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Packers pass rush and return of LB Edgerrin Cooper pick up offense, keep Seahawks at bay

Paul Bretl | 12/15/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With the Packers’ offense sputtering for much of the second half, the pass rush, along with the return of Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker, helped keep the Seattle offense at bay, allowing Green Bay to eventually put this game away.

“Obviously we’re always trying to get pressure on the quarterback, that’s the No. 1 way to disrupt anything on offense,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “But our D-line came to play and they did a hell of a job and just got constant pressure.”

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It was a red-hot start for the Packers’ offense, who led by Josh Jacobs and the run game, scored a touchdown on their first two possessions of the game and did so with relative ease. In fact, they would end up scoring on all four of their first-half possessions and on five of their first six possessions of the game–three of which were field goals.

However, while early on the Packers’ offense was very much in control and the game maintained that feeling for much of the contest, the Packers struggles in the red zone, where they converted just 2-of-4 visits into touchdowns, and a largely quiet third and fourth quarter, kept the game within reach for Seattle.

While the running lanes for Jacobs were massive in the first half, they were non-existent in quarters three and four. This then put the Packers in more frequent long down-and-distance situations against what has been an aggressive, press-man-heavy secondary that has been one of the more stingy pass defenses this season.

“I don’t think they did anything crazy or anything that we might have not been expecting,” said Jordan Love of the Seattle defense. “I think we came out and just weren’t making the same plays that we were making in the first half. That was probably the most disappointing part of the game for us, is just the second half. We didn’t feel like we got back in that rhythm and that groove and were able to continue to just move the ball. I think more than anything we were just hurting ourselves in some of those situations.”

But the Green Bay defense didn’t allow Seattle to cut the lead to fewer than 10 points with the pass rush and Cooper being the catalyst behind that performance.

The Packers’ four-man front has struggled to get home consistently this season. They entered Week 15 ranked 26th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric and were 21st in pressure rate. Oftentimes, the pressure that the Packers did create were drummed up by Jeff Hafley.

That wasn’t the case against Seattle, however, where Green Bay did take advantage of a below-average offensive line unit. According to Pro Football Focus, Geno Smith was under pressure on 39.1% of his dropbacks in this game. Sam Howell, once he took over, was under duress on 53.3% of his dropbacks as well. Combined, the two quarterbacks were pressured on 17 of their 38 total dropbacks. For some context, that total pressure rate of 44.7% would be the second-highest mark for any one quarterback over the course of the 2024 NFL season.

Those pressures turned into seven sacks by six different Packers’ defenders, along with 12 quarterback hits by nine different defenders.

“Just winning our one-on-ones, got them in passing situations,” Kenny Clark said. “Stopped the run for the most part. They had probably one big run. We get them in drop back situations, we’re able to pin our ears back and rush.”

The trickle-down effect of that pressure, particularly when it’s frequently coming from the four-man rush, is it takes some of the burden off of the secondary–something that was very much needed for Green Bay, who was without Jaire Alexander and Javon Bullard and having to match up with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf.

While Smith-Njigba and Metcalf were efficient, catching 13 of their 15 total targets, they averaged under 8.5 yards per catch. The ability to generate pressure limits an offense’s ability to run longer developing routes, and it disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play, forcing the quarterback to get rid of the ball more quickly. All of which means less time in coverage for the defensive backs.

“I was telling them, he ain’t getting rid of the ball because they already getting back there so quick,” said Xavier McKinney of the defensive front. “It’s always good to see them collect those sacks and create that pressure on the quarterback.”

Helping the Packers’ pass rush out was the offense, giving the defense a quick multi-score lead to play with. This then limited Seattle’s ability to lean on the run game, with their backs carrying the ball a combined 14 times, thus putting the offense in more predictable and obvious passing situations, where the front could pin its ears back.

“We was just able to pretty much pin our ears back all day and offense pretty much did a good job putting them boys behind,” added Enagbare. “We got a couple three and outs early, so the offense was pretty much able to score early a lot, too, so kinda put em in a pass-first situation. So we just knew pretty much stop the run on first and second down, we already know what time it is third down.”

On those plays where the pass rush didn’t get home, Cooper–who did contribute to some of the pressures–was patrolling the middle of the field and was seemingly everywhere, providing the Packers with an added dynamic presence over the middle of the field, an area they’ve struggled to defend in recent games while Cooper was sidelined.

Cooper finished the game with two pressures as a blitzer, including a sack. He was credited with three stops, making plays in the run game near the line of scrimmage, and he surrendered only one catch on five targets in the passing game, along with an interception.

“He’s special, man,” said JJ Enagbare. “Definitely I feel like he’s a future Hall of Famer. From the stat line, you can see he can do everything, make tackles, make interceptions, get the sacks. There’s literally nothing he’s physically not able to do. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s gonna be a hell of a player one day — or continue to be a hell of a player.”

With 4.51-second speed, he brings added coverage ability to the linebacker position with all of the ground he can cover. With that speed comes versatility and that provides Hafley quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to the game-plan he puts together and what he asks of Cooper, whether that be sending him as a blitzer or how he’s utilized in coverage.

With that skill set, there is also a positive trickle-down effect that it creates within the defense, with Cooper’s speed and ability to operate in space then impacting what is asked of other position groups, specifically the defensive backs, as Xavier McKinney highlighted after the Jacksonville game, because he can cover a lot of ground.

“It meant a lot to have him back,” said McKinney of Cooper. “It adds to a lot to our team, it adds a lot to our defense and it adds a lot to the linebackers room in general. I think the linebackers room, we got a pretty good room and guys who can do a lot of things in coverage and the rush game. It helps us be able to open our playbook up a little bit and do some things schematically that can frustrate the offense.”

On Sunday night in Seattle, it was the defense who took control of the game, specifically the pass rush, which at times has underwhelmed this season, and a rookie linebacker in his first game back from injury. This ability to win games in different ways, which we’ve seen often from the Packers this season, could prove quite valuable come the playoffs–when one phase or unit is limited, another area of this team is there to do the heavy lifting.

But before we get to that point, with three games left in the regular season, the Packers will continue to chase consistency–an element that has eluded them this season–so the performances that we saw from Cooper and the pass rush become closer to the norm for the defense and those lulls on offense don’t last quite as long.

“We’ll see,” said LaFleur when asked how close this team was to reaching its potential. “We’re going to take it one game at a time. That’s just the mindset that we’ve always had here. I still think there’s a lot to improve upon – myself included.”

Packers’ offensive line in need of bounce back in difficult road environment

Paul Bretl | 12/14/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — In a loud road environment against the Lions, it took the Packers’ offensive line time to settle in. Now awaiting them is another road game in Seattle, a stadium known for being one of the loudest venues in the NFL.

For much of the season, the Packers’ offensive line unit has performed quite well. The Green Bay run game will enter Week 15 averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, which is the seventh-best mark this season, while also ranking eighth in quarterback pressure rate.

A key factor in that overall success has been the continuity up front–an important element to successful offensive line play, where the sum of the parts are greater than any one individual performance.

“In the run game,” said Adam Stenavich when asked where that continuity shows up. “Things like that where guys can just play next to each other, it’s one thing when you’re just doing combination blocks and things like that when you’ve got a consistent person next to you making those calls, blocking those people.

“And in pass pro, we’re doing an excellent job in pass pro as well, for the most part. So I think just having those guys get reps next to each other, the communication, just all being on the same page, is something that people take for granted for sure.”

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However, particularly early on against Detroit, the offensive line was being pushed around by a Lions’ defensive front that was short-handed due to injuries. Josh Jacobs would average only 3.7 yards per carry, although in part, that was a product of the Lions’ loading up the box to stop him, while Jordan Love was under pressure at the 10th highest rate in Week 14.

Struggles in the run game put an offense behind the sticks and in disadvantageous long down-and-distance situations where the defense has the upper hand. Pressure, meanwhile, disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play and can lead to mistakes. But not coincidentally, as the offensive line play improved as the game went on, so did Green Bay’s performance on offense.

“I thought we started slow, especially in the pass game,” Stenavich said on Thursday. “There were a few instances where we leaky in our protections, they got to the quarterback a few times early.

“But I did think as the game went on we settled in and rallied and did a better job. But yeah, we definitely needed to start faster to just be more productive at the beginning of the game, which hurt us in the long run.”

In addition to the innate challenge that comes for an offensive line with facing a Lions’ defense that is one of the stingiest in football or a Seattle defensive front that features Leonard Williams and has been one of the best at pressuring the quarterback this season is the noise that’s part of the equation as well.

“We’re just gonna have to be very deliberate in our communication,” said Sean Rhyan on dealing with the noise. “Making sure that everyone knows what the call is, the adjustment is. We just gotta be very deliberate on communicating, especially on combos.”

Dubbing their fans the “12th man,” Seattle’s Century Link Field is arguably the loudest in football, which at one time included breaking a Guinness World Record for the loudest sports stadium back in 2013, during a Monday Night football game with New Orleans where the noise from the home crowd reached 137.6 decibels.

For the road team, this can make hearing the play call difficult in the huddle, and for the offensive line specifically, it hampers their ability to communicate protections pre-snap and can even make hearing the quarterback’s cadence difficult.

Struggles in this area could lead to pressures once the ball is snapped or pre-snap penalties, which the offensive line had issues with through the first half of the season, putting the offense behind the sticks and making them one-dimensional, and plays into the hands of the Seattle defense.

“It can be difficult,” said Rhyan about hearing Love in loud environments, “but the thing is being with Jordan as long as you catch something when the cadence starts, you have a pretty good idea of when we’re going to go. So as long we just catch one part, we’re going to be okay, but if we can’t catch any of it, then we’re going to have to be reactionary.”

Lining up across from the Packers’ offensive linemen will be the aforementioned Williams. On the season, Williams has recorded 40 pressures, seven sacks, and a pick-six against the New York Jets. Those 40 pressures rank 11th among all defensive tackles, with Williams also having the ninth-best run-blocking grade from PFF.

Seattle will move Williams up and down the defensive front and he’s a player that the Packers have to know where he’s always located. As a unit, the Seahawks have generated the 11th-highest pressure rate this season.

“He’s having a monster year,” said Matt LaFleur of Williams. “I mean, shoot, the Jets game, he overtook that game and he’s got that capability, so he’s a guy that you better understand who you’re going against and what he’s capable of doing and we’re gonna have to do a great job of playing with great fundamentals, pad level and making sure we have a plan for him on every play.”

However, if there is an area where the Seattle defense has been susceptible, it’s in the run game, surrendering 4.7 yards per carry this season–the eighth-highest mark in football. Couple that with this being a defense that’s good at getting after the quarterback and features an aggressive secondary that’s been among the best in yards per pass attempt allowed and in ball production, and that’s a recipe for a more Josh Jacobs-centric game–at least to start.

As Tucker Kraft has described before, when the Packers are able to lean on Jacobs and the run game, as they did against San Francisco and Miami, it opens up the entire playbook for the offense.

When an offense is operating from short down-and-distances, really any play can be called in those situations and the defense has to be prepared for that, which can spread them out and it takes away some of the bit from a potent pass rush or a press-heavy secondary, thus leading to opportunities in the passing game.

We saw this effect on display against Miami, who is another defense that has done well to prevent explosive passing plays this season. Through the first half, we saw Green Bay lean on the run game and those short to intermediate throws. Then as the Miami defense started to creep up to better defend those plays, Love connected with Christian Watson down the right sideline for an explosive play.

“They rely a lot on their guys that they have up front,” said Jacobs of the Seattle defense. “You know, their DBs are not really afraid to hit, come up and hit. So, I think that’s a testament to how they’re coached and how they’re being trained over there.

“They’re very ball aware that I’ve noticed just on film. So, for me, just trying to run with the same determination that I’ve been running with. Try to come out there and just put my stamp on the game.”

Depending on how the NFC West shakes out, along with the rest of the playoff seeding in the NFC, this might not be the only time that Green Bay travels to Seattle this season. The Seahawks are trying to fend off the Rams for the division title, so this will be another playoff-like atmosphere for the Packers to compete in.

Behind any success or failure in football, there are numerous factors that determine the outcome of a game or even a single play. But how the Packers’ offensive line handles the noise in Seattle and Leonard Williams will play an important role in determining what kind of success the offense as a whole has on Sunday night.

“The mindset is this is a playoff game,” said Xavier McKinney. “It’s like any other mindset, any other game, we’ve got to go in focused and ready to play. Obviously the atmosphere they provide is pretty crazy. I played there once before, I know how loud it can get and I know their fans are crazy, crazy loud in that way.

“They’ve got a really good team, so it’s going to be a challenge for us going in there for a road game, tough team, playoff opponent team, so that’s the mindset that we’re carrying into it.”

Opponents continuing to attack Packers’ pass defense over the middle

Paul Bretl | 12/13/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Over the last two games, the Packers middle of the field pass defense has been picked on by Miami and Detroit, a trend that could potentially continue against Seattle without proper adjustments made.

In Week 13, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa finished the game against Green Bay completing 37-of-46 passes for 365 yards with two touchdowns. Over the middle specifically, Tagovailoa attacked that part of the field, with 28 of his completions coming between the numbers, along with 300 of his passing yards.

This past week against the Lions, Jared Goff completed 32-of-41 passes overall for 283 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Between the numbers, he completed 23 passes for 214 of his yards with all three touchdowns coming in that part of the field, according to PFF.

“Just getting your depth,” said Isaiah McDuffie on defending the middle of the field. “Getting a good run-pass read and if you’re a hook player, be in the window for if there’s digs or anything coming that way. Just being there and doing your job. That’s the key to this thing.”

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Now, as always, there is context to this, with Tagovailoa putting up a lot of his numbers in the second half against Green Bay, who, at that point, was playing with a multi-score lead and trying not to give up a quick score.

However, Miami, as well as Detroit, both found success utilizing screens against the Packers’ defense. And when it came to the Lions’ game, a key part in the screen game’s success was when offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dialed several of them up, in situations where the Packers were sending pressure in an effort to get after Goff, leaving them out of position and at a numbers disadvantage.

If you look around the NFL, it’s not only the Packers who are struggling to defend screens. As Jeff Hafley described on Thursday, some of the most explosive plays on a weekly basis throughout the league are coming from screen plays, which means other offenses will likely look to incorporate them into their gameplans moving forward.

“They’re around the league a lot right now,” said Hafley of screens. “So we tried to get better at them going from Miami to Detroit. Was it good enough? No, so I’ll tell you it wasn’t good enough but I thought it was better than it was against Miami because some of those were worse, right?

“So then we looked at them again in the time that we had, and we tweaked some calls, and there’s some new things we’re going to try to do to continue to improve on them. When you get good players in space, you get those linemen out there so quickly, and it’s tough. To be honest with you, in that last game, there was a couple where Kenny was retracing, and he was right there, except he’s chasing a guy and all of a sudden Gibbs puts his foot in the ground, and we need more guys there. So t hat’s what we’re going to have to try to do. That’s definitely not easy, but we need to coach it better, and I think we have a better plan this week, and we need to execute it better.”

There is also the cat-and-mouse game that unfolds over the course of a football game, where the offense is trying to identify where the zones, or holes in a defense are going to be on a given play, and the defense is trying to disguise what they are doing from a coverage standpoint and where those zones might show up. More often than not, Goff and the Lions were able to find those soft spots in the Green Bay defense.

“It depends what zones we’re in,” Hafley said. “Are we in Cover-3 zone or are we in Cover-2 zone or are we in quarter-quarter-half or are we in quarters? I mean each zone we play there’s going to be certain voids. So if you are in three deep usually teams are going to try to get behind your hook players or they’re going to try to throw the ball in front of your corners or find the zone between your flat defender and your curl defender. If you’re in a Tampa 2 zone the void is usually that 5-yard are in front of the Mike where the Mike’s running the middle of the field.

“So when you mix up zones, you’re forcing them to try to find that area and usually when you do play zone defense, if you watch around the league or anywhere else, that 5 yards, usually there’s no one standing under there unless you drop eight. I think you’re seeing a lot of that and then a lot of balls thrown behind the line of scrimmage.”

Stressing the Packers’ middle of the field coverage defense is not having Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker, with him being sidelined the last three games with a hamstring injury. Although still navigating the ups and downs that come with making the jump from college to the NFL, Cooper had seen his playing time steadily increase each week prior to the injury.

Cooper has returned to practice this week in a limited capacity the first two days, and is hopeful that he can be back on the field against Seattle.

“It means a lot,” said Cooper about being back at practice. “It’s been a long, long three weeks. I’m just ready to go out there and just play as hard as I can and make plays.”

Without Cooper, the Packers have leaned much more heavily on Isaiah McDuffie, who is more of a run defender at the linebacker position than a coverage defender. That role more so suits Eric Wilson, yet it’s been McDuffie who has seen the majority of the playing time next to Quay Walker and Tagovailoa and Goff have honed in on him.

In the last two games alone, McDuffie has been targeted 23 times, surrendering 20 receptions for 209 yards with one pass breakup. While also shorthanded at cornerback, the Packers want to make sure that they aren’t giving up big plays over the top, having McKinney, or the safety position in general, provide additional help over the middle on those short to intermediate passing routes is something Hafley may have to explore. But with anything, there can be a downside to that, which in this instance is leaving Green Bay exposed on the back end against DK Metcalf, who has the most downfield targets in football this season.

“That’s something that we’ve looked at and I’ve talked to Haf about and we’ve had conversations about,” said McKinney about playing closer to the line of scrimmage. “I’m going to get more involved just trying to, obviously I know kinda what the deal is now, just got to find ways to put myself in these situations so I can get involved in these games or have effects in the games because I know that if I’m deep, there’s probably not much going to happen too much. So just getting more involved with the game, being in the low zones and just doing things to get going early.”

Awaiting the Packers’ defense this week is a Seattle offense that features a potent passing game, led by Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the aforementioned Metcalf at receiver. Quarterback Geno Smith is also one to attack the middle of the field, with 207 of his 466 pass attempts coming between the numbers, including 155 of those 27 attempts being within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

From the slot, Smith-Njigba is heavily targeted over the middle of the field and Seattle also gets both of their running backs involved often in the passing game. Kenneth Walker–whose status for Sunday’s game is up in the air due to an injury–and Zach Charbonnet rank fourth and fifth on the team in targets with 83 between the two of them.

“They do a great job,” said Matt LaFleur of the Seattle running backs in the passing game. “They use ’em a lot in the screen game and I think both those backs are elite-level backs. They’re both starters in this league, no doubt about it, so we’re gonna have to do a great job in regards to not only the run game obviously but also the pass game.”

As we often hear, the NFL is a copycat league–if your opponent sees a weakness on film, they are going to put together a gameplan to continue attacking it. And right now, the Packers’ defense has to show that they can combat the screen game and defend the middle of the field. Otherwise offenses, particularly this Seattle one, are going to continue to hone in on those elements until Green Bay proves they can stop it.

With Kenny Clark leading the way, Packers’ run defense operating at high level

Paul Bretl | 12/12/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As we saw in last Thursday’s loss to Detroit, the Packers’ defense still has progress to make. But in recent weeks, and against some dynamic running backs, the Green Bay run defense has been playing at a high level.

“I think the fundamentals and technique, I think understanding the system and then I think the play style,” said Jeff Hafley on the play of the run defense. “I think we’re playing harder and harder each week and that’s how you play good defense. We talk about takeaways, we talk about effort, we talk about fundamentals and technique.”

Following a performance out of the bye week where the Packers’ defense struggled to contain Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams, this group has rebounded in a big way over the last three games. In Week 12, the Packers held San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey to just 31 rushing yards at 2.8 yards per carry. The following game, Miami’s De’Von Achane averaged only 2.0 yards per rush, totaling 14 yards on the ground.

Helping the Packers’ defense out in those games was the Green Bay offense jumping out to fairly quick multi-score leads, which does hurt the opponent’s ability to rely on the run game. However, in this most recent game against Detroit, the Packers’ defense didn’t have the luxury of playing with a lead, yet they were still able to contain the dynamic duo that is David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

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Combined, Montgomery and Gibbs would rush for 94 yards, but it took 29 total carries to get there. Montgomery averaged a modest 3.6 yards per rush and Gibbs 2.9 yards, with each recording just one rush of 10-plus yards and neither reaching the 15 yard mark.

“Just execution,” said Isaiah McDuffie of the run defense. “Guys doing their job, you know, doing your 1/11th and that’s what it takes in the run game–being physical.”

Over those three games, that’s a grand total of 2.8 yards per carry surrendered by Green Bay and accomplished against some of the NFL’s best running backs.

Success for the run defense takes a collective effort from all 11 players, but it begins with the play of the interior defensive line and the ability of those players to generate a steady push up the middle, getting off blocks efficiently, and maintaining gap integrity.

“Our D-line’s doing such a good job of staying square, using their hands, getting off blocks,” said Hafley. “Guys aren’t just running up the field.

“The interior part of our D-line has done such a good job these last few games. They really have. They’re hard to block. They’re staying in their gaps. They’re tearing off of blocks.”

Leading that charge inside is TJ Slaton, who defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich said recently was the most improved defensive lineman on the team over the last six weeks, along with Kenny Clark, who as he often does, is hitting his stride in the latter portion of the season.

While the production from Clark through the first half of the season wasn’t necessarily at a level that is expected from a player of his caliber, it is important to note that Clark is one of the more heavily double-teamed interior defensive linemen in football. At one point this season, he was double-teamed on nearly 60 percent of his snaps, according to PFF.

But consistent disruption will eventually lead to disruption, and that is what we are really starting to see from Clark in recent weeks against the run. Over the last three games, Clark ranks sixth among all defensive linemen in PFF’s run-stop rate metric–generating a steady push up the middle and making plays on the ball carriers.

“I think Kenny’s playing some really good football right now,” Matt LaFleur said on Wednesday, “and that’s going to be pivotal for us moving forward. I mean, you need your best players to play their best in order for you to have the best chance of winning games. And I think that’s what we’re seeing from him.”

A key factor in Clark’s recent surge is that he’s healthy after dealing with a toe injury for much of the season–an injury he sustained in Week 1 against Philadelphia and has been fighting through since.

“Honestly, just getting healthy and continuing to stack more days,” said Clark of his play. “So, just got to keep doing that man, just keep building. Yeah, just keep on building.”

A strong run defense may begin with the defensive tackle position, but it also requires disciplined play from the defensive ends, specifically setting the edge in order to funnel the ball carrier back inside so he cannot get to the boundary.

The improved play at the linebacker position in recent weeks has been a critical factor as well, with that group filling gaps, fighting through blocks, and getting sideline-to-sideline to contain outside runs. The members of the secondary have also been rallying to the football, and overall, the tackling from this Packers’ defense has been very sound.

“It’s the same thing with those defensive ends,” Hafley added. “They’re setting edges, they’re forcing the ball back inside, they’re getting off blocks and then we’re tackling and we’re running to the ball and there’s multiple people to the ball and when you turn on our tape right now and when you freeze it, you see that. You see a lot of guys around the football. and then you’re not afraid.

“If I have an open-field tackle and i know eight other guys are coming, I’m gonna take my shot because I know if I miss, it’s gonna be bang, bang, bang, we got three or four other guys there and we’re starting to play faster.”

Although the Packers’ run defense may be playing its best football right now, this unit has improved significantly overall in the first year under Hafley. Green Bay will enter Week 15, allowing only 4.1 yards per carry–the seventh-best mark this season–and are seventh in run-stop rate, according to ESPN.

Winning at the line of scrimmage and slowing an opponent’s run game can often be a precursor to good defensive performance. Limiting the run game can put the offense behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations where the defense now has the advantage from a coverage standpoint in those long down-and-distances and the pass rush is then able to pin its ears back.

This week the Packers face a Seattle offense that features two of the game’s most productive receivers, but a run game averaging 4.1 yards per rush on the season–the ninth-lowest mark. The Seahawks’ offensive line unit ranks 28th in ESPN’s run-block win rate metric.

However, just last week against Arizona, we saw Zach Charbonnet rush for 134 yards at a whopping 6.1 yards per attempt. Lead back Kenneth Walker is also among the best at forcing missed tackles–ranking second in that category–while quarterback Geno Smith has the ability to extend plays.

“He’s a big back that can really roll and he can do, he’s a multi-dimensional guy,” LaFleur said of Charbonnet. “He’s another guy that we studied extensively and really liked coming out of the draft. He was given more of an opportunity last week, so I think he’s fully capable. They’ve got two elite backs.”

If the Packers are unable to carry the momentum that they’ve established against the run over the last several weeks into this game, pairing that element with the Seahawks’ potent passing game will prove difficult to stop.

“I give the guys a lot of credit because the last couple teams we played can really run the football,” Hafley said. “If we’re going to continue to improve and get better and win games, we’ve got to be able to stop the run.”

TE Luke Musgrave returns to practice, giving Packers’ offense a new element in late-season push

Paul Bretl | 12/12/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Tight end Luke Musgrave returned to the practice on Wednesday and has been desiganted to return from injured reserve, potentially providing the Packers’ offense with a boost during this stretch run of the season.

With this being Musgrave’s first practice back in a few months, he was listed as limited–going through warmups with the team but then working off to the side on individual drills for the remainder of practice.

“Really good,” said Musgrave about being back at practice. “Been watching practice and that’s always the hardest part, so it’s good just to put the pads back on and a helmet and get back out there and join the guys again.”

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Once a player is designated to return from IR, a 21-day window opens for that player to be activated back to the 53-man roster. After being activated, that player is then available on Sundays to play. The activation can take place at any time, whether it be Day 1 or Day 21; it’s all dependent upon the player’s health.

“Feeling good,” Musgrave said. “Still getting back into it, still working into the ankle, but body feels good. Been in the weight room a lot, so it’s been really good.”

Musgrave hasn’t played since the Packers’ Week 4 matchup against Minnesota. Musgrave would say that on one of the first plays of that game, his left ankle would get twisted up and then fallen on. However, despite the injury, Musgrave would go on to play 25 snaps in that game and catching three passes for 13 yards.

Musgrave would be on the injury report the following week but was active for the Packers’ Week 5 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, something that Matt LaFleur did not expect, given the injury. Musgrave would be in a reserve role that game and didn’t play any snaps. He was then placed on IR a few days later.

“I mean, pain’s never really been a huge limiting factor for me,” said Musgrave about playing through the Vikings’ game. “We spatted it and it was all right, so I just kinda kept on going. It felt odd, but I thought I was going to be fine.”

Musgrave would go on to say that he suffered a torn ligament and that his ankle was “really loose. Surgery was required and was completed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Throughout this time on injured reserve, Musgrave remained involved by going to meetings, watching film, and just being around the building, as he put it, not to mention the heavy-dose of rehab he’s been doing to get back to this point. However, while all of that was helpful and necessary, not being able to be on the practice field or on the field on Sundays wasn’t easy.

“I think the tough moment is always going back to practice,” Musgrave said. “Those first few weeks after surgery you’re just in the rehab room but once you go back out to practice and watch practice, that’s always tough because you really see what you’re missing out on.”

So how did Musgrave overcome those difficult times when all he could do was rehab and watch practice? Find little goals and focus on accomplishing them as quickly as possible.

“I think the best moments are when your body’s able to do what you know it can do. So I think like hitting a top speed, you’ve got to find little goals, so for me it was like hitting 20 miles an hour, that was a big goal for me. So just kinda those little goals, getting back and getting your body back.”

Musgrave’s return to the practice field on Wednesday was the “target date,” said LaFleur, adding that Musgrave has done a nice job with the rehab process. After missing so much time, Musgrave will be integrated back into practice and the team will see how quickly he can get back up to speed.

Without Musgrave, we’ve seen the continued emergence of Tucker Kraft, who along with his contributions in the passing game and as a blocker, has helped foster a more physical mindset and approach within the Packers’ offense. Ben Sims and John FitzPatrick have then primarily helped handle some of the blocking responsibilities that come at the tight end position.

“Been awesome, fun to watch this team,” said Musgrave of the tight end room. “Obviously you guys know, really powerful team, so excited to see what we’re gonna do and be a part of it.”

Prior to the injury, it was a slow start to the season for Musgrave. Through four games, he caught 5-of-7 passes for only 22 yards. But at 6-6, 253 pounds and with 4.6 speed, he brings a different element to the Packers’ offense. While Kraft offers big-play potential at the tight end position through his yards after the catch ability, Musgrave can stretch the field vertically and be a difficult matchup with his combination of size and speed.

The attention that Musgrave draws and the gravity he has can also help create opportunities for others within the offense through the spacing and matchups he orchestrates.

“It’s been awesome to see Luke,” said Jordan Love. “He was out there in pads and what not doing some individual stuff today. It was great to see him back here. Obviously, had a tough injury, didn’t know when he was going to be back, if it would be this week or not. It’s definitely nice to see him back out there.

“Hopefully we can get him back for the end of the season and for playoffs and what not, so it’s awesome to have a guy like that back out there.”

While individually, Musgrave and Kraft can offer a lot to this Packers’ offense, being on the field together is what could open up additional opportunities for this unit. Unfortunately, through nearly two NFL seasons together, that’s not something we’ve seen a lot of up to this point, particularly when both are at the height of their powers.

Early in 2023, when both Musgrave and Kraft were healthy, Kraft’s role on offense was fairly small. A kidney injury in Week 11 of that season to Musgrave would sideline him until Week 18, and it was during that span of games where we saw the emergence of Kraft. Then this season, the duo has only been on the field together for four games.

The Packers, under LaFleur, utilize 12 personnel–or two tight end sets–at a relatively high rate. In terms of their skill-sets, Kraft and Musgrave each bring a different element to the Packers’ offense. Musgrave with his elite speed at the position, can stretch the field as we saw last season, with 16 percent of his targets coming 20-plus yards downfield–the fifth-highest rate of any tight end. Kraft, meanwhile, is excellent after the catch with the ball in his hands, currently ranking fourth among all tight ends in total YAC this season.

However, while both can impact the passing game in different ways, the Packers believe that both are also more than capable blockers, and it’s those two elements when coupled together that can help unlock an offense’s full potential.

For LaFleur as the play-caller, having two tight ends who can impact both the running and passing games helps open up the playbook for him, allowing the Packers to get much more creative, particularly from 12 personnel, when both tight ends are on field.

“The more we have, the more options, the better we’re going to be,” Christian Watson said of Musgrave’s return. “So, excited for him to get back out there, whenever he does.”

Having one tight end, but especially two, who can make plays in the passing game and be a capable as a blocker further adds the unpredictability element to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up. There are also the mismatches Kraft and Musgrave can create with their abilities to line up across the formation.

This then forces defenses to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing and more room for the offense to operate in.

When LaFleur took over as the head coach we often heard him use the phrase the ‘illusion of complexity,’ which versatile tight ends help enhance. The combination of Kraft and Musgrave allows the Packers to run a number of plays from just a few personnel packages and like-plays–or plays that begin similarly but end up being different–that build off each other throughout the game.

All of this creates mismatches for not only Kraft and Musgrave to exploit, but helps open up opportunities for others within the offense, and generally speaking, is an added stressor for opponents, keeping the defense guessing and off-balanced.

“It would be big time,” said Love of having both Kraft and Musgrave together. “I think the last time we had it was really during training camp, having both those guys out there. And it definitely changes the plays we call and some of the formations we have and personnel groupings. But to have both those guys out on the field, those are two really good tight ends.

“So I think it definitely changes the way we can call some plays and things like that. It’s been tough not having Luke out there so to get him back healthy and back out on the field would be big-time.”

With Musgrave back at practice and the 21-day window to be activated open, the presumption is that he will make his return in the next few weeks. But as far as a specific timeline for that, it’s just as soon as possible. At which point, Musgrave will be ready for whatever role the team needs him to fill.

“Whatever they want me to,” said Musgrave on what he can contribute. “Whatever they see fit. That’s the coaches’ job, so whatever they see me doing, I’m willing to do.”

Packers’ short-handed secondary faces for Seattle’s potent passing attack

Paul Bretl | 12/13/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers are again going to find themselves short-handed in the secondary with a potent Seattle passing game awaiting them this week.

The good news is that on Friday, Matt LaFleur did say that Evan Williams had cleared concussion protocol, so one would expect him to be available on Sunday night.

However, Javon Bullard, who LaFleur called “week-to-week” on Monday after he exited the Detroit game with an ankle injury, did not practice at all this week and will be ruled out. In addition to not having Bullard, Jaire Alexander will be out as well. While Alexander had been a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday, he was held out of Friday’s practice.

Alexander was not hitting the required speeds on the practice field that the Packers wanted to see and LaFleur also added that he wanted to avoid another situation like the team had against Chicago, where Alexander exited after a few plays, leaving the Packers’ short on defenders on the back end.

“There’s certain requirements to get out there and go play,” Matt LaFleur said on Friday. “Certain speeds and whatnot, when you’re not hitting them, you’re not ready to play.”

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Since before the draft, the Packers have remained confident in the cornerback position, sentiments that GM Brian Gutekunst echoed again during the bye week last month, and in their secondary depth as a whole. However, the results on the field, particularly from the cornerback position without Alexander have been mixed, to say the least.

Awaiting the Packers’ secondary this week is a Seattle passing attack led by the three-headed monster at wide receiver, which features Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett. Together, this trio can stress opposing defenses at all levels of the field.

Smith-Njigba, who primarily lines up from the slot and has 99 targets this season, has been one of the most productive receivers in football, totaling the fifth most receiving yards with 911 and has generated the sixth-most yards after the catch of any receiver.

“He can run,” said McKinney of Smith-Njigba. “He makes some really high-difficulty catches, and he gets open. I think those are the biggest things for him really.”

Metcalf has 90 targets of his own with no receiver in football being targeted on downfield passes more than him. Metcalf is averaging 15.0 yards per catch and totaled 812 receiving yards. Lockett, meanwhile, has been an efficient target, catching 70% of his passes for 511 yards.

Without Bullard in this game, that would likely mean that Keisean Nixon will be moved from the boundary to the slot to match up with Smith-Njigba. From there, with Alexander out, Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine will handle the boundary responsibilities when Green Bay is in nickel, and then Williams will be next to McKinney at safety.

“For sure,” said Eric Stokes when asked if it’s difficult to not chase the big play. “But the one thing that my coaches always taught me is don’t go chasing for plays. The plays will find you. Just go ahead and continue to stick to your rules, continue to do everything that you can do, and everything else is just going to fall into place.”

The Packers will enter Week 15 ranked 17th in yards per pass attempt allowed. The issue hasn’t been that they’ve been giving up a lot of explosive plays through the air, but instead it’s the lack of ball production and relatively high completion rates without Alexander on the field.

Despite what some may not want to hear, Nixon has provided some stability at the boundary cornerback position, giving up fewer than 10.0 yards per catch this season. While he may not be someone you want as your top cornerback option–which he has had to be in recent weeks–he can be a steady No. 2, particularly with some added help over the top from the safety position with Alexander’s presence providing more flexibility to move defenders around on the back-end.

“I think he’s taken his game up another level,” LaFleur said of Nixon, “in terms of every year, he’s a guy that’s shown the ability and has gotten better and more consistent in his football in terms of him going out there and performing. So Kei is a guy that we’ve got a lot of confidence in, and he’s shown the versatility to play not on the inside, but to go out on the outside. And not everybody can do that.”

However, having said that, while surrendering only 9.6 yards per catch and limiting the pass-catcher’s YAC is good in a vacuum, the completion rate of 67% is hurting the defense. Even Eric Stokes, who has been picked on by opposing quarterbacks, is allowing just 10.8 yards per catch this season with a completion rate of 66%. Valentine has only two games where he’s giving up more than 12.5 yards per catch–which again, on its own won’t drastically hurt a defense. But he’s allowing receptions on 71% of his targets.

As a defense, if we take away McKinney’s seven interceptions, the rest of the Packers’ defense has only five. Green Bay has also totaled the third-fewest pass deflections this season. On their own, completions of 10 or 11 yards won’t dismantle a defense, but when those type of plays are being given up consistently, it allows the opposing offense to pick up first downs, stay on the field, and put themselves into positions to put up points. That’s where the issue lies for the Packers’ secondary.

Naturally, when Alexander is on the field, this group performs much better. Alexander has surrendered a completion rate of just 56 percent this season with two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and a passer rating when targeted of just 79.9. His presence then has a ripple effect through the gameplan, including what the duties of other members of the secondary are and where additional help can be provided.

“When Ja is healthy, he’s one of the best corners in our league,” said Hafley on Thursday. “Week in and week out, when you’re playing against some premier players, sometimes it’s helpful to have a premier player to have out there with him. So if he’s available, that would be great. If he’s not, I say this with complete confidence in all the other players we have, I’m confident that they’ll go out and we’ll compete and continue to play better and play good defense.”

The Packers up-and-down pass rush will have to play a pivotal role in this game by helping their secondary out and getting after quarterback Geno Smith. Green Bay will enter this game ranked 26th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate, with the Seattle offensive line ranking 22nd in pass-block win rate, having given up the ninth most sacks this season. It’s a matchup that one unit has to win, and whoever does, may give their team the upper hand.

Pressure on Smith could lead to mistakes and turnover opportunities. He will enter Week 15 having thrown the third-most interceptions this season. But it also means less time in coverage for the Packers’ secondary.

However, on the flip side, time in the pocket is going to put the Green Bay cornerbacks in some difficult positions. Over the last three games, Smith has been efficient, completing 72% of his throws at 7.5 yards per attempt with three touchdowns to just one interception.

“He’s a dangerous quarterback,” LaFleur said of Smith. “Obviously he’s one of the top passers in the league right now and he can beat you with his legs, as well, if you give him the opportunity.

“I think he’s got a lot of talented receivers and tight ends to throw to and you add in the two backs and their offense is just, it’s improved throughout the course of the year, and he’s a big reason for that, just his level to go out there and play consistent football.”

Even with a fully healthy defensive back room, the Seattle receivers can present a difficult test for any secondary, but the magnitude of the challenge will be much greater with the Packers now down two of their starting cornerbacks.

Zayne Anderson embraces ‘next man up’ mentality when Packers call upon him vs Lions

Paul Bretl | 12/10/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Dealing with injuries at the safety position against Detroit on Thursday, the Packers went off-script, and called upon Zayne Anderson to fill in next to Xavier McKinney.

“I thought Zayne did a really good job,” said Jeff Hafley. “I don’t say that so enthusiastically just to talk. I really think he did a good job. He’s been a special teams guy who’s done a really good job on special teams. He’s a tough kid. He plays hard. He studies it.

“You could tell the first drive he was in – and this isn’t a knock on him — this is just me being honest, the first drive he was in, you could tell he was a little uneasy and he was a little anxious but as the game went on, he played the game fast and he was physical and he had a couple really good hits. Some of the communication and some the stuff we’re asking him to do in that game is not easy and he did a really good job with it.”

Evan Williams would exit the game in the first half, and following halftime, he was ruled out with a concussion. Rather than moving Javon Bullard from the nickel to safety, the Packers opted to keep Bullard in the slot and Keisean Nixon on the boundary.

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If you recall, Williams also exited the Packers’ game against Jacksonville earlier this season as well. In that contest, Green Bay would move Bullard from the nickel to safety, where he would take some lumps.

A few days later, when speaking with the media, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley described how difficult of a transition that move from the slot to safety can be in the middle of a game, especially for a rookie who hadn’t taken any safety reps in practice that week.

My guess is that wanting to maintain as much continuity as possible in the secondary was the catalyst behind the decision to go with Anderson, but most importantly, the team was confident that he could handle what was being added to his plate.

“It’s next man up mentality,” Anderson said at his locker. “Coaches do a great job of preparing everybody for when their number’s called. I got on the phone with R.D., our safeties coach, and he’s like, ‘You’re ready. Let’s go. You prepared for this. Let’s go out and let it rock.’ So, we did just that.”

Anderson played 53 snaps against Detroit, most of which came as the free safety. He would make all three of his tackle attempts, according to PFF, and wasn’t targeted at all in coverage.

“It’s nothing that I didn’t expect,” said Xavier McKinney of Anderson’s performance. “I expected it from him. I know how he prepares. I know how he comes to work every day. He’s the same guy every day. He’s always locked in. even when we do walkthroughs, he’s always behind me making sure he’s always getting the mental rep part of it. So when he gets in the game, I know that there’s not going to be any falloff.”

One of those tackles came at a pivotal point, with Detroit facing a 3rd-and-1 at the Green Bay 21-yard line with 1:27 left in the game. Jared Goff would hand the ball off to David Montgomery, who was met at the line of scrimmage by Anderson, who fought his way through blockers and into the backfield, forcing a fourth-down play.

“Haf called a great call for us. Just go out and executed it. We needed a big stop there. It was third-and-inches and make a play.”

This is now Anderson’s second season with the Packers and he’s played only 75 total defensive snaps during that span. Over his four-year career, he’s played a total of just 82 defensive snaps.

“It’s what you work for,” said Anderson. “It’s been a long time coming. When the opportunity comes, you gotta take advantage of it. Tried to put my best foot forward. Like I said, some things to clean up. There’s some plays out there and move forward.”

Instead, it’s been special teams that have been Anderson’s bread and butter. This season specifically, Anderson has played 221 special teams snaps, the second-most on the team, contributing regularly across four different phases. His nine tackles are the most on this Packers team by a wide margin and are tied for the fourth-most in the NFL.

Next up for the Packers is a Sunday night matchup with Seattle, and at least at this stage of the week, there are injury unknowns in the secondary. As of Monday, LaFleur said that Williams was still in concussion protocol, while he called Bullard, who exited the game late with an ankle injury, “week to week.”

So depending on Williams’ status in particular, the Packers may have to call on Anderson once again this week.

“It’s just every week, and all the guys in the safety room overprepare,” said Anderson about his preparation each week. “Like I said, you never know when your number is gonna be called. It could be fourth or fifth on the depth chart and you have to prepare like you’re the starter. When the opportunity comes, it’s not shake. It’s just go.”

Intent, focus and harnessed aggression key elements in unlocking elusive consistency for Packers

Paul Bretl | 12/10/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With four games left in the season, the Packers are positioned well, sitting at 9-4 on the season, even if their hopes for an NFC North title have been all but dashed. But one of the things that they are chasing in these final weeks of the regular season is consistency, particularly against some of the game’s best teams.

If you felt good about the Packers going into their Week 14 matchup with Detroit–which I’ll assume you did, considering they had won 7-of-8 games–you should still feel that way after despite the loss. This is a good Packers team, but right now, the Lions are better.

“We’ve found a way to win a lot of games,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday. “So I don’t want to like discredit that, but I think when you’re playing against one of the premier teams in the league, you better be your best. So we just got to be better in those situations.”

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Another slow start against a very good team put the Packers in an early deficit, something that not many of Detroit’s opponents have been able to overcome. On the first three possessions, the Green Bay offense ran a combined 10 plays, with two of the drives ending in punts and the third a fumble.

The Lions would also come through in those must-have-it third and fourth-down situations while the Packers struggled to stay on the field. Green Bay would finish just 1-for-5 on third downs, while the Lions were 7-for-15 and 4-of-5 on fourth downs.

“We kind of went through the game recap today and just playing consistent football,” LaFleur said “I think there was a lot of opportunities in that game where we had advantages that we didn’t capitalize on.

“And I think it all always comes back to just doing the little things the right way, playing with great leverage, playing with great eyes, using your hands, all the all the core fundamentals that are essential to allowing you to go out and do your job at a high level. We’ve got to be more consistent. You got to be dialed in.”

The obvious trickle-down effect of this is that Green Bay was forced to punt while the Detroit offense extended drives, allowing them to put up points, control the time of possession by almost 13 minutes, and run 31 more plays on offense. Against the NFL’s highest-scoring offense, that is never going to be a recipe for success, and what it forces the Packers’ offense to be is extremely efficient. With limited opportunities, there is little margin for error, which to Green Bay’s credit, specifically in the second-half, they were extremely efficient on Thursday.

Against other top-flight opponents, we’ve seen similar issues from the Packers. The first time they played the Lions, Detroit jumped out to a 24-3 lead, with Green Bay converting just 3-of-12 third downs and going 1-for-4 in the red zone. Minnesota would take a 28-7 lead into halftime with the Packers finishing the game 4-of-12 on third downs, although they did capitalize in the red zone.

As we heard LaFleur say when meeting with the Green Bay media on Monday, most games are decided by just a few plays. However, you never know when those pivotal plays are going to emerge during the course of a game. Although the Lions won on a last-second field goal, earlier in the game, they converted two fourth-downs into touchdowns, and again, the offense found itself in an early 10-0 hole, sparked by offensive line struggles and a fumble.

Those are just a few examples of plays throughout the game that ended up carrying some weight in the outcome. Ultimately, it’s consistency, down in and down out and from series to series that will help tilt those pivotal moments in the Packers’ favor.

“I’d say last game was a check for us because we had guys playing with – myself included – playing with aggression but not necessarily the best technique,” said Tucker Kraft on Monday. “There’s a few times where I went in full head of steam, trying to hit a guy but my angles were off and I wasn’t staying connected on my block. That’s the difference between tackle on the line of scrimmage vs. a 6, 8, explosive play.”

Aggression can be great if harnessed correctly, but how is that accomplished?

“Just intent and focus before each play,” Kraft added. “Taking a breath from the last one. Before I leave this locker room, every play I give myself a talk. I’m going to listen to Jordan in the huddle, I’m going to watch his lips, I’m going to know the cadence. I’m going to run every route like the ball’s coming to me. I’m going to block every block like I’m the point of attack. It’s just important to have intent before each play.”

GM Brian Gutekunst would mention during the bye week that it’s important to be peaking at the right time, particularly when the playoffs roll around. We saw the benefit of this last season when, on paper, the Packers were 9-8 and the seventh seed in the NFC but were operating as one of the better teams in football.

The Packers are still striving to find that stride, and a big part of that equation will be their consistency in all three phases over a 60-minute game. A positive step in that direction on the offensive side of the ball was the emergence of the passing game against Detroit.

In previous weeks it had been the run game that provided the offense with a spark, but when that element was limited, the aerial attack provided the juice, which is when this Green Bay offense becomes truly difficult to defend, when an efficient yet still explosive passing game is paired with Josh Jacobs and the run game.

“Going forward, I think we’re going to take each game one game at a time, one play at a time,” said Kraft. “This next storm of games, we’re going to be locked in. We’re going to be energized, we’re going to bring that juice, we’re going to be locked into our technique, our assignment, our alignment. If we win the line of scrimmage, we win each game.”

As I mentioned at the start of all this–this is a good, maybe even really good, Packers team. But what they have to showcase still is that they should be considered among the few Super Bowl contenders. However, as we saw in 2023, what you are in Week 14 doesn’t mean that’s what kind of team you will be come the playoffs, and in order for Green Bay to get to where they want to go, it starts with consistency, particularly against the NFL’s best.

And while that may be the ultimate goal, you also aren’t going to catch the Packers looking ahead either. It’s the focus on the day-to-day details that is going to put them in a position to accomplish much grander goals.

“We still got to take care of business,” LaFleur said. A”nd I think every one of these games, like I told our team, is, it’s not going to be easy. Every one of these games is, I mean, it’s towards the end of the season, so people are going to be clawing and fighting for every game, and it starts this week in Seattle, against a team that is fighting to control their own destiny within their division.

“So there’s a lot of ball in front of us, and we’ve got to continue to make sure that we look no further than what is right in front of us, and take that day by day approach, because that gives you your best opportunity to go out there and Sunday night and play your best ball. So if we look any further than that, then you get your ass kicked in this league.”

Christian Watson providing steady big play presence for Packers’ offense but there’s more out there for him

Paul Bretl | 12/9/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Since the Packers returned from their bye in Week 11 against Chicago, Christian Watson has been a steady big-play presence for the passing game, but there still remains more for him in this offense.

“You could see it in practice the last month or so,” said Adam Stenavich of Watson, “just him really getting into his stride and making a lot of big plays. He has that ability to just be the game-changing force…Everyone loves Christian, they respect his work ethic, how he’s a pro every single day so when guys like that really shine, I think it really picks everyone up.”

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In that stretch of four games, Watson has caught 10-of-16 passes for 331 yards at a whopping 33.1 yards per catch. This includes eclipsing the 100-yard mark twice, along with receptions of 60 yards, 46 yards, and 59 yards. That 59-yard reception, in particular, not only got the Packers back into the game against Detroit with a touchdown being scored a few plays later, but it played a pivotal role in providing the passing game with a second-half spark.

As I’m sure you can imagine, if you pick a receiving category during this span of games, Watson has been among the most productive receivers in football.

Overall, Watson has had a steady season. He’s caught 61 percent of his passes, is averaging 21.7 yards per catch, and has two touchdowns, not to mention that he continues to block relentlessly in the run game. A real area of improvement for Watson in 2024 is his success on contested catch opportunities, hauling in 69.2% of those types of passes compared to just 33.3% in last season.

“Christian’s been steady man,” said Matt LaFleur prior to the 49ers’ game. “He shows up with the same approach each and every day. He’s a team first guy, which certainly all appreciate. And you know, when he gets his opportunities, he maximized them. So I was really proud of his effort, but I feel like he approaches the game the right way. The same mentality, just shows up and works and gives his best effort every time he gets out there.”

In the midst of these recent big play performances, Watson did fumble against Detroit and dropped a downfield pass that likely would have been a touchdown against San Francisco before half–two plays that Watson was the first to admit cannot happen–but those blunders have been outliers for him this season. PFF has credited Watson with only one drop this season, while that fumble was his first in his three NFL seasons.

“Just trying to do too much,” said Watson of his fumble. “I gotta protect the ball. The ball is the most important thing. Come back and had the ball out too loose. Just gotta protect the ball.”

Watson’s obvious impact within the Green Bay offense comes as a downfield threat as we’ve seen in recent weeks. His combination of size and speed makes him difficult matchup for opposing defenses.

However, Watson’s impact goes far beyond that important downfield element that he brings to the table. Not only deep, but Watson can win at all levels of the field, with his speed and route running ability helping to create separation on those short to intermediate routes, which then have the potential to be turned into big gains as we saw late versus Chicago on a 60-yard catch and run over the middle. In fact, of Watson’s 43 targets this season, only 10 have come 20-plus yards downfield.

Even when the ball isn’t coming Watson’s way, he’s still impacting the game. With that speed he possesses, he has a gravity about him that attracts the attention of defenders, which can open up opportunities for other pass catchers, whether that be through one-on-ones or the spacing underneath Watson helps create.

Or, in short, defenses often have to defend the Packers differently when Watson is on the field versus when he isn’t.

“I can’t say enough about him,” said Matt LaFleur after the Chicago game. “Obviously, not everything has gone his way here, but he is a resilient dude. He shows up to work every day, right mentality, great work ethic. I love the guy. I love being around him.”

The challenge for Matt LaFleur, and it’s a good on to have, is making sure that Watson is routinely targeted in the passing game and on the field in those must-have-it situations, such as on third downs and in the red zone. There were several red zone plays against the Bears where Watson was on the sidelines. Whether as a potential target or a presence that defense’s have to certainly be aware of, he needs to be on the field in those key moments of a game.

With all of the options that the Packers have in the passing game between the other receivers and Tucker Kraft, along with Josh Jacobs’ presence in the run game, the opportunities week-to-week for Watson can be sporadic. I mean, we are coming off a game against Detroit where Jayden Reed had one target and no receptions.

Yet even with Watson’s recent surge and more passes coming his way in recent weeks, he still ranks fifth on the team in targets this season. But Watson remains unaffected by that. His demeanor and how he goes about his business on a daily basis does not change. He recognizes there are areas where he can improve in as well, and has reached a point in his still young career where he is comfortable with who he is, his game, and how he operates that he knows he will be rewarded down the road.

“You get what you put in,” said Watson. “I think at the end of the day, from a money standpoint when it comes to getting paid and a stat standpoint, I know that in the long run that I’m going to get what I deserve out of this game in terms of what I’m going to put into it. You don’t always see those results immediately. Sometimes, you’ve got to see the results with a different lens in terms of what you’re getting out of it, but it’s not as specific as you think. I just know that when I look back, whenever I’m done with this game, I know I’m going to have got what I deserve out of it.”

Ultimately, what the opponent does and the gameplan LaFleur puts together to best attack a defense is going to dictate where the ball goes. And in an NFL landscape where we are seeing more Cover-2 to eliminate downfield attempts, that can take away a crucial element where Watson can thrive. However, having said that, as we’ve discussed, that isn’t the only way he can leave his mark on the game, and each week there should be concerted efforts to get the ball into his hands.

Now, if the defense defends it correctly, that doesn’t mean Jordan Love should recklessly force the ball to him, but play-design-wise, there should be opportunities for Watson to get involved each week, which as of late, there have been. When Watson has the ball, good things–specifically big plays–often ensue.

“It was either last week or two weeks ago,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable coming out of the bye week, “I said to Christian, ‘Man, you’ve been getting open and we’ve got to find a way to get you the ball.’ I was like, it’s part of my job when you’re open to continue to find ways.”

Packers’ passing game takes its turn to provide the spark vs Lions

Paul Bretl | 12/6/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Josh Jacobs and the run game has been the catalyst for the Packers’ offense in recent games. Matt LaFleur had leaned heavily into that element against San Francisco and Miami, and it paid off by playing a key role in the offense’s red zone and on third down success during that two-game stretch.

However, the Detroit Lions, who are riddled with injuries within their front seven, weren’t going to let that happen. Their gameplan was clear: do not let Jacobs and the Packers’ run game get going.

Jacobs would finish the game carrying the ball 18 times–it’s not as if LaFleur abandoned the run by any means–but totaled just 66 yards, averaging only 3.7 yards per attempt. It certainly wasn’t the most crisp performance overall from the Packers’ offensive line, but the Lions didn’t make it easy either, oftentimes loading the box with the goal being to contain Jacobs.

According to NFL NextGen Stats, on Jacobs’ 18 carries, nine of them came against a loaded box. Jacobs would do his best to make the most of those opportunities forcing seven missed tackles with 48 of his 66 total yards coming after contact. But the results weren’t there. In addition to averaging under 4.0 yards per attempt, Jacobs had just one rush of 10-plus yards in this game.

“They’re a good football team that’s going to challenge you,” Matt LaFleur said of the Lions’ defense. “We knew that. They’re going to play a ton of man coverage, load the box. Those yards that our runners were able to get today were hard-earned yards. But that’s the style of play that they have, and it’s tough to go against. You’ve got to be really good. It forces you to make a lot of plays.”

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So, for the Packers’ offense, the pendulum had to swing back in the other direction toward the passing game. It was a slow start, to say the least, for this unit. Love finished the first half with only 31 yards through the air, and on Green Bay’s lone touchdown drive in the first half 10 of the 12 plays were rushes.

In part, it took some time for the offense to settle in. A big no-no against the Lions is getting off to a slow start, which the Packers did, running 10 total plays on their first three possessions, resulting in two punts and a fumble. From the jump, the offense, in particular, looked out of sync with the timing just not right.

Not helping the matter was that the Lions’ interior front was generating a steady push against Green Bay’s offensive line. This was particularly impressive when you consider all the injuries that the Lions are dealing with along their defensive front. Detroit also blitzed Jordan Love heavily, sending pressures on 15 of his dropbacks.

“Obviously didn’t start fast enough,” said Jordan Love post-game. “I think didn’t convert on those third downs, those crucial third downs early on and that’s something we’ve been trying to focus on the past couple of weeks and I think it’s something we’ve been better at but any time you can’t stay on the field right there, it’s not going to be good.”

But coming out of halftime, Love and the passing game began to find its groove. It started on the opening drive of the third quarter with a 59 yard completion to Christian Watson that led to a touchdown. The Packers then capitalized on a Detroit turnover with another quick score. Green Bay’s third touchdown of the half was set up by a fourth-down stop by the defense and a 21 yard catch and run to Tucker Kraft.

“We just needed something,” said Watson of his 59 yard catch. “We knew we were getting the leverage that we wanted to for it all game. It’s really something we knew we were going to get to eventually and we finally got the look for it.”

Overall, Love was 12-of-20 passing for 206 yards, however, in that second half, he was 9-for-13 for 175 yards at a hefty 13.5 yards per attempt with four completions of 20-plus yards. Watson finished the game with 114 yards on four receptions, Kraft continued to provide a YAC-heavy presence with 41 yards of his own with a score, while Dontayvion Wicks had his most steady performance in some time, catching four of his five targets for 49 yards.

As is their brand of ball, the Lions play aggressively on the back end of their defense, bringing a physical and man coverage-centric approach to the secondary. Once the Packers’ offensive line quite leaking oil, and Love had time, those one-on-one matchups are frequently going to favor Green Bay.

In fact, I think we could all agree that Dan Campbell’s decision to go for it on fourth down in the final minute was made because he didn’t want to give Love and the Packers’ offense the ball back.

“I felt like we got a rhythm,” said Josh Myers about the second half. “It felt like we hadn’t really found a rhythm (early on). We found ourselves early in some third and longs, passing situations where they were able to do what they like to do. So just gotta do a better job staying out of those early on and then when we are in them we’ve got to do a better job picking them up.”

Ultimately, while the Packers put themselves in a position to win the game in the second half, they came up short. In back-and-forth matchups such as this one, oftentimes, it is only a handful of plays that end up determining the outcome of a game. And in this instance, those crucial, game-deciding plays came on third and fourth downs, where Green Bay struggled to stay on the field while Detroit was extremely efficient.

But having said that, in previous games where it was the run game that provided the offense with a spark and helped create opportunities for the passing game, in this contest, it was the Packers’ passing game that lifted the entire unit.

While Green Bay’s aerial attack battled inconsistency for much of the first half of the season, with a healthy Love under center, this element is hitting its stride, which should allow LaFleur to lean more heavily into it, depending on what the gameplan calls for. This is where the Packers’ offense truly becomes its most dangerous with defenses having to essentially pick their poison–commit to slowing Jacobs and leave yourself short-handed in the secondary or provide addition help to the cornerbacks but now be lighter in the front seven.

I feel like we’re a very good offense,” added Love. “A very explosive offense and there’s going to be games where you’ve got to put up a lot of points and I think it just goes to show how dialed in you’ve got to be all game — how you’ve got to be able to start fast and execute early on and be able to put up those points that we weren’t putting up in that first half. So, second half, I liked the way we responded, but it just wasn’t good enough.”