Packers Stock Report: Tucker Kraft, Josh Jacobs Power Victory Over Bengals

Kraft’s 19 yard catch-and-run ended up with him diving over the goal line for a touchdown where he ran through three Bengals defenders.

He didn’t finish with gaudy numbers, and curiously did not get a lot of targets either.

Matt LaFleur may not like featuring players in the passing game, but he would be wise to give more opportunities to his budding star at tight end.

Stock Up: DE Lukas Van Ness

When the Bengals took the ball for their first series of the second half, they held it for nearly the entire quarter.

It looked like they were going to be forced to settle for a field goal thanks to a big play from one of Green Bay’s defensive ends.

It wasn’t Micah Parsons. It wasn’t Rashan Gary.

It was Lukas Van Ness.

Van Ness timed the snap perfectly and beat Amarius Mims around the corner to bury Flacco back at the 10 yard line.

It was the type of rush we’ve rarely seen Van Ness win on since he got to Green Bay.

The vision that Brian Gutekunst has with his pass rushers being able to win with his front four largely include Van Ness being able to win his one on ones.

With as much attention that is applied to Parsons, that’s even more important.

On that play, he did, and they’ll need more of that as the season progresses.

Van Ness did leave the game with a foot injury, which will be something to monitor.

Stock Up: RB Josh Jacobs

Green Bay’s offense ran through its run game a season ago, a departure from what everyone has become accustomed to since the beginning of Brett Favre’s tenure in 1992.

This year, it looked like the Packers wanted to do more of the same with Jacobs carrying the load.

Be it because of offensive line injuries, loaded boxes, or just poor play, the run game has not found much traction to start the year.

Until today.

Jacobs started to find some room to roam in the second half of Green Bay’s 40-40 tie against Dallas two weeks ago.

Today against Cincinnati, it took some time, but Jacobs looked more like the tough runner who opposing defenses dreaded bringing down as the game wore on.

The biggest example of this was a 14-yard burst on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Packers were leading 10-7, and only had the ball for 4:46 in the third quarter with the Bengals sucking up most of the clock with an 18-play drive.

A touchdown drive was paramount for Green Bay to answer that, and attempt to avoid another disaster like they one they saw happen in Cleveland against Joe Flacco.

Jacobs looked as fresh as he had all season long.

The final numbers aren’t gaudy. He didn’t run for 150 yards, but he totaled 147 yards on 22 touches.

Stock Up:  K Lucas Havrisik

Life as a free agent kicker cannot be easy. Two days ago, Lucas Havrisik was sitting on his couch waiting for an opportunity.

When the Packers called, he knew the deal. He was coming for a workout for a temporary job.

That lack of job security is simply the life of an NFL kicker.

Havrisik was made active today with Brandon McManus sidelined with a quad injury.

Nothing he did today was going to earn him a long-term job in Green Bay.

Still, he is a paid professional, and his job is to kick the ball through the uprights.

Havrisik had a chance to give the Packers their first points of the day when their second offensive drive stalled deep in Cincinnati territory.

The job was to make a 43-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead.

Havrisik did.

Later he was asked to make a 39-yard field goal to put the game on ice.

Havrisik kicked the ball right down the middle, giving the Packers a 27-18 lead with 1:52 to play.

He made his first kick to start the scoring. He made his last kick to ice the game.

If you’re the Packers, in an emergency situation like this one, that’s all you can ask for.

Stock Up: DL Warren Brinson

Speaking of tough things in the life of an NFL player, it’d be understood if Brinson was feeling down after his first month as an NFL player.

After playing a lot in preseason, Brinson made the team out of training camp, but had not dressed for a game since the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks.

Brinson was a healthy scratch giving way to Nazir Stackhouse for the fourth defensive tackle in a rotation that is pretty thin in the spine of Green Bay’s defense.

With Devonte Wyatt sidelined, however, Brinson got his first chance to play, and almost made an immediate impact.

Brinson recorded a pressure on a short pass that Joe Flacco threw wildly into the turf.

He was on the field first ahead of Stackhouse, which could be a sign of things to come.

Stock Down: First-Half Offense

The coaching staff often talks about self-scouting during the bye week, and in theory should be able to come up with some concepts to help spring their offense into high gear.

The last time the Packers’ offense was on the field, they lit up the scoreboard for 40 points and likely could have had more if not for some missed opportunities.

Today’s game was different, especially early.

After the first quarter, the Packers were outgaining the Bengals 115 to 1.

They had not scored any points.

Jordan Love’s interception early in the game did not help matters.

They struggled on some third downs in scoring range early in the game.

Overall, their first three possessions resulted in a turnover, field goal, and an ugly three-and-out where their third down pass did not stand a chance to gain a first down.

Eventually, they were able to score a touchdown on the strength of a 35-yard completion to Matthew Golden, but that was all the scoring they’d do in the first half.

Cincinnati looked like a team who was content to be blown out on the road, but instead, as they’ve done all season, Green Bay allowed them to hang around.

The second half was a different story. Green Bay’s offense moved the ball at will.

Did that have anything to do with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson not playing thanks to a back injury?

Maybe, but the offense did score touchdowns on each of its first two possessions in the second half with touchdowns from Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft helping guide them to a 24-10 lead with 7:33 to play in the fourth quarter.

They did make enough big plays on the final drive of the game of significance to kick a field goal that ultimately ended the game.

They averaged 7.1 yards-per-play.

For context, the Los Angeles Rams entered play leading the NFL in yards-per-play at 6.4.

They moved the ball at will in the second half, but they need to find more consistent ways to move the ball.

Stock Down: LB Quay Walker

Green Bay’s defense was dominant in the first half of today’s game, pitching a shutout for the second time this year.

The third quarter? That was a different story.

The Bengals held the ball for more than 10 minutes on an 18-play drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Tanner Hudson.

On that series, Walker was part of two separate piles that were pushed for extra yards, and also was the primary man in coverage when Hudson scored a touchdown that pulled the Bengals within three.

Walker has gotten off to a good start this season, but some of the warts in his game showed up in a big way.

Stock Down: LB Ty’Ron Hopper

Matt LaFleur has often said he takes personal foul penalties called against his team personally.

He also said in the offseason that linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper was the most improved player from last year into this season.

That has not carried over into the regular season with Hopper getting little time on defense and relegated mostly to special teams duty.

Hopper made a big mistake on kickoff coverage in today’s game.

With Green Bay’s defense dominating at the start of the game and leading 10-0, it looked like they were going to have the Bengals backed up after they covered a kick return from Charlie Jones well.

Instead, Hopper participated in some extra-curricular activities after the whistle and was flagged for a personal foul.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter as the Packers forced a Bengals punt, but those are the types of mistakes that can get you beat against better teams. The Packers have made too many mistakes in games like that, so that’s something they’ll have to clean up.