The Green Bay Packers used a dominant effort defensively and a few standout performances from the backup offensive line group to cruise past the Seattle Seahawks in the preseason finale on Saturday.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers produced their top overall grade, top pass-blocking grade, top defense grade, top pass-rushing, top coverage grade and top special teams grade of the preseason during the 20-7 win.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ preseason win over the Seahawks:
Top 5 offenseOT Brant Banks: 79.6TE John FitzPatrick: 79.6OL J.J. Lippe: 77.6RT Zach Tom: 77.3OL Tyler Cooper: 75.5
Banks was solid in the run game and didn’t give up a pressure across 11 pass-blocking snaps, earning the top pass-blocking grade on the team. FitzPatrick was the offense’s top-graded run blocker. Lippe gave up a hurry but was solid but in the run and pass game. Tom played a clean game over 18 snaps at right tackle. Cooper was excellent in the run game across 20 snaps at guard.
Top 5 defenseDE Brenton Cox Jr.: 93.1LB Kristian Welch: 90.7DL Karl Brooks: 90.6LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson: 89.9DE Kingsley Enagbare: 89.4
Cox produced a strip-sack and a tackle for loss against the run over 18 snaps. Welch produced three stops against the run and gave up just one catch in coverage. Brooks had two hurries and a run stop over just 12 snaps. Dumas-Johnson had two run stops and a pass breakup in a terrific all-around performance. Enagbare finished a dominant preseason with a hurry and a run stop over seven snaps. Others with strong grades include Ty’Ron Hopper (86.8), Kamal Hadden (85.8), Rashan Gary (74.7), Kalen King (74.0) and Isaiah Simmons (70.3).
Bottom 5 offenseTE Johnny Lumpkin: 31.4RB Israel Abanikanda: 42.7OL Lecitus Smith: 44.6TE Ben Sims: 49.5RB Tyrion Davis-Price: 51.3
Lumpkin’s holding penalty negated an explosive run, and he got beat on his lone pass-blocking snap. Abanikanda had a fumble, and his six carries gained only nine yards. Smith was strong as a pass-blocker but earned a poor grade run blocking across 51 snaps at both center and grade. Sims was only average as a run blocker and didn’t have a catch. Davis-Price gained only 14 yards on five carries and had a missed block in pass pro.
Bottom 5 defenseDL Warren Brinson: 29.2S Kitan Oladapo: 29.7DL Nazir Stackhouse: 39.0CB Corey Ballentine: 46.6DL James Ester: 46.6
Brinson had one hurry across 17 pass-rushing snaps but earned the defense’s lowest run defense grade. Oladapo missed two tackles and gave up a catch in coverage. Stackhouse was a non-factor as a pass-rusher and struggled against the run over 28 total snaps. Ballentine gave up an 18-yard touchdown pass. Ester had three hurries but missed a tackle and struggled against the run.
Special teams
Corey Ballentine forced and recovered a fumble on punt coverage, giving him the top special teams grade. Jamon Dumas-Johnson had two tackles covering kicks and punts. Others with tackles on special teams: Malik Heath (one solo, one assist), Deslin Alexandre, Arron Mosby, Julian Hicks and Isaiah Simmons. Daniel Whelan averaged 57.5 yards per punt, but all six punts were returned.
Quarterback play
Sean Clifford (62.4), Malik Willis (55.3) and Taylor Elgersma (53.1) received below average grades. Elgersma had the only turnover worthy play, and both Elgersma and Clifford took two sacks. The Packers averaged only 4.4 yards per attempt in the passing game, although Willis and Elgersma both threw touchdown passes.
Rookie spotlight
First-round pick Matthew Golden made a contested catch for a 39-yard gain in the first quarter. He was also open on a second target, but the throw was high. Second-round pick Anthony Belton gave up two pressures, including a quarterback hit, and he had a false start penalty.