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Seems only right the Green Bay Packers‘ offensive linemen earned some credit after only allowing their star quarterback to get knocked down once in a Week 3 victory over the Denver Broncos.
The praise for new offensive lineman Billy Turner, though, is next level.
According to ESPN Analytics, the Packers starting right guard is the NFL’s best pass-blocking guard through the first three weeks of the season, listed as winning 98 percent of his blocks to hold even with New England Patriots starter Joe Thuney.
Turner has made 28 career starts since entering the league in 2014, bouncing around between the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos and struggling tremendously before signing a four-year, $28 million contract in May with the Packers.
But in three starts for the Packers, Turner has mostly been a steadying presence along with veteran left tackle David Bakhtiari on an offensive line that has continued to improve even as pieces have unexpectedly shifted.
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Turner Making Strides As New Packer
After the Packers offensive line allowed the Chicago Bears defense to sack Aaron Rodgers five times and deflect just as many passes in Week 1, the unit buckled down a little more securely against the Minnesota Vikings before almost completely holding back the Broncos in Week 3.
Turner looked rough in the opener without question, but that happens to most of the linemen tasked with blocking Khalil Mack, who leads all defensive end/outside linebacker pass rushers with a 36 percent win rate through three weeks, according to the same ESPN Analytics.
Holding back an 0-3 Broncos team hardly qualifies as proof of better things, though, even if Rodgers talked up the offensive line in Sunday’s postgame when he said it was the best he’d ever felt after a game that saw him knocked down just once.
“Obviously, you feel good having your quarterback sit back in the pocket and feel that way and to have confidence in his offensive line,” Turner told reporters Monday, “but at the end of the day, like I said, we’re still not anywhere near where we want to be. We’ve got a lot of goals left out there and we’ve got a lot of things left to clean up.”
Packers Show Improvement, Despite Movement
Stabilizing a single offensive line has proved difficult with players moving in and out of the lineup through the first three weeks.
Starting left guard Lane Taylor — who ranked third on the ESPN list as a pass-blocking guard behind Turner — went on the injured reserve list early last week and forced the Packers to insert rookie Elgton Jenkins. He had taken just 18 snaps before the matchup, but Jenkins stood tall and allowed only a single pressure from Broncos defensive end Adam Gotsis, despite having an early false-start penalty.
He joined Bakhtiari and right tackle Bryan Bulaga as a consistent three against the Broncos, but the latter has been limited Monday and Tuesday on the team’s injury reports — which were merely projections since the team did not practice on either day with a shoulder injury.
Even if Bulaga does return, the Packers offensive line is facing one of its toughest challenges yet against a Philadelphia Eagles defensive front that has held three opponents to an average of just 57 rushing yards this season. Eyes will be on Turner to see if he can maintain his status as a pass-blocker.
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