Packers pass rush needs to rebound after sub-standard performance

Paul Bretl | 10/3/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Already a quarter of the way through the 2024 NFL season, one thing became abundantly clear following the Packers performance this past Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings: they need more from their pass rush unit.

“It wasn’t up to our standard, no doubt about it,” said Matt LaFleur the day after the game. “Give them (Minnesota) credit. I do think they have a good offensive line, in particular their tackles are pretty good, but I thought collectively as a unit, they did a really nice job.”

The Vikings’ pass-blockers on Sunday were credited with allowing just eight pressures on 33 Sam Darnold dropbacks, according to PFF. For some context, a pressure rate of 24.4 percent over the first four games of the season would rank as the second-lowest mark for a quarterback.

For the most part, the big pressures that the Packers were able to generate in that game, which included a sack from Quay Walker to put Minnesota in a third-and-long and a strip sack by Keisean Nixon, were accomplished from blitzing.

“Absolutely,” said Rashan Gary on Sunday when asked if he knew what went wrong. “Especially with the last few games that we put together as a defense. Everybody being in the right spots, everybody communicating the right way. We just gotta go back, watch the plays that hit us, come back in on Monday make sure we on top of our stuff, making sure every gap that got it or any pass that got catch that we correct it.”

Overall, the Packers’ team pressure rate of 24.2 percent ranks 20th in the NFL through four weeks. Their 13 sacks are the ninth-most, however, eight of them came against Tennessee, meaning the defense has generated only five over the other three games. Right now, bolstering the Packers overall figures is a dominant showing against the Titans, coupled with three other lack-luster performances.

In part, we can look at the circumstances surrounding the Packers’ early pass rush inconsistencies. In the first two weeks against Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson, there was a more controlled pass-rush approach where the emphasis was on keeping both quarterbacks in the pocket. This, to a degree, is going to limit pressure opportunities.

Then against Minnesota, without Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine at cornerback and the defense facing Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, there were a lot of four-man rushes from Green Bay to provide additional help on the back end of the defense. The pass rush was then met by double-teams, tight end chips and help from the running backs.

“I think that’s part of it,” said LaFleur of opponents chipping the Packers’ pass rushers. “Any time you’ve got guys on the perimeter that people are worried about you’re going to get chipped. And I think going back a game, the backs were, when they were doing some of their play action fakes, they were doing a good job internally and basically creating three double teams, you know, in terms of whoever had that one-on-one matchup inside, whether it was Kenny on a guard or a center, the back was nudging him, so you essentially end up with three doubles teams and you have one one-on-one matchup that you’ve got to try to win.”

However, even with all of that being true, at the end of the day the name of the game in football is pressuring the opposing quarterback and the Packers aren’t doing that regularly.

It starts individually where currently no Packers defensive end ranks in the top-70 of PFF’s pass rush win rate metric. None of the Packers defensive tackles rank in the top-45 of their position group in that category either. This includes Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark combining for just one sack and no quarterback hits.

“This past week, as we all know, was not up to our standard and we’ve got to continue to execute it,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich. “We’ve got to get to our basics, our fundamentals and the things that we’ve got to do from, as I’ve said up here before, four equals one.

“We’ve got to rush together as a group. We’ve got to understand that, that each week is going to be different and our expectation is a very high one for this group. So, we’re going to continue to strive for it, we’re going to continue to work for it, and each week’s a new week.”

A cornerstone of Hafley’s defense is the ability to generate pressure by rushing just four down linemen in an attacking style, which then allows the defense to have an additional defender in coverage. However, if the pass rush isn’t able to generate regular pressure, that additional coverage defender doesn’t matter all that much when the secondary has to regularly defender for three or four seconds–that’s just an incredibly disadvantageous spot to be in.

Hafley has thrown different looks at opposing offensive lines, whether it be trying to contain the quarterback, stunts and twists, blitzes, or just go win your matchup-type rushes. So he’s been flexible; it’s not as if he’s running out the same game plan over and over again. However, if the results aren’t there, and there’s a balance to this, but providing the front with more help more often, whether that be schematically to create advantageous matchups or with an additional rusher to help against chips, may have to be on Hafley’s radar.

“I think it goes back and forth,” said Jeff Hafley about Gary dealing with chips. “We gotta move him around and we gotta see how teams are gonna come out and protect against us and then counter that and change things up in the game. If they’re doing one thing to take him away, we gotta find another way to get him involved. And then if they’re gonna try to find ways to take him away, then we have to have our other guys show up or we have to scheme other ways to pressure opposite him and do a lot of things schematically, which I think you guys kinda saw last week.”

This week, the Packers’ pass rush faces the Los Angeles Rams, which on paper, should provide a get-right game for this unit. The Rams offensive line unit is decimated with injuries, resulting in a group that has allowed the third-highest pressure rate, the eight-most sacks, and is 22nd in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric.

A potent pass rush is a cure-all for just about everything defensively. Steady pressure on the quarterback disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play and, of course, can lead to mistakes and turnover opportunities.

There is still a lot of season left, 13 games to be exact, but so far, this attacking front that we heard about and saw throughout training camp hasn’t been on display all that often to begin the regular season.

“I’ll tell you this: It’s a balance of what we’ve got to do,” said LaFleur. “When there’s times to unleash those guys and work those edges, we’ve got to go do that. And there’s other times where we’ve got to be extremely coordinated with the four rushing as one and try to create, whether it’s a pick game or whatever it may be, to try to create a little bit more rush from those four guys.”

Packers RB Emanuel Wilson earning the confidence of those around him, resulting in more snaps

Paul Bretl | 10/3/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Since arriving in Green Bay last offseason, Packers running back Emanuel Wilson has made the most of his opportunities, and as of late, that’s led to a significant increase in his workload.

“I think he’s done a good job and he continues to get better and when given opportunities I think he’s maximized those,” said Adam Stenavich. “So for him it’s just about being consistent down in and down out and making sure you’re doing all the little things on a day to day, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in E.”

With injuries at the running back position to AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd, the conversation around Wilson’s role on this team quickly shifted from wondering if he makes the team as the third running back to being the No. 2 option behind Josh Jacobs with a fairly hefty workload these last few weeks.

After playing 29 snaps combined between Weeks 1 and 2, Wilson played 26 snaps against Tennessee and then 30 against Minnesota. He also went from having 13 combined carries in those first two games to 22 over the last two.

“He’s done a nice job,” said Matt LaFleur. “He’s done a nice job, it’s been fun to witness just his growth and development. I think he’s really grown up over the course of a year. But he’s responded and I’m super proud of just the effort that he’s put in, in terms of how he prepares on a daily basis.

“I think Ben does a great job with that room and it’s exciting to see, because we’ve always said it from day one. The guy’s got everything in his body to be a really good running back in this league and it’s been cool to witness some of that development.”

Wilson went undrafted in 2023 out of Division-II Fort Valley State. After originally signing with the Denver Broncos following the draft, he was released and caught on with the Packers prior to training camp.

Since last preseason, it was evident the dynamic ability that Wilson possessed with the ball in his hands. In the regular season portion of his career, which has consisted of 55 rush attempts at this time, Wilson has averaged 4.7 yards per rush. This includes forcing nine missed tackles, along with five rushes of at least 10 yards and two of at least 15 yards.

Of course, there is always a certain prerequisite as a ball carrier that a running back has to have in order to see playing time. However, earning snaps goes beyond just that aspect of the game. Particularly in the LaFleur offense, the running back’s ability to impact the passing game, both as a pass-catcher and a blocker is a must.

This was an area for Wilson that was a work in progress for him–as is the case for most young running backs. However, Wilson’s increased role goes beyond there being a need at the running back position due to injuries, he’s earned the trust and confidence of the coaching staff that he can hold when asked to fill that passing game role.

“Really just playing fast,” said Wilson. “Just learning the offense the best way I can. You know, during the offseason I took time to actually study and understand the playbook and understand my role of playing. Really just being fast and being more physical.”

Wilson is currently the fourth highest-graded pass-blocking running back by PFF’s metrics. In the passing game, he’s caught 4-of-5 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, including a 30-yard screen that he took to the end zone against Tennessee.

“Absolutely,” said LaFleur when asked if he trusted Wilson in the passing game. “He’s done a nice job, he had another great one in this last game where they brought pressure inside and he stepped up and stoned the backer and that’s what we’re talking about is just all the little things that you can do, it’s not just about running 18 or 19 or inside zone or whatever it is it’s every component to playing that position from pass protection to being able to catch a screen and taking it to the house.”

Next up for Wilson and the Packers offense is a matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, who have struggled to stop the run. Through four games, Rams’ opponents are averaging 5.0 yards per attempt, which is tied for the fourth-most in football. The 12 rushes of 10-plus yards ranks 11th this season and the six rushes of at least 20 yards are tied for the third-most.

Last week, against a Bears’ offense that entered Week 4 ranked 31st in yards per rush, the Rams allowed D’Andre Swift to rush for 93 yards at 5.8 yards per attempt. Given the matchup, along with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs being out, this could be a more run-centric game plan from Green Bay.

Although Jacobs has shown that he can handle a heavy workload, over the course of a long NFL season, being mindful of the lead back’s carries and touches is something that every NFL team is mindful of. This then puts an added emphasis on having a dependable secondary option for offenses to lean on, which Wilson is showing that he can be, regardless of what the role is.

“Definitely,” said Jordan Love about Wilson continuing to have a big role. “He’s stepped up so much. Like you said, starting with preseason last year and just showing what he can do. He’s made the most of the opps he’s got for sure. Now he finds himself getting a lot of carries being right behind Josh, so I think he’s going to keep improving, keep doing what he can do and just building every day and giving the coaches confidence and the players confidence in him, but he’s taking advantage of the opportunities he’s gotten.”

As Jordan Love and Packers offense shake off the rust, is a big day on the horizon?

Paul Bretl | 10/2/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers offense has had moments in the early going this season where they’ve looked incredibly explosive and other times where, oftentimes, self-inflicted mistakes have taken the air out of that unit.

Of course, some of these ups and downs have come from having to navigate not having Jordan Love under center for two weeks and adapting the offensive game-plan to fit Malik Willis on the fly. But even if we exclude Weeks 2 and 3 from this and only focus on the games that Love has played, the offense has still been just off in each of those two games.

As always, there are a myriad of reasons for this. In part, Love was shaking the rust off during that first half against Minnesota, which resulted in some off-target throws–although he did very much begin to find his groove as the game went on.

“I think the biggest thing for me getting back was just continue to get reps, getting the throws back down and the timing of everything,” said Jordan Love at his locker on Wednesday. “So yeah, definitely feel like as the game went on, I started improving, getting back comfortable with the timing and ball placement, things like that, so yeah, getting all those reps and all those throws definitely helped and helps me going forward.”

Not helping the situation is that there have been some dropped passes as well. Currently, the Packers have the fourth-highest drop rate, according to Pro Football Reference.

In addition to all of that, there have been penalties–a lot of penalties. On offense specifically, the Packers have been flagged 22 times, which is the second-most in football through four games. Heading into the Packers Week 4 matchup with Minnesota, Matt LaFleur mentioned that penalties had wiped away two touchdowns and 120-plus yards of offense through the first three games.

“I think No. 1 is you’ve got to be aware of what your issues are,” said LaFleur about the penalties. “Certainly, we’ve had a lot of pre-snap penalties, so, to me, that comes down to the focus and you’ve got to really try to put our guys in uncomfortable situations in practice to make sure they’re dialed in, to make sure that we’re working the cadence the right way on both sides of the ball.

“And then the second part of that is there’s going to be things that happen within a game but you just want to make sure your fundamentals are up to the standard that we need so that guys react the right way so they don’t get out of position to put themselves in a bad position to get called for penalties. I think that’s some of it, as well. There’s a lot that we can do, I think, to help get that corrected.”

However, despite all of that, we’ve also seen a very dynamic offense that for stretches has looked close to unstoppable. The 38 explosive plays that the Packers have generated up to this point are the most in football, and they’ve been accomplishing this both on the ground and through the air.

An explosive run is categorized as a rush of at least 10 yards and the Packers lead the league in that category with 21 of them. Through the air, the Packers have created 17 passing plays of at least 20 yards, which is the second-most. The end result is an offense that ranks sixth in points, third in yards, and second in yards per play, even while being without Love for two games and relying on a run-heavy game plan during his absence.

“We got some players on the team, man,” said Dontayvion Wicks. “We want to work for each other. We want to help each other get big plays like that. We do it in practice. You see it every day. It’s not a surprise to us. We know who we are as an offense. The big plays, we work on them. We work through them.

“Big plays, you see Reed catch. He do that at practice. That’s not just something to just come out and do. We’ve been working through it, working on it. We all trust each other, got that connection and we know we’re going to make those plays.”

Yes, even with all of that total production, it’s also fair to say that, largely due to the reasons already mentioned, things haven’t quite fully clicked for four quarters for the Packers’ offense this season either. This week, however, could provide the Packers with an opportunity to do that.

A potential big catalyst behind that could be the continuity of having Love back at practice this past week, under center Sunday against Minnesota, and then back at practice on Wednesday, and the consistent reps that come along with that. That’s not something that the Packers have really had since before the season began.

“I think that’s a byproduct of not practicing for a couple weeks,” said Matt LaFleur of Love’s ups and downs against the Vikings. “I thought just in our limited practice today he did a really nice job. It looks like he’s just getting back in the groove and like I mentioned the other day, not that we want to throw 50-some odd times in a game, but I thought the more we threw, the better he got, and it’s just kind of working through it.

“It’s hard to go out there when you just don’t have a lot of practice or you have a lot of time off and expect to be at the top of your game. I think it’s a process and I know he’s doing everything in his power and I think he looks better with each and every day.”

This week, the Packers will also be facing a Los Angeles Rams defense that has taken it’s lumps this season. The 28.8 points per game that the Rams are surrendering is the second-most in the NFL. The 5.0 yards per rush being given up ranks 27th and the 8.6 yards per pass attempt is the most.

The bind that the Packers have the ability to put defenses in is–what do you try to take away? If you go heavy and try to limit the run game, that leaves defenses light and exposed on the back end to an explosive passing game. On the flip side, providing the secondary with added help results in lighter fronts and more opportunities in the run game.

And the Packers have shown they won’t only hurt teams in either facet of the game but have the ability to generate explosive game-changing plays.

“They’ve got a good defense,” said Love. “It’s something that we are familiar with. The style of defense is what our defense was running the past couple years. I feel like we’ve played them every year since I’ve been here, it feels like. So we’ve seen them a lot and we’ll go through the week and put a good plan together, but they’ve got some good guys on defense and I think we’ll be able to put a good game plan together and be able to take advantage of some of the stuff they do, but it’s definitely a defense we’re familiar with.”

On paper, the opportunity for a big day for this Packers offense does certainly seem to exist. But, as always, it will come down to execution to take advantage of those matchups and situations. Perhaps some added continuity and consistency from last week to this one will play a key role in that happening.

A ‘confident’ Daniel Whelan making big plays for Packers special teams unit

Paul Bretl | 10/2/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Oftentimes the punter position can go unnoticed–that is unless things are going either really poorly or really well. For Packers second-year punter Daniel Whelan, he has had several game-changing moments already just four games into the season.

“I think he’s a guy that we were really encouraged about a year ago and you just continue to see the work that he’s put in, how serious he is about his craft, and he continues to get better and better and better,” said Matt LaFleur.

On his 13 punt attempts, Whelan is averaging 47.9 yards per return with a net of 42.1 yards. Nearly half of those attempts have pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line, only two have been touchbacks, and just 30.8 percent of those punts have been returned. Whelan also has an average hangtime of 4.79-seconds–the second best mark in football.

However, going beyond just the raw numbers. Whelan has come through in some critical moments as well. In Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, without Jordan Love, Whelan had three punt attempts and pinned the Colts inside their 20-yard line on all three kicks. This included flipping the field position with a booming punt when the Packers were backed up in their own territory and another near the end of the game that pinned Indianapolis inside their own 10-yard line, forcing them to drive the length of the field in the final minute.

“It’s a huge weapon,” said LaFleur. “When you look at the times that we had to use him, the first punt was inside the 10, the second punt flipped the entire field – it was a 59-yarder with unbelievable hangtime. And then the last one, to pin the guy down on the 5-yard line, you couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”

Then in this most recent game against Minnesota, down 28-0 with halftime approaching, Whelan again let out a booming kick with the Packers backed up in their own territory. The combination of the hang time and distance Whelan put on the punt made it difficult to field, resulting in a muffed punt attempt that Bo Melton was able to recover inside the Vikings 10 yard line. The Packers offense then scored a touchdown a few plays later.

“He can boot the ball really well,” said Melton after Sunday’s game. “As flyers, it’s our job to get the returner down and make sure he gets all the yards he can. Having the time to run like that, it’s our job to help him and have him be the best in the league. We all know he’s super talented. We just have to do our job.”

The version of Whelan that we see right now started to emerge over the second half of last season. Like many young players, the more reps that Whelan got, the more he improved. From Week 10 on in 2023, in many of the key punting categories mentioned above, Whelan ranked in the top 10 among all punters. This included all three of his punts in the Packers Wildcard win in Dallas pinning the Cowboys inside their own 20-yard line.

Physically, Whelan bulked up during the offseason. As Mike Spofford of Packers.com noted, Whelan said he put on 7-8 pounds of muscle and now weighs in at 236 pounds–20 pounds more than when he first arrived in Green Bay.

From the technical side of things, it was evident from the first time that we saw Whelan kick in practice last spring that he had the power, but what needed refining were the nuanced aspects of being a punter in the NFL, which can include directional kicking, managing the wind, being in-sync with the fliers, along with having different gears depending on what part of the field you’re on.

“He did a lot of work both off-seasons,” said Rich Bisaccia about Whelan’s progress. “He was with Mike Scifres and Nick Novak out there in San Diego, spent a lot of time with those guys that had played in the league a long time. Mike played a long time. So he’s really worked extremely hard at his craft, not only in season what he’s done over the last year and a half with us, but what he’s done in the off-season to perfect his drop and his hang and his ability to direct to the football. So he’s a player on the come and we’re excited about the direction he’s going.”

As LaFleur says, he hopes that the only time Whelan has to step on the field is to be the holder on extra point attempts–another area where he has been extremely reliable for this Packers team–but that’s also not realistic either. Punts will happen weekly, however, having a player of Whelan’s caliber leading that operation can have a big impact on the game, as we’ve seen early on this season.

“I’d just say I’m more confident in game in all aspects,” said Whelan. “Confident in what I set out to do. Like, I have a plan before I go out there instead of just like let the moment get to me. I just conquer the moment, basically.”

WR Jayden Reed producing at a high level in do-it-all role in Packers offense

Paul Bretl | 10/1/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Do the Packers need a No. 1 wide receiver? That was the question head coach Matt LaFleur heard often this offseason, so much so that, as LaFleur put it, he wanted to vomit when asked.

There’s pros to having that go-to option in the passing game in key moments just like there are pros to having the depth that the Packers have at the receiver position. But that’s a conversation for another day.

Within a Packers’ offense that is loaded with talent, second-year wide receiver Jayden Reed has oftentimes been the spark for this unit, the big play producer, and he’s doing it while tasked with handling a variety of responsibilities in the LaFleur offense.

“He’s a threat with the ball in his hands,” said Josh Jacobs. “He’s one of them guys that can make plays when he gets the opportunity. For him, it’s hard to defend because if you get him in space, he can make guys miss and he has the speed to take it off the top.”

Through four games, Reed has caught 17 of his 22 targets for 336 yards at a whopping 19.8 yards per catch with two touchdowns. He currently ranks fifth among all receivers in yards, he’s third in yards per catch, and first in YAC per reception.

Of those 336 total yards, 277 of them have come in Weeks 1 and 4 with Jordan Love at quarterback. In those two games specifically, Reed has been the most productive receiver in football, ranking first in receiving yards and yards per catch at an insane 25.2 yards.

“I think you’ve seen throughout his year-plus of him being here that when he gets the ball in his hands, he can do some pretty special things,” said Adam Stenavich. “So that’s something as a defense you have to know where he’s at at all times, I’m sure. And yeah, I like getting him the ball. It’s fun to watch him run around and make plays and stuff, so yeah, he’s a fun player. I’m glad we got him.”

All of that on its own is impressive, but Reed’s impact goes beyond just the passing game. He’s carried the ball six times this season and averaged 15.2 yards per carry, which includes a 33-yard touchdown run against Philadelphia. Of those six carries, four have gone for at least 15 yards–not to mention the blocking help he’s provided in two run-heavy games for the Green Bay offense.

Even before the snap of the ball, Reed is leaving his mark on the game, lining up out wide and in the backfield in addition to his primary slot duties and has been utilized as a motion man often, forcing the defenders to move and adjust pre-snap, along with potentially tipping their hand when it comes to certain responsibilities.

Sometimes, this is done to put Reed in a more advantageous situation. And other times, like a magician, it’s to get the defense looking one way, when they should be looking the other.

“Anytime you’ve got a weapon like Jayden Reed and you can move him around and give him the ball or use him as bait, it’s always fun to have guys like that, for sure,” added Stenavich.

Reed has quickly gone from a rookie who put together a really nice first season in the NFL to someone that opponents have to game-plan for and know where he is at all times.

“He’s an explosive player, competitive, a winner,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable. “He has all the traits that defenses for sure see. I think it was after the (Eagles) game Chauncey (Gardner-Johnson) came up to him and I was standing there just shaking hands after Philly and he said hey, for a young player man, you’re a dude. He was like you’re a winner, you’re competitive, and when you hear those compliments from other defenses, they know.”

We’ve often heard members of the Packers receiver room say, “The ball finds good energy.” For Reed, the energy that we see on Sundays that’s turning into high level production is a mentality that he always has. Whether on the field or off, regardless of what he’s being asked to do, Reed sets the tone with the positive juice he brings day in and day out.

“I love the energy he brings,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday. “And it’s not just on gameday, it is every day. We’re lucky to have a guy like that. He’s a tone-setter. He really is. I love how he competes and how he prepares for each and every battle and then he goes out and I think it’s probably why he performs pretty well.

“Because he’s pretty consistent in his approach and does all the little things the right way. He does a great job of taking care of himself, he knows the plan inside and out, and then given the opportunities in games, he’s making big-time plays.”

Packers kicking conundrum: What’s next for Brayden Narveson?

Paul Bretl | 9/30/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — You can’t say that the Packers haven’t at least explored options at the kicker position over the last six months. However, the results largely remain the same–inconsistent.

In search of competition for Anders Carlson, the Packers would sign Jack Podlesny back in January after the 2023 season ended. They then added Greg Joseph during free agency, claimed James Turner on waivers in June, and signed Alex Hale in August.

That competition, however, which was primarily between Carlson and Joseph, underwhelmed. So the Packers went off-script during roster cutdowns and claimed rookie Brayden Narveson on waivers after he had been released by Tennessee. But unfortunately, Narveson is facing a similar fate as the kickers before him.

During Sunday’s game against Minnesota, in what ended up being just a two-point loss for the Packers following a ferocious comeback, Narveson would miss two field goals in the first half–one from 49 yards and one from 37 yards.

“Those are critical misses and it’s unacceptable; hurts,” said Narveson at his locker. “I’m sure you guys can all see it in my face. It hurts. But I just gotta look myself in the mirror, go back to the drawing board and be better. That’s about all I can say about it.”

Narveson didn’t blame the field goal operation, which he called “great.” He didn’t bring up the wind on what was a blustery day at Lambeau Field. He just has to find a way to be better.

The kicker position certainly has its nuances, but the results are cut and dry. Either the attempt went through the uprights or it didn’t. And on a day where the Packers narrowly pulled off an impressive comeback, those missed attempts from Narveson loomed large.

“I swung confident at both kicks. They’re probably a yard in total away from being makes. Unacceptable again. It’s my job. I gotta be better.”

Narveson is now 9-for-9 this season on extra points and 9-for-13 on field goal attempts. Although the stat sheet won’t show it, Narveson has missed a field goal in each game this season, with a penalty on the Titans last week wiping out one of his missed attempts. Perhaps adding salt to the wound for the Packers is that Joseph went 5-for-5 on field goal attempts this past Thursday night with the New York Giants.

After the game, Matt LaFleur still expressed the confidence that he has in Narveson. The response from LaFleur seemed to take on a different, more upbeat tone than when he was asked about Carlson and Joseph countless times during training camp.

The Packers like Narveson’s mental makeup, his resolve, and the confidence in himself he has.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Brayden. I do. I know it’s tough. We all want the results. He’s a young guy, and a lot of times with young kickers, you go through this. Certainly, I know he’s disappointed, but I’ve still got a lot of belief in him. I’ve seen it in practice. I told you guys from Day 1, the day he got here, and have seen his abilities.

“It’s just part of it and, unfortunately, it wasn’t his day, but I’ve got a lot of confidence and won’t blink if we have to put him out there in another situation.”

Ups and downs with a rookie kicker should have been expected. However, this is a Packers team with Super Bowl aspirations and in a game where the margin for winning and losing is oh so small–as we again saw on Sunday–time isn’t necessarily on the Packers side when it comes to getting the kicker situation figured out. It needs to happen now.

By GM Brian Gutekunst’s own admission prior to the season, he can be a bit impatient when it comes to going through the growing pains that come with relying on a young kicker. One could also argue that with the roster that he has, he shouldn’t be–again, the Packers need an answer at this position before it hurts them down the line.

The difficultly, of course, is that the answer isn’t as simple as bringing in someone new. It’s not as if there is an abundance of available quality kickers at this time. But if the team is going to bring in some tryout candidates on Tuesday, a few potential names include Randy Bullock, Riley Patterson, Brett Maher, and Chad Ryland.

So what’s the better alternative: continuing to invest into Narveson and believing he can turn things around or diving further into the unknown with someone new?

For Narveson, he cannot get wrapped up in what might happen or what decisions might be made that are now out of his control. Instead, he’s focused on staying positive, getting back to work for the Packers upcoming game with the Los Angeles Rams, and correcting those mistakes.

“Absolutely it is,” said Narveson when asked if it’s difficult to stay positive. “I care, right? That’s the hardest part. You do this every day, seven days a week, 80 hours, whatever it is. You care. Yeah, it’s hard to be positive but again I go back to a family. I go back to a life. I have a very good support system around me. I gotta look myself in the mirror again and go back to work this week and do better. “

Sluggish start from defense puts Packers in early hole vs. Vikings

Paul Bretl | 9/29/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Calling the Packers start on defense slow would be an understatement. On the Minnesota Vikings first three possession of the game, they scored three touchdowns.

Just like that, only a few minutes into the second quarter, the Packers found themselves in a 21-0 hole. The Vikings came out swinging and the Packers looked unprepared.

“It’s very frustrating because I know, and we all know, like, we know what we are capable of in this locker room,” said Xavier McKinney at his locker. “We know what we’re capable of defensively and that was not our standard and we gotta be better and we will be better. And it’s just as simple as that. I gotta be better. We all hold ourselves accountable and that’s just kind of what it is. Moving forward we will be better.”

To make matters worse, it wasn’t just that the Vikings were finding the end zone, but they were doing so quite easily as well. Sam Darnold and the passing game were quite efficient, with a few pass-catchers running wide-open. Aaron Jones was finding success in the run game, and the pass rush was nowhere to be found.

“We didn’t start fast, how we wanted to,” added McKinney. “We didn’t execute well early in the game and it cost us later in the game. Obviously when you playing a good team it’s going to be hard to make mistakes early in the game and be able to come back from that. So we just gotta do better. Just execution-wise, being cleaner in our details and just getting off to a better start–a faster start.”

While communication and poor execution on the Packers’ end in the first half provided the Vikings’ offense with opportunities to exploit, the Minnesota game-plan contributed to those issues. On the first drive, facing a third-and-14, the Vikings caught Green Bay in man coverage and generated an explosive play for the first down. The drive then concluded with Addison beating Corey Ballentine with no help in sight.

The second scoring drive by the Vikings featured a really good mixture of the run and passing game, leaving the Packers off-balanced. The third scoring drive began with good field position following an interception thrown by Jordan Love.

“A lot went wrong in the first half, obviously, when they score on their first three possessions,” said LaFleur. “It was tough because I thought early on we had some opportunities. I think it was third-and-14 and they hit a high cross for an explosive gain. They caught us, they did a good job. They got a man-zone tell, so we were in man coverage, got to the man beater and they got us here. And then we had an opportunity, I believe it was on that first drive, where Isaiah, where Sam gets flushed and we’ve got to make that play.”

Certainly, making things more difficult for the Packers defense was not having Jaire Alexander, who was ruled out prior to kickoff after suffering what was listed as a groin/quad injury during last Thursday’s practice. Matt LaFleur said post-game that he didn’t think the injury would be long-term.

However, not having your top cornerback against an offense that features Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison is a difficult challenge to overcome. LaFleur wasn’t going to make any excuses for his team—at the end of the day, they didn’t make enough plays—but perhaps some of the early execution errors and miscommunications were a result of a team that had to tweak the game plan on the fly, I’m going to guess, with Alexander’s injury happening late in the week.

And it’s not only the game plan that can change when losing a player of Alexander’s caliber, but the game flow changes as well, specifically, how Jeff Hafley calls the game and how aggressive–or passive–he is.

“I’m not going to go down that road,” said LaFleur about not having Alexander. “It is what it is. It’s no different than an in-game injury. You’ve got to make an adjustment as a staff, and to me, that’s an excuse. I will never use that around here. Like, next man up, we’ve got to adjust our game plan if need be. Does it help you? Absolutely not. I mean, you want your best players out there. But I’ll never go down that road of using that as an excuse.”

Perhaps some solace that can be taken was how the Packers’ defense responded in the second half. Over the final two quarters the Vikings scored just three points and the Green Bay defense was able to give the ball back to the offense. Excluding the Vikings’ final possession where they took a knee, the Packers forced Minnesota to punt on four of their seven second half possessions, while generating two turnovers on two of the other possessions.

As far as there being any major halftime adjustments that resulted in the improved play, McKinney said that wasn’t the case. It was just a team that executed their responsibilities a lot better.

“Just being clean,” McKinney said of the turnaround. “It was really no adjustment. We just kept kind of chopping it down and we got cleaner on our details. We were challenging in coverage and it was just better overall. So nothing really different changed we just had a little bit more, you know, pep in our step and it showed that second half.”

While the defense certainly contributed to the early deficit the Packers found themselves in, the loss on Sunday was a collective effort. The offense turned the ball over four times and also couldn’t put much together for just about all of the first half. Kicker Brayden Narveson would miss two field goal attempts and Matt LaFleur was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which could have taken points off the board, but fortunately didn’t.

With that said, the Packers even being in a position at the end of that game to have the opportunity to win was a collective effort as well and one that says a lot about the resolve of this team.

“It don’t matter what team goes to Lambeau, it don’t matter what stadium that we go to, that the Green Bay Packers team is going to play a full 60 minutes,” said Rashan Gary. “With us the only thing that we gotta do is make sure we communicating, flying around, and playing complementary ball–all three phases. We handle that, we going to be right where we want to be.”

Without Jaire Alexander, Packers test vs. Vikings passing offense gets more difficult

Paul Bretl | 9/29/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers will be without cornerback Jaire Alexander on Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings, which makes the already difficult task of covering Justin Jefferson even more difficult.

After practicing on Wednesday and Thursday this past week, Alexander was added to the injury report on Friday with quad/groin injuries. He was listed as questionable that afternoon and officially rule out 90 minutes before kickoff.

 “That’s a concern, for sure,” said Matt LaFleur on Friday. “Anytime a guy doesn’t practice, it’s definitely concerning.”

Lining up across from the Packers’ defense this weekend will be Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Jefferson has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark each year, including a 1,600-yard performance in 2021 and an nearly 1,900-yard performance in 2022. Through three games this season, Jefferson has 14 receptions for 273 yards at a whopping 19.5 yards per catch with three scores.

Adding to the already tall task that is covering Jefferson is the head coach Kevin O’Connell’s willingness to line Jefferson up in the slot and put him in motion to get him free releases at the line of scrimmage.

“I mean he’s a great player,” said Jeff Hafley. “Well, one, you turn on the tape and it doesn’t take you very long to figure out how good he is. I mean, he’s big, he can catch the ball, he’s fast, he can run all the routes, he’s good when he catches the ball in catch and run, he’s got incredible hands.”

The last time these two teams met was in Week 17 of last season and the Packers were also without Alexander in that game as he served a team-imposed suspension. Without Alexander, it was Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine who got the start at cornerback. Today, the combination we could very well see will be Ballentine and Eric Stokes, with Valentine also out.

In certain situations, we could also see Keisean Nixon on the boundary, where he got snaps during training camp, which could potentially open up opportunities for Javon Bullard in the slot as well. With the versatility the Packers have, they do have options, but as always, it will come down to executing.

As Hafley described this past week, as the defensive coordinator it is his job to put his players in a position to make plays. However, how he goes about doing that changes without Alexander in the mix. But given that Alexander’s injury popped up so late in the week, there is likely only so much that can be done when it comes to altering the game-plan.

“I’ve kinda told you guys this a bunch,” Hafley said, “it’s our job to put our best players in a position to make plays, so if it’s our job to put our best players on their best players, then we need to figure out how to do that. I mean I’m not just gonna walk into a game and say the scheme is just strong enough to stop that great player.

“That’s just not how I think. We gotta figure out how to stop their best players each week and if that means doing something a little bit different, then it’s our job to do that.”

An added challenge with this Vikings offense is that it’s not only Jefferson who the team has to worry about. While the game plan may center around limiting him, Minnesota also has Jordan Addison returning this week and a strong running game led by Aaron Jones.

Potential success for the Packers defense is going to have to begin with slowing the Vikings’ run game, which will put them behind the sticks and in more obvious passing situations, at which point, the pass rush will have to get home quickly to provide its secondary with some help.

“You’ve got to know where he is and you have to pick and choose times to scheme around him,” added Hafley about Jefferson. “You can’t just scheme around him the whole game, they have other really good players, too.

“I think that’s the difference when they’re running the ball really well, too. You just worry about him all game and then you’re going to look down and they’re going to beat you up in the run game. I think that’s what they’ve done such a good job of this year both coaching and playing; they can do both.”

‘Up and down’ start for Packers Rasheed Walker put to test vs. Vikings defense

Paul Bretl | 9/28/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s been an up-and-down start through the the first three weeks of the season for Packers’ left tackle Rasheed Walker. Now on the schedule this week, he and the rest of the offensive line faces one of the more disruptive defenses in football in the Minnesota Vikings, and one that throws a lot of looks at opposing offenses.

“Inconsistent. Up and down,” said Stenavich when asked about Walker’s play. “And his play has been good, but like you said, the penalties, those things kill drives and that’s something we really need to improve on. Not just him, he’s not the only one that’s gotten penalties. But as an offense, that’s the biggest thing we need to focus on. Making sure we’re playing with good fundamentals. We’re focused on that, that way it will eliminate most of those penalties that kill drives.”

On the season, Walker has surrendered five pressures and one sack, according to Pro Football Focus. With that said, his play in pass protection has improved over the last two games, with only one of those pressures and no sacks allowed during that span. By PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric, Walker is tied for seventh among all tackles over the last two weeks, and there are only three tackles, who have allowed fewer pressures.

However, the biggest issue right now for Walker, and as Stenavich mentioned, the offense as a whole, are penalties. Through three games, Walker has been penalized five times–twice in Week 1, once in Week 2, and twice in Week 3. Those five penalties are the third-most among all tackles this season and the fourth-most of any offensive lineman.

“Anytime when you’re engaged,” said Stenavich about blocking technique, “and you feel the D-lineman try and escape opposite of where you’re blocking him, and that happens in protection when a quarterback scrambles out and stuff like that, that is really difficult for a lineman because you’re blocking, he’s bull rushing, there’s force against you, all of a sudden it changes and then they see that, it’s just an unfortunate thing that happens. You just have to immediately try and let go when you feel that change of direction in a D-lineman and kind of anticipate it.”

The penalties aren’t only an issue for Walker, but for this Packers team as a whole, particularly on offense. The 26 penalties on the Packers is the fifth-most in football. Of those 26 penalties, 18 have come on offense, and that is tied for the most through three games.

During Friday’s press conference, Matt LaFleur brought up a stat that he had shared with the team that same day: due to penalties on the offensive side of the football, two touchdowns and 120 or more yards had been taken off the board.

“Really the focus is on the technique,” said LaFleur. “We’ve got to do a much better job of refining our technique so that we don’t get put in those situations. That’s been a point of emphasis, I would say. It’s always a point of emphasis, but I probably sound like these annoying parents that keep nagging on the guys about the importance of that, because it costs us.

“So, yeah, we’ve got to do a much, much better job. Some of them happen, it’s just you’ve got to learn from your mistakes. You can’t make repeated mistakes. That’s, unfortunately, we’ve struggled with that.”

A big challenge is up next for Walker and the rest of the Packers offense. This is a Vikings’ defense that ranks second in pressure rate this season and first in sacks. The challenge for Walker, specifically, is that Minnesota has two very good edge rushers in Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, who, on their own, will be a handful. But making matters even more difficult is the Vikings’ willingness to blitz–they rank second in blitz rate–and do so from a variety of looks and personnel groupings.

Walker will be matched up on both Van Ginkel and Greenard throughout the game, with the Vikings moving both defenders around. Greenard currently has the fourth-most pressures among edge rushers with 17, while Van Ginkel has eight. Tight-end help may be required at times for Walker, but Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores does an excellent job at getting his edge rushers matched up solely on tight ends–obviously something the Packers will want to avoid.

“That’s definitely a concern,” said LaFleur of the Vikings’ 16 sacks. “So we’ve got to do a great job in terms of our protection calls, making sure we get a body on a body and then you’ve got to go and actually block these guys which isn’t the easiest task to do either.

“So, I think they’ve got a lot of good rushers in there. I think they rush collectively as a unit as one as good as anybody. I mean, their pick games that they’re running, it causes a lot of carnage on the offensive line at times. And they’ve also done a great job, I mean shoot, it shows up all over the tape just getting free runners at the quarterback and sacking the quarterback.”

Walker finished out the 2023 season on a strong note, eventually beating out Yosh Nijman in what was a left tackle rotation for several weeks to then playing his best football in the playoffs. Walker then built upon that momentum with a strong offseason, so much so that the left tackle position was never even up for grabs, even with the Packers drafting Jordan Morgan in the first round.

As good as the offense has looked the last two weeks in Jordan Love’s absence, there is still more that can be unlocked. Fewer penalties from Walker at left tackle and continuing to elevate his play will help the offense get there. We saw him do it late last season and he’s done it for stretches this year, but as always, it comes down to consistency.

“He’s got to keep battling,” said LaFleur of Walker. “You know because we’ve seen it. He’s been able to play at a high-level and that’s the expectation. So we are going to keep working through it. We know that, collectively as a group not only just the offensive line, but our entire football team there’s a lot to improve upon in terms of our fundamentals and our details. And we’ve just got to be dialed in.”

Jeff Hafley’s ability to adapt and be flexible will be important in Packers vs. Vikings

Paul Bretl | 9/27/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As every offensive or defensive coach does, Jeff Hafley has the core principles that his defensive system is built upon. However, what Hafley doesn’t want to be is rigid, either. He is willing to adjust his game-plan based on the strengths of the players he has and who the opponent is.

“We gotta figure out how to stop their best players each week and if that means doing something a little bit different, then it’s our job to do that,” said Hafley on Thursday.

Lining up across from the Packers’ defense this weekend will be Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Jefferson has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark each year, including a 1,600-yard performance in 2021 and an nearly 1,900-yard performance in 2022. Through three games this season, Jefferson has 14 receptions for 273 yards at a whopping 19.5 yards per catch with three scores.

Adding to the already tall task that is covering Jefferson is the head coach Kevin O’Connell’s willingness to line Jefferson up in the slot and put him in motion to get him free releases at the line of scrimmage.

“I mean he’s a great player,” said Hafley. “Well, one, you turn on the tape and it doesn’t take you very long to figure out how good he is. I mean, he’s big, he can catch the ball, he’s fast, he can run all the routes, he’s good when he catches the ball in catch and run, he’s got incredible hands.”

So the big question Hafley and this Packers defense faces this week is, how do you attempt to contain Jefferson so that he doesn’t completely take Sunday’s game over?

If you ask Hafley, the answer seems pretty straightforward: find a way to put his best players on the opponent’s best players. However, just because we may know the desired outcome doesn’t mean getting there will be easy and with a player of Jefferson’s caliber, nothing is ever full-proof.

“I’ve kinda told you guys this a bunch,” Hafley said, “it’s our job to put our best players in a position to make plays, so if it’s our job to put our best players on their best players, then we need to figure out how to do that. I mean I’m not just gonna walk into a game and say the scheme is just strong enough to stop that great player.

“That’s just not how I think. We gotta figure out how to stop their best players each week and if that means doing something a little bit different, then it’s our job to do that.”

In the past against Jefferson, we’ve seen Jaire Alexander line up across from him, but if Jefferson went in motion, Alexander did not follow. We also saw Green Bay essentially double-team Jefferson, with safety help directly over the top of the cornerback.

Whether or not Alexander will move with Jefferson and follow him for the entire game remains to be seen, but one thing that we do know about Hafley is that if he deems that the best option, he will go that route. And this doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach either, the game flow and situation should play a role in dictating how the Packers defend Jefferson.

“We’ve done both,” said Hafley when asked about Alexander following Jefferson. “We’ve done that in some series this year. We’ve done it in some games. And if it’s going to fit in best with the calls that we’re trying to call, it’s definitely a thing that I do believe in for sure.”

Ultimately, Hafely’s job is to put his players in the best position to make plays, and if that means doing things differently, then so be it. The key to doing this successfully begins with a digestible game-plan—whatever that may look like—that the players know the ins and outs of, allowing them to play fast and react. A great game-plan on paper doesn’t mean much if it can’t be executed at a high level.

Defenders having a complete understanding of not only what their responsibilities are but also the why behind what they are being asked to do and how that fits within the overarching game-plan allows them to play faster with their natural abilities taking over. They see, they react, they make a play.

“You can never stop guys like that,” said Xavier McKinney about Jefferson. “You can always just try to contain them. Obviously, he’s going to always have big plays but, for us, it’s to challenge him as much as possible. Obviously, we’ve got our guys over here that we believe in. We believe in Ja. We believe in him and we believe in the system that Haf has put into place for us. For us, we look to go out there and execute, play hard and challenge their best guys.”

If Alexander does follow Jefferson from one side of the field to the other pre-snap, how does that impact the responsibilities of the other defenders? And not to be forgotten about is that the Vikings’ boast a very good run game with Aaron Jones and may have Jordan Addison back at receiver as well this week.

The game-plan can center around Jefferson, but if he is the sole focus, the Vikings do have other players who can hurt opposing defenses. This puts an added emphasis on the need to be adaptable and flexible, given the in-game circumstances, and not have a one-size-fits-all approach.

“You’ve got to know where he is and you have to pick and choose times to scheme around him,” added Hafley. “You can’t just scheme around him the whole game, they have other really good players, too.

“I think that’s the difference when they’re running the ball really well, too. You just worry about him all game and then you’re going to look down and they’re going to beat you up in the run game. I think that’s what they’ve done such a good job of this year both coaching and playing; they can do both.”