The Packers’ season has not gone as expected. While there is a myriad of reasons why the poor play of many key players is one of them. There were high expectations for many players and some are not living up to those expectations. The Packers’ coaching staff is clearly fed up and is taking action on the poor play. In Sunday’s game, Packers starting cornerback Eric Stokes was benched.
Packers Cornerback Eric Stokes Benched
Per the broadcast, it appeared to be a disciplinary decision based on something that occurred after the fumble. There was a disagreement on the sideline, and coaches proceeded to put Keisean Nixon in the game and move Rasul Douglas in the defensive alignment.
— Matt Reynoldson (@Matt_Reynoldson) October 31, 2022
In the first half of Sunday night’s game, Eric Stokes was benched. Per Andy Herman, this happened last week when the Packers were in base defense as he was atrocious against the run. Stokes has not improved his run defense and it subsequently all came to a head on the sideline. An argument ensued and Eric Stokes was benched and replaced by Keisean Nixon. It is unclear if this is a temporary benching or something long-term.
Eric Stokes’ Sophomore Slump
Stokes is definitely going through a sophomore slump. After having a solid rookie season, he has not been able to duplicate the success from last year. His poor play is most noticeable against the run, however, his pass defense has not been great either. It took a lot for the coaching staff to have Eric Stokes benched, but the Packers at this point are trying anything to try and spark this team.
A few weeks ago after the loss to the Giants, I mentioned that this loss could be a spark for the team or send them into a tailspin. It certainly seems to be the latter. The Packers are in full freefall mode. Consequently, nothing seems to be going right for the team and the coaching staff is looking desperately looking for answers.
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