Carolina Panthers at Packers: 5 questions from the enemy camp
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers at Packers: Questions 2 and 3
Was drafting Jordan Love the best thing that happened to Aaron Rodgers?
I know that seems to be a common narrative, but I don’t think it’s had anything to do with Aaron Rodgers’ return to MVP form.
As I mentioned in the previous question, the offense is flourishing in year two under Matt LaFleur, and as a result, Rodgers’ job is a bit easier now than what it was at the end of the Mike McCarthy era because LaFleur schemes players open so well.
Rodgers has answered this same question by saying that he doesn’t need any additional motivation. He already has plenty, and I believe him.
Which under-the-radar players could make an impact against Carolina Panthers?
On offense, I’m not sure if he’s an under the radar name anymore, but tight end Robert Tonyan has been an incredibly reliable target. He has a ridiculous catch rate of over 90 percent on 51 targets, 533 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.
Tonyan actually has more touchdowns than incompletions. He’s a threat in the red zone and is making plays in all parts of the field.
On defense, rookie linebacker Kamal Martin is a name to watch.
He missed the first part of the season with an injury but has since graded very well in coverage over at Pro Football Focus, and is someone who flies around the football field, typically making at least one play in the backfield against the run.
With Raven Greene on the reserve/injured list, we should see more true nickel packages from Mike Pettine, which hopefully means more playing time for Martin.