For the second time this season, the Green Bay Packers are set to be favored by double digits. The Packers host the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field on Sunday and as of mid-day Friday the point spread is up to 13.5, a full point higher than the spread on Monday morning.

The last time the Packers were favored by this much was in week 5, when they finished the week as 14-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals, The Packers won that game 27-18, failing to cover in their second win this season by that score and just the third game...

For the second time this season, the Green Bay Packers are set to be favored by double digits. The Packers host the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field on Sunday and as of mid-day Friday the point spread is up to 13.5, a full point higher than the spread on Monday morning.

The last time the Packers were favored by this much was in week 5, when they finished the week as 14-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals, The Packers won that game 27-18, failing to cover in their second win this season by that score and just the third game...

The Green Bay Packers officially ruled out receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf), defensive end Lukas Van Ness (foot) and linebacker Nick Niemann (pectoral) versus the Carolina Panthers, after all three were non-participants throughout the week. Both Wicks and Van Ness were out last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Niemann dropped out of the game with his injury.

Beyond those three, the Packers also listed two players as questionable for the game: linebacker Quay Walker (calf) and kicker Brandon McManus (quadricep).

Walker not listed with an injury at all on Wednesday, but popped up on the injury report on Thursday. According...

The Green Bay Packers officially ruled out receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf), defensive end Lukas Van Ness (foot) and linebacker Nick Niemann (pectoral) versus the Carolina Panthers, after all three were non-participants throughout the week. Both Wicks and Van Ness were out last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Niemann dropped out of the game with his injury.

Beyond those three, the Packers also listed two players as questionable for the game: linebacker Quay Walker (calf) and kicker Brandon McManus (quadricep).

Walker not listed with an injury at all on Wednesday, but popped up on the injury report on Thursday. According...

First let’s deal with the elephant in the room on this week’s rankings. The Green Bay Packers are basically flat, and actually slightly down, despite an impressive win in Pittsburgh that has the league discussing Tucker Kraft as the best tight end in the game and Jordan Love as an MVP candidate. So how does that happen?

This is partially because according to CALCULATOR, the Packers were already good. So although winning did boost many of their underlying metrics – DVOA, EPA, PFF grade, point differential all improved – there’s not that much room for the Packers to move up....

First let’s deal with the elephant in the room on this week’s rankings. The Green Bay Packers are basically flat, and actually slightly down, despite an impressive win in Pittsburgh that has the league discussing Tucker Kraft as the best tight end in the game and Jordan Love as an MVP candidate. So how does that happen?

This is partially because according to CALCULATOR, the Packers were already good. So although winning did boost many of their underlying metrics – DVOA, EPA, PFF grade, point differential all improved – there’s not that much room for the Packers to move up....

In retrospect, expecting a rookie wide receiver to hit the ground running in year one was always a recipe for disappointment.

Still, the old adage about wide receivers needing a year or two to adjust to the NFL game has become less true in the last half decade or so, with guys like Malik Nabers eclipsing 1,000 yards and racking up 109 receptions in year one.

Which brings us to Packers fans’ conundrum with rookie Matthew Golden. Through 7 games, he’s averaging just 3 receptions for 36 yards per game, leaving many to wonder why the team has failed to...

In retrospect, expecting a rookie wide receiver to hit the ground running in year one was always a recipe for disappointment.

Still, the old adage about wide receivers needing a year or two to adjust to the NFL game has become less true in the last half decade or so, with guys like Malik Nabers eclipsing 1,000 yards and racking up 109 receptions in year one.

Which brings us to Packers fans’ conundrum with rookie Matthew Golden. Through 7 games, he’s averaging just 3 receptions for 36 yards per game, leaving many to wonder why the team has failed to...

So far, Micah Parsons is doing exactly what the Packers wanted him to do when they ponied up a war chest of draft picks and guaranteed money to secure his services: he’s making life exceedingly difficult for opposing quarterbacks.

Parsons is having an excellent year just about any way you slice it. If you like advanced stats, his 42 pressures are tied for second-most in the league (even though Parsons has played fewer games than two of the players tied with him), his pass rush winning percentage is third-best in the league, and he leads the league in pressures on...

It’s very difficult to separate the impact of an NFL running back from his offensive line. There is only so much a running back can do if his guys fail to open holes, and just about any back can be effective if the line is good enough. It is perhaps the very first chicken and egg problem in football.

But sports nerds love a good problem, and in the 2020 Big Data Bowl the NFL asked sports nerds everywhere to figure out just what makes a good running play, who is responsible, who isn’t, and what we can tell about...

When I look ahead to the Green Bay Packers’ next opponent, sometimes it can take a bit of digging to find where the offense can attack the defense. I start by looking at the numbers. I typically start with DVOA, then just click around a while on NFL Pro.

From there, I throw on the film. I want to watch at least the last two games of the upcoming opponent. Ideally I’d watch the previous four, but time is not always on my side. Throughout this process, I’m looking to match up the weak spots with the opposing defense with...

Jordan Love’s recent uptick in counting stats makes him look a lot more viable as an MVP option, but his increased passing output is also bringing a few of his teammates along with him.

As Love has continued to pile up better and better passing numbers, Tucker Kraft and Romeo Doubs are seeing the lion’s share of the benefit. Both are now well on their way to career highs in several significant receiving categories.

Kraft’s outburst against the Steelers (seven catches, 143 yards, two touchdowns) puts him on pace for some ridiculous season totals. If his current trajectory holds, he’d...