When meeting with the media last week, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich stated that Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers was playing the best football of his career, which left many puzzled.
Then, on Wednesday, GM Brian Gutekunst reiterated similar views, praising the offensive line as a whole for their performance thus far this season.
“They’ve done a nice job with pass blocking,” Gutekunst said. “We haven’t gotten our run game going as well as we’d want. There have also been several injuries. Rasheed, one of our young guys, came in and did an excellent job for us. Josh Myers is having the best season of his career. He’s doing a fantastic job.
“It’s great to have Elgton back on the field full-time.” He was practicing some moves for a couple of games there. They’ve done a good job, and they’ll need to keep improving like the rest of the offense, but they’ve done well.”
Of course, the General Manager will not berate a player or a position group in front of the media. However, the data so far this season reflect a very different narrative when it comes to offensive line performance. Green Bay’s run attack has averaged only 3.8 yards per rush through seven games, while Jordan Love has been harassed on the fourth-most dropbacks over the previous four games, according to PFF.
The offensive line was intended to be one of the assets that this inexperienced Packers’ offense relied on this season, despite a number of unknowns. However, this group has been highly inconsistent, which has had a negative impact on the rest of the offense.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Stenavich was asked on Thursday to expand on what he meant when he suggested Myers was playing his finest football.
“From a locker room standpoint,” Stenavich said, “he’s taken on a big leadership role in the offensive line.” That is really significant as a center. He’s done a fantastic job with the table, the calls, and everything else. When he and Jordan work together, you can tell they have a great relationship, communication, and so on.
“That’s been fantastic from a leadership aspect. Then, on the field, he plays with a lot of physicality. He’s moving quite quickly. Passing better, using his hands more, and playing in nice phase. He’s doing a great job.”
Stenavich lavishes praise on Myers for his services to the team off the field and before the snap. Myers has stepped into a leadership role on a squad with so much young and is working well with Love, a first-time starting quarterback. That bond and the continuity that has established between the two are incredibly valuable.
As the center, Myers serves as the signal caller, determining what the defense is doing, transmitting it to the rest of the line, and attempting to ensure that everyone around him is assignment sound.
Myers has allowed 10 pressures this season in pass protection, placing him in the middle of the pack among centers. He ranks 13th out of 38 qualifying centers in PFF’s pass-blocking effectiveness statistic. Myers’ problem has been in the run game, where he ranks 37th out of 40 centers in run-blocking grade, and when he misses an assignment or a block, he misses a lot.
In general, statistics don’t often convey the whole picture about a player, but in this case, they appear to accurately reflect Myers’ performance. He’s been adequate in pass protection but has struggled as a run blocker. As we’ve seen, rapid pressure up the middle is the quickest method for a defense to disrupt any play.
Improved offensive play begins with the play up front—a run game to rely on and regular time for Love would be invaluable. Although the offensive line has struggled, other than some competition at left tackle, it does not appear that any other changes will be made to the Packers offensive line. Zach Tom has done well at right tackle, and the Packers are pleased with how Myers has performed.
