The Green Bay Packers are staring down a Week 5 NFC North rivalry game against the Chicago Bears with a truly brutal stat hanging over their heads: a 22% pass block win rate. This isn’t just a little bad, folks. ESPN’s research reveals it’s the absolute worst rate any team has posted through the first four games of a season since they started tracking back in 2017.
This Pass Protection Is an Absolute Nightmare
Let’s be real, you can’t win consistently in the NFL if your quarterback is constantly running for his life. That 22% pass block win rate isn’t just a problem for this weekend’s showdown with the Bears, it’s a major red flag for any game moving forward. The Packers are currently sitting at a 2-2 record, and if they want any shot at improving that, fixing this pass protection has to be priority number one. It’s a foundational issue that undermines everything else they try to do on offense.
Tucker Kraft Is Battling More Than Just Opposing Defenses
As if the pass protection wasn’t enough, the Packers are also grappling with tight end Tucker Kraft’s performance as he comes back from last season’s torn ACL. Through four games, he’s tied for 15th among TEs in catches and tied for 17th in receiving yards, only scoring one touchdown. It’s not exactly the explosive return you’d hope for. Kraft himself is feeling the weight of it, telling Rob Demovsky of ESPN, “Statistically, it might not look like I’m playing better. Some could even say that I might’ve lost my stinger.” That’s a raw, honest admission right there. He’s determined to “get back to my roots, the kind of … I was on my first and second year when I was playing to the echo of the whistle and being hard on the defense” this week. He’s clearly looking for a spark, and the Packers desperately need him to find it.
So, here we are: Week 5, Bears versus Packers. These are always intense games between longtime NFC North rivals, and you can bet the stakes are high, especially with both teams trying to establish their early season identity. For Green Bay, it’s all about whether they can suddenly shore up that abysmal pass protection and get their tight end firing on all cylinders. Can they turn things around and start playing to the echo of the whistle, or will these early season struggles continue to define their 2-2 start? We’ll find out this weekend.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply