2021 Packers Stock Report: Week 14

Take a look at the stock report for the Green Bay Packers after a 45-30 win over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field in Week 14.

All is right with the world.

Whenever the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field for a primetime game, and then proceed to trounce the visitors, I just get a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns, the defense played much better in the second half and the Green Bay Packers rolled to a 45-30 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 14. So let's get right into the stock report.

BUY

Allen Lazard- Allen Lazard looked like a much different version of himself on Sunday night. After an injury hampered his productivity for a couple weeks before the bye, Lazard looked like he was one player who definitely benefited from a week off. He caught six passes for 75 yards, while also being his typical physical self blocking in the run game. Two weeks ago, I had him in the sell list. Hopefully, you didn't take my advice. I was wrong, and I'll admit it. But, I love being wrong if it means a player for the Packers is playing well. With Cobb sidelined for the foreseeable future, Lazard will get more chances to make plays in the pass game. Buy.

Dennis Kelly- This is hopefully a short-term buy. However, plenty of credit should go to Dennis Kelly for stepping up when usually-reliable Billy Turner went down with a knee injury. Kelly came in and played well, allowing zero pressures on 24 pass blocking attempts. It's not like Kelly is a slouch by any means, either. The nine-year veteran has been a multiple-year starter in the league, most recently starting all 16 regular season games for the Tennessee Titans last season. With Turner out, and David Bakhtiari's status still up in the air, the reliable veteran will likely fill-in for a game or two.

Rasul Douglas/Eric Stokes- I'm lumping these two guys together, because they were excellent on Sunday night. Rasul Douglas recorded his second pick-six in the past two games, while Eric Stokes' name was hardly even called out during the broadcast (which is normally a good thing). Stokes was targeted three times and didn't allow a completion, while primarily guarding Allen Robinson. With the return of Jaire Alexander on the horizon, I'm excited to see how Joe Barry utilizes those three players together.

Brian Gutekunst- Alright, I know many people were not very happy with the Packers general manager at the start of training camp. But it's time we give him, and the front office, some credit for the role they've had in getting this team to 10-3 overall. So many of his (inexpensive) signings shined on Sunday night. Rasul Douglas, De'Vondre Campbell and Dennis Kelly to name a few. That's not even mentioning the training camp trades of Corey Bojorquez and Randall Cobb, or the re-structuring of deals in the offseason. If the Packers can make another deep postseason run, it wouldn't shock me to see Gutekunst's name mentioned in the NFL Executive of the Year conversation.

SELL

Maurice Drayton- I could really break this out into many sections of the special teams units and talk about each one. There were too many blunders to count. The first half was the worst 30 minutes of special teams play that I've ever seen from an NFL team. The second half had a few mistakes riddled in there as well. Whether it was the punt return for a touchdown, booting the kickoff out of bounds or allowing an onside kick recovery, the entire special teams need to play better. And that falls squarely on the shoulders of special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton (and even Matt LaFleur). Seems like every other week I'm adding a special teams unit or player to the sell list, which is just unacceptable at this point in the season.

HOLD

Returners- Wait... Wait... Wait... Oh my gosh the anticipation is killing me. I seriously cannot wait to see Jaire Alexander, Za'Darius Smith and David Bakhtiari back on the field (assuming they all do eventually make it back). All of them rumored to be back before the playoffs, Alexander was the only one that actually practiced on Tuesday. Inserting these three All-Pro players back into the lineup will be like a breath of fresh air for an already solid Packers team. 

Henry Black- Henry Black made a couple plays on Sunday night, but he also gave up a long touchdown on an angle route out of the backfield. I'm not ready to give up hope on Black and hit the sell button, because every defensive back for the Packers this season has given up a long play or two. The second-year defensive back will take his lumps here and there. I think he's got talent and potential, so hold his stock for now.

__________________________

Gunnar Davis is a lifelong Packers fan and a recent graduate of Simpson College, where he was a 3-year letterwinner on the offensive line and graduated with a degree in multimedia communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @Gunnar57Davis.

__________________________

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.

__________________________

NFL Categories: 
2 points
 

Comments (11)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
jurp's picture

December 15, 2021 at 02:38 pm

I think rating Drayton as a Sell is being too generous - he needs to be in the "Tear up the stock because it's effing worthless" category.

7 points
7
0
Barnacle's picture

December 16, 2021 at 07:26 am

Dear MLF, your STs coach is not NFL coaching material!!!

Ask any casual observer. Correct your huge mistake and move on…………now please!

1 points
1
0
Lphill's picture

December 15, 2021 at 02:43 pm

Fire Drayton and make Chris Gizzi special teams coach .

2 points
3
1
bjkdad44's picture

December 15, 2021 at 06:50 pm

I must do some research…

0 points
0
0
Coldworld's picture

December 16, 2021 at 08:22 am

Gizzi is a strength and conditioning specialist who has never coached STs. As a line backer, he played STs and was even our ST captain, but I’m not sure that’s an obvious basis to come in and save STs.

1 points
1
0
Brockrice99's picture

December 15, 2021 at 02:54 pm

If were selling Drayton, he may be for sale for a long time because absolutely no one is going to buy him.

4 points
4
0
splitpea1's picture

December 15, 2021 at 03:46 pm

Buy: AR. He continues to put up points and not make mistakes. Keep it up and hang in there with that bad toe. This year's edition of the Ravens has a surprisingly poor pass defense, so Rodgers could put up some nice numbers.

Hold: QB containment. Even if Lamar Jackson isn't available, Tyler Huntley can make plays with his feet and his arm. Hopefully Barry will have a good strategy for containing both of them and keeping them out of the end zone.

Sell: Special teams approach. It's too easy to blame one person for our ineptitude, as it has been going on for multiple decades, though never seemingly as bad as lately. So you have to throw MLF, the front office, and the players in there as well. Maybe a more holistic approach to solving this perpetual problem is in order, I don't know, but the sooner they get started, the better--and it's going to take a whole lot more than studying film, as MLF suggested.

4 points
4
0
Starrbrite's picture

December 16, 2021 at 12:02 am

You do not see this depth of special teams ineptitude on the other NFL teams and I do not believe it is a complicated mystery to repair. Find the players who demonstrate the ability to execute the task and insert them in the lineup.

0 points
0
0
Barnacle's picture

December 16, 2021 at 07:21 am

It’s the coach??

1 points
1
0
Coldworld's picture

December 16, 2021 at 08:24 am

Which surely is an integral part of coaching

0 points
0
0
Packerfansupreme's picture

December 16, 2021 at 11:43 am

Gute has done some good things but he has not done a great job improving our special teams. Not include bourquez who had one bad punt. Get tyler Irvin on the phone asap

1 points
1
0