Paul Bretl | 10/19/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Not unlike the Packers, the Houston Texans’ offense has a variety of ways to hurt opposing defenses. If a defense prioritizes stopping the run, CJ Stroud and his pass catchers will take advantage of matchups. If a defense provides additional help on the back end, running back Joe Mixon will happily run against a lighter front.

To a degree, if your the Packers defense, you pick your poison and live with the results.

“It’s one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL with a good running game, a good quarterback and a good coach,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. “This is going to be a great challenge for us and we’re excited for that.”

The Houston offense will enter Sunday’s game averaging the fifth-most yards per game at just over 375, and that unit puts up those kind of numbers both on the ground and through the air.

Leading the offense is Stroud, who has emerged over the last year as one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. On the season, he’s completed 68 percent of his throws at 7.6 yards per pass with 10 touchdowns to four interceptions. Among all quarterbacks, Stroud is ninth in completion rate and fifth in passing yards with 1,576.

However, going beyond the numbers, what makes Stroud so difficult to defend and gameplan for is that he’s comfortable in just about every situation. He will make the pre-snap adjustments, he’ll push the ball downfield when the opportunity is there or he is perfectly fine taking what the defense gives him. Stroud’s comfortable under pressure, he can make plays outside of the pocket, and can take off when needed.

That well-rounded ability allows Stroud to have an answer for just about whatever it is that defenses throw at him.

“He’s smart,” said safety Javon Bullard. “Very smart. Feel like that’s one of his best attributes, being able to ID things pre-snap. I feel like intelligence is one of his biggest characteristics on the football field. But other than that, he’s just a great football player. He’s a guy that can hurt you with his legs if need be. He has a great arm. He can make all the throws on the field. So it’s going to be a great matchup for when he comes into Lambeau, for sure.”

For the second game, however, the Texans’ passing game will be missing a key presence with wide receiver Nico Collins on injured reserve. Collins has been the big play threat in the Houston offense, averaging almost 18.0 yards per catch through five games. Earlier in the week, Matt LaFleur would call Collins one of the best receivers in football.

Although it was just a one-game sample size, last week’s performance from the Texans’ passing game was modest without Collins in the mix against New England. Stroud finished the game 20-of-31 passing for 192 yards at 6.2 yards per attempt with three scores and an interception.

Even with Collins on the field, Stroud would spread the ball around, with four different players having at least 30 targets on the season. Meaning that if an opponent became overly committed to taking away Collins, the ball would go elsewhere, whether that be to Stefon Diggs, Dalton Schultz, or Tank Dell, and the Texans’ offense could still burn you. Finding a way to limit one or even two players doesn’t mean that the defense has contained the Houston offense.

With that said, all three of those other pass catchers are averaging under 10.0 yards per catch on the season. Diggs and Dell both rank in the bottom half in average depth of target as well at the receiver position. So there is a different dynamic when it comes to defending Houston without Collins, as it can allow the defense to shrink the field by playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Where Collins made his biggest impact were on those intermediate routes from 10-19 yards from the line of scrimmage and with his YAC ability.

This, of course, isn’t a full-proof approach by any means–that doesn’t exist against Houston–as it is still going to leave members of the secondary in some one-on-one situations against some very good pass-catchers. However, when it comes to picking your poison, perhaps the Packers’ emphasis should be on trying to contain Mixon and the Houston run game and taking their chances at times in the secondary against the Collins-less passing game.

Mixon returned from injury last week and made an immediate impact, averaging a hefty 7.8 yards per rush on 13 carries. Mixon is a physical runner and one that is difficult to bring down.

“He’s still playing at an elite level,” said LaFleur. “You could see a difference last week when he’s back in action. He’s a guy that we haven’t gone up against too many times. I know a couple of years ago we played him in Cincinnati. Just he’s a really physical runner. There’s nothing he can’t do. He’s a load. He’s a threat in the passing game. He’s a great pass protector.

“I just think he’s a complete back, a guy that we’ve always kind of admired from afar, just watching how he runs. He definitely made a difference last week. He had a couple explosion runs. There was one in the passing game as well. I think their offense takes on a different complexion when he’s in the game.”

Against the run this season, the Packers have had mixed results, but are coming off a very good performance against a dynamic Arizona offense this past week. While it won’t be easy, finding a way to at least limit Mixon can have a negative trickle-down effect to the rest of the offense. The impact on containing the run is that it will put Houston behind the sticks and in obvious passing situations, which will give the Packers defense–both in the trenches and on the back end–the advantage.

On the flip side, if Mixon is able to get going and can regularly put the Texans in short down-and-distance situations, now Houston is the one with the upper hand. At that point, the ability to marry the run with the passing game will open up opportunities through the air for Houston and force the Packers to defend the entire field, which can result in more one-on-one matchups for the offense along with more space to operate in.

Having to defend all the playmakers and Stroud is already a difficult enough challenge. Having to do that while not knowing if it’s a run or a pass coming your way feels nearly impossible.

“I think Mixon’s a really good player, a violent runner, strong, sees it well,” said Hafley. “Big-play, explosive guy. That’s the one thing when you turn on their tape, they’re No. 1 in explosive passes. And then when he’s in the game, there’s the explosive-run element because he can go. I think both backs are really good players, the line’s good and, obviously, they have really good receivers.”

Complementary football will go a long way in this matchup as well. While the Green Bay offense will have its own challenges against a very good Houston defense, contributing to the Packers’ success versus the Cardinals run defense was that they held an early lead. As the game progressed, this forced Arizona to become more pass-heavy and one-dimensional–which, again, is a position all defenses want to find themselves in.

As we’ve seen from the Hafley defense, and one of the most encouraging aspects of it, is that there isn’t any one size fits all gameplan. Sure, perhaps early on the emphasis will be to limit Mixon, but that could change as the game unfolds depending on the score and given situation in that moment. As the game ebbs and flows, so will the Packers’ defensive approach.

“I think it’s about adapting,” Hafley said. “I’ve said this since I got here, it’s not like, ‘Hey, here’s the playbook. This is in. Go run the defense.’ It’s each week, what did we look like? What do we look like when they watch us on tape? What can we do a little bit different to counter that? What do we do really well? Let’s do more of it, make it look different.

“And then as we start to see certain players do certain things, how can we best use them to improve? We have to keep getting better. That’s the whole key to this whole entire thing as we go.”

Paul Bretl | 10/18/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With tight end Luke Musgrave being placed on injured reserve late last week, the Packers needed to bolster their tight end depth on the 53-man roster and did so by plucking John FitzPatrick off of the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.

“I like it a lot,” said FitzPatrick at his locker on Thursday. “Ben, Tuck, Beck and Messiah, we’re having a great time and with J.D. (John Dunn), he sets a good standard for the room and what he wants us to be at every single day, has us prepared. So I’m enjoying my time in the room.

FitzPatrick was on the practice field last Friday for the first time, but obviously was inactive for the Packers’ Week 6 game with the Arizona Cardinals having just arrived and still trying to get somewhat acclimated to his new team and a new playbook–one that, by Matt LaFleur’s own account, is quite robust.

Like several other members of this Packers team, FitzPatrick played his college ball at Georgia, which has helped with the transition. FitzPatrick, Quay Walker, and Javon Bullard all sit close to each other in team meetings.

An imposing figure at 6-7 – 250 pounds, FitzPatrick was often asked to be a blocker when on the field for the offense. During his final season in 2021, FitzPatrick ranked third out of 80 eligible tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade metric. The season before that, he ranked third as well.

“I think Georgia a big thing is if you’re willing to block, you’re going to find your way onto the field, and that’s what I learned early from some older guys in the room,” said FitzPatrick. “From there, just really honed in on that and wanted to get on the field, obviously, so I honed in on that and it created some opportunities for me.

“I’m never going to say I’m great at blocking or it’s my strong suit. I’m working on it every single day. There’s always something you can be better at within a block, specifically, or just any type of block.”

Although FitzPatrick wasn’t asked to impact the passing game often in college, that doesn’t mean that he won’t have the ability to with the Packers. In his final two seasons at Georgia, FitzPatrick caught 16-of-30 passes for 178 yards, which included averaging 13.8 yards per catch in 2021. He also scored one touchdown.

What FitzPatrick brings to the Packers team is someone with a well-rounded skill-set who has he gets accustomed to the Packers playbook, will provide a steady presence when called upon.

“A guy that can do it all,” said college teammate Javon Bullard. “A guy that is not afraid to stick his face in the run game. A guy that is reliable in the passing game. Just a guy that is going to do his job to the best of his ability. A guy that you can count on for minimal mistakes. A guy that doesn’t make too many mistakes.”

FitzPatrick was a sixth-round selection by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 and has spent his entire career there up until this point. He hadn’t played any regular season snaps in 2024, but played 18 on offense in 2023, along with 83 snaps on special teams, most of which came on the kick return and punt coverage units.

Although in that 2022 draft it didn’t work out, the Packers did have interest in FitzPatrick at that time during the pre-draft process, having him in for an official 30 visit.

“When I was here two years ago, I think it was a different facility but some similar people,” FitzPatrick said. “I had met with coach Dunn and some of the other people here. I just remember going around the facility meeting new people – players not so much because I think it was April or May when I came.”

If FitzPatrick is called upon this Sunday, he said he’s ready for whatever role the coaches ask him to fill. Similarly to Ben Sims, who was a late addition to the team in 2023, FitzPatrick is likely learning the playbook on a weekly basis based on what the specific gameplan calls for, rather than diving into the entire thing at once.

In the early going, FitzPatrick may be asked to fill a role similar to Andrew Beck, who had been elevated from the practice squad for the last two weeks, with Musgrave not playing. Against Arizona, Beck played seven snaps on offense, five of which came as a blocker, along with another five snaps on special teams.

However, as FitzPatrick gets more comfortable with the offense and what he’s being asked to do, early impressions from the practice field are that he could take on a larger role as he progresses.

“He looked good,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “Very intelligent guy in the meeting room. But he runs well, he catches well. I think it’s only going to be a matter of time before he gets a bigger role in our offense for sure.”

Paul Bretl | 10/17/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Something will have to give on Sunday with the Packers’ offense coming off its best performance of the season against Arizona, taking on one of the stingiest defenses in football in the Houston Texans.

“I’m just starting to get into them now,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday, “but it’s one of the, just statistically, just looking at the numbers one of the top ranked defenses in the league right now. I think they’re top-five in most of the categories, so it will be a great challenge for us.”

Houston’s success on defense often begins with the play of their defensive front, where they’ve been one of the most disruptive units in football. In terms of pressure rate of the quarterback, the Texans enter Week 7 ranked 10th in that category. They are also fifth in sacks and rank fourth by ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric.

Leading the way for this Houston front are edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, both of whom rank in the top 10 among their position group in total pressures generated this season. Along the interior, Tim Settle and Mario Edwards also rank in the top 30 in pressures among all defensive tackles.

“What strikes me is their style of play, how hard and fast they get off the ball,” added LaFleur. “Will Anderson, he’s a force. They’ve got (Danielle) Hunter there now, but collectively as a unit I think the whole D-line does a great job.”

The trickle-down effect of having a disruptive pass rush is the impact that then has on the passing game. Constantly putting the quarterback under pressure disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play, leading to errant throws and mistakes. On the year, the 5.4 yards per pass attempt the Houston secondary is surrendering is the fourth-lowest in football.

Just two weeks ago, Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen was just 9-for-30 passing against the Texans, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Other quarterbacks haven’t fared much better. Trevor Lawrence was 18-for-33 for 173 yards, Sam Darnold was 17-for-28 for 181 yards, and Caleb Williams was 23-for-37 for 174 yards passing against Houston.

“They are definitely a very good defense, I think all around,” said Jordan Love on Wednesday. “They got very good players everywhere, so I think it all starts up front. They got a really good D-line, some good edge rushers and yeah I mean coverages, everything, the back end is very good. DBs are good. Linebackers are good, so I think they’re a solid team all around.”

Now, it’s not as if the Packers’ offense is going to be a walk in the park for this Texans’ defense. As we saw against Arizona, being able to pair the run game with the passing game as the Packers did in that matchup, along with spreading the ball around to numerous pass catchers, is going to stress any defense and leave many coordinators wondering as they put the game-plan together, what do I try to take away?

It’s also important to note that the Texans secondary will be without two starting members of their secondary, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Jimmie Ward, according to Aaron Wilson. Those are key losses for Houston that the Packers passing game could potentially exploit.

With that said, there is still that aforementioned Texans’ pass rush to contend with and becoming one-dimensional and pass-heavy likely isn’t a path the Packers want to venture down.

Against a Cardinals defense that went into last Sunday’s game trying to take away the Packers run game, Green Bay was still able to rush for 179 yards as a team, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, picking up “tough, muddy” yards on the ground, as LaFleur put it.

The ability to move the ball on the ground this week once again will be paramount, even if those yards aren’t coming easy. The offense falling behind the sticks and finding themselves in predictable passing situations will put that unit at a disadvantage against the Houston pass rush that will be able to pin its ears back in those situations and a defense that, as a whole, flies around and plays a physical brand of football.

As the Packers struggled to find consistency on offense in the previous two games against Los Angeles and Minnesota, in many instances, it was issues on early downs that then led to them being in long down-and-distance situations, which oftentimes, were too big of holes to overcome, resulting in a very boom-or-bust offense that either generated a big play and scored or had a short possession and punted. While big plays are great and can lead to points, that all-or-nothing approach likely won’t end well against the Texans’ defense.

So, while all eyes naturally will fall on Love and his crew of dynamic skill position players, the Packers’ ability in the trenches to carve out some running lanes along with keeping Love clean will still be important factors for this Green Bay offense, even if there may be added opportunities to attack the Houston secondary.

“They’re both getting better and they both work at it,” said offensive line coach Luke Butkus about Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker. “In practice, they work their butts off. We’ve got a challenge with these two rushers this week. They’re going to continue to fight and we’re always going to harp fundamentals. That’s what this position is about. 

“So, we can constantly get better and keep improving by using our fundamentals, our sets, our pad level, our hands and our footwork, and those guys are professionals. They’re going to keep working at it and keep battling every day.”

We often hear about complementary football in the sense of how the offense, defense, and special teams units work together. But against a heavy-weight opponent like the Texans, playing complementary ball within the scope of the offense will be crucial as well. This means marrying the run and pass games together and not becoming over-reliant on one over the other. It also includes spreading the ball around so the Texans have to defend the entire field, along with matching Houston’s intensity.

“They play very fast, very physical, very sound,” added LaFleur. “I think their play style is one of the best, if not the best in the league. Just when you watch ‘em, so, it’s going to be a great challenge. They do a really, really good job…And I think you look at the talent they’ve assembled, I think they’ve done a great job getting a lot of really good football players. They play extremely well together. You can tell it’s a cohesive unit. Everybody’s playing as one.”

Paul Bretl | 10/16/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Back on the field for the Packers on Sunday in their win over Arizona, was rookie offensive lineman Jordan Morgan who, like any young player returning from injury, had some rust to shake off.

“It went well,” said Morgan at his locker after the game. “A lot of rust I’ve got to shake off after missing a few weeks, then going back out there. You expect to make some mistakes, but at the same time, you’ve got to do your job.”

While Sean Rhyan held down the right guard position during the three games that Morgan missed as he worked his way back from a shoulder injury, on Sunday, Morgan was thrown right back into the rotation. Rhyan would play 40 offensive snaps against the Cardinals and Morgan 38.

Of those 38 total snaps from Morgan, 19 came in pass protection, where he allowed just one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. And while PFF’s grading system is not the be-all-end-all by any means, Morgan’s run-blocking grade of 48.9 in this contest reflects the part of his game where the most improvement is needed.

“(He’s) gotta keep working in the run game,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich last Thursday. “I think that’s going to be a big thing for him to take the next step. So we just gotta keep him moving along, keep him improving, but I’m excited about him.”

Up to this point in his short career, not only has Morgan been navigating the learning curve that comes with making the leap from college to the NFL, but he’s also been working through a position change as well. Morgan spent just about every collegiate snap at Arizona playing left tackle, and now with the Packers he’s at right guard–a totally new position along with being on the opposite side of the line.

“You’ve got to be in a three-point stance a lot more,” said Morgan during training camp about the move from tackle to guard. “Everything happens quicker. You’ve got to get your hands on people quicker.”

Then what about the move from the left side of the offensive line to the right side?

“I’d say just technique,” Morgan added over the summer. “I mean, the footwork and the hand placement. I’m used to punching with my left then getting out there and having to punch with my right. It’s so different and you’ve got to get used to the timing and pick up everything quicker.”

As a former tackle with quick feet, that part of Morgan’s game has helped him with the transition inside. Although working from a more confined space now, Morgan’s footwork, as he put it, allows him to mirror the defensive tackles well as they try to move laterally. He also gives the Packers the added element of pulling him to get him out in space.

Being injured forced Morgan to hit the pause button on his development as the focus then turned to getting healthy, but in those first few games, Stenavich mentioned a noticeable improvement in Morgan’s fundamentals at the guard position, particularly in his hand usage.

As Morgan navigates these anticipated ups and downs that comes with a young player making a position change, has stood out clearly to the coaching staff is his potential. The Packers believe that Morgan can become a really good guard. So although Rhyan had put together to of the better performances that he’s had in his career while Morgan was sidelined, there was no hesitation about getting Morgan back in the mix.

“Jordan I think his potential is extremely high,” Stenavich said. “I think he’s going to be a very good player. So it would be foolish of us not to try and push that along as quickly as possible, and the only way to really do that is to get him out there playing.”

Perhaps the most important aspect right now to Morgan’s growth are the live reps–both in practice and in games. It’s one thing as a player to know the playbook and your responsibilities, it’s a totally different thing to be able to go and execute it in real time. Over the last few weeks, that was a big part of Morgan’s development that was missing.

“There were some good things,” said Matt LaFleur of Morgan’s play on Sunday. “I think there’s a lot he needs to clean up. He looks like a guy who hasn’t played football for a while. That’s just part of it. He’s a young player. He’s only going to get better. So I think it’s still important to get him in there, but yeah, there’s certainly some room for improvement.”

Paul Bretl | 10/15/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As he’s done since arriving in Green Bay this offseason, Packers’ rookie safety Evan Williams continues to put himself around the football and again came up with a few key plays in the team’s win over Arizona.

“Like I said during camp,” said Jaire Alexander after the game, “you seen him making plays all camp. He was getting after the ball. He was attacking the ball, probably had one of the most production points out of the secondary, so I mean it’s no secret. He practices like that and it shows up in the game.”

Alexander has also previously compared Williams to former Packers’ safety Micah Hyde because of his ball-hawking mentality and regular presence around the football.

The first big play from Sunday’s game came in the second quarter with the Cardinals’ offense facing a third-and-one. Williams came down from the safety position and showed blitz from the right side of the defensive alignment.

When the ball was snapped, quarterback Kyler Murray ran a read-option, but Williams didn’t get overly aggressive and pursue the running back who was running up the middle. Instead, he kept his focus on Murray–who kept the ball–and then made the open field tackle on one of the game’s more elusive players, forcing Arizona to punt.

“I figured, because of the situation, it was third-and-1 and K hadn’t really gotten anything going,” said Williams of the play. “He hadn’t been able to make a play with his feet yet, so I’d assume that he’s probably eager to make something happen. I know I’m coming off the edge and I know there’s a possibility of read-option where he’s reading me.

“I figured a guy like that would want the ball in his hands on that third down. Didn’t really do anything but did my job. He pulled it, I was in a great spot, had level feet – they say when you get your shoulders parallel to the sideline, bad things happen in read-option – and he pulled it, tried to make a move and I stayed squared and was able to make that play.”

Although the Packers were up 17-0 at this time, this proved to be an important play given the sequence that followed. On the Cardinals’ ensuing punt, Keisean Nixon returned it 39 yards and then on the first play from the offense, Jordan Love connected with Christian Watson for a 44-yard score. After the game, LaFleur called this sequence a big turning point in the game.

Then late in the third quarter, down 13-34, the Cardinals found themselves inside Packers’ territory–attempting to make a late push. On a pass from Murray to Greg Dortch that turned into a 16 yard gain following some YAC, Williams made a textbook punch out, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Alexander.

Williams found himself in a good position and knew he had help around him to bring Dortch to the ground if his strike didn’t land–so he went for the big play.

“I was squared up,” said Williams of the play. “He was kind of just running down the center of my helmet, so knew that had a couple guys that were hitting him already and that I was gonna have a good chance to punch the ball out and we teach that, as they fall, the ball gets a little separated form the body and yeah, just try to stick my face right through the ball and it popped out. Ja with the recovery and got to celebrate with the guys.”

Again, in a bit of a timeshare with fellow rookie safety Javon Bullard–who played 54 snaps–Williams was on the field for 38 snaps on Sunday. In total, he made three tackles and allowed one completion in coverage for only nine yards.

The Packers found different ways to get Williams on the field. In some instances, when Williams was in the game, we would see Bullard lined up in the nickel and then there were times when it was Nixon who was in the nickel while Bullard was out for those few plays. There were also some snaps where Williams was on the field next to Xavier McKinney when the Packers were lined up in their base 4-3 defense.

However, almost regardless of the personnel grouping around Williams when he was out there, the Packers had him filling the all-important deep safety role in Jeff Hafley’s defense.

“He just does a great job,” said Matt LaFleur. “I think it’s a credit to him. He’s a smart football player, and that’s something that we saw in him and our scouting staff saw in him coming out of the draft. He’s a really intelligent guy that has great instincts and awareness, and can take the plan and go out there and execute it.”

Those qualities that LaFleur mentioned have been used to describe Williams since the team drafted him back in April. At that time, long-time scout Sam Seale described Williams has smart, instinctive, and someone who is always around the football.

Those qualities were on display for the duration of training camp, with Williams recording a handful of interceptions in practice, along with forcing a fumble in the Packers’ preseason opener against Cleveland. And now as Williams gains more experience and continues to refine his weekly preparation, not surprisingly, those big plays are translating over to the regular season.

“He’s a very intelligent player, he’s a very intelligent person,” said Jeff Hafley last Thursday. “I think one of the biggest things he’s done to put himself in the situation that he’s in now and having a bigger role is he’s starting to learn how to study the game more and he’s starting to understand how serious you need to take it because when those opportunities come you have to be ready for it.”

The Packers have a luxury in the secondary with all of the talent and versatility that they have. This provides Hafley an abundance of options when it comes to putting the game-plan together, however, finding playing time for everyone can be a challenge as well.

But with how well Williams is playing and the high-impact plays he’s making, he’s in-store for only more playing time moving forward. It’ll be up to Hafley to find a way to make that happen.

“Absolutely,” said Williams when asked how he keeps making plays. “I don’t know how to answer that other than it’s my job to be around the ball. It’s definitely something I take pride in. I feel like when you run to the ball, good things happen.

“We have a saying that, our linebackers coach, his name’s Campanile so we say, ‘Campy 3:16 is God loves those who run to the ball.’ That’s something we definitely carry. I feel like safeties, you’re in a good spot up high to see the whole picture. When you run to the ball, good things happen. I’ll give it up to the scheme for me being in good spots to make plays.”