The Packers are recovering this week due to a bye, but it’s a good time to take stock as the team is more than halfway through its regular season. 6-3 is a decent start for Jordan Love and his teammates, but being in third place in the NFC North is a worrying reality for everyone in Green Bay.

The good news is that the Packers are right in the thick of the playoff picture in the NFC. They have managed to overcome multiple injuries to their star quarterback. In fact, Green Bay’s 2-0 record in games started by backup quarterback Malik Willis should give the team real reason for confidence.

Not everyone on general manager Brian Gutekunst’s staff has exceeded expectations like Willis. In fact, the following five players should see serious performance to improve their performance in the second half of the regular season.

Wicks looks like a quality starting outside receiver. The truth is that he and Jordan Love have been the Worst performing quarterback and receiver combination in the league this year. Wicks’ declines are getting to the point where Green Bay should consider benching him.

The return of Christian Watson from injury has already relegated Wicks to the bench. His lack of explosive speed means he needs to be a high-quality possession receiver if he wants to capture a significant portion of targets in Green Bay. The clock is ticking on Wicks and his ability to take on a role in the Packers’ passing game. He has arguably been the team’s biggest disappointment in nine games.

Preston Smith could have been on this list before being included in a trade this week. In his absence, Rashan Gary gets the nod with his paltry total of 2.5 sacks on the season.

Many Packers fans thought Gary could have a breakout season after recording nine sacks just a season ago. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and his staff certainly expected him to be the team’s No. 1 running back this season.

Instead, Gary has remained largely anonymous for long periods. He has the right combination of size and speed to harass opposing quarterbacks, but he hasn’t looked very agile from the edge this year. The Packers should hope he can improve his form in the coming weeks.

Lukas Van Ness was the highly touted young edge rusher who was supposed to start taking the pressure off of Gary and Smith this year. Ditching Smith will give the former Iowa standout more pass-rushing opportunities for the rest of the year, but he has yet to prove himself worthy of an increased workload.

The 23-year-old only has one sack to his name this year despite appearing in all nine games. His Average PFF grade of 47.6 for the year accurately describes how hard you have struggled to make a positive impact for your team. He could be the defensive player under the most scrutiny as the playoffs roll around for Green Bay.

The Packers drafted MarShawn Lloyd with the idea that he and Josh Jacobs could form an effective running back duo in 2024. Unfortunately, injuries have landed Lloyd on the disabled list and there is no set timeline for when the versatile can return. corridor.

The hope in Green Bay has to be that Lloyd can return to full health and give the offense a much-needed boost down the stretch. There is a reasonable chance that Lloyd’s absence will work in the team’s favor. He could be a fresh running back who uses his quickness to punish tired defenses during the second half of the season.

None of that changes the reality that Lloyd hasn’t given his team anything through the first nine games. He was supposed to take on a moderate workload for Green Bay’s running game, but injuries have made him an empty investment for the team to date.

Love is another player who has seen his impact on the Packers diminished due to injury this year. He missed two games early in the season and was limited in several others. His lack of mobility really hurt Green Bay in their loss to the Lions last Sunday.

His interception total is another big reason why Love finds his name on this list. He has thrown ten interceptions on the year against only 15 touchdowns. He’s too talented to hurt their offense with that kind of turnover rate.

Love’s prospects for the rest of the year are bright if he can put his health problems behind him. This is just a commentary on what he has given the team through the first nine games of the season versus the lofty expectations he faced entering the year.

Love has the talent to play like a Pro Bowler within the confines of head coach Matt LaFleur’s offensive ecosystem. Through nine games he has played more like an average starter than anything approaching stardom. There’s plenty of time left for Love to turn his season around, but there’s no denying that the first nine games haven’t gone as planned. Love’s improvement is the main reason Packers fans should be optimistic about the second half of their regular season. Love simply needs to fulfill his potential to propel this team to a strong playoff run.