Green Bay Packers grade card: Position evaluation vs. Seahawks

Here's a position-by-position analysis of how the Green Bay Packers graded out during their 27-24 loss Thursday to the Seattle Seahawks.

Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers had a couple great throws, but his 128.8 rating was misleading. He took five sacks in large part because, playing with two rookie receivers, he wasn’t quick enough to check the ball down. He wants to move around and step up in pocket but didn’t have the experienced WRs in this game to do it. Grade: C+

Running back: Aaron Jones put up 103 yards on 16 touches, impressively caught a 24-yard wheel route for a touchdown and even did a decent job picking up a blitz. Grade: B

Offensive line: You can’t ask the front five to pass block for five seconds all the time. Rodgers was sacked five times, but that’s not all on the line. Right guard Byron Bell didn’t have a good game run blocking. Grade: C+

Receivers: Davante Adams had another “A” game (10 catches for 166 yards). But rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling (one catch for 8 yards) and Equanimeous St. Brown (one for 16) were shaky as route runners. Grade: C+

Tight ends: On his 54-yard touchdown catch, Robert Tonyan showed some speed and athleticism, and smartly finished out the pattern as Rodgers scrambled. But after Jimmy Graham (broken thumb) went out in the second quarter, neither Lance Kendricks nor Marcedes Lewis threatened the middle of the field. Grade: C+

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Defensive line: Neither of the two best inside rushers, Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels, had a sack, though Daniels’ inside pressure helped Kyler Fackrell get one of his three sacks. Though Clark is playing great, Seattle had too many explosive runs – Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny combined for 127 yards on 25 carries. Grade: B- 

Inside linebackers: Blake Martinez gave up the game-winning, 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ed Dickson when he got caught unaware while crowding the line of scrimmage on a fake blitz. He’s making a lot of tackles (six in this game) by hustling sideline to sideline but doesn’t get off blocks or press the line of scrimmage. Grade: C-minus.

Outside linebackers: Fackrell (three sacks) had the best game of his career, and Clay Matthews forced a fumble on the game’s first play that set up a touchdown. But Matthews also missed a couple of tough tackles in the backfield. Grade: B-

Cornerbacks: Jaire Alexander continues to be one of the team’s best players on this defense – even when he gets beat he’s usually in decent position. Rookie Josh Jackson gave up a 6-yard touchdown when Russell Wilson hit Doug Baldwin with a tough throw in the corner of the end zone. Grade: B-

Safeties: Josh Jones is big and fast but has to tackle better. Rookie Raven Greene took an unnecessary pass-interference penalty on a deep ball to Tyler Lockett that Alexander was in position to break up. Grade: C-

Special teams: Mason Crosby missed a big 47-yard field goal in the first quarter, and Korey Toomer had a holding penalty that cost 43 yards of field position on a Trevor Davis kickoff return. Davis added a little explosiveness to the return game (10.3-yard average on three punt returns). Grade: C