starts from Casey Hayward down the line.

Second-round pick Quinten Rollins, the college basketball star, has taken his athleticism into the NFL. He has two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and two passes defended on the season. 

Two players who needed to have good seasons as they approach free agency—nose tackle B.J. Raji and outside linebacker Nick Perry—had solid starts to their seasons, especially against the run, before getting injured. If they are good to go by Week 8, look for them to earn their contract extensions come March. 

Taking Stock of Special Teams

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Special teams performance was one of the Packers' biggest weaknesses heading into the 2015 season. 

And while the unit hasn't been league-leading through six games, there have certainly been improvements across the board. 

Though Ty Montgomery's ankle injury in Week 6 removed him as a facet in the return game, he had been giving the unit something to be proud of until that point.

Montgomery has averaged 31.1 yards over seven kick returns so far this season. The team as a whole is averaging 24.8 yards, which is 10th-best in the league and a big improvement from its mark of 19.1 yards in 2014, which was the second-worst in the NFL.

Punter Tim Masthay received a warning this offseason in the form of the team bringing in punter Cody Mandell to compete for his job. Masthay earned the coaches' favor for another year, but after six weeks he sits at 22nd among all punters in net yards per punt with 38.3. He has, however, improved in blocked punts, with none to speak of yet. 

Mason Crosby is 10-of-11 in field-goal attempts this season, including one make of 50-plus yards. The Packers have elected for the most part this season to kick extra points rather than attempt two-point conversions. They have had one attempt for two points, which they made. 

Week 8 Preview: Denver Broncos

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When the Packers face the Broncos in Denver in Week 8, two undefeated teams will collide; both teams have their bye in Week 7.

Only one team, however, will leave with that distinction intact. 

Both teams this season have had to rely on their defense to bail out their offense at moments. However, assuming that the unit will be somewhat healed with regard to injuries, Green Bay's offense is in better shape than Denver's at the moment. 

Peyton Manning is declining rapidly. Shockingly, he leads all NFL quarterbacks in interceptions with 10, compared to just seven touchdowns. His passer rating of 72.5 is the lowest among starting quarterbacks. 

Denver's defense, however, has been stout, and the Packers will need to be close to full strength on offense to outplay the Broncos, particularly at running back (Eddie Lacy), wide receiver (Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery) and on the offensive line. 

The Broncos are allowing an average of 281.3 total yards per game, second-best in the league, and holding opponents to just 17 points per game, good for No. 4. 

However, Denver also heads into its bye week banged up. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders injured his shoulder in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. Cornerback Aqib Talib (ankle), left guard Evan Mathis (hamstring) and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (back) are also hurt and sat out practice Tuesday, per the Denver Post.