Through the first ten games of the season, the Green Bay Packers are 8-2; quite a feat as compared to last year through the first 10 (4-5-1). Much of the team’s success can be attributed to the great play of the offensive line in keeping Aaron Rodgers healthy and upright for the majority of the season thus far. That’s also a huge reason for the spike in win totals from a year ago.
Through the first ten games (eight total starts), he’s given up 0 sacks, 10 QB pressures, and 0 QB hits through 536 total combined snaps; per Savannah Dean (@SavDeanOnSports).
That’s definitely some impressive play through the first ten weeks of the season. The entire offensive line as a unit has been playing spectacular as well. Of the six players on the offensive line, Jenkins has given up the least amount of sacks (0), the second-highest would be Lane Taylor (1). Again, very impressive stuff from Jenkins. His play on the O-line definitely deserves more recognition and praise. This unit has played nearly to perfection from a pass-blocking perspective. The unit as a whole has given up a total of 14 sacks. What’s been much more impressive than that though, has been the play of rookie LG Elgton Jenkins.
(Tweet via @JuhKipp of Packerswire & Fansided NFL).
I think the biggest reason why he doesn’t get the respect he rightfully deserves is the fact that he plays a position that is often overlooked in today’s NFL. Not to mention that offensive line really isn’t that glamorous of a job either. That’s also why I think Jenkins isn’t getting nearly as much attention as he should be. The fact is, he’s been the anchor/brick wall on the offensive line for Green Bay and if he continues his impressive play throughout the rest of the season, he should definitely be up for rookie of the year consideration. He sure has been playing like one this season.
The 7-2 Packers took on the 5-3 Panthers at venerable Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The biggest focal points for both team’s offenses were the run games. Christian McCaffrey has been absolutely incredible for Carolina while the same could be said of Aaron Jones for Green Bay. McCaffrey ended the day with 108 yards on the ground on 20 carries, good for 5.4 YPC, and 1 touchdown. On the other side, RBs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams combined for 156 rushing yards on 26 carries, which was good for 6 YPC, and 3 total touchdowns. Jones and McCaffrey are both tied for the league lead in touchdowns with 14 each. Green Bay’s offensive line played exceptionally well from a run blocking perspective; so much so that they actually gave both Jones and Williams an additional 3.6 yards before contact per rush on Sunday, per NFL Insider Field Yates.
The other great thing was that Rodgers did his job in getting Adams involved in the offense again (7 catches for 118 yards), while also spreading the ball around to other receivers (4 other receivers has 2 or more catches), which was great to see. The snowy conditions definitely helped a ton too. Rodgers spoke about it after the game with Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews: “Winter is here in Green Bay. We’re starting to make this place a tough place to come in again. That’s a good football team, I’m proud of our guys. [We] left some plays out there, especially in the first half but our defense came up big with some stops. You know, Kyle [Allen] played really well, they got a good team, maybe [we’ll] see ’em down the line.” On Aaron Jones’ performance: “Yeah, he played great, I mean, he’s such a steady player for us. He smells the endzone; he’s been in it a lot this year. It’s fun having a back like that who can do so many things for ya but again, we gotta be very critical of ourselves but it feels good being 8-2 heading into the bye.”
It was a great, hard-fought win that came down to a final defensive stand. The Packers definitely bounced back in a big way this week after an embarrassing loss last week; which was much needed — especially before a bye week. It gives them confidence heading into week twelve’s clash with the 49ers back in California in two weeks. I know the team mantra thus far has been “All gas, no f*ckin brake.” Well, this week, it was: “All bend, no f*ckin break.” Also of note, with this win and New Orleans losing, Green Bay is now the 2-seed in the NFC. Rooting interest should be towards the Seattle Seahawks in Monday night’s game against San Francisco. This Packer team is very good as of now, as healthy and balanced as ever — which is a very scary thought for the rest of the NFL this late in the season. Keep the train rolling after the bye!
The Green Bay Packers improved to 8-2 after defeating the Carolina Panthers 24-16 at snowy Lambeau Field.
Carolina scored first but the Packers responded. It was 14-10 GB at halftime but the Packers came out in the second half and scored 10 points in the third quarter to take a 24-10 lead going into the fourth. The Panthers scored a touchdown but missed on a 2-point conversion to pull to within 24-16. They made one last effort to tie the game but Christian McCaffrey was stopped short of the goal line as time expired and the Packers held on to win and clinch a non-losing season.
Analysis and thoughts about the game:
Aaron Rodgers and Christian McCaffrey are legitimate MVP candidates, but perhaps one other player has made his way into the conversation as well. I’m talking about Aaron Jones. He scored 3 times again, the first Packer to have more than one game of 3 touchdowns or more in a season since Sterling Sharpe in 1994 and the first running back to do so since Jim Taylor in 1962. That is some good company right there.
Carolina was up 10-7 and driving again until a bad snap resulted in a turnover and the Packers recovered. Aaron Jones scored his second touchdown at that point in the game and the Packers never looked back.
It got interesting in the Packers’ final drive of the first half. Panthers’ DE Gerald McCoy got called for a roughing the passer penalty against Rodgers in the endzone and gave the Packers new life. They would drive down to the Carolina 1-yard line and went for it with 2 seconds left in the half only to get rejected by McCoy as time expired. The same guy who extended the Packers’ drive ended up making the huge play to deny them any points on their final drive before halftime. By the way, I don’t disagree with Matt LaFleur going for it in that situation. The execution was bad. Carolina would have their own failed play later in the game.
Kyle Allen would have a nice game passing the ball but during their first drive of the third quarter, his pass in the redzone was deflected by Adrian Amos and intercepted by Tramon Williams, which would lead to a field goal by Mason Crosby. Actually, Crosby would miss a 52-yard field goal only for Dontari Poe to line up across from the center, which resulted in a penalty and new life from 47 yards, which Crosby converted to make it 24-10.
Carolina would not go away easily. They drove down the field and McCaffrey scored from 3 yards out to make it 24-16. Ron Rivera, who is sometimes known for gambling, went for 2 points but Allen’s pass to Greg Olsen was knocked away and the score remained 24-16.
The Packers ultimately had to punt and Carolina was backed up at their own 11-yard line, but they made a furious attempt late in the game. Jaire Alexander dropped an interception early in the drive that would have sealed the game. They allowed a fourth-down conversion to D.J. Moore and the Packers stopped Carolina on fourth-down late in the game only for Preston Smith to end up offsides and give the Panthers new life. Two plays later, it came down to the final play of the game.
At the 2-yard line, a Christian McCaffrey run got stopped short of the goal line. After a lengthy review, the call was upheld and the Packers could finally exhale and celebrate victory.
Both coaches made controversial calls that ultimately backfired. LaFleur went for it with two seconds left in the half instead of kicking the field goal. Jamaal Williams was stuffed for a loss and the half ended with the Packers only up 14-10. After Carolina pulled to within 24-16, Rivera went for 2 and failed. I understand his reasoning. He wanted to make it 24-18 and if they could stop GB, he could win it with a touchdown and an extra point. If they failed (which they did), they could tie it with a touchdown and a successful 2-point try. He never got the chance to do it though.
It was an exciting game in cold temperatures. Carolina is a good team and they didn’t go down easily. The defense once again gave up a bunch of yards, but when plays needed to be made, they were able to make them. It was disappointing to see dropped interceptions. I want to see the defensive backs make those plays and make things easier on the defense. I do give them credit for keeping Carolina out of the endzone on the final play, even if they dug themselves a hole time and time again on that drive alone.
The bottom line is the Packers are 8-2, which is better than what they have been the previous two seasons. They have a week off before they play on the road vs the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. They have looked good offensively at times in this game. Davante Adams had triple digits in receiving yards, a good sign for this offense moving forward. I wish they would have put the game away earlier but they turned back a good Carolina team with a good young quarterback. Cam Newton may have played his last game in a Panther uniform.
The win is all that matters. The Packers need to improve in many areas but they held on and are now 8-2. They are in great shape right now in the playoff picture. Let’s rest up and finish off these next six games on a winning note. Enjoy the week off Packer fans! We will see you on the West Coast in two weeks!
The Packers find themselves at 7-2 through the first nine weeks of the season, not the best but certainly not bad at all. They’re in first place in the NFC North and are currently the 3-seed in the NFC. After that embarrassing loss in LA last Sunday, Green Bay looks to bounce back in a big way this week against the Carolina Panthers at home. One way they can do that is by spreading the ball around on offense. Of the Packers’ nine games they’ve played thus far, seven were won with at least two players scoring touchdowns. The other two losses came when the focal point of the offense was singling out star WR Davante Adams on pass plays.
The simple fact is, Green Bay is much more successful as a team when they spread the ball around instead of zoning in on a certain player (in this case Davante Adams). Yes, I understand they want to get him involved in the offense right away but they also have to realize that immediate success won’t happen right away with him; especially coming back from turf toe. They need to focus on folding him into the offense gradually rather than singling him out game after game. We all know Adams is a great receiver and player but constantly trying to get him the ball isn’t working so far. Again, they’re 0-2 this season when he’s the focal point in the passing game. Getting the ball to other receivers including Adams will not only get Green Bay back on the winning track (hopefully against Carolina and beyond), it will also boost the overall morale of the team and in turn, get them into the championship-winning mindset — something that is crucial at this point.
In Green Bay’s seven wins (when spreading the ball around), the offense saw 12 different receivers score touchdowns, in their two losses (when Adams was the focal point), just 3 touchdowns were scored. It’s a huge difference and it was unfortunately to Green Bay’s detriment that the offense was exceptionally worse when Adams was the focal point of it. Hopefully the narrative changes against the Panthers and beyond, Green Bay needs to get some momentum going again — especially this late in the season.
The Green Bay Packers are back at home after a two-game road trip and welcome the Carolina Panthers to Lambeau Field for a 3:25 (Central Time) start time after it was originally scheduled for Noon.
The Packers are 7-2 but lost 26-11 to the Los Angeles Chargers on the road last Sunday while the Panthers are 5-3, winning last week at home vs the Tennessee Titans 30-20.
Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton has been placed on injured reserve and it’s possible that we may have seen the last of the former MVP in a Panther uniform. Kyle Allen is the starter now and the team is 5-1 with him as the starter. The big offensive star for the Panthers is RB Christian McCaffrey, who has over 1,200 combined yards rushing and receiving. He has 881 yards rushing and has a chance to reach 1,000 rushing yards in this game. He is a legitimate MVP candidate. The Packers need to focus on at least slowing him down and force Allen to pass the ball. The Panthers still have veteran TE Greg Olsen, who can never be overlooked as he is still capable of making plays.
For whatever reason, Aaron Rodgers and the offense had quite a rough game vs the Chargers. A good way to start getting the offense back on track is to reestablish both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams in the running and passing game. Davante Adams is back and they now have a full week with him at practice after he was a game-time decision vs the Chargers. Luke Kuechly is a disruptive player and the Packers need to know where he is at all times. Shaq Thompson isn’t far behind. In fact, you could make a case that Thompson has had the better year so far. The Panthers have 12 interceptions so far this year. Only the New England Patriots (19) have more. Ball security is always important.
I want to dismiss any talk that the Packers are a better offensive team without Davante Adams. They are not. Adams has become one of the top receivers in the game and his presence will make things easier for the other receivers. Allen Lazard deserves more playing time with what he did in Adams’ absence. Jimmy Graham has made some plays and needs to continue getting open and making those tough catches. Matt LaFleur and the rest of the staff need to develop a good game plan now that Adams is back and maximize everyone’s potential. This offense is much better than what it showed vs the Chargers last Sunday. It’s time to go out there and show it.
I want to give a personal challenge to Mike Pettine and the defense. They have given up a bunch of yards this season, and to their credit, they were usually able to overcome it with sacks and turnovers. It wasn’t enough last Sunday. For the Packers to reach their goal, and we all know what that is, they need to not only continue getting sacks and turnovers, but they need to get stops as well. That means three and outs and getting off the field, creating good field position for the offense. I would like to see this defense in the top 16 at the end of the season. They are more than capable of doing that. They need to go out there and get the job done.
Cam Newton has won an MVP Award and made it to the Super Bowl, but he may have played his last game for the Carolina Panthers. He has a lot of talent but he has also been criticized for his maturity and for his presence in the locker room. It seems like they are more like a team with him out and Kyle Allen in at quarterback instead. The Packers could easily lose this game if they aren’t focused.
It was a very frustrating game last week for us Packer fans, but they have a great opportunity to get a win vs a quality opponent this Sunday. This game has been flexed to a late-afternoon start because of the quality of these two teams. Just look at it as having more time to tailgate and party before the game. It should have the feel of a playoff game at Lambeau Field this weekend.
Last Sunday didn’t go the way we wanted but we are now on to the next one. We never know what other teams will do from here on out. The Packers just need to win on Sunday and keep it going after that and see what happens. Let’s put the negativity behind us and get ready to cheer the team to victory, no matter where we may be. Let’s get it done this Sunday!
Green Bay suffered just their second loss of the season on Sunday, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park by a score of 26-11. This was one of their worst losses in recent memory. They were shut out in the first half for the first time all year by a score of 6-0. The defense then held the Chargers to two consecutive field goals in the second half but the offense couldn’t muster anything in the third quarter. Los Angeles’ pass rush was ferocious, sacking Rodgers a total of 3 times in the game. Offensive penalties were also a huge issue. 5 total in the first half (4 false start penalties, 1 illegal block), 8 total for the game. They definitely were not in rhythm during the game. They are also now 7-2 on the season but the silver lining here is that even with the loss, Green Bay still maintains first place in the division due to the Lions, Bears, and Vikings all losing as well.
Blame the weather or tiredness, either way, it definitely wasn’t a good day on either side of the ball for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was held to just 35 yards passing in the first half, his lowest amount since 2015 against the Denver Broncos (77 yards). Melvin Gordon; RB for Los Angeles, ran for 80 total yards along with scoring two total touchdowns; Los Angeles’ only touchdowns of the game. QB Phillip Rivers was on point passing the ball, going 21/28 (75%), for 294 yards with a 108.3 passer rating. Green Bay’s secondary couldn’t contain the run or pass at all in the game, which was to their detriment, unfortunately. After giving up a FG to Los Angeles, the score was 12-0 at the beginning of the second quarter. Green Bay’s first two second-half possessions ended in punts. After surrendering a touchdown on the Chargers’ first possession in the second half, Green Bay was in desperation mode down 19-0 late in the third quarter. K Mason Crosby then made a 54 yard FG with 3:20 left on Green Bay’s third possession in the second half, making the score 19-3 Los Angeles.
Green Bay’s defense once again could not stop Los Angeles’ offensive attack, giving up another touchdown on a 10 play, 75-yard drive that took 5:14 off the clock. The score was now 26-3 Chargers with 10:30 left in the 4th quarter. Knowing it was make it or break it time, Aaron Rodgers went to work, going 9/9 for 75 yards and 1 touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion attempt by Green Bay (Rodgers rush), it was 26-11 Chargers with 6:21 left in the fourth. Green Bay’s defense held LA to a possible game-sealing FG, it ended up being wide left (44 yards) with 2:14 left in the fourth.
After taking over on their own 34-yard line, Green Bay went on a 7 play, 25-yard drive. It ended up coming down to a 4th and 5 from the Chargers’ 46-yard line. The pass was just out of the reach of WR Davante Adams in the endzone and essentially ended the game for Green Bay. Despite that, Rodgers and the Packers still went down swinging. He finished 23/35 for 160 yards and 1 touchdown, along with an 85.5 passer rating. Los Angeles then knelt the ball for the final two plays. (1:06 left in the fourth). It was a very frustrating day all around.
So, with this loss begs the question: Where does Green Bay go from here? Well, the season is far from over yet. They have plenty of time to correct their mistakes before the Carolina Panthers come into town on Sunday. QB Aaron Rodgers spoke about the loss after the game: “This was a good learning experience for us. We gotta come ready to play. I don’t think we were locked in from the start, unfortunately. I’m not sure exactly the reason [why], but I don’t think the focus was there from the start. We have to look in the mirror and be very honest about our performance, myself first and then our offense and our energy and attention to detail. We gotta get better. This was a good slice of humble pie for us, we’re kinda rolling at 7-1 and starting to maybe listen to the chatter a little too much. I think this will be a good thing for us, we’ll regroup, go back home and play another good team before the bye.”
Rodgers definitely understands this loss is a team loss, as is any NFL game. It’s not on one certain player or position. The entire team is at fault. Penalties and offensive rhythm definitely played a factor in it. They know they have to clean it up before Sunday and I think they will bounce back in a big way just like they did after losing to Philadelphia at home earlier in the year. This team is a resilient bunch. They’ll learn from this and bounce back in a big way against the Panthers on Sunday. Regroup, rebound, and bounce back.
The Packers had a rough day on the West Coast as they fell 26-11 to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers were much better on both offense and defense in this game even though they were mostly settling for field goals. They finally scored a touchdown before the Packers scored for the first time in the game on a field goal late in the third quarter to make it 19-3 L.A. The Packers were held under 100 total yards through the first three quarters and gave up numerous big plays on defense. It just wasn’t the Packers’ afternoon.
After a 7-1 start to the season, the Packers were hoping to build on that in favorable weather conditions and despite the fact that they were on the road, the crowd would have been largely in their favor had they played anything resembling good football.
What are we to make of this loss? After they went 4-0 without Davante Adams in the lineup, they got him back for this game only for the offense to put up their worst performance of the season. It just seemed like the Chargers were at least a step faster all afternoon on both sides of the ball. I think it was just one of these games. Even the great teams seem to run into a game like this at least once every season. They just can’t make it a habit.
There is plenty of blame to go around in a loss like this, but I want to call out Mike Pettine a bit here. The defense has given up too many big plays this year. It’s time for him to mix things up a bit. They have overcome those big plays more often than not this year, but they will run into trouble if they keep playing with fire. Aaron Rodgers and the offense didn’t have enough to overcome the lack of defense in this game.
The Packers are still 7-2 which isn’t terrible at all. The Bears, Vikings, and Lions all lost which means the Packers did not lose any ground in the division. They need to get back to the drawing board and back on the winning track. They host the Carolina Panthers next Sunday and then have a bye week so they still have a great opportunity ahead of them. No game will come easy for them though. With the start to the season they had, they should expect everyone’s best effort week in and week out.
The Packers have work to do this week before they take the field vs the Panthers next Sunday. Carolina has a dynamic running back in Christian McCaffrey, so the Packers have quite a job just for that reason alone. After their first loss of the season, the Packers went to AT&T Stadium in their first game without Davante Adams and defeated the Dallas Cowboys. Things can change in a heartbeat. Take care Packer fans. There will be better days ahead.
During the first half of the season, Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers’ offense were simply trying to get their bearings straight under new HC Matt LaFleur and his offense. It was a very slow and sloppy start, to say the least. Since then, however, it’s been anything but that. From October 6th up to now (November 3rd, nearly a month), Rodgers has been playing lights out. Along with a 4-0 record (all four games were played without his #1 receiver), he’s completed nearly 70% of his passes (94/137, 68%), for 1,255 yards, 10 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a 119.5 passer rating. Rodgers is also 2-0 all-time against the LA/San Diego Chargers. He’s 37/55 (67%), for 502 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, and a 132.5 passer rating.
Now, they are sitting comfortably on top of the division at 7-1. TE Jayce Sternberger is set to come back to the field after being out with an ankle injury, he’s another young receiving and blocking threat for the offense to utilize. Star receiver Davante Adams is also set to make his return after battling turf toe. This team has already proven to play just fine without him and are already humming along — which is a dangerous sign in and of itself. But now that Adams and Sternberger are both back, what does this mean for Green Bay’s offense?
Well, for one, it means more open field threats for defenses to cover; which is not easy when you have Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback. It’s basically a game of pick your poison for defensive coordinators. The additions of Adams and Sternberger not only will open the field up to more for Rodgers, but it will also make the plays that run much more explosive; especially on play-action — an element of which LaFleur’s offense thrives on. If Green Bay wasn’t a dangerous team before, they certainly are or should be once Adams and Sternberger return on Sunday. Against a Charger team without two of its best pass defenders in Derwin James & Nasir Adderley, Aaron Rodgers should have a very fun time in the California sunshine tomorrow. With the possibility of Adams returning as well (LaFleur had said he plans to announce his availability 90 minutes prior to kickoff), it begs the question, who would he be matched up against? It’s looking to be former Packer CB Casey Heyward — which is an elite player vs player match up on both sides.
Circling back to Jayce Sternberger’s return, this will make the offense way more complex due to the fact that LaFleur can now run three tight end sets on offense which in turn will again open up the field for Rodgers and co. in the passing game. This is the healthiest Packer team in years on both sides, and in my opinion, it will be bad news for the Chargers. I think Green Bay pulls out the victory in a close, hard-fought game 38-31 while Rodgers throws for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. The last time they faced off in California was 2011, a close 45-38 Green Bay victory. Green Bay also holds the edge in the all-time series (11 total games), with a 10-1 record. It’s looking to be a great game. Let’s hope the Packers come out with a win to stay atop the division and maintain momentum down the stretch.
The Green Bay Packers will play on the West Coast this Sunday as they face the Los Angeles Chargers at the Dignity Health Sports Park. (Yes, I had to look up the name of the stadium where the Chargers play. It’s hard to keep up with all of the name changes these days.)
Both teams are coming off road victories. The Packers are 7-1 and won 31-24 at Kansas City last Sunday night while the Chargers are 3-5 but defeated the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field when kicker Eddie Pineiro missed a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the game.
Philip Rivers is a veteran quarterback who is still capable of having huge games. Keenan Allen is questionable but I believe he will play. Melvin Gordon, a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin, held out earlier this season in hopes of either getting a huge payday or a trade. The team did neither and Gordon is still a Charger for now. Despite the threat that Gordon can be, they aren’t a strong running team. Their strength is through the air. The Packers have been getting sacks and turnovers, and I do want to see plenty of both, but I also want to see them become more stingy as far as giving up yards.
Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones have been excellent these last two games. This might be the week we see Davante Adams play again. If so, the receiving corps will be that much more powerful. The offense has succeeded more often than not during the last two weeks. We need that to keep going.
The Packers are 10-1 all-time vs the Chargers. The lone victory by the Chargers in the series came at Lambeau Field in 1984. Let’s keep it that way.
Even though the Chargers started out in Los Angeles, they had most of their history in San Diego. I do not like the fact that they moved. Despite being in a large metropolitan area, they don’t get a lot of fan support and it shows at their home games. It is not uncommon to see the visiting fans outnumber the Charger fans there. Don’t expect anything different with the Packers in town.
Before the season began, I thought the Chargers would be better than what they have shown so far this year. They haven’t lost a game by more than 7 points this year, but they have had some really deflating losses. They lost at home to struggling teams like Denver and Pittsburgh and had a crushing loss at Tennessee when they had two touchdowns overturned and a stop at the goal line got changed to a lost fumble, all in the final minute of the game. They escaped last Sunday at Chicago on a missed field goal. Someone else finally had a crushing loss for a change.
The Packers played in a hostile atmosphere last week in Kansas City. It will not be the case this Sunday at Los Angeles. In fact, the Packers may actually have the crowd on their side. Let’s give them a good performance and keep those fans cheering all afternoon.
The next win will assure the Packers of a non-losing season. Let’s make it happen this Sunday. Wherever you are, let’s get loud and support our team as they look to “Beat L.A.”
The game started beautifully for Green Bay as they dominated most of the first quarter, scoring the game’s first 2 touchdowns to go up 14-0 after 1. The second quarter saw Kansas City climb back into it, scoring 17 unanswered points to go up at halftime by three. Rodgers was getting pressured up front by KC’s d-line. He was sacked a total of 5 times in the game; twice in the first half, and three times in the second half. Green Bay’s offensive line wasn’t all that good overall in the game from a pass protection standpoint. They definitely have to protect Rodgers for a bit longer when he’s in the pocket if he has no time to even survey anything, he won’t have time to extend plays. Hopefully, they shore things up for next week’s game against Los Angeles.
One player that has been an absolute star for Green Bay has been running back Aaron Jones. He is tied with Packer legend Ahman Green for 2nd in franchise history for the most touchdowns scored in the first eight games of the season (11). Only former legendary Packer WR Don Hutson has more (14). Pretty impressive company to be a part of for the 3rd-year back out of UTEP. He ended up with 20 total touches for a combined 226 total yards (159 receiving, 67 rushing), and 2 total touchdowns. An absolutely incredible offensive performance. He was definitely an instrumental part of Green Bay’s success Sunday night.
Another player that put up yet another impressive offensive game was quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He ended up with 305 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. 23/33 (69.6%), for 305 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 129.0 passer rating. Back-to-back games for him with over a 100 passer rating. In the last four games, he’s been absolutely spectacular: 98/137 (72%), for 1,255 yards, 10 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a 121.1 passer rating. Definitely MVP type numbers.
The defense was so-so last night. Tackling was a huge issue, especially in the second half. Another big issue was lapses in coverage during big passing plays for KC. They have to be better prepared in coverage; otherwise, they’ll get burnt on every play downfield. They couldn’t do anything to stop Tyreek Hill; one of KC’s fastest wide receivers. He always seemed to get open in any coverage Green Bay conjured up. Luckily the pass rush ended up getting to Matt Moore enough to rattle him in the second half. He was sacked a total of two times in the game. Both sacks came from OLB Za’Darius Smith, who was an absolute animal for Green Bay on defense in the game. He now has eight sacks in as many games; he’s been very impressive on the field for Green Bay thus far.
Overall, it was a very good and competitive game that came down to the final play. Kansas City, even with a depleted defense and without their star quarterback, definitely came to play. It just goes to show that you absolutely cannot underestimate your opponent in any game, regardless of record or injuries. Hopefully, Green Bay can take the bad from this game, learn from it, grow from it, and perform better because of it heading into the latter part of the season. They have a meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers coming up next week. 7-1 through the first half of the season is great, but from a city named “Titletown”, we want more! Keep winning, keep growing as a team, and most importantly, keep the pedal down! All gas, no brake!
