Green Bay Packers' Week 10 Stock Report

It's time for the weekly Green Bay Packers' stock report, and after the team's second straight loss of the season, unfortunately more players are trending downward rather than upward. 

The Packers demonstrated real issues on both offense and defense in their loss to the Carolina Panthers, whether it was being unable to get the run game going, whiffing on tackles or failing to sustain blocks on the offensive line. 

Both the Denver Broncos and Carolina have featured extremely strong defensive units, and the Packers have faltered at the challenge. However, in Week 10, against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay should be able to get itself back on track, and hopefully some of the following players will show improvement then.

Rising: RB James Starks

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Heading into Week 10 of the NFL season, James Starks has overtaken Eddie Lacy as the Packers' lead back.

Though the Packers only rushed for 71 total yards against the Carolina Panthers, Starks contributed 39 of them and added another 83 receiving yards and a touchdown. 

Starks, in fact, is leading the Packers in rushing on the season, with 334 yards on 78 carries and a touchdown and another 167 receiving yards and touchdown. 

Averaging 4.3 yards per carry, the veteran has proven he can be both durable and productive when the Packers have called on him this season.

He may not be the hard-hitter Lacy can be at full strength, but he can certainly be the downhill runner the Packers need for the remainder of the season and a pass-catching threat to boost.

Falling: RB Eddie Lacy

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

As James Starks' stock continues to rise, Eddie Lacy's seems to take a corresponding fall. 

Though head coach Mike McCarthy gave Lacy, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and felt the results of it long after, a clean bill of health after the Week 7 bye, Lacy is not playing like a healthy running back. 

The feature back, a title he may no longer hold, has just 308 yards on the season so far, averaging 3.7 yards per attempt on 83 carries. He's on pace for fewer than 1,000 yards this season, which would be the first time he has finished below that mark since he was drafted in 2013. 

Lacy suffered a groin injury in the Week 9 matchup against the Panthers, but "might not miss" any time because of it, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.  

However, the Packers might do best to give Starks the majority of carries in the next few weeks, bringing Lacy in on short-yardage situations.

Rising: WR Davante Adams

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Though the Packers have lost both the games in which Davante Adams has been available since returning from his ankle injury in Week 8, the receiver has certainly done his best to make an impact on offense. 

Adams had a season-high in receptions, with seven, and yards, with 93, against the Panthers on Sunday. He also had a reception of 40 yards—his highest of the season so far. 

Aaron Rodgers had more options with Adams back on the field. He targeted the second-year wideout 11 times, second only to Randall Cobb, who received a team-high 12 looks from Rodgers. 

Adams' presence may not mean Cobb isn't facing constant double coverage, but he can run the full route tree and helps ensure that Rodgers has a hot route open. His importance to the offense was only emphasized when he missed time, and he made up for that loss in time against Carolina.

Falling: FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

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Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was putting together a strong season in 2015, but he'll probably prefer that the tape from Sunday's loss in Carolina simply be destroyed. 

The least of Clinton-Dix's problems on Sunday was the sideline altercation in which he was involved, along with B.J. Raji and Julius Peppers. Though that scuffle was widely televised, it was Clinton-Dix's play on the field that was truly disappointing. 

The second-year safety received the worst grade of any defensive player in the game, according to Pro Football Focus. In coverage on Panthers wideout Jerricho Cotchery, he allowed a huge 59-yard gain and appeared to be playing deliberately far off from the receiver, potentially because he didn't feel he was in position to make a solid tackle. 

Indeed, Cotchery had 26 yards after the catch on that play. 

Clinton-Dix failed to stay over the top of the deep threat, which is the textbook definition of successful free safety play. One bad game does not undo a season with other positives, but Clinton-Dix's stock is definitely trending downward heading into Week 10.

Falling: Entire Offensive Line

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The weekly stock reports usually single out individual players, not entire units. 

But the offensive line as a whole couldn't do anything right against Carolina on Sunday, whether that was pass blocking, run blocking or avoiding penalties. 

"When tackle Bryan Bulaga wasn't giving up a sack, center Corey Linsley was getting blown off the ball on the fourth-down play at the end of the game," wrote Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"When guard Josh Sitton and Linsley weren't screwing up a call, tackle David Bakhtiari was getting called for holding."

Sitton, Linsley and Bulaga were each faulted with a sack in the loss, while one was credited to Rodgers, per Pro Football Focus. Bulaga and Bakhtiari also allowed three hurries and one hit each. 

The most concerning aspect of the line's performance is that this is the same starting five that performed so well in 2014. 

Both Bulaga and guard T.J. Lang appeared on the Week 9 injury report, so it's possible their injuries affected their play. But the offensive line needs to get it together if the rushing and passing games are going to improve.