In virtually a must-win game, the Green Bay Packers put together a lot of top performances in week 10 to secure the 31-28 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. This improved them to 4-6 on the season and only a game out of the final wild-card spot. Green Bay showed a lot of fight in them and that never give up mentality put forth their best effort of the season. The Packers turn right around and look to improve upon this great performance as they welcome the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football.
Green Bay Packers’ Top Performances In Week 10 Win
Christian Watson (Wide Receiver)
Week 10 Stats: 4 Receptions, 107 yards, 3 touchdowns
Out of all the top performances in week 10 for the Packers, Christian Watson‘s might be the most impressive. In what many think is a breakout game for the 34th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Watson showed signs of what he’s capable of on the field for the Packers. The rookie wide receiver caught four passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns. This was Watson’s first 100+ yard game in what he hopes is just the beginning of a long line of impressive performances.
This was also a historic performance as Watson became the first Packers rookie with 100+ yards receiving and three touchdowns in a game since James Lofton did it in 1978. Watson struggled throughout the season and at times in this game holding onto the ball but Aaron Rodgers kept looking his way and it paid off. This was a huge confidence boost for the young receiver as he looks to build trust within this team and live up to his draft profile.
Aaron Jones (Running Back)
Week 10 Stats: 24 Attempts, 138 Yards, 1 Touchdown; 2 Catches, 18 Yards
Fans and media alike were screaming for Matt Lafleur to use Aaron Jones more effectively in the run game. His season high in rushing attempts heading into week 10 was 20 and that was in week eight. Before that, 16 in week four. Jones has had four games this season of single-digit rushing attempts and as expected, all four were losses. The Packers flipped the script this week and ran the ball over 60 percent of the time, the highest rate ever in an Aaron Rodgers start. Jones carried the ball a season-high 24 times and tallied 138 yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Jones was instrumental in finding holes and getting to the edge all game while also doing so in key drives, especially on the game-tying drive to send it to overtime. The Cowboys were all caught up in trying to stop the run (to no avail) that it opened up the pass and allowed the Packers to drive up and down the field. This is the latest example of why the Packers should rely more on the run and hopefully, more of this is to come the rest of the way.
Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback)
Week 10 Stats: 14/20 passing, 224 Yards, 3 Touchdowns; 2 Rushes, 4 Yards
We’ve all heard the stories: “he is done” or “he should just retire.” Well on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers put together one of the top performances in week 10 on the team. The soon-to-be 39-year-old veteran quarterback had his best game of the season when they needed it most. Rodgers only attempted 20 passes while completing 14 of them but with the gameplan the Packers had in store, that’s all that was needed. He only threw for 224 yards but also threw three touchdowns and no interceptions, something we’d like to see more of.
Rodgers had one of the top offensive grades on the team on Sunday. Not only did the Packers run the ball over 60 percent of the time as mentioned but they also used play-action on over 50 percent of Rodgers’ dropbacks, which was their highest since 2020. It’s not a coincidence that part of the formula used in this game was also used during his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021. If Rodgers and the Packers continue sticking to this game plan, the guy under center that we saw prior to this year should start to emerge and help this team win ball games.
Rudy Ford (Safety)
Week 10 Stats: 4 tackles, 2 interceptions
There were plenty of top performances in week 10 against the Cowboys on defense but none were as impressive as what Rudy Ford put together. The Packers signed Ford to what was thought to be a nice special teams move to reunite him with Rich Bisaccia. It turns out Ford has proven to be more than that. It’s believed cornerback Eric Stokes is done for the year so that means Darnell Savage moved to the slot and Ford stepped in at safety. He has filled in nicely when called upon throughout the season but he took it to another level in week 10.
Ford had the highest-rated grade of any defender on the Packers on Sunday. He came down with two huge interceptions of Dak Prescott, both of which were turned into points, something the Packers have been looking to do all season. He also added four tackles to his outstanding game. This change with Ford in the game seemed to have everyone play more aggressively and had the defense willing to make the plays they weren’t in games past. If Ford can continue this level of play for the rest of the season, the Packers’ defense might just help this team get over the hump.
