Green Bay Packers Midseason Grades: How Do the Positions Stack Up?
After everything the Green Bay Packers have been through in the NFL's first half, it's still amazing that the Packers are 5-3.
Injuries and inconsistencies have been the main culprits during the Packers' first eight games, but the team has persevered and now finds itself at the top of the NFC North.
But how does the team grade out at the midseason point?
One thing is for sure, these fans in New York get an A+ in the Packer backing category.
Quarterbacks
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Aaron Rodgers was slated as a preseason favorite for NFL MVP, but he hasn't played up to that standard so far in 2010.
He's completed 165 of 269 passes for 2011 yards and 12 touchdowns, but his nine interceptions and 85.3 rating are reasons for concern.
However, to be fair to Rodgers, he has had receivers drop passes and a number of his weapons—Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant and now Donald Driver—have missed time this season.
Yet if we are comfortable calling Rodgers an elite quarterback, he has to shoulder part of the blame for the offense's inconsistencies so far.
I'm betting no one guessed the Packers would be ranked 10th in passing yards through eight games, and Rodgers will admittedly have to play better if the Packers have reservations of making it to Dallas in February.
One positive many forget, however: Rodgers also has contributed 132 yards rushing and three touchdowns already.
Backup Matt Flynn, who we thought we'd have to see against Miami after Rodgers' concussion, has only thrown one incomplete pass this season—a great throw on the Packers' fake field goal attempt against Minnesota.
Midseason Grade: B
Running Backs
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Once Ryan Grant went down for the season in Week 1, the Packers' running back position has been in turmoil.
While everyone was content with giving Brandon Jackson a chance to take a hold of the job, he's only been average in his seven starts.
For that reason, there was a big push for the Packers to acquire a back via a trade, but deals for the likes of Marshawn Lynch and Marion Barber never materialized.
Jackson and converted fullback John Kuhn have gotten the majority of the carries, and the two have combined for 593 yards and three touchdowns—middle of the pack numbers by any standard.
Overall, the Packers rank 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards, and while I think many fans would tell you the running game has improved, it's still below average in the league.
On the bright side, no Packers running back has lost a fumble in 2010.
Many have also hoped that rookie James Starks would provide a boost, but it's looking more and more that he'll either be placed on injured reserve or funneled through to the practice squad.
Midseason grade: C-
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
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With the loss of Jermichael Finley, this group obviously took a step back. That's understandable considering Finley was on pace for an 84-catch, 1,204-yard season. However, there are still plenty of playmakers on the outside for the Packers offense.
Greg Jennings leads the group with 32 catches for 471 yards and five touchdowns, and even though Donald Driver has been hurt the past two weeks, he still has racked up 28 catches for 307 yards and three TD's.
James Jones (19 receptions, 284 yards) has been wildly inconsistent, and Jordy Nelson (22, 239) hasn't been as surehanded as he's been in the past.
Finley's three replacements at tight end—Donald Lee, Tom Crabtree and Andrew Quarless—have combined for 16 catches and 194 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Quarless looks like he has the potential to be a Finley-type athletic tight end if he keeps progressing in the offense, and Crabtree is a good blocker in the Packers' two tight end sets.
Injuries have hurt this unit, but considering it's still is full of talent, you'd expect more production.
Midseason grade: B
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Offensive Line
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The offensive line has certainly had its ups-and-downs, but the unit collectively has played considerably better. After a 50-sack season, however, you'd expect some improvement.
Rodgers has only been sacked 16 times in 2010, even with both Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher missing time.
Their replacement, rookie Bryan Bulaga, has shown promise that he will be the answer at either tackle positions once either Clifton or Tauscher is done. You could make a good argument that Bulaga deserves to start the rest of the season, regardless of the injury situation.
Josh Sitton continues to improve, and every week you hear an announcer talk about how they think Sitton will be playing in Pro Bowl's in the near future.
Darryn College and Scott Wells are both serviceable players who haven't made as many glaring mistakes as last season.
Overall, the offensive line is much improved in 2010.
Midseason grade: B+
Defensive Line
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The defensive line is another group that has been ravaged by injuries. Case in point: Offensive lineman T.J. Lang has played meaningful snaps on the defensive line.
Cullen Jenkins, Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal have all missed considerable time, but the Packers keep plugging in players to make their 3-4 defense work.
B.J. Raji has played like a Pro Bowler in the middle, and Jenkins has recorded four sacks despite having thigh and hand injuries.
C.J. Wilson, Jarius Wynn, Howard Green and Erik Walden have played huge roles the past few weeks and actually have played very well considering the circumstances.
The Packers are still ranked 25th in rushing defense, however, and while I think that will improve, this unit hasn't always played as well as it did in last Sunday's shutout of the Jets.
Midseason grade: B
Linebackers
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Clay Matthews, the NFL's sack leader at 9.5, leads a unit that has played well in 2010. Even with injuries across the board—Brad Jones (IR), Nick Barnett (IR), Brady Poppinga (IR)—healthy linebackers such as A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop have stepped up considerably.
Hawk has two interceptions and leads the team in tackles with 65, and Bishop has recorded a sack and a big pick-six of Brett Favre in Week 7.
Frank Zombo, an undrafted free agent, has also played well, filling in with two sacks as an edge rusher.
Brandon Chillar, who was also hurt for three weeks, will figure to be a much bigger contributor moving forward as he refigures himself into the defense.
Matthews' strong first half has him in the thick of the defensive player of the year running, and the returns from both Hawk and Bishop have to be encouraging.
Midseason grade: A-
Cornerbacks
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The talk of the Packers' cornerbacks has to be Tramon Williams. He's asserted himself as the team's top cover cornerback, and that has allowed reigning Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson to be more around the football.
Williams has routinely shut down the opponent's top receiver, and with three interceptions, he's having a Pro Bowl quality season.
Woodson clearly hasn't been as dominant as he was a year ago, but he's still such an asset in both pass and rush defense. He's the Packers' top tackler in the secondary, and he hasn't lost the ball skills that have made him so good for so long.
Rookie Sam Shields started the season as the nickel cornerback, and while he took some beginner's bumps and bruises, he looks like he has the makings of a good player.
Even Pat Lee has made several appearances in the secondary, and while he has hardly done anything of note, that can be a good thing for a cornerback.
Brandon Underwood hasn't seen the field much, and Al Harris still hasn't been activated from the PUP list. Overall, however, the Packers' cornerbacks have played well this season.
Midseason grade: A-
Safeties
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Losing rookie safety Morgan Burnett so early in the season was a setback, but the Packers' backups have done a sufficient job in his absence.
Most notably, Charlie Peprah had his best game in a Packers' uniform last week in New York, and he's helped ease the transition from Burnett to Atari Bigby. But should Bigby even start when he comes back from the PUP list? Peprah has played well enough to hold down that spot for the time being.
Nick Collins has only one interception, but he arguably should have a few more as his hands have let him down on a couple of plays. His 37 tackles put him fourth on the Packers.
Derrick Martin had an interception of Jay Cutler while filling in, but he was lost for the season with a knee injury.
The Packers also reacquired Anthony Smith, and he made a big play last week, pushing out the Jets' punter before he made the first down on their fake punt.
It's another group that has been hit with injury, but they've held their own. They've been unspectacular but clearly solid.
Midseason grade: B
Specialists
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Packers' punter Tim Masthay had his best game last week—a performance that had coach Mike McCarthy stating made him "want to cry"—which is more a joke but shows how bad the punting has been in Green Bay.
Masthay's 43.4 yard average is serviceable, and he's been able to put 10 of his 34 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Mason Crosby has hit on 12-of-16 field goals, including a franchise record 56-yarder in the season opener. However, his miss in the waning moments at Washington cost the Packers a victory.
The kick returning has been a mess, with Jordy Nelson registering 22.5 yard average and two lost fumbles, and Pat Lee posting only a 19.8 average. That just won't get it done in the NFL, and the Packers are averaging almost four yards less then their opponents' kick returns.
Tramon Williams has done well as the punt returner, however. His 9.1 yard average isn't flashy, but he's been consistent and hasn't made any glaring mistakes.
Midseason grade: C
Coaching
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Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has taken a lot of criticism for his offensive play-calling, and rightfully so. The offense, while lacking Ryan Grant, has also lacked a rhythm all season long.
However, he did just win arguably the biggest game of his career last week in New York, so for now, McCarthy is in the good graces of the Packers' faithful.
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers has had his own ups-and-downs, but he's done a good job. Pitching a shutout last week with the no-name Packers' defense has to rank amongst his best performances during his long career.
Special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum has also taken criticism for just about every aspect of his job. However, I think it's safe to say he's made improvements week-to-week and the special teams are no longer a point of constant concern.
Midseason grade: B-
Overall Grade
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With all the injuries to the Packers' roster in 2010, 5-3 is an impressive mark midway through the season.
Just about every unit has seen an injury or two, yet the depth and talent of the Green Bay Packers has helped them fight through it.
Seeing as the Packers are in first place in the NFC North, and both rivals have considerable problems across the board, Green Bay is in the driver's seat for the division title.
And after everything this team has been through, that's saying a lot.
Midseason grade: B+
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