How TE Martellus Bennett Helps the Packers Win in 2017

While it’s true that Jared Cook was a very valuable piece of the Packers’ offense, his stats were more or less in line with his career averages. If the same is true for Bennett, the Packers just scored big.

Bennett may not be quite the same field stretcher that Cook was, but it may not matter. He’ll likely be used in a very similar way.

Bennett will be counted on to be a matchup issue for linebackers and win contested catches, something he’s done throughout his career. The Bills got a firsthand look at how hard it is to cover Bennett last year.

Tight ends are almost always assumed to be red zone threats, but it’s actually the truth with Bennett. 23 of his 30 career touchdowns have come in the red zone, including 16 from within 9 yards of the goal line.

Here, Bennett showcases exactly what he brings to the Packers, outrunning and outmaneuvering a linebacker who has no business covering him down the seam.

Finally, there’s his ability to run after the catch. While it’s not a primary part of his game, he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands, as the Seahawks found out.

When the Packers really clicked on offense, it was because Jared Cook was making things difficult for defenses in a variety of ways. Bennett should be able to do the same and more.

The Packers needed to keep their supply of playmakers populated, and they got a good one today.