Game Recap: Packers Fall to Vikings 28-22
Sarah Kelliher recaps the Packers’ week eight loss against the Vikings.
It was a little too late Sunday as the Green Bay Packers (5-2, 2-1 NFC North) fell to their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings (2-5, 1-1 NFC North), 28-22 at Lambeau Field. The loss marks the first ever NFC North loss for Packers second year coach Matt LaFleur.
With wind gusts up to 40 MPH and occasional snow flurries throughout the afternoon, Green Bay was forced to keep the ball on the ground for a good part of Sunday’s game. With a depleted Vikings secondary, the elimination of so much of the pass game was an absolute killer for the Packers. Between that and the lack of support on defense Sunday, the Packers seemed to run out of answers to develop a winning formula.
The first half of this matchup was quite unusual. There were just four total drives and all four resulted in touchdowns; a pair from Packers wide receiver Davante Adams and a pair from Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, to give us a score of 14-14 at the half.
12 and 17 connected off two short passes, with 5-yard and 1-yard touchdown plays. While, Cook had a 21-yard rushing touchdown to open his scoring front and then a 1-yard rushing touchdown later in the first half. Cook had a total of 13 carries for 74 yards in just the first half alone (ESPN stats).
Minnesota’s star running back picked up right where he left off in the second half with a 37-yard rush right out of the gate. Between a couple more runs from Cook, and two gifted defensive pass interference plays from the Packers, the speedster found the end zone for the third time on Sunday with another 1-yard rush to give the Vikings a 21-14 lead.
After back-to-back scores thus far throughout the matchup, the Packers were the first to bend and have to punt in the third quarter and, from there, the Vikings took advantage. Green Bay’s defense struggled to stop Minnesota all day long but the worst of it came when they missed tackle after tackle and Cook took off for 50 yards for his first passing touchdown of the day and fourth (yes, fourth!) total touchdown to extend the Vikings lead to 28-14.
If you needed just one stat to illustrate how poor Green Bay’s defense played on Sunday it would be that they didn’t get their first stop until there was just 11:31 left in the fourth quarter.
With 5:47 left in the game, Green Bay had a chance to cut the Vikings lead to just one score. Thanks to a brilliant IQ play from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to catch the Vikings with too many men on the field, the Packers got a fresh set of downs and a spark of momentum.
Rodgers found wide receiver Malik Taylor for a 26-yard catch, then tight end Jace Sternberger for a 27-yard catch and then Adams for his third touchdown of the day off a 7-yard reception. The Packers would go for two and succeed after running back Jamaal Williams just broke the plain to cut the score to 28-22.
The Packers defense did come up with a rare stop late in the game to give the offense the ball back with 0:57 left but Rodgers was sacked, fumbled and the Vikings recovered it to secure the 28-22 win.
What we learned: Dalvin Cook loves the Packers
If Dalvin Cook woke up wishing for a career game this morning the Packers defense surely allowed his wish to come true. Cook absolutely torched Green Bay’s defense with 30 carries for 163 yards, 3 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.4 yards per carry (ESPN stats). According to ESPN stats, Cook also had 2 receptions for 63 yards and a receiving touchdown.
The Packers defense has struggled to stop the run for years, but it seemed like every single one of their weaknesses was on full display Sunday. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Dalvin Cook is the first visiting player to score four touchdowns at Lambeau since DeAngelo Williams in 2008, and he's the first player to score a touchdown on each of his team's first four possessions in the last 20 years.
What went right: 12 to 17 (again)
One of the only good parts about Sunday’s loss was that Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams continued to showcase their incredible connection. The two superstars connected for all three of Green Bay’s scores and Adams came up with a couple of incredible plays, most notably on his third touchdown catch of the afternoon with a Vikings corner wrapped all over him.
What went wrong: The defense
The Packers’ defense is not good. The Packers’ run defense is even worse. We already sort of knew this, but Sunday these weaknesses were on full display.
How Dalvin Cook was able to explode as much as he did is representative of just how weak (or little) of a plan Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine had for this matchup. With two offenses that seemed to be going back and forth for a bit, this game ultimately came down to which defense was able to get a stop. Unfortunately for Green Bay, they couldn’t rely on their defense to do that or much of anything on Sunday.
Offensive MVP: Davante Adams
Davante Adams continues to be a constant force for Green Bay and Sunday was no different. 17 scored all three of the Packers touchdowns and had a total of 7 receptions for 53 yards on the day, according to ESPN stats. Although he found the end zone three times, the Vikings, despite injuries to their secondary, did have a great plan for Adams on defense and kept him quiet at times during the matchup.
Defensive MVPs: Adrian Amos and Kamal Martin
Adrian Amos’ performance was one of the few bright spots for the Packers’ defense on Sunday. Amos led the team in tackles with 8, 6 of which were solo and 1 for a tackle for loss (ESPN stats). Rookie linebacker Kamal Martin also had a nice showing on Sunday as well. Although it doesn’t necessarily reflect in the box score, the rookie had a handful of nice stops and should certainly be seeing more snaps as he recovers from his injury and the season progresses. Martin had 3 total tackles on the day, according to ESPN stats.
Here’s a look at some of your takeaways.
- “Very uninspired effort that leads one to think they were looking ahead to San Francisco. Not a game you can afford to lose when you’re trying to earn the #1 seed.” - @eric_erolson7
- “These are the types of losses that may come back to haunt GB in the playoffs. It may be the difference between playoffs going through GB and somewhere else.” - @mattydobi
- “the refs missed a blatant DPI on 4th down that cost the game. Something has to change about this defense, otherwise we´re bound to repeat 2019.” - @MObladen
- “I'm going to go watch the UCF highlights some more.” - @TimBallFL
Up next, it’s a short week for the Green Bay Packers as they travel to the West Coast for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Kickoff is set for November 5 at 8:20 p.m. EST.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
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Sarah Kelliher is a contributor for CheeseheadTV and a podcaster with Pack-A-Day Podcast. She can be found via Twitter @sarahkelliher4.
Comments (75)
EdsLaces
November 01, 2020 at 04:19 pm
I know this is kinda worn out at this point, but maybe this will finally help us make a move. We need a run stopper and a wr . Maybe now before the deadline we get both? If not this season is going nowhere fast.
Bearmeat
November 01, 2020 at 04:52 pm
Dead on. If Gute doesn’t it will tell us all we need to know about him refusing to take a team over the hump who has a chance.
Bure9620
November 01, 2020 at 07:55 pm
They need more than that.....that effort with two new players will not make a difference
jeremyjjbrown
November 01, 2020 at 04:23 pm
I hate our defensive scheme. Pettine can't stop anyone from running. Can anyone imagine what Pettines D would look like with the Vikings Personell? Zimmer was able to slow down Rodgers with a bunch of rookies and Pettine got housed with much better players.
jlc1
November 01, 2020 at 04:59 pm
MLF is the head coach, this defense is also on him, not just Pettine.
jeremyjjbrown
November 01, 2020 at 06:56 pm
Yeah sure. But he's not really the one planning the defense. It's on Gute too. But again they're not the ones putting 2 DL out there when they are getting gashed on the ground in a wind storm.
Thegreatreynoldo
November 02, 2020 at 04:40 am
There is some question as to whether MLF has the authority to can Pettine. If one has a subordinate over whom one has no control, then responsibility passes to the person who is protecting that coach.
Can you spell M-U-R-P-H-Y?
HankScorpio
November 02, 2020 at 02:12 am
I love how people give Pettine a pass over the fact that the Packers are a poor tackling team. As if coaching has nothing to do with a guy playing with proper technique.
Great example from yesterday that jumped out at me was Adrian Amos throwing some kind of full body block at Dalvin Cook. Amos made zero efforts to use his arms to wrap up Cook and of course Cook slipped away to gain an extra 3. I don't recall if it was 2nd or 3rd down but do remember it was the difference between 4 yards short of a 1st down and 1 yard short of a first down.
It was Amos that made the mistake but he woud not have done if if he knew the coaches would not tolerate it.
Ollie1960
November 01, 2020 at 04:26 pm
Just an awful effort.
Horrible Defense. Pettine is brutal. Fire him now.
Miss Aaron Jones more than we thought.
BELIEVER
November 01, 2020 at 05:28 pm
I agree, fire Petine now. The defense sucks, pathetic. What a waste of talent.
packer132
November 01, 2020 at 06:15 pm
Teams will rarely fire a coordinator during the season, and head coach once in awhile. I haven't liked Pettine's defense since he got to Green Bay and he rarely will change up if things are not working. I don't want to see him back next year and highly doubt if he comes back.
Bearmeat
November 01, 2020 at 04:33 pm
Our DTs and WRs suck. Yawn. If we don't get better players via trade in the next 2 days, this is another embarrassment waiting to happen in January. With an aged HOF QB. Great.
Fire Pettine.
Not looking forward to TNF.
Coldworld
November 01, 2020 at 04:47 pm
WRs were getting open ... only EQ had a drop I think. Rodgers needs to open it up a bit more. D line is way more important with Lazard coming back. We got snake bit by dubious PI calls today and with an adequate D would still have won on a day where conditions favored them.
Unfortunately our D line was far below adequate, the OLB as linemen concept is bankrupt and our DC is just repeating the same ideas that failed last year and in Tampa. I think it’s time where the dreaded in season change might result in more from less.
I heard LaFleur’s words on the D, but that is not the first time we’ve heard that the D was unacceptable. At some point he needs to show he can change that. Big test of his resolve.
Bearmeat
November 01, 2020 at 05:32 pm
I have a feeling that Pettine is gone at the end of this year unless we see major improvement.
To me, the real question is whether we have a personnel team that is willing to swing big to get over the hump. We haven't since Sherman. We all know how that turned out. But Wolf did the same and it looked great.
I'm going to watch the All-22 tomorrow. I'm motivated to prove my WRs suck theory. ;)
Coldworld
November 01, 2020 at 06:57 pm
To me, this just showed that, after a year, Pettine has no answer. Just gets to a point when maybe the scheme is hindering not helping.
HankScorpio
November 02, 2020 at 02:28 am
"I have a feeling that Pettine is gone at the end of this year unless we see major improvement."
It'll be a shame if they let it go that long. I'd rather see a 10-game sample of how the existing defensive players respond to another voice at the front of the room. If might give a better idea who really needs to be let go and who can be productive.
The constant need for defensive overhaul over the last decade has had a rather severe side-effect of eroding the depth on offense, particularly at WR. OL hasn't been as glaring of an issue this year but it has manifested itself from time to time as well.
TarynsEyes
November 01, 2020 at 04:37 pm
"With wind gusts up to 40 MPH and occasional snow flurries throughout the afternoon, Green Bay was forced to keep the ball on the ground for a good part of Sunday’s game."
41 passes and 24 runs. Yes, they were forced to keep the ball on the ground.
HighPlainsDrifter
November 02, 2020 at 04:44 am
It is natural for a someone like you to misconstrue basic statistics. If you had been paying attention while the game was close you would have noticed that it was necessary to keep the ball on the ground. It was only after the Packers fell behind by 14 that the passes began to outnumber the runs.
One could logically argue that AR's success throwing the ball means that more intermediate passes should been attempted earlier in the game. However, no one knows how the conditions were changing during the game. I trust AR and ML over a long time troll to know how better how to respond to those conditions.
TarynsEyes
November 02, 2020 at 10:38 am
Without checking, I believe the first drive had a 9 run 6-7 pass ratio and the second drive was near the same. That's using a balanced attack with a slight favor to the run perhaps for wind, but it certainly wasn't forced upon them. If the pass became more dominate in use in the 4th quarter, it was because of the failing defense of GB and not the weather.
I didn't misconstrue anything, you though are creating excuses, as like the writer, with the sentence I used to quote.
HighPlainsDrifter
November 02, 2020 at 11:29 am
It is cute that you believe the author is creating excuses. One must presume that you mean excuses for the team. Perhaps you would like to tell us the basis for your belief that the author would do that, and why it would be to her advantage?
TarynsEyes
November 02, 2020 at 11:52 am
Rodgers has and still can throw in bad weather, even windy. The early success of the run game allowed more run than pass to a small degree, but the weather would not have prevented Rodgers from passing had the run not been as good early. The GB defense forced more passing by Rodgers and less run and the weather didn't stop the Packers from a near comeback via the pass. In all rights, the weather had nothing to do with anything GB did and didn't do good or bad. It was the play of the team period.
HighPlainsDrifter
November 03, 2020 at 05:16 am
Interesting reply, but it has nothing to do with your accusation that the author is creating excuses. Apparently you have no factual basis for that assertion.
Coldworld
November 01, 2020 at 05:00 pm
That is not Tampa. If we can’t keep Rodgers clean against that team rushing 4 we have other problems. The middle of our O line was not good at all. Tampa us one thing, today is harder to excuse.
Rodgers was not throwing to open WRs. The few times he did (outside of EQ) I do not recall a drop. We have to use what we have and let them make plays. LaFleur needs to address that before Thursday.
That’s said D is our worst problem. The left side of or D line was abysmal. Playing light, under 2 DL is not working and wasting OLB talent. That was shown last season against the 49ers, in Tampa, and here against a very average O line. No ideas, no adaptation. No future for Pettine. Clearly out of solutions.
Need to get a big man in and find someone who will at least try as DC. Increasingly I think going heavier might allow us to use our ILBs more productively. Just think Pettine is making them less than their individual capabilities now. Time to move on, whether permanently or on an interim basis.
This short week was already going to be a big test of LaFleur who got schooled badly twice by his mentor last year. It just got bigger. Not only in, as he admitted, being better in Thursday, but finding a way to change the philosophy in D going beyond that. Pettine clearly can’t and likely won’t be fired on a short week, so that falls to KaFleur.
No easy task for a young offensive coach who needs to sort out his O line in terms of attitude, discipline and performance. That was awful against a mediocre D line.
edp1959
November 01, 2020 at 05:01 pm
What receivers were wide open? The ones wearing purple. You are blind as as bat.
Coldworld
November 01, 2020 at 05:26 pm
Perhaps but I have brain whereas your optic nerve clearly has nowhere to go.
Bearmeat
November 01, 2020 at 05:33 pm
I'll look into the WRs tomorrow. EQ, MVS, Taylor and Shepherd aren't exactly NFL caliber talent.
Coldworld
November 01, 2020 at 07:08 pm
Does it matter if you can’t stop the run to this extent against a D we all know less going to do just that? I’m not as convinced as you on le lack of talent in there. As starters? No. However hopefully Lazard is back soon.
In the meantime, D line help is the thing we can’t escape the need for at this point. I think I’m at the point of thinking that if we lose in SF for comparable reasons, Pettine will be gone. Regardless of talent, trying the same tactics and failing suggests that he’s out of ideas. In addition, play throughout most of the D seems down on last year. A new face, even on an interim basis, may be able to get more at this point. That performance was abysmal.
canadapacker
November 01, 2020 at 09:37 pm
If and when AR targets them , they are talented enough to get open. When he only looks for Adams then runs into his second read - usually a tight end - but today was holding it too long and forcing it to Adams. Yes St Brown dropped an easy catch. He also made a hard catch on his 3rd target. The endzone catch was a hard catch - those are the type of game changers that Lazard was making - but that doesnt make him untalented. But MVS Taylor were only targeted 1 time each - seems like something is wrong - and while I dont have access to the coaches tape - I saw that they were open several times and the ball went to Adams.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 04:19 pm
Coldworld, you have a much more balanced perspective than some of the people who are still stinging over this.
I haven't finished going through the all 22, but the cold, hard facts is we threw 41 times and completed 27. Of the 14 incompletions, I can think of several that were just thrown away, a few more than might have been caught, and a couple that were just off target on a hard wind day. If Rodgers was overlooking people, I didn't notice. He's usually pretty good about finding open guys.
There are damn few teams in the NFL that could trot out a passing attack like that right now. Guys were open, Rodgers was protected, he bought time and he was generally on target in a hard wind. We moved the ball through the air and scored. 291 yards. Three TDs. No turnovers. 1 sack for 0 yards.
If this were a post-mortem, I'd list the cause of death as failure to make the other team throw, i.e., didn't stop the run. And I think we'll have to fix that with what we have because I don't see a good run stopper just falling into our laps, and even then he's just one guy.
In any event, the beauty of football is that this game is over and we've got another one. If we win, we'll be 6-2 and in first place at the halfway point. And SF is going to be a good test for us, even if they have had their own injury problems.
Garrapolo .....from the penthouse of starting in the Super Bowl to the outhouse at the end of the bench, all within 8 months. They're ripe for the picking, IMO. But we've gotta make the QB throw the ball more, especially when it's not that good of a QB.
Lphill
November 01, 2020 at 05:33 pm
Send Josh Jackson two receivers and as many picks needed for Watt and Fuller from Texas.
Fire_Gute
November 01, 2020 at 05:10 pm
Josh Jones has been gone for a while. And I'm sure Gute is happy with this roster and we won't do a fucking thing.
stockholder
November 01, 2020 at 05:35 pm
Fire Gute then.
13TimeChamps
November 02, 2020 at 11:35 am
As usual, your lack of understanding on how the salary cap works is on display for all to see.
badaxed
November 01, 2020 at 04:56 pm
Fire Pettine now!
Fire_Gute
November 01, 2020 at 05:16 pm
I really hope this is the end of the we don't need a receiver bullshit. If this team thinks it has has a chance they need a WR, a dlineman a MLB and a change at defense coordinator. A loss to a 1-5 team at home playing their 7th string DBs is the true definition of this team
PhantomII
November 01, 2020 at 07:10 pm
It is obvious we need a WR and a DT so the only plausible thing to do is get 2 of each.
canadapacker
November 01, 2020 at 08:24 pm
Ok - stop this BS - we do not need a receiver - we have good ones and they were open. When AR gets fixated on Adams the results speak for themselves - 2 picks against Tampa - 5 of 12 for 59 yards. It is alright to have a goto guy in the red zone - but come on - dont hold the ball and try to force when the other guys are open.
The D was horrible and P Smith needs to sit if he cant play better - and we definitely as I had said before todays game - middle linebacker help - we can continually get shredded like that. Lafluer got eaten up by Zimmer - he stacked the box - knew that AR would focus on Adams and he doubled and tripled him. We needed more motion and more tight end as well as more passes towards MVS, Shepherd and Malik - But if the D cant make a stop then the clock will be against us. Too many chances on long third downs given up big plays
HankScorpio
November 02, 2020 at 02:34 am
"I really hope this is the end of the we don't need a receiver bullshit."
It won't be. Flat Earthers will continue to say that MVS and ESB are ready to turn the corner any day now. Or they just need to get Lazard back.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 09:18 pm
OK Hank. I’m ready to be persuaded. Please just answer one question ...
We played in a hard wind and threw 41 passes . Our QB was protected and enough guys got open that we had 27 completions, about 66% of the throws. 291 yards.
Who is the guy who would have improved that? Of the 14 incomplete, two were short throws to Ervin, two were longer throws to EQ, one was an overthrow of an open Sternberger, one should have been called PI. A couple were throwaways.
Who is the guy? Do you get my point? We’re passing just fine without him. Lazard and Jones and Bakhtiari will be back. We don’t need need anybody else on offense.
stockholder
November 01, 2020 at 05:34 pm
Trade deadline. Forget Watt. Go after Dalvin Tomlinson.
Lphill
November 01, 2020 at 05:51 pm
Imagine if we got a stud D lineman in the first round instead of a QB that can't help the team for several years?
Lare
November 01, 2020 at 06:01 pm
We're at the point now as to questioning if the Packers defense is one of the worst in Packers history or is it one of the worst in the history of the NFL?
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 04:34 pm
Lare.....not even close. Do you remember some of those early 80s defenses? They couldn't stop a sneeze. In 1980. we were 22nd in scoring defense and yet gave up 61 points to the Bears who had their 3rd string QB in there.
My personal favorite in the "worst Packer defense ever" category has to be the 1983 team. 26th out of 28 teams, over 27 ppg. We won a Monday Night thriller with a FG over the Redskins to win 48-47 and it wasn't even the only time we gave up 47 that year.
Truth be told, we're not even the worst defense in the league. Things are going to be fine. Relax, you'll live longer. We're 5-2 and in first place.
We're missing Bakhtiari, Lazard, and Jones from the offense. They'll be back. We'll be fine.
Grandfathered
November 03, 2020 at 12:05 am
Good Lord those Bart Starr (RIP) early 80's defenses were used as highlight reels of awful. The runs of shame were so bad that Forrest Gregg (RIP) replaced Starr for that reason. Those were some character building years for Packers fans.
canadapacker
November 01, 2020 at 07:36 pm
Sarah - Davante MVP of game ?? He was targeted 12 times and caught 7 for 53 yards . Maybe AR looked his way too often. Maybe that is why he held he ball so long - especially in the 2nd half? Our receivers are not that bad - yes St Brown dropped a pass - and maybe he should have made a fantastic catch in the end zone - Lazard would have - but Sternberger 3 of 4 targets for 46 yards and Tonyon 5 of 7 for 79 yards Malik 1 for 26 MVS 1 for 19 on their only targets. And they were open - and what about the dumb holding by Lewis?
Lafleur played into Zimmers hands - he saw what AR did to Houston and knew AR would go to Adams first and a lot so he doubled and tripled him and AR both held the ball too long and after they stacked the box in the 2nd half - he didnt get the TE and other receivers involved.
Our D sucked and once we gave the ball back to them they ate the clock and scored TDs;
I said before this game we need interior line help. We also should start sitting P Smith - he is doing nothing -Not pressuring, not holding the edge getting pushed around and when they try to drop him into coverage he is too slow. If we are going to go after somebody then we need to go after some interior line help or even some additional Dlinemen as subs.
But I agree totally uninspired Defensive football combined with some dumb PI penalties,
PS just watched Jimmy Graham flame out for the Bears - big time drops - glad he is gone - too bad 1 year too late
JohnnyLogan
November 01, 2020 at 11:13 pm
Who are you going to replace P. Smith with, Gary? He's worse, regardless of all the love he gets here. He has zero pass rush moves. Just a guy.
canadapacker
November 02, 2020 at 08:39 am
If there is no effort - get somebody from the practice squad - anybody - you cant be bigger than their reputation - and maybe that is why we come out flat?
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 04:35 pm
I would submit that since we got gashed for thousands of yards on the ground, and Minnesota only threw 14 passes, that pass rush moves aren't the primary consideration.
JohnnyLogan
November 03, 2020 at 11:19 am
You're right, but it is a basic requirement for the position nonetheless. So let me amend my post to say no pass rush moves, and can't stop the run
Lphill
November 01, 2020 at 07:39 pm
Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers two quarterbacks with the misfortune of having GM 's who fail to surround them with talent to win more championships. New England reloaded every season for Brady never crying about next years cap, now Tampa doing the same thing for him as we wait and hope for players to pan out in 3 years.
SwedeBayPacker
November 01, 2020 at 10:39 pm
The Patriots payed Brady under the table by hiring his (sham) company, that's why they never had to worry about the cap.
bigGuy
November 01, 2020 at 09:05 pm
It is a weird dynamic in Green Bay, they just don’t seem to be able to build a good defense. It’s been a long time since they have had a good defense. It doesn’t matter who coaches or how much resources they put in it, just average at best. Yet the offense, with limited resources have been very successful ( yes I know they have had hall of fame qb’s, but it’s been more than that). It just seems there is an expectation of having a good offense and bad defense. It seems to be the culture and the way it plays out. One theory I have is the team tends to be a more finesse team and that attitude carries over to the defense. The journalists should inquire with some football guys as to their thoughts on why packer defenses can’t improve.
Coldworld
November 01, 2020 at 11:29 pm
I was hopeful Pettine would bring some fire. This year the effort level from many has been unimpressive. Moreover we seem less aggressive than last year. Pettine has I think lost the plot. This is the very same problem that he has been unable to stop before and yet approaches the same way. He clearly has no answer. If the same thing happens Thursday it’s time to move in and get a fresh approach.
To the comments above, while LaFleur didn’t hire Pettine, he is responsible for both sides of the ball. Saying they lacked aggression or focus 3 times in 8 games is not enough. LaFleur needs to take the lead and change things up (and if the HC doesn’t have the authority to fire his DC, I’d say we have additional problems).
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 04:47 pm
I call it The Quarterback Trap
You have a great QB, so pay him. We do. Pay money for a premium target. We do. Put blockers in front of him, even if you have to pay. We do.
So now you've paid and paid and paid. Guess where you economize? Because the salary cap keeps you from paying everyone, you don't spend on defense, and when injuries hit, you're playing UDFAs.
When Gutekunst stepped in, we were paying Davante, Jordy, and Cobb....and Bulaga and Bakhtiari and Linsley. And Rodgers, of course, because that's the keystone piece. Since then, the plan seems to be pay Rodgers and Adams, and pay for protection, but try to use bargains and people on their rookie deals at the other skill positions. And it's working pretty well.
On defense, we've spent money and draft capital on edge pressure and secondary guys. We've committed to Clark, but we're economizing on other positions. That's the plan. That's been the plan for a while now, and no amount of clamoring or recklessly slamming an excellent GM is going to change that.
IF.....we don't stop the run, and it ruins our season, then we'll have to see what we can do . Right now, with what we have, I think we have to play more linemen, at least on early downs. We can't keep letting QBs beat us by handing the ball off.
JohnnyLogan
November 01, 2020 at 11:26 pm
The last two embarrassing losses had a number of things in common, no pass rush, poor OL play, garbage run D... but one thing I don't see discussed is how our offense was manhandled by good linebacker play. Tampa Bay had those two fast LBs making stops and defending against the pass all over the field, and Hendricks today showed what a great LB can mean to a team. He covered Adams on the deep throw better than the secondary guys whom Davante had beaten. The Bears have those kinds of guys and their D is so much better than ours. We could easily lose to them. We haven't had that kind of play from ILBs in many years, and don't seem to value it. Hawke and Martinez, considered by many Packer fans as good LBs, in all their years probably didn't create as many turnovers as Khalil Mack does in a month. They certainly didn't defend many passes. Maybe Martin and Byrnes will pan out, they seem to be good around the line of scrimmage, but they're still not guys who can cover pass catchers. They might be better if there was some semblance of a pass rush so they aren't required to cover forever. This D is lacking real pro-bowl caliber players, aside from Jaire, but other teams simply avoid him. So easy to beat this defense.
CAG123
November 02, 2020 at 03:40 am
Every year teams show us what competent ILB play can do for your def yet here the Packers go kicking the tires on throw aways or UDFA or late round picks. Do they realize if we actually had good ILB guys like Raven Greene could be complementary instead of borderline vital pieces no way he should be THAT important to this def.
JamesLofton
November 02, 2020 at 04:18 am
Totally agree, just watched Wagner for the Seahawks, what a player he was everywhere.
CAG123
November 02, 2020 at 03:35 am
Come on Old School/Leatherhead let’s hear it why don’t we need to add talent to this team this time? Let’s hear why Lancaster or Lowry are good enough or Why we don’t need better ILBs.
13TimeChamps
November 02, 2020 at 11:44 am
He sure has been silent, hasn't he? I wonder if he still thinks this is a borderline top 10 defense.
CAG123
November 02, 2020 at 01:02 pm
I really thought he’d be here telling us the def is fine because they haven’t allowed a TD by a left handed QB with a runny nose that’s lactose intolerant or something
13TimeChamps
November 02, 2020 at 02:50 pm
That's too funny! He does like to cherry pick stats to support whatever point he's trying to make.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 05:02 pm
I know you have a problem with facts, Princess. That's already been established.
I know it's poor form to use facts to support an argument, but that's how I was raised.
13TimeChamps
November 02, 2020 at 06:33 pm
And he's back with his immature name calling. A sign of low intelligence and immaturity when you can't form a cogent argument without resorting to name calling.
What facts do I have a problem with? Please enlighten me.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 07:31 pm
Well, the fact that you think I’m an immature and unintelligent person and yet you obsess over me. Why? You can’t ignore me, obviously. You’re compelled to engage a stranger who you know is going to insult you. Why? Do you like it when somebody tells you they think you’re an idiot? Me, I’d just ignore somebody like that, just like I’ve been ignoring you until you come at me. I think you’re an idiot, yet you seem to want my approval, or at least recognition. Why?
It’s an interesting pathology. You should talk to you doctor, because there are medications that would help
13TimeChamps
November 02, 2020 at 08:41 pm
The fact that you have to include some ridiculous avatar you found on the internet to create the false illusion that you're some sort of tough guy reflects immaturity and insecurity. An interesting pathology indeed.
Anybody who thinks this is a top 10 defense is the idiot.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 08:41 pm
The Avatar Police have spoken. That’s just perfect.
13TimeChamps
November 02, 2020 at 08:58 pm
Just curious...how many tough guy internet images did you sort through before you decided on this one?
CAG123
November 03, 2020 at 06:31 pm
I guess cherry picked facts are still facts you failed to answer the question though so I’ll take it as you not having any facts to provide.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 07:32 pm
No, I’d say something like ....we’re 5-2 and in first place.
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 05:00 pm
Why? Here's short words.
We don't have money. We're looking at bargains, only. It would be nice if Atlanta would offer us Julio Jones for a sixth round pick but we can't pay his contract. End of that story.
Second. This week, in a loss, we completed two thirds of the passes for 291 yards and 3 TDs, with no turnovers. We rushed for over 100 yards without our starter.
So who's the superduper offensive guy who's going to improve us?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Lancaster, Lowry, and the ILBS.......
It's called money. (are you starting to see a theme?) Lancaster and Lowry are guys that never miss games. If they're out there, it's because we don't have anybody better we'd rather play. Not Keke, not Adams, not Winn.
Lancaster, in addition to never missing, is a minimum wage guy. Lowry, as I detailed elsewhere, has a base salary of $1 million this year, plus $1.5 of his prorated signing bonus which he'd get even if he didn't play. He gets a $150,000 thousand/game roster bonus, which adds up to $2.4 million. Add in workout bonuses, etc. and he's a little over $5 million against the cap. For a young veteran who never misses and is the biggest guy in the huddle.
Better ILBs.....of course we'd like better guys. We'd like better guys everywhere. But it's been determined by the Packer Brass that the position isn't the priority. We had a pretty good guy in Martinez and we let him walk because we couldn't pay him and paid Kirksey half as much and then he got hurt. What's the magic answer there?
Stuff happens. It's football. Deal with it and move on to the next play, next game, next season. I don't see any point in trashing our players, coaches, and GM....especially when they've been 18-5, and are in first place.
joejetson
November 02, 2020 at 05:16 am
Every year it's the same thing. The defense drags this team down. After SF runs all over this pitiful excuse for a defense, they will be 5-3. They are in Salary Cap jail, and can't bring in any high priced talent. Pettine has no creativity to scheme any solutions to obvious problems. Pepe LaFleur knows nothing about defense either, so this is what you get. Even rotten teams like Minnesota runs the ball down your throat. But they still should win a weak division, and get blasted out of the playoffs. Like I said, every year it's the same thing.
Roadrunner23
November 02, 2020 at 08:48 am
Positive vibes man, let’s not wallow the Packers are 5 & 2 and are a good team.
Bears & Lions lost, Packers are still in first place!
The playoff seeding may not be as big a factor with lack of fans and playoffs possibly taking place in a “bubble”
The Packers seem to finally have a pair of young Tight Ends that can play!
The defense looks like they finally have some young inside LB’s (while not the finished product yet) have the talent to finally improve that position. Baby steps man.
Dillon is improving with each carry, he’s a huge talent.
Jones, Bakhtiari and Lazard should be back soon!
MLF 8 & 1 against the NFC North, still pretty damn good!
This Packers team usually comes back and plays well after a stinker t like this game.
Let’s go pummel the 49ers!
Go Pack!
canadapacker
November 02, 2020 at 04:19 pm
If we cant beat the 49rs with them without fans, Garapps and Kittle - boy then we are over-rated . It always seems that we back an off game with a good game. We are both on short weeks and they are going to use their backup - but he has played before and had a couple of good drives. We will just need to shore up the run game for sure even though Coleman has a knee. Pass rush and run stops - key to this young QB
Dillon is out with Covid - hoping he didnt give it to somebody. What was he doing after practice???
Leatherhead
November 02, 2020 at 05:06 pm
I'm with you, Nostradanus. I don't get these people who have their panties in a was about a 5-2 team that's in first place.
We've had guys hurt. Plain and simple. Adams, Jones, Bakhtiari, Lane Taylor, Lazard and even Crosby. How do you lose that many starters at one time or another and continue to move the ball?
These guys will come back. King will come back. We'll be fine. We could definitely be 6-2 at the halfway mark and on the way to 12-4. That's not bad.
TarynsEyes
November 02, 2020 at 05:17 pm
Nobody denies the Packers will have a good record, likely 11-5, but that's not the issue. It's seeing again that this team can't handle a punch in the face and that's what they'll get in the playoffs and the end result is no SB again. Time is running out with Rodgers and this team isn't making the all-in moves needed in FA or draft.