Things did not go well for the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Playing on a short week after a historic comeback against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, they looked like a team that was running on fumes.
The Packers hosted their NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions, on Thursday Night Football and things got ugly quickly. After Jared Goff threw an interception on the opening drive of the game, he led the Lions to scores on their next four drives and five out of six to finish the first half.
That gave Detroit a 27-3 lead heading into halftime, one that they were able to cruise to a 34-20 victory. There wasn’t much to come away excited about if you are the Packers, who were thoroughly beaten in every facet of the game.
However, there were still a few players who stood out with solid performances. Here are the five highest-graded Packers players from their Week 4 loss against the Lions.
5. DL Colby Wooden
One of the areas in which Green Bay struggled the most against Detroit was in run defense. The Lions steamrolled them with David Montgomery leading the way, gaining 121 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs added 40 yards on eight carries as well.
But, one of the few players who got the job done against the run for the Packers was Colby Wooden. He played 15 snaps as a run defender, recording the second-highest run-defense grade of 71.2, trailing only Darnell Savage Jr., who had a 75.9.
Wooden was credited with a stop and quarterback hit in the game as the most productive defensively linemen on Green Bay in Week 4. He finished with a 71.6 overall grade.
4. WR Romeo Doubs
The Packers’ passing attack was disrupted against the Lions because of their inability to pass protect. Jordan Love struggled when facing pressure, but when he was in a clean pocket, he was producing at an impressive clip.
The beneficiary of those timely throws was Romeo Doubs, who paced the team with nine receptions for 95 yards. He was credited with another contested catch, as he is emerging as the go-to receiver for Love with a 71.6 overall grade.
Week 4 was the first time that Doubs played a full allotment of snaps after being partly limited because of a hamstring injury. He answered the call and looks like he will be a consistent producer all season.
3. S Rudy Ford
The Packers have been seeking out players to step up at the safety position for months. In training camp, it was an open competition for playing time, which Savage and Rudy Ford almost won by default.
But, once the regular season has begun, Ford has been earning that role with some solid play. He was great against the Lions, as he intercepted Goff on the first possession of the game. Cleaning up plays is something the safety has to do as the last line of defense and he accomplished that as well, making eight tackles with zero misses.
Ford had an overall defensive grade of 73.4 in the game, earning an elite 85.7 tackling grade and 78.2 coverage grade. His run defense grade left something to be desired with a 51.4, but overall he was solid on the afternoon.
2. WR Samori Toure
Finding playing time at wide receiver is not easy in Green Bay. They have a deep, talented group of pass catchers headlined by Christian Watson, Doubs and rookie Jayden Reed. Those three look locked into sizable roles when healthy, leaving few opportunities for others to move up in the ranks.
One way is to take advantage of the opportunities as Samori Toure did against the Lions. He ran only nine routes but made a 35-yard contested catch, which led to him having an overall offensive grade of 76.6 and a receiving grade of 74.2.
1. OLB Rashan Gary
Speaking of players making the most of their limited opportunities, Rashan Gary has perfected that. The Packers continue to have him on a snap count as he works his way back to full strength from his ACL tear. They need that to happen soon as he is a bonafide game-wrecker rushing the passer.
Gary had the highest PFF grade of Week 4 with 82.4. He was unstoppable rushing the passer, recording four more pressures, with one quarterback hit, on just 14 pass-rushing snaps. That kind of pressure is something that Green Bay could use more of throughout the game, not just part-time.
He had an 84.4 pass-rushing grade and his true pass-rushing set grade was even higher with an elite 88.1.
