Packers PFF grades: Best, worst players from loss to Vikings in Week 18

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The Green Bay Packers rested most key starters and were beaten soundly by the Minnesota Vikings in the regular season finale on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. While the goal was to keep the top of the roster healthy for the postseason, the Week 18 battle did provide an opportunity for several young players to get on the field for Matt LaFleur's team.

Some took advantage, some didn't. One player who did take advantage of the opportunity was Trevon Diggs, who impressed his Packers debut.

Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 18 loss to the Vikings:

Top 5 offense

RG Anthony Belton: 76.9
C Jacob Monk: 76.0
RB Chris Brooks: 66.3
LG Lecitus Smith: 65.7
RB Emanuel Wilson: 62.6

Belton did not allow a pressure, earning an 84.0 pass block grade, and his 71.5 run block grade was the second-best on the offense. Monk earned the top run block grade at 77.5, but pass protection was an issue despite not being charged with allowing a pressure. Brooks gave up a quarterback hit as a blocker, but he also rushed 13 times for 61 yards, forcing three missed tackles and producing two runs over 10 yards. Smith earned a solid 74.0 pass block grade while playing the entire game at left guard. Wilson had a wild run losing 18 yards, but he also generated five missed tackles, 48 yards after contact and 62 yards on his other 17 attempts while producing five rushing first downs, catching a pass and holding up as a blocker.

Top 5 defense

CB Trevon Diggs: 81.5
LB Isaiah McDuffie: 73.4
S Javon Bullard: 71.3
S Johnathan Baldwin: 67.6
DE Barryn Sorrell: 64.0

Diggs played 33 encouraging snaps, allowing no catches into his primary coverage across 18 coverage snaps and producing a run stop. McDuffie made five tackles without a miss, including three stops against the run. Bullard was good against the run (69.3 grade), didn't allow a catch against his coverage and made three tackles without a miss. Baldwin had eight tackles without a miss, good for a team-best tackle grade of 85.1. Sorrell had two pressures, including a sack, and he made a team-high four stops against the run.

Bottom 5 offense

QB Clayton Tune: 44.0
TE Josh Whyle: 48.2
WR Matthew Golden: 53.1
WR Jakobie Keeney-James: 55.2
RT Darian Kinnard: 56.1

Tune struggled under pressure, completed only six total passes, didn't throw a pass over nine yards down field and produced negative net passing yards. Whyle blew at least two run blocks. Golden had a drop and a failed contested catch opportunity while averaging only 0.47 yards per route run. Keeney-James caught two passes but generated only 15 receiving yards on 16 routes in his NFL debut. Kinnard struggled as a run blocker, and he gave up a pressure.

Bottom 5 defense

CB Jaylin Simpson: 30.3
DE Arron Mosby: 36.8
LB Ty'Ron Hopper: 39.9
DL Nazir Stackhouse: 46.0
DE Warren Brinson: 48.0

Simpson allowed four catches into his coverage, missed a tackle and was penalized twice, including one for pass interference. Mosby had two hurries but struggled against the run. Hopper earned a team-low run defense grade of 30.8, and he missed two tackles. Stackhouse had a run stop and a pressure, but he also missed two tackles. Brinson had one pressure and zero stops against the run across 47 snaps. Both Brinson and Mosby were penalized.

Special teams

Cornerback Shemar Bartholomew produced two tackles covering punts and kicks and the best special teams grade at 80.4 across 11 snaps. Bo Melton also had a tackle before departing with an injury while covering a punt. The Packers were not penalized on special teams. Daniel Whelan had eight punts covering 431 yards, with a net average over 53 yards. Brandon McManus ended the shutout with a short field goal as time expired.

Quarterback play

Clayton Tune: 44.0

Tune played the whole game and completed just six passes for 34 yards, and the Packers ended up with -7 net passing yards because he lost 41 yards on four sacks, including a strip sack. Tune completed 5-of-8 passes for 31 yards when kept clean. under pressure, he completed 1-of-3 passes for 3 yards, scrambled once and took four sacks. He did not have a big-time throw -- his average depth of target was 3.1 yards. In fact, Tune did not attempt a pass thrown over nine yards in the air. The difficulty was high, given the personnel around him and the defense against him, but Tune played the quarterback position poorly.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers PFF grades: Best, worst players from loss to Vikings in Week 18

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