GREEN BAY, Wis. -- With a 5-3 record midway through the season and in the midst of their bye, the Green Bay Packers are taking most of the week off. Here's a look at some of the first-half highlights, lowlights and other noteworthy items on offense.
A look at the defense is coming Friday.
MVPs
Aaron Rodgers: Always one to take care of the ball, the quarterback has taken that to extremes this season with just three interceptions and 19 touchdowns. All three of his picks have been on balls that have gone off the hands of his receivers. He has a comeback victory to his credit with one of the most memorable drives of his career in the Week 6 win at Miami.
Jordy Nelson/Randall Cobb: Rodgers has relied heavily on his top two receivers, targeting them with 52 percent of his passes, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and they have delivered. Nelson is halfway to 100 catches, nearly 1,500 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Cobb is one pace for 80 catches and 1,156 yards. With nine touchdown catches, he leads all receivers in that category.
T.J. Lang/Corey Linsley/Josh Sitton: The interior of the offensive line has been the glue for a group that could be one of the best the Packers have had during coach Mike McCarthy's tenure. Sitton has continued his All-Pro ways at left guard, and Lang is having his best season at right guard. Sitton has not allowed a sack and has been charged with just two quarterback hits, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Lang’s stats are identical (no sacks allowed, two QB hits). They rank second and sixth, respectively, in PFF's overall position rankings at guard. Linsley came up big in a pinch after projected starting center JC Tretter went down with a knee injury in the penultimate preseason game. Linsley ranks tied for fourth in PFF's overall center rankings.
Disappointments
Eddie Lacy: Maybe it was unreasonable to expect the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year to duplicate his 1,178-yard season from last year, considering it was unlikely he would take on the workload he did when Rodgers was out with his collarbone injury last season. But he's on pace for just 856 yards. Early in the season, Lacy did not look like the hard-charging runner he was in 2013. However, some of that has returned and was evident in three of his last four games. Also, he has made major strides as a receiver.
Tight ends: The loss of Jermichael Finley, who remains out of football because of the neck injury he sustained last season, has impacted the offense significantly. Tight ends have been targeted just 13.6 percent of the time. When Finley last played a full season in 2012, the tight ends were targeted 22.4 percent of the time. Rookie third-round pick Richard Rodgers has not acclimated himself into the passing game much yet.
Fast-paced offense: McCarthy's goal for this season was to average 75 offensive plays per game. They haven't even come close. They're averaging just 59 plays per game and rank 19th in the league in total offense snaps.
Grades
Passing offense: The Packers rank third in total QBR and sixth in points largely because of Rodgers, Nelson and Cobb. They could use another reliable weapon in the passing game and if rookie Davante Adams can show that consistently, it will help open up things even more. Grade: A-minus
Rushing offense: It's almost as if the Packers can't decide whether they want to feature Lacy or split carries between him and James Starks, but after finishing seventh in rushing yards per game last season, they're way back in 24th. And it's not just because of few attempts. They rank 20th in rushing average at 4.02 yards per carry. The run blocking unit shares the blame for that. Grade: C-minus