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On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers survived an onslaught of dink and dunk offense (and occasional deep strike) to win an ugly game. The very defense that I lauded last week gave up 503 passing yards, the wide receiving group again struggled to create separation, Ty Montgomery injured his ankle, Eddie Lacy still looks like he forgot how to be a running back, and Aaron Rodgers still looks human.
It’s the end of the world as we know it. And guess what? I feel fine.
There is no doubt about it, the statistics are disconcerting. This is not the Packers team we are used to seeing, especially at Lambeau Field against an inferior opponent. Most pundits had the home team winning in a rout. This was the week that the stars were supposed to all line back up, the juggernaut offense was going to put up 45 points and the defense was going to sack Philip Rivers 8 times.
Needless to say, none of these things happened. It was a struggle, especially for the defense. There was very little penetration from the defensive line until late in the game.
Sam Shields and Micah Hyde both had days that they would probably like to forget. This, coupled with a great game plan for Philip Rivers to take three step drops and hit underneath routes all day long, almost cost the Packers the game.
I can understand why people are starting to ramp up the panic machine. This is not the way that we are used to seeing the Packers win games. The explosive nature of an Aaron Rodgers-led offense is absent. There are no 65 yard bombs to Jordy Nelson or 2 minute 85 yard drives that pound daggers into the hearts of defenses. The offense is much more methodical, and frankly not as instantaneously successful.
Packers fans have gotten used to a frenetic pace, scoring a lot of points in a short amount of time, then depending on the defense to hold the lead. This year’s team wasn’t supposed to be any different. However, the injuries to Nelson, Davante Adams, and Lacy have forced Mike McCarthy and Tom Clements to change their entire offensive philosophy.
Opposing defenses know that there is nobody to blow the top off of their coverage. They also know that Lacy is banged up and not the same back as he has been. They are able to stack 8 in the box on running downs, and play cover 2 on passing downs.
Essentially, opponents are daring a very aggressive quarterback to beat them in a way that he is uncomfortable with; short, underneath routes or quick slants. There have been several times throughout the season that Rodgers obviously wanted to go deep but couldn’t find anybody so he scrambled or took the sack.
As good as Rodgers is (and he is the best in the game), NFL defenses may eventually catch up. But it hasn’t happened yet. Rodgers is adjusting to the new style of offense, and the Packers have managed to stay a step ahead of every team they have faced so far this season. This is no small feat, considering the caliber of defenses they have played.
If I told you before the season started that the Packers would lose Nelson for the year, Adams for most of the first half of the season, and Eddie Lacy would have 67 rushes for 260 yards with only 1 touchdown at the bye, what would you have guessed their record to be? 3-3? 4-2 at best? Certainly not 6-0.
The obstacles the Packers have faced to mount an undefeated record are astounding. I cannot think of any other team in the league that could lose 3 of their top offensive players for significant amounts of time, yet find ways to win every game. This bye week came at the perfect time. Adams, Raji, Nick Perry, and Morgan Burnett should all return next week. Lacy has 14 days to let his ankle heal.
The Packers are undefeated after bye weeks with Mike McCarthy as their head coach. 9-0. Let that sink in for a moment, it is an amazing statistic. The return of such key players combined with how well McCarthy will have the team prepared for the rest of the season bodes very well for the Packers.
I encourage everybody to take the season week by week, take a deep breath when things don’t go as planned, and remember that we have it very good as Packer fans. It could be a lot worse. Just ask those poor unfortunate souls one state south.
The Packers currently stand at 6-0, and have a 2.5 game lead over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. The only team with a larger divisional lead is their opponents after the bye, the undefeated Denver Broncos.
The Broncos defense will be the the biggest test the Packers have faced this season. Von Miller and the defensive backs are as good as they come. Thankfully there are two weeks to game plan for them. On the other side of the ball, it is no secret that Peyton Manning is a shell of his former self. Reports are that he actually cannot feel some of the fingertips of his throwing hand due to nerve damage. He absolutely hates being hit, and will crumple to the ground when a defender gets within arms reach of him.
It will be crucial for the defensive line to regain their dominance from earlier weeks. If they are able to get penetration and make Manning uncomfortable, the Packers secondary could have a field day.
Conversely, the Packers offense is going to need to establish an effective running attack in order to open up passing lanes and help the receivers get open. I would not be surprised to see a breakout game from Richard Rodgers as well. This should be an exciting game, and I am looking forward to this game more than any other game on the schedule this year.
Have a great bye week, enjoy stress-free football!
Go Pack Go!
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