{"id":33831,"date":"2025-09-26T11:57:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T11:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=33831"},"modified":"2025-09-26T11:57:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T11:57:29","slug":"breaking-news-its-in-packers-best-interest-to-get-him-the-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=33831","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING NEWS : It\u2019s In Packers\u2019 \u2018Best Interest\u2019 to Get Him the Ball"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 After his rookie season, Keyshawn Johnson wrote a book titled Just Give Me the Damn Ball!<\/em><\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft would like to be a bigger part of the offensive story, beginning with Sunday night\u2019s game at the Dallas Cowboys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that it is in our best interest to move the ball that I touch the ball every drive,\u201d Kraft said after Thursday\u2019s practice. \u201cThat\u2019s just the confidence I have in myself. It\u2019s where I think I am as a guy in this offense now. Yeah, enough said.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Packers have a lot of potential playmakers on their offense but Kraft\u2019s right. Good things happen when he gets the ball.<\/p>\n

In his career, the Packers are 6-1 when he has at least 60 receiving yards. That includes going 4-0 last season and 1-0 this season.<\/p>\n

Kraft statistically is the best run-after-catch tight end in the NFL. Among tight ends last year, he led the league by a wide margin in yards after the catch per catch and tied for first in forced missed tackles, even though he was barely inside the top 20 in receptions. He\u2019s No. 1 in YAC per catch this year, too.<\/p>\n

In Week 2, Kraft caught 6-of-6 targets for 124 yards and one touchdown in a big win against Washington. Last week, coming off a knee injury sustained at practice, he had the critical catch and run on what should have been the game-winning touchdown drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to run each route on the field like I\u2019m going to catch the football and I\u2019m going to block each play like I\u2019m at the point of attack,\u201d Kraft said. \u201cI believe that I offer a different kind of consistent explosiveness whenever I get the ball in my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich didn\u2019t disagree.<\/p>\n

The offense goes through running back Josh Jacobs. At receiver, Romeo Doubs is the reliable route-runner, Dontayvion Wicks is off to a strong start after a drop-plagued season and first-round pick Matthew Golden\u2019s consistency and explosiveness have made him worthy of more opportunities.<\/p>\n

But Kraft is different, with his ability to get downfield for an explosive gain or turn a short pass into an explosive gain.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny of those guys but especially a guy like Tucker, if we\u2019re going to be the best that we can be, we\u2019ve got to get him the ball. For sure. There\u2019s no doubt about that,\u201d Stenavich said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does great things when he has the ball. At the end of the game, we got the ball to him and he did a great job getting an explosive play to put us in field-goal range. He\u2019s just one of those guys that makes plays when he has the ball in his hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kraft enters Week 4 leading the Packers in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Among all tight ends, he\u2019s 17th in receptions but sixth in yards, first in yards per catch (among tight ends with at least six receptions) and tied for first in touchdowns.<\/p>\n

According to PFF, he\u2019s second in yards after the catch, first in yards per route and first in passer rating when targeted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s always my argument is what happens when 85 touches the football?\u201d Kraft said. \u201cIs it a first down? Is it an explosive? Breaking tackles? Is he getting in the end zone? Talking myself in the third person but that\u2019s just my brand. Give me the ball and just watch what happens every time. I just try to be the most consistent player on offense one snap at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kraft\u2019s desire to be more involved in the passing game comes from a good place. He was not speaking selfishly or maliciously. One of three permanent captains on offense alongside Jacobs and quarterback Jordan Love, it\u2019s undeniable that getting the ball in a top playmaker\u2019s hands is good for the offense \u2013 and good for the team.<\/p>\n

The Packers are coming off a dreadful offensive performance in the loss to Cleveland. He had zero catches in the first half of a 13-10 loss.<\/p>\n

Whoever gets it done, the Packers need a strong start on Sunday night at Dallas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did great Week 1, Week 2, coming out and trying to put points on the board,\u201d Kraft said. \u201cWe\u2019ve just got to stick to that. It doesn\u2019t matter if we\u2019re home or away, we\u2019re going to come out on the first drive and try to get points on the board. That is just the demand of our offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe defense needs us to play like that so we can play complementary to them. It was 10-0 up until the fourth quarter. That\u2019s remarkable. Not a lot of defenses are doing that. We have the best defense in the NFL, so we just have to help them out. We\u2019re beating ourselves up when we\u2019re getting behind the sticks with pre-snap penalties. We\u2019re fed up with our own mistakes and we\u2019ve got to limit those in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 After his rookie season, Keyshawn Johnson wrote a book titled Just Give Me the Damn Ball! 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