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‘Doesn’t surprise me:’ Packers DE Brenton Cox capitalizing on increased opportunities

Paul Bretl | 12/26/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — When the Packers traded Preston Smith prior to their bye in Week 10, it opened up more playing time for second-year defensive end Brenton Cox–an opportunity that he has fully capitalized on.

“It’s been great,” said Cox of his increased role. “Just trying to stay active, stay on my grind and keep making plays.”

Since Week 11, Cox’s first appearance of the season, he has gone from being a healthy scratch on gamedays to averaging about 22 snaps per game, which includes playing a career-high 26 this past Sunday against New Orleans. Production-wise during that span, Cox has totaled 13 pressures, five of which came against the Saints, and four sacks, according to PFF’s metrics.

In terms of pure pressures, Cox’s numbers aren’t going to stand out compared to the rest of the NFL’s top defensive ends, in part because of his playing time. However, by PFF’s pass rush win rate metric, Cox ranks 15th among defensive ends from Weeks 11-16. By pass rush productivity, which measures how often a pass rusher records a pressure relative to the number of pass rush snaps they’ve had and is more heavily weighted towards sacks, Cox ranks fifth.

“I kept telling him all season long,” said Matt LaFleur, “we’re going to get you up, it’s just a matter of time, you’ve gotta keep working, and he’s stayed with that mindset and continues to work every day and giving us great looks, whether he’s going, when he was on the look squad or he was getting minimal reps in practice. He was always doing a great job.”

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Cox is a good athlete but often wins with power and the use of strong, violent hands to get the offensive tackle out of position. Rewinding to training camp, I can still hear the pop of Cox’s hands hitting the tackle’s shoulder pads, knocking him back on his heels, and making his way to the quarterback.

To the outside world, we are currently seeing the emergence of Cox take place. But inside the building, particularly within the defensive end room, the Packers have been seeing the ability that Cox has on display on the practice field for a year and a half now.

“We’ve been seeing that this whole year,” said JJ Enagbare. “The world’s just starting to I guess see who he is, what type of player he is. I played with him the last two years here, that’s pretty much nothing new that he’s been doing out there on the Sundays. (It’s) what he’s been doing every day throughout the week. He’s just been getting the opportunity this year.”

As an undrafted rookie in 2023 out of Florida, Cox’s ability to get after the quarterback earned him a roster spot last season. As the fifth-man in the edge rusher rotation, his playing time was limited, appearing in only three games defensively, totaling five snaps.

As is the case with any young player, development is needed. And like many NFL players entering their sophomore season, Cox benefits from having a full offseason to work on his craft rather than training for the NFL combine and doing interviews. There is also the added comfortability that comes from the experience gained over the last year and knowing what it takes to be a professional day in and day out.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich about Cox’s play. “Last year when he came here, I have a big heart for Brenton. He’s a young man that’s worked his rear-end off and I think that the kid has done an outstanding job physically and mentally.”

Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme should also suit Cox’s skill set quite well. Under Joe Barry, the defensive front was asked to read and then react. With Hafley, this is an attacking front, as defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich put it. The goal is for the defenders to get north and south and into the backfield as quickly as possible. Or, in short, go get the quarterback.

“You just gotta prioritize what you working on that day,” said Cox. “Me, for instance, I’m pretty focused on trying to get knock back and make plays and get off blocks. But the sacks and the pressures all that’s going to come when you’re playing hard.”

Given the lack of consistent production from the pass rush, specifically the front four, during the first half of the season, in the moment, trading away Smith felt like an unnecessary move for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. However, we would learn after the fact that, as is often the case, there were additional factors in play. One is that Smith requested a trade, not wanting to play in a 4-3 scheme and on the field, we could see his playing time each week being reduced.

But in addition to that, the Packers had a good idea of what they had in Cox and wanted to find a way to get him on the field.

“He was a guy that it’s challenging when you have six D-ends, and certainly that’s a premium position that you just don’t want to get rid of people,” said LaFleur of Cox. “We’ve stayed relatively healthy, so it’s hard to get all those guys in the rotation. When we traded P to Pittsburgh, it opened up an opportunity to Cox.”

Coming out of the bye week, the Packers’ pass rush has continued to pick up steam each week. New Orleans’ quarterback Spencer Rattler was under pressure on 52.6% of his dropbacks–the third-highest rate in Week 16. The week prior, Seattle quarterbacks Sam Howell and Geno Smith each ranked top 10 in Week 15 pressure rate, while in Week 13, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa ranked sixth in dropbacks under pressure, and San Francisco’s Brandon Allen ranked 12th the week before.

Comfort in Hafley’s scheme and defenders more steadily winning their one-on-one matchups have contributed to this recent success in the trenches, but so has the Green Bay offense. By jumping out to a number of quick multi-score leads, that forces the opposing offense out of their gameplan as they become pass-heavy and a bit one-dimensional, allowing the pass rush to pin its ears back.

“It’s been great,” said Kenny Clark of the pass rush after the New Orleans game. “We’ve been doing a great job of stopping the run and getting the guys in drop-back situations. Offense is doing a great job scoring points, and we’re able to rush after that.”

The ceiling for this Packers’ defense is going to be determined by how effective and steady the Packers’ four man rush is. When a defensive front is able to get home regularly, every other position on the field benefits. Sacks lead to long down-and-distance situations, while pressure disrupts the timing and rhythm of the play, resulting in less time in coverage for the secondary and potential mistakes to capitalize on.

Zayne Anderson, Packers’ defense showcase depth vs Saints but much bigger test incoming

Paul Bretl | 12/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — An injury to Evan Williams late in the week resulted in Zayne Anderson making his first ever start on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints, and it’s a role that he will have to continue to fill through the final two weeks of the regular season.

Williams was not on the Packers’ injury report the first two days of the week leading up to the matchup with New Orleans. However, Williams popped up on the Saturday injury report with a quad, an injury that, as Matt LaFleur described, happened on the first play of practice that day and could keep him sidelined for a period of time.

“There’s concern,” said LaFleur of Wiliams’ injury after the win over New Orleans. “I would think that he’s going to be out a period of time. Nothing like long-term. Just one of those deals. It’s unfortunate I think it happened on the first play of practice. He just pulled up.

“I know he’s bummed, because it’s the second time it’s happened to him. But he’ll persevere, and we’ll hopefully get him back, hopefully in time for the playoffs.”

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Although Monday night was Anderson’s first start of his NFL career on defense, it wasn’t the first time that the Packers had turned to him this season. During Green Bay’s Week 14 matchup with Detroit, Williams exited with a concussion.

Rather than moving Javon Bullard from the nickel to safety in the middle of that game, the Packers wanted to maintain as much continuity on the back end as possible and instead called upon Anderson to lineup next to McKinney. Anderson would make three total tackles in that game, including a third down stop at the line of scrimmage on Lions’ running back David Montgomery.

Coming into this season, Anderson, a core special teams player, had just 21 career defensive snaps with that playing time coming in mop-up duty. However, while Anderson may still be a relatively inexperienced player in terms of playing time on defense, his preparation on a day-to-day basis and attention to detail in the meeting rooms and on the practice field had him prepared to step into a much larger role.

“It’s just focus,” said Xavier McKinney about Anderson. “It’s in the meeting rooms. We sit next to each other. Me and Zayne sit next to each other, so we steady bouncing ideas off of each other, bouncing ideas just around the room and just trying to get the communication 100% clear just within the room.

“But just the focus man, how he prepares in meetings, how he goes out there and practices, how intentional he is about making sure he’s in the right spots and I think that’s really the biggest thing, always being in communication with myself or just everybody in the room.”

Anderson would play 47 defensive snaps against the Saints, often filling the deep safety role as McKinney roamed the defensive backfield as he does. Anderson was in on two tackles, forced a pass breakup on the one target that came his way in the passing game, and also came away with his first NFL interception.

“They ran a wiley, is what we call it, and they sell it with a backside screen,” said Anderson of the interception. “So I saw the screen and I was in the down safety, we practice this a lot, our offense does it against us. As soon as I saw the screen, bailed out, usually the wiley comes late and so bailed out, saw it, the ball was in the air and just made a play.”

Making Anderson’s performance even more impressive was that he had very little time to prepare for this start. With Williams’ injury occurring so late in the week, he took the bulk of the starting reps in practice. This again is a testament to how Anderson prepares.

“He’s done an outstanding job,” LaFleur said of Anderson. “That was big-time for him. That happened on Saturday. So, Evan had been taking the majority of the reps all weeklong, and it just shows his ability to go in there and perform at a high level, make some key plays.

“It was cool to see after our Sunday walk-through, I’m walking through our CRIC area and X has all the guys out there and they’re going through some things, because we had Omar up, as well. But it was cool to see.”

It wasn’t only Williams who the Packers were without in this game, but also sidelined were Jaire Alexander, Javon Bullard, and Quay Walker. Having to rely on their reserves, which included Keisean Nixon lining up in the slot, along with Carrington Valentine, Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine on the boundary, as well as Eric Wilson taking over the Mike linebacker responsibilities, the Green Bay defense put together a dominant performance against an, albeit, shorthanded Saints’ offense.

In each phase defensively, the Packers controlled the game. The defense pitched the first shutout of the season in the NFL. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler threw an interception, totaled just 153 passing yards, and averaged only 5.1 yards per attempt, while facing constant pressure from the Packers’ defensive front.

According to PFF’s metrics, Rattler was under duress on nearly 53% of his dropbacks–the third-highest rate among quarterbacks in Week 16. The Green Bay run defense would also hold the New Orleans backs to just 3.4 yards per rush.

“We can do whatever we want to do,” said Kenny Clark. “We write our own story at the end of the day. We’ve just got to keep on building. Each and every week, we’re just trying to get better and be able to play our best football into the postseason. So we’ve got, what, two more games left, we’ve got to keep stacking these wins.”

Now, a much bigger challenge awaits this Packers team and the defense with a matchup on the road against Minnesota looming. Led by a passing attack that features Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the Vikings’ offense is averaging the ninth-most points per game this season.

We will see what the week holds once the Packers return to the practice field, but from the sounds of it, they will again be without Williams, while the statuses of Alexander, Bullard, and Walker remain up in the air at this time, potentially testing the depth of this unit once again and against a much more dangerous opponent.

“It’s a very big game,” said Jordan Love of the matchup against Minnesota. “Division game, and then obviously we lost to them earlier this season so one of these games we need to get back. We’ve got to go win this game, and we talked about it earlier, we’ve got to be able to beat these good teams.

“The Vikings are a very good team and we’ve got to be able to go into their place and handle business. But it starts with the work we put in throughout the week, get the good game-planning going, but yeah, we definitely owe these guys and we’ll be motivated to go play them.”

Packers run game showcases its versatility in win vs Saints

Paul Bretl | 12/23/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The run game was again a catalyst behind the Packers’ success on offense, this time as they cruised to victory over the New Orleans Saints, while clinching a playoff spot in the process.

However, unlike in previous games, where Josh Jacobs shouldered the workload on the ground, a number of others got in on the action on Monday night as well, showcasing the versatility that the Packers have with their rushing attack.

“We just want to put the ball in our playmakers hands and we definitely saw looks from this team specifically of ways we could expose that,” said Christian Watson of the receivers involvement in the run game. “So it’s definitely something that we implemented to try to get the ball in our guys hands.”

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Now, of course, Jacobs was still the focal point, leading the team in attempts and yards with 13 carries for 69 yards at an efficient 5.3 yards per rush. Jacobs would also rush for a touchdown in his sixth consecutive game–the second-longest such streak in Packers’ franchise history.

But joining Jacobs in the run game’s success were eight other players. As you’d expect, we saw Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks get their opportunities, with the backup duo totaling 75 yards on 17 carries, along with each player finding the end zone as well.

“It’s a good group all around,” said Jordan Love after the game. “I think everyone had a touchdown in that group tonight so I think that’s always fun whenever all those guys can get touchdowns and get those opportunities to get some touches.

“But obviously, Josh is the main guy in that group and then to have Emanuel and Chris be able to come in and they had some big-time runs tonight too, breaking tackles and just those second-effort plays which goes unnoticed. But yeah, it’s a really good group that we’re going to need to lean on.”

In addition to the running backs, Jordan Love would also scramble for two yards on a play and Malik Willis had three carries–including two kneel downs–as well once he entered the game. We again saw Tucker Kraft initially go in motion while Love was in shotgun before quickly stopping under center to get the snap on a 3rd-and-1 play to pick up the first down. Kraft is now 3-for-3 in picking up first downs on such plays this season.

So right there, six different Packers players touched the ball in the run game. But where did the rest of the carries come from?

Well, it was the receiver position. Between Christian Watson, Bo Melton, and Jayden Reed, the three would carry the ball four times, totaling 42 yards. With nine different players recording a carry in this game, it was the first time since 1953 that this many players have had a rush attempt for the Packers, according to ESPN.

“We knew (they) weren’t traveling as much with the motions, so we started handing the ball off,” said Bo Melton. “Saw a lot of guys get around the edge on them, so we just started running out of the outside-zone things. It was fun.”

After multiple weeks of Green Bay frequently giving the ball to Jacobs between the tackles, the Packers utilized that previous tape to their advantage with misdirections, play-fakes, and getting the ball in their receivers’ hands as they stretched the defense horizontally by running towards the boundary.

In general, this element, running outside the tackle box, was a big part of the gameplan on the ground and went a bit against the grain in regards to what they had done in recent weeks. According to PFF’s initial metrics, six of Jacobs’ 13 carries went outside the tackles. For Wilson, eight of his 11 rushes were outside and Brooks had three of his six attempts head towards the boundary.

This ability that the Packers have shown to run between the tackles with a gap-blocking scheme and on the perimeter with an outside zone scheme adds a layer of unpredictability to their running game. Sure, defenses know Green Bay wants to run the ball, but they can attack opponents in a variety of ways with that, particularly when the receivers begin to get involved as well.

“We wanted to run a little bit outside zone tonight and we did,” said Sean Rhyan. “That’s kind of our base, core O-line thing is we’re an outside zone team and we’ve been going to a little bit gap scheme these past few weeks. Tonight was really good because it lets teams know that we still got outside. You can’t let those edges get soft now. It was real good.”

When it was all said and done on Monday night, the Packers finished the game rushing for 188 yards, three touchdowns, and averaging 4.8 yards per rush as a team.

“They’re playing good,” said Love of the offensive line. “I mean, anytime you can run the ball the way we’re running the ball, it’s obviously a testament to the Oline. And then in the pass game, another game no sacks so they’re playing really well as a unit and they’re going out there and handling business.

“There’s a lot that’s put on their plate with protections and different things that we do, and they’re doing a great job. We’re going to need to keep leaning on them obviously like I said with the run game but the pass game they’ve been great.”

The Packers’ reliance on other ball carriers and not running between the tackles as often was clearly a big part of the gameplan and is something they thought they could exploit against this Saints’ defense. The trickle-down effect of that, along with jumping out to a big lead, is that it also resulted in the Packers being able to take some of the workload and impact off of Jacobs’ shoulders with him on the sidelines for much of the second half.

Jacobs entered Monday night’s game having carried the ball 265 times this season, which was the third-highest mark in football through 14 games. If we add in his 31 receptions, Jacobs had touched the ball nearly 300 times this season and has been on the field for 589 snaps and that doesn’t include his workload from the Saints’ matchup.

This heavy involvement in the offense isn’t anything new for Jacobs. During his All-Pro 2022 season was Las Vegas, Jacobs was on the field for over 800 offensive snaps and carried the ball 340 times that year, on his way to rushing for 1,653 yards.

Although the path that Jacobs is currently on with Green Bay may not be uncharted territory, he is on pace for this 2024 season to be the second most carries he’s had over his six-year playing career. Through regular communication during the week with the coaching staff, his weekly preparation, and running style meant to mitigate the force of the impact, Jacobs has remained fresh this season, even with all those touches.

What the Packers put on Jacobs’ plate is always going to be front of mind in an effort to make sure he is fresh as possible come the postseason. With that said, if Jacobs is feeling good and until the Packers’ playoff position is set in stone, they will continue to rely on him as needed.

“I think that’s all the time,” said LaFleur when asked about being aware of Jacobs’ workload. “I think we got to be mindful of his workload 100% and he does a great job communicating with us in terms of where he’s at, and he’s been pretty healthy. So and certainly the production speaks for itself. I mean, he’s an animal out there.”

The Green Bay running game nearly outperformed the passing game. Love would complete 16-of-28 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He averaged a modest 6.5 yards per attempt. In total, the Packers threw for 216 yards, with a 34-yard completion from Willis to Reed capping things off.

Overall, the Packers’ passing game couldn’t quite find its groove in this game, appearing disjointed at times throughout the night. While now at 5-10, the Saints have had their issues this season, where they’ve regularly made things difficult for opponents is through the air. New Orleans entered the game ranked eighth in interceptions, second in pass deflections, and had the fourth-lowest opponent passer rating.

“If you look at how they’ve been playing defensively, especially over the last five weeks, that’s a stingy group and they’re tough to go against,” LaFleur said of the Saints. “So I thought we came out of the gates the way we needed to and we weren’t getting a ton of explosive plays – they make you earn it, they can challenge you.

“I thought they did a good job of playing off of some tendencies they may have had on tape. Joe Woods, I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I think he’s one of the better coaches in this league and he was keeping us off balance quite a bit.”

Sparked by the running game, the Packers’ offense is rolling right now. After their performance against the Saints, the Packers have now scored at least 30 points in five straight games. Obviously, in order for that to happen, there has to be a lot of good. However, while true, the Packers also believe that there is still some meat left on that bone.

“There was a lot of good things,” said LaFleur of the offensive performance. “Certainly some things that were frustrating in the second half. I didn’t love that pseudo two-minute drive at the end of the first half, didn’t capitalize on that, had a three and out and had to punt. And then there were a couple missed opps I think in the second half.

“I thought they did a good job of getting to Jordan when we decided to throw the ball. Like I said, they played a little bit more man coverage in the second half and made it a little bit more difficult just to get explosive plays. But ultimately it was one of those where you felt pretty comfortable with a lead and you weren’t going to get too crazy, and kinda, we did what we had to do running the football.”

Packers preparing for ‘tough’ Saints team, led by pass rush and ball production

Paul Bretl | 12/22/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers will enter Monday night’s matchup with the Saints as the heavy, heavy favorites in this game. Green Bay is favored by 14 points, a hefty and not frequently seen points spread in the NFL.

However, that points spread is the outside perception of how this game should unfold. Inside the building, the Packers are preparing for a Saints team that plays hard for 60 minutes and one that Matt LaFleur believes isn’t all that far off from being a playoff contender.

“The Saints have done an outstanding job,” said LaFleur on Saturday. “Teams are having a hard time moving the ball and having a hard time scoring points. A lot of these guys have been close. They’ve lost four games by three points or less. You’re talking about – that’s a very minimal difference. They could easily be sitting at 9-5 right now. I think our guys realize what type of team is coming in here and what’s at stake. So, I would expect us to play our best ball.”

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The Saints’ defense will enter Sunday’s game, allowing 22.3 points per game this season, which ranks as the 13th-best mark this season. There are two areas in particular where this unit thrives and that’s in getting after the quarterback and forcing interceptions.

Among all defensive ends, Chase Young’s 56 pressures are the ninth-most this season, while Carl Granderson’s 55 are the 11th-most. In the middle of that front is Bryan Bresee’s 30 pressures are the 27th-most out of all interior defenders in 2024. Collectively, New Orleans has generated the 12th-most sacks, and not to be forgotten about either is Cam Jordan, who has played at a high level for a long time.

“All of them,” said offensive line coach Luke Butkus when asked what the challenge is with the Saints’ defensive front. “All eight of them that they play, all eight of them are big, all of them are strong. They have some veteran leadership up there. They’re physical and they play with great effort. I like the guys that are really good that don’t play hard. These guys are really good and they play hard.”

And although the Saints’ defense doesn’t blitz often, when they do, those designed pressures often come on third downs and from disguised looks.

“They’re blitz packages, their third downs, they’ve got multiple different packages they use,” said Adam Stenavich. “They do a good job with Demario Davis, rushing and picking and all that stuff so they’ve done a good job all year just creating pressure on the quarterback, and they’ve done that for years. That’s a problem every time you play the Saints you know what you’re in for, but they do a really good job.”

Pressure, of course, disrupts the timing and rhythm of a play for the offense and can mean less time in coverage for the defensive backs. That speeding up of the process for quarterbacks can impact a passer’s mechanics, leading to inaccurate throws and mistakes.

For much of the season, the Packers’ offensive line has held up well against pressure, ranking eighth in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric. Then, since the bye week in particular, Jordan Love has done a very good job of managing to avoid negative plays when he is under duress.

“I can’t say enough about Jordan’s ability to avoid the negative play and making those drastic moves in the pocket and getting the ball out for positive plays,” said LaFleur. “I don’t think people understand–I think it’s overlooked. Just the value of what he’s able to do in getting the ball out of his hands and not taking sacks.”

Patrolling the back end of Saints’ defense is Tyrann Mathieu, who has totaled three interceptions this season and a secondary as a whole that has been very good at making plays on the ball this season. The Saints rank fourth in pass deflections this season and are eighth in total interceptions.

“They’ve just been playing tough defense,” added LaFleur. “They’ve always had a pretty formidable front seven, and I would say that still remains true. And then they got guys that can take the ball away in the back, and they really challenge you. I think (Alontae) Taylor’s a really good corner. Obviously, the Honey Badger, he knows how to get the ball away. So they’ve got, they still got great players back there.”

Now, with that said, where New Orleans has been susceptible defensively is in the run game, surrendering 4.7 yards per rush this season. Although Josh Jacobs has already had a heavy workload this season–totaling the third-most carries among running backs–until their playoff position is set in stone, it sounds like it will remain business as usual, and given this matchup, that could mean another Jacobs-centric gameplan for the Packers.

On paper, the Saints are 5-9, made a coaching change earlier in the season, and are dealing with a number of key injuries. But as we all know, the game of football isn’t played on paper. This team will keep their foot on the game for all four quarters–look no further than last week’s performance against Washington.

Trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Saints made a change at quarterback, putting in rookie Spencer Rattler with Derek Carr sidelined. Rattler led an 11-play, 56-yard scoring drive that included a touchdown pass with no time left on the clock. The Saints would go for the win and attempt a two-point conversion that came up just short, and their second-half comeback was halted in what ended up being a 20-19 loss.

“Especially a rookie quarterback,” said LaFleur of Rattler’s performance against Washington. “I think that tells you a lot about the guy. He’s a talented guy. He was highly recruited coming out of high school and has been able to produce at the college level. He’s a natural thrower. I was impressed with him through the draft process last year. He’s got a lot of talent and he’s got some weapons around him.”

For the Packers, they are still chasing that elusive consistency in these final weeks. As good as their performance was against Seattle this past week, which included a very fast start, scoring on their first four possessions, and once again hitting the 30 point mark for the fourth straight game, there was a four possession stretch in the second half that went punt, fumble, punt, turnover on downs, and lasted a total of 15 plays.

It’s those types of stretches that the team has to avoid come January against the NFC’s best. It’s stretches like that one that can send a team home in the playoffs. And this week, against a Saints team that will give you its best shot for an entire game, it’s those types of possessions that can allow New Orleans to hang around.

“This is the National Football League,” LaFleur said. “You’d better get yourself ready to go, otherwise you’re going to get your ass kicked. I don’t care who you’re playing. I’ve got a lot of respect for these guys and if you looked at what they’ve been able to accomplish in a short period of time, I mean, look at the game last week and their ability to come back. I mean, they had a chance to win the game on the last play of the game. So, you just, to me, every week’s the same.”

Who starts at middle linebacker for Packers if Quay Walker is out?

Paul Bretl | 12/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Earlier in the week, Matt LaFleur would call Packers’ linebacker “week to week” after he exited the Seattle game with an ankle injury. Through two days of practice, Walker has been a non-participant and was seen in the locker room with a boot on his left foot.

With it trending in the direction that Walker won’t be available on Monday night against New Orleans, the question then becomes, who will start at Mike linebacker for the Packers in his absence?

Perhaps the name on the radar of many right now is Edgerrin Cooper, given his lights-out performance against Seattle. So why not give him a larger role and put that playmaking ability right in the middle of the defense?

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Cooper played just 34 snaps against Seattle, but goodness were they impactful. According to PFF, he recorded three pressures, one sack, made a handful of tackles, and allowed just two receptions on six targets for 13 yards with an interception and a pass breakup. As a result, Cooper was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

When there is the type of speed an athleticism at the linebacker position that Cooper possesses, there is added flexibility for Jeff Hafley in how he builds out the gameplan and deploys other positions because of the ground he can cover.

However, Cooper is still a rookie navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump from college to the NFL level. He’s also missed practice time on a few different occasions since training camp due to injuries. That is a lot of valuable snaps missed out on, which in part, is why he’s played just 34 snaps this past Sunday, with Green Bay wanting to continue easing him back in.

Asking Cooper to play the Mike linebacker position right now would be throwing him into a brand new role on the fly, putting a lot on his plate, and potentially limiting his impact.

“The thing you’ve got to be really careful of as a young guy who’s missed a lot of practice is, trying to get him to learn too much because he just hasn’t had the reps at one, let alone two (positions),” said Jeff Hafley on Thursday of Cooper. “Like, he’s played some Sam for us, and now he’s playing a lot of Will, so you’ve got to be really careful overloading him or he won’t be able to go out there.

“It’s not as easy as you think, right? It’s not like, ‘I’m going to go out and play corner, and then I’m going to play nickel.’ There’s more that goes into switching from that position.”

So if it’s not Cooper, that really leaves either Eric Wilson or Isaiah McDuffie to fill that role. Perhaps rather than guessing what the Packers might do on Monday, we can look to what they did in past games this season for the answer.

When Walker exited the Houston game in Week 7 with an injury, it was Wilson who stepped into the Mike role mid-game. The following week against Jacksonville, with Walker still out, it was again Wilson who wore the green dot, and he took some snaps there as well in Week 2 against Indianapolis.

Now in his seventh NFL season, Wilson brings experience to what is a younger Packers’ linebacker room. Oftentimes, with that experience, you’ve seen more; you’ve been in numerous different situations, allowing for a larger workload and a greater understanding of the defensive scheme. But getting to that point on Sundays begins with the work that is put in during the week leading up to the game.

“Eric, he’s just a consistent person,” said Matt LaFleur. “He’s very regimented in terms of his approach. I think that you don’t look like that if you’re not disciplined. He’s just consistent. That’s the best way I can describe him. He just goes out there and executes, and he does it in two phases of the game, he does it on defense and then on teams as well.”

I would also think that part of the equation when making this decision is which player can be on the field for 60-70 plays because your Mike linebacker can’t be coming off in specific situations–he’s the signal caller. Wilson, with his ability in coverage, brings a more well-rounded skill-set compared to McDuffie, who is oftentimes at his best when defending the run.

The responsibilities of the Mike linebacker go well beyond just getting the play-call in for the rest of the defense. This player is essentially the quarterback on the defensive side of the ball, tasked with getting everyone set, making pre-snap adjustments and so much more.

“When you have to tell everybody else what they’re doing and then go out and execute your job, I know that might not seem hard, but that’s not easy,” Hafley said. “Some of our calls can be kind of lengthy. So for him to make a tackle, get up, shake off whatever has happened, gather everybody up, tell everybody the call, hear something else, I might tell him what I think is coming to tell this guy or that guy and then line up and make a close call.

“I mean, there’s a lot that goes into that and I think he’s a veteran guy who brings a calmness and I think he’s had success doing that.”

With Wilson at the Mike, the Packers can–as much as possible in this situation–maintain continuity at the position, keeping Cooper as the Will and McDuffie as the Sam linebackers. And while that continuity element does seem small, whether talking offense or defense, it is very important.

“At that position there’s a lot that goes into it,” Hafley said. “One, he’s got to get the call from me, he’s got to give that to everybody, he’s got to make checks up front, he’s got to make checks behind him, he’s got to calm everything down, he’s got to get certain guys lined up. Eric’s a really smart player.”

Packers vs Saints 2023 matchup showcased potential of Jordan Love and offense that is now being unlocked

Paul Bretl | 12/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Monday night with a win over the New Orleans Saints. The last time these two teams met was in Week 3 of the 2023 season, which isn’t all that long ago, but the Packers’ offense then versus now is night and day different–although we caught a glimpse of the potential that was there in that game.

“Just kind of reliving the game, watching it this week, it’s amazing, just especially, obviously, from the offensive standpoint, the product that we put out then, versus to where we are today, I feel like it’s, it’s night and day,” said Matt LaFleur on Thursday.

Green Bay entered that Week 3 matchup at 1-1 on the season, having come off a loss to Atlanta. Through three quarters, the Saints controlled the game, up 17-0 over the Packers. However, once the fourth quarter arrived, Jordan Love would take over.

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Love’s overall efficiency numbers in that fourth quarter aren’t going to leap off the page. He was 22-of-44 passing overall and just 7-for-18 in the fourth quarter. But when a big play was needed, Love and the offense often came through.

On those seven fourth-quarter completions, Love totaled 104 yards with a touchdown pass, along with rushing for 25 yards and another touchdown. There were also two defensive pass interference penalties totaling 67 yards in that quarter that won’t show up on the stat sheet.

“We had a lot of young players, and it’s not just, it’s not just on the quarterback. But he did an unbelievable job, I would say, in the second half of that game, particularly in the fourth quarter of making some big time plays. I mean, you know, on the final drive, obviously that two point play was critical. We’d scored on a fourth and one right before that. So he made a lot of great plays throughout the course of that game.”

The Packers had three fourth quarter possessions in that game and scored on all of them. The first was an Anders Carlson field goal to cut the deficit to 17-3. On the next drive, the Packers went 80 yards in seven plays, taking only 1:29 off the clock and capped off the touchdown drive with Love going off-script on the two-point conversion play to find Samori Toure in the end zone.

Now, trailing 17-11, the Green Bay defense forced another quick punt, giving Love the ball back. The Packers followed that up with another 80 yard touchdown drive that lasted nine plays and took just 2:27. All of sudden, just like that, the Packers had a 18-17 lead with under two minutes remaining.

“Anytime you face some adversity like that and you’re able to overcome it, it just helps you grow,” said Christian Watson of the comeback. “It helps the individuals of this team grow and our team as a whole grow. So it was definitely huge for development as a team.”

Following this win, the Packers found themselves at 2-1 on the season, but that fourth quarter performance, while impressive, was far from the turning point in the season for a young Packers’ offense.

Green Bay would go on to lose four in a row and it wasn’t until the team’s Week 10 matchup in Pittsburgh that Matt LaFleur would start to really feel the tide begin to turn on the offensive side of the ball.

With that said, what that early season matchup with New Orleans did showcase was the resiliency of this Packers team to bounce back and fight to the end, along with the big play potential and ability to put up points quickly. There is also something to be said for being able to come through in those key, must-have-it moments, as Love did on that Sunday.

“That game definitely meant a lot to everybody in the locker room, and I think it just showed our ability to stay together,” said Jordan Love at his locker on Thursday.

“Obviously it was not a great game, not a great starter for us and I think just everybody staying together and nobody flinching being down 17 and to be able to come back and just chip away at that lead and take it one play at a time, I think it helped us going forward and gave everybody that mindset that no matter what the situation is, what the score might be that we can come back from anything, so I think that definitely helped us a lot.”

Fast forward about 15 months, and after a late-season surge in 2023 that got Green Bay to 9-8 and into the playoffs as the NFC’s seventh seed, the Packers are now 10-4 this season and have one of the highest-scoring offenses in football at 27.1 points per game and a unit that, throughout the season, has been one of the best at generating big plays.

As good as the home stretch last season was for Love and the offense, LaFleur believes that right now, Love is playing the best football of his career. Since Week 11, the Packers’ first game out of the bye week, Love is completing 68.7% of his passes, which is the eighth-best mark during that span. He also leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt at 9.9 and has thrown eight touchdowns to just one interception.

“This is the best ball he’s played,” LaFleur said of Love. “Just when I look at all the little things like I explained the other day, in terms of his ability to manipulate the pocket when he’s under duress, getting the ball to his checkdowns, or whatever it may be, I think he’s playing at a really high level.”

As always, there are numerous factors contributing to that success, which includes improved decision-making from Love, the fact that he’s healthy, along with having Josh Jacobs and a strong run game to lean on. However, as we saw in the offense’s performance against Seattle last Sunday, with four empty possessions in the second half that included a fumble, two punts, and a turnover on downs that in total lasted just 15 plays, this Green Bay offense is still in search of that elusive four quarter performance as well.

With injuries, this hasn’t been the same Saints’ defense in 2024 that ranked 10th in points per game allowed last season. However, this group still has the ability to get after the quarterback, with Chase Young and Carl Granderson each above the 55-pressure mark this season, not to mention that New Orleans ranks tied for eighth in interceptions.

“They’ve just been playing tough defense,” said LaFleur of New Orleans. “They’ve always had a pretty formidable front seven, and I would say that still remains true. And then they got guys that can take the ball away in the back, and they really challenge you. I think (Alontae) Taylor’s a really good corner. Obviously, the Honey Badger, he knows how to get the ball away. So they’ve got, they still got great players back there.”

How will Packers handle Josh Jacobs’ workload in preparation for playoffs?

Paul Bretl | 12/19/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Running back Josh Jacobs has shouldered a heavy workload for the Packers’ offense this season. But now, as the regular season begins to wind down and with the playoffs on the horizon, does Green Bay need to be more mindful of Jacobs’ touches in these remaining weeks?

“I think that’s all the time,” said Matt LaFleur when asked about being aware of Jacobs’ workload. “I think we got to be mindful of his workload 100% and he’s, he does a great job communicating with us in terms of where he’s at, and he’s been pretty healthy. So and certainly the production speaks for itself. I mean, he’s, he’s an animal out there.”

Through now 14 games, Jacobs has carried the ball 265 times this season–the third-highest mark among running backs. If we add in his 31 receptions, Jacobs has touched the ball nearly 300 times this season and has been on the field for 589 snaps.

Although the path that Jacobs is currently on with Green Bay may not be uncharted territory, he is on pace for this 2024 season to be the second most carries he’s had over his six year playing career. So with three games to go, how is Jacobs holding up?

“I feel great,” said Jacobs at his locker on Thursday. “I feel great. I don’t have no bruises, no nothing right now. I feel great. Just as long as I feel good, I feel like we can do whatever we can do. If I was battling with something right now, then I would probably say be precautious but I feel great.”

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Jacobs’ certainly has the ability to make defenders miss. He’s going to enter Week 16 with the second-most missed tackles forced among running backs in 2024, according to PFF. But as an often in between the tackle runner, there’s a level of physicality that Jacobs brings as well, and with that can come a lot of hits.

Taking those hits as a running back is just an entry-level requirement that comes with the job description. However, with Jacobs’ running style, he can mitigate the impact of those hits, thus reducing the constant pounding that can come with carrying the ball as often as he has.

“I don’t think defenders really hit me that hard,” added Jacobs. “I kind of pick and choose, too. One thing about playing this long, you kind of know angles and things like that so even if I do get tackled, it’s not like I’m getting smacked on the tackle. I’m falling a certain type of way, I’m taking angles where I might use their force against them and really help myself. So, for me, I’ve been pretty clean, man. I can’t complain.”

The other part of that equation for the Packers’ offense when it comes to being mindful of the wear-and-tear being put on Jacobs are the play-calls and the execution from the offensive line, so he has more running lanes and space to operate within, rather than being hit quickly.

“Very few times do I feel like when we give him the ball, he doesn’t make the first guy miss,” said Matt LaFleur. “And so hopefully we’ll continue to draw up some better things for him, because he’s, he’s handled a lot of tough yards where he’s getting hit in the hole or a yard downfield and still getting positive yardage out of the plays.”

The preparation for Jacobs to make sure that he is physically at his best on Sundays starts the week prior, with his recovery following the previous week’s game, along with what he eats throughout the week and his workout regimen.

Also, an important factor in that equation is the daily communication with the coaching staff, specifically how Jacobs is feeling that day and what his workload in practice is going to look like to ensure he’s being put in the best position to perform on gamedays.

“If I let him, he’d take every rep in practice,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans. “That’s the type of mindset that he has. But you’ve just got to be smart with him. We do walk-throughs, also, so that’s an opportunity for him to get his reps and go through the sequence of a play.

“It’s more of me making sure that I can maximize him enough during the week to where he’s getting something out of it so that way when Sunday or Monday comes around, he’s at his full energetic level.”

Since the bye week, Jacobs and the run game has often been the catalyst for the Packers’ offense. That ability to produce steadily on the ground keeps the offense ahead of the sticks and out of predictable passing situations. Operating from those short down-and-distance situations then opens up the entire playbook for the offense, and as a result, spreads the defense out.

“It’s been very huge for us,” said Jordan Love about Jacobs and the run game. “I think, we always talk about starting the game off fast, and any time you can just hand the ball to a guy and run the ball down the field, I definitely think it sets kind of the tempo of the game.

“The defense has got to figure out how they’re going to make adjustments. Are they going to try to load the box to stop the run going forward? There’s a lot of things that come out with it. I think it’s also a mentality. It gives everybody from the o-line to the running backs, everybody just confidence when you can come out and start the game just pounding the ball in the run game.”

At 10-4, the Packers are positioned well when it comes to making the playoffs. And with NFC North title just about mathmatically out of reach, they are also pretty locked into being the NFC’s sixth-seed in the playoffs.

However, while all that is true, none of what was just mentioned is set in stone either. Green Bay still hasn’t clinched a playoff spot–although they’ll have the opportunity to do so on Monday against New Orleans–and moving up to the NFC’s fifth-seed is still in play at this point.

So until any or all of that changes and the Packers are locked into a playoff spot, it’s going to be business as usual, with the focus on getting better each day and continuing to win on Sundays–which means, Jacobs, for the time being, is likely going to remain a key part of that equation.

“I worry about trying to be our best in the moment and get better and better and better and, I mean, there’s nothing’s a lock for us,” added LaFleur. “So you’ve got to go and win games. Now, having said that, when we get to that point, if we get to that point, then I think that’s a conversation.”

Jordan Love, Packers’ offense heating up down the stretch once again

Paul Bretl | 12/19/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After an inconsistent first half of the season, the Packers offense has scored at least 30 points in each of its last four games and the play of Jordan Love out of the bye week has been a big part of that success.

“I think he’s done a great job of being really on the detail of his fundamentals and mechanics, and I think you’re seeing a translation over to game day and I think he’s playing at a really high level right now,” said Matt LaFleur recently.

Since Week 11, the Packers first game out of the bye week, Love is completing 68.7% of his passes, which is the eighth-best mark during that span. He also leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt at 9.9 and has thrown eighth touchdowns to just one interception.

Compared to the first nine games of the season leading up to the bye week, Love was completing only 62.5% of his attempts at a modest 7.7 yards per attempt with 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions–the second-most in football at that time.

“I just think Jordan, the more he plays, the better he gets,” LaFleur said. “And I think his mechanics have improved. I think he’s really focused on that over the last few weeks, and I think he’s playing better. It’s funny how that works. So he’s doing a great job of moving in the pocket when things are there. It’s, I mean, it’s almost been automatic for him.

“So we need that to continue for us to get to where we want to go. And, but I am happy with how he’s playing. I think he’s playing decisive, doing a good job, for the most part, getting the ball out of his hands. And, like I said, we need him to continue to do that.”

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So what has led to this stark turnaround for Love and therefore the rest of the Packers’ offense?

As always, there are numerous factors in play, but a big one is that Love is healthy. In Week 1 against Philadelphia, Love suffered a knee injury that still continued to linger on and off the practice field even after he had returned. Then in the Packers’ win over Jacksonville, Love would exit that game with a groin injury.

The impact of playing through injuries has multiple effects. For one, as we’ve heard quarterbacks coach Tom Clements reference previously, successfully playing the quarterback position often starts with the player’s base–their feet and legs. That’s where both the ability to drive the ball and a quarterback’s mechanics begins, and in theory, with Love’s lower-half not at 100 percent, that could have contributed to some of the uncharacteristic throws we had seen from him early in the year.

“I think anytime you’re dealing with anything, especially seeing the things that he’s done in the past, he definitely needs your legs to do those things,” said Christian Watson of Love. “I’ve definitely seen him feeling a lot more like himself for a few weeks now. But it’s definitely big. Honestly, I’m just going to keep on running my route until I hear a whistle or I see the ball thrown somewhere else, because I know that he’s going to try to make a play regardless.”

Those injuries also restricted Love’s mobility as well. And while, no, we didn’t see Love getting outside of the pocket and picking up 10-yard runs all that often prior to the bye, although certainly valuable, that element isn’t what I’m referring to when it comes to his improved play over the last month-plus.

While navigating those injuries, the gameplan was altered. We saw fewer snaps under center and less play-action from the Packers’ offense–two core elements of the Matt LaFleur offense. Love’s ability to navigate the pocket to avoid pressure, buy time, and open up throwing lanes was hampered as well. The result of this can be more pressures, or sacks, that put the offense behind the sticks and, overall, less time because once the pressure hits, the ball has to come out.

That incredible play against Detroit where Love avoided the free rusher and then stepped up into the pocket to find Christian Watson on a crossing route probably isn’t happening back in October.

And even for a player of Love’s caliber, time on the practice field still matters. There were a lot of practices through the first half of the season where he was either sidelined or limited in what he could do because of injuries.

“I think a lot of it is just going back to practice,” LaFleur said. “I think it’s hard to be your best when you’re in-and-out of practice or you’re not feeling your best. Obviously he was limited by lower-body injuries and you’re talking about a thrower, and I don’t care what sport you’re playing, anybody who uses their legs to generate power, and you have an injury in that area, they’re going to be affected by it.”

Along with Love’s health improving, so has his decision-making. As Love began to heat up during the stretch last season, Clements would note that the real turning point for him in the 2023 season came when he was consistently deciphering when to take the available checkdown and when to push the ball downfield for the big play.

Obviously, it’s not the throws themselves on checkdowns that showcase growth, but it’s the process of getting to that decision, from understanding the situation at hand, reading the defense correctly, going through your progressions, and knowing where the outlet option is if things break down or aren’t open.

However, just because there may be more of a willingness to take what’s available doesn’t mean that Love isn’t going for the big play either. That’s a big part of who he is as a quarterback–he trusts his arm, and he trusts his receivers to make the play. Over this same five-game span, Love ranks eighth in passing yards on throws of 20-plus yards and is ninth in attempt percentage per dropback.

“It just comes down to understanding what the defense is trying to do,” said Love about his decision-making. “Seeing the coverage and obviously post snap recognizing if they’re bluffing or doing any disguise. After that, it just turns into finding completions. Obviously we want to push the ball downfield and exploit whatever coverage they might be in, but if we don’t have a great play, just understanding where I need to go and finding those checkdowns for sure.”

In what is the ultimate team game, the play around Love has been more consistent as well. Fewer pre-snap penalties have helped keep the offense out of those dreaded long down-and-distance situations, while a heavy-dose of Josh Jacobs and the run game has often kept the offense ahead of the sticks, not to mention that a strong run game can do wonders when it comes to opening up opportunities for the passing game.

With all that said, as good as Love and the offense has looked over the last month, there is still room for growth and the most recent game against Seattle is a prime example of that. Although the offense got off to a fast start and again hit the 30-point mark, there was a four-possession lull in the second half that included two punts, a fumble, and a turnover on downs, all of which occurred in only 15 total plays.

The ultimate goal right now is to be peaking at the right time, which is when the playoffs arrive. I don’t think anyone would say that the Packers’ offense has reached that point yet, as evidenced above. This is a group that is still chasing that elusive consistency and full four-quarter performance. However, with Love operating at a high level, they are on the right track and trending in the right direction.

“I feel really good,” said Love after the Seattle game about where the offense is at. “I think we’re in a really good spot. I think we got to do the same thing we’ve talked about all season, just take it one game at a time and finish this season off. And you know, be where we want to be for playoffs.

“But I like where we’re at, and we’ve just got to keep figuring out ways to get better, to keep, keep pushing each other and find ways to get these wins to end the season off. But I like where we’re at.”

Packers attention not on playoff-clinching scenario vs Saints but on finding consistency

Paul Bretl | 12/18/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — This week against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night football, the Packers have the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth, however, that specifically isn’t what Matt LaFleur is focused on at this time.

“I’m not even worried about playoffs,” said LaFleur on Tuesday. “Not worried about it. I’m worried about us continuing to get better, staying in the moment, focusing on what’s right in front of us, and it’s by attacking our practices the right way and just building our habits. It’s all about how we improve throughout this process, and whatever happens, happens.”

Instead of intently focusing on the playoff picture, the Packers are chasing consistency, something that has often eluded them this season when it comes to putting together a complete 60-minute performance. If the Packers can master the mundane day-to-day details from the meeting rooms to the practice field and the overall weekly preparation and then carry that onto the field on Sundays, the playoff component will take care of itself.

“To me it’s about staying true to your process and trying to get better each and every day and making sure you’re on your details because I do think the details separate good from great and capitalizing on opportunities,” LaFleur said.

“We’ve got that mentality that you’re trying to win every game and you can only do it one game at a time so just focusing on that process and trying to do the best you can each and every day on the practice field, in the meeting rooms. I think that gives you a chance to go out there and play your best ball on Sundays.”

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After a fast start this past Sunday against Seattle, the Packers’ offense hit a lull in the second half. Following a field goal on their second possessions, the Green Bay offense would go punt, fumble, punt, and turnover on downs. It goes without saying, but not every drive is going to result in points, but what particularly stung about those empty possessions was how short they were.

Before that first punt, the Packers run just three plays. The fumble occurred on the second play and was followed by a three-and-out, and then the turnover on downs was a seven-play drive that included one first down. In the blink of an eye, the Packers went from moving the ball up-and-down the field with ease to not being able to do so at all, with the run game getting bottled up and just an overall lack of execution.

“We’ve got to execute better,” said LaFleur of the offense’s second half performance. “Certainly there’s times where we as coaches have to put our guys in better position, but yeah, that’s why both teams get paid because they’re going to make adjustments and we’ve just got to make sure we stay a step ahead of them.

“I do think there were some times where we were running the ball pretty effectively in the second half. It just was too inconsistent, and we knew it at halftime that they were probably going to start amping up their level of pressure and we saw some more Cover zero in the second half and we didn’t necessarily make them pay when we did see those situations.”

This is only a game sample size described above, but that contest in Seattle was also a bit of a microcosm of what we’ve seen from the Packers’ offense since the bye week.

Seemingly each week, and at times, at different moments within each game, we see different units of phases of the game for the Packers pick up the slack as other elements may be sputtering. In Chicago, it was the special teams unit that saved the day. Against San Francisco and Miami, it was Josh Jacobs and the run game that the Packers leaned on.

A week later versus Detroit, with the defense struggling to get stops, the Green Bay passing game in the second half shouldered the workload, and in this most recent game, after a fast start by the offense, it was the pass rush and defense that kept the Seahawks at bay in the second half.

This ability to win in a variety of ways could prove to be quite valuable come the playoffs. Against the NFL’s top teams, those opponents are going to do everything they can to take away what Green Bay does well and will throw new looks at them. You’re going to get punched in the mouth come the postseason and adversity is going to hit. The successful teams in January are often the ones that can make adjustments and overcome all of that the quickest.

Four straight empty possessions, like we saw in Seattle, that include a turnover and 15 total plays against teams such as Detroit or Philadelphia could turn a close game into a multi-score deficit or erase a lead that had been established. It’s stretches such as that one that will send a team home in the playoffs.

“It’s something that we’re gonna have to clean up just having that consistency through four quarters and being able to put together a four quarter battle,” Jordan Love said following the win in Seattle. “But we always talk about, you know, these games somehow it always comes down to the last couple minutes. Teams find a way to put up points and do different things.

“So you know, you’ve got to be able to keep that foot on the gas and keep making those big time plays that we were making the first half. But we definitely got to do better of just playing a complete four quarter game.”

As LaFleur said coming out of the Detroit game, oftentimes, those close matchups 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. While the Lions won on a last-second field goal two weeks ago, earlier in the game, they converted two fourth-downs into touchdowns, and the Green Bay 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 quite a bit of weight in determining 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 think the details what separates a lot of these games, especially late in the season,” LaFleur said. “When you’re playing good football teams are separated by a couple of plays, and you never know when those plays are going to show up. So you better make sure that you maximize those opportunities. You’re on all your little details in order for you to be on top when that clock hits zero.”

Now, having said all of that, there’s a lot of good from this Packers’ team as well. While the offense was plagued by self-inflicted mistakes throughout the first half of the season, which only exacerbated the inconsistencies of that unit, those errors have been significantly reduced over the last month-plus. That, coupled with a healthy Jordan Love, has been the catalyst behind an offense that has eclipsed the 30-point mark in four straight games.

On the defensive side of the ball, the pass rush is picking up steam after a lackluster start to the season, and the defensive front as a whole is playing some of its best football. We’re also continuing to see the emergence of Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker, while the cornerback position–with help–has navigated not having Jaire Alexander on the field.

“We’ve, we’ve found a way to win a lot of games,” said LaFleur after the Detroit game. “So I don’t want to 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.”

During his bye week press conference, GM Brian Gutekunst discussed the importance of peaking at the right time, which is when the playoffs arrive. We saw the value of that just a season ago, where on paper, the Packers were 9-8 and the NFC’s seventh seed, but on the field, they were operating as one of the better teams in football.

I don’t think anyone would say that this Packers team is peaking right now. As discussed, there are still things that have to get cleaned up. Yet even with that being the case, the offense is still averaging 32.3 points per game over the last month, illustrating the potential that is out there for this team. But unlocking it and reaching their ceiling is going to take more consistency, and for that to happen on Sundays, it starts with executing the day-to-day details at a high level.

“We’ll see,” said LaFleur after the Seattle game 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.”

Beyond the stat sheet, Romeo Doubs’ production for Packers often comes at crucial moments of games

Paul Bretl | 12/17/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After missing two games with a concussion, Romeo Doubs picked up where he left off in his return against Seattle, which is coming through for this Packers’ offense in critical moments throughout the game.

“Huge,” said Christian Watson of Doubs’ return. “He’s a big playmaker for us consistently making plays for us. Definitely huge to get him back. Just another weapon in the arsenal.”

Doubs would go on to catch 3-of-5 targets in Sunday night’s win, totaling 40 yards with two touchdowns. However, going beyond the stat sheet, when and where that production happened only added to Doubs’ impact in this game.

The Green Bay offense would finish the game only 2-for-4 in the red zone, but Doubs’ first reception came on the Packers second possession and in that part of the field. With the Packers facing a 2nd-and-8 from the Seattle 13 yard line, on an over the middle pass into a tight window, Jordan Love connected with Doubs, who then uncharacteristically ran through defenders and muscled his way into the end zone.

“That was awesome,” said Jordan Love of the touchdown. “That was something that I really haven’t seen out of Rome, just running guys over and carrying them, putting the team on his back. But I think it just shows how much he loves it and is willing to fight for those extra yards and just fight to get that touchdown. So that was a great play by him.”

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Doubs’ final reception then came late in the fourth quarter. With 4:59 left in the game and the Seahawks hanging around and trailing by 10 points, Love again found Doubs, this time on a deep post resulting in a spectacular catch–which Doubs’ strong hands on display–as he hauled in the 22-yard touchdown, effectively putting the game away.

“How about that catch? That second touchdown catch that was a big time play,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “I love how Rome works and he’s been pretty consistent for us when given opportunities and he comes through. So it was cool to have him back out there.”

These two plays are only two examples of what has become many over the last few seasons of Doubs coming through at critical moments in the game, whether that be in the red zone, on third downs, or in end of game situations.

On the season, Doubs has played a key role in helping the Packers offense stay on the field by moving the chains. Of his 37 total receptions, 27 have gone for a first down, according to PFF. Despite missing the last 2.5 games with a concussion, he still leads the team in first down receptions.

On third downs specifically, Doubs has caught 11-of-16 passes (68.8%), with 10 of those catches picking up a first down, and he is averaging a hefty 18.3 yards per reception.

Down in the red zone, Doubs is an efficient target as well, catching 7-of-10 passes, with three touchdowns, and five first downs.

“The dude is dog, man,” said Josh Jacobs after Sunday’s win. “His hands, the way he goes about it. It’s just crazy. That’s the only thing I can say. I called him spiderman earlier in the week because I feel like when the ball is anywhere in his vicinity he’s snagging it, catching it. That play at the end, I wasn’t surprised that he made it.”

Then there are those crucial late-game situations where Doubs has oftentimes come through. In addition to the touchdown against Seattle, he had two receptions on the Packers’ final drive against Houston that picked up first downs and eventually led to the game-winning field goal by Brandon McManus.

In Week 2 against the Colts, with Malik Willis at quarterback and Green Bay hardly throwing the football, Doubs had a 39 yard reception in the fourth quarter that led to a field goal and another fourth quarter catch of 15 yards that put the Packers in field goal range.

In the second halves of games this season, Doubs has caught 15-of-25 passes at 13.4 yards per catch, has picked up 10 first downs, and has two scores.

“I think Rome, it all starts with the work he puts in,” said Matt LaFleur on Tuesday. “That catch he made on fourth down, outstanding. I think I told the team – it’s not a secret why this happens. The guy spends more time on the JUGs machine than anybody I’ve ever been around. He’s got unbelievable hands. I think he’s done a great job with his releases, knowing what to do, playing decisively. He’s playing really good football right now.”

One of the most difficult aspects for opposing defenses when it comes to defending this Packers offense is the number of options that they have in the passing game and that in just about any situation, the ball could go to any player in any part of the field.

However, as the numbers above and our eyes show, oftentimes in those must-have-it moments, Love is looking for Doubs. That starts with his ability as a route runner and to not only win his one-on-one matchups but to do so quickly and then to be a reliable target, hauling those passes in.

“It’s his work ethic,” said Love about Doubs. “I mean the guy’s in there catching off the JUGS all day long. He works on his hands. It’s something that doesn’t just happen by accident. He’s out there making all these crazy catches and making it look easy. It’s the work he puts in throughout the week and in the offseason and then it shows on the field.

“He definitely has a very good set of hands and like you said makes some of the hard catches look relatively easy. I think it’s just his work ethic.”

Up against an aggressive, man coverage and blitz-heavy defense a week ago in Detroit, Doubs’ presence and ability to win at all levels of the field was missed. But in this most recent game against Seattle, who features another aggressive, press-man-centric secondary, Doubs’ return played a vital role in the Packers being able to come away with that win.

“Rome, he’s such a problem if you get him one-on-one with DBs,” said Adam Stenavich. “He’s an excellent route runner. He can win in the quick game. He can win over the middle. He can win on the long ball. So, he’s a really versatile wide receiver.

“He’s becoming a total wideout for us and doing a good job.”

On paper, Doubs’ overall production isn’t going to leap off the page. He’s caught 37 passes this season, he has 523 receiving yards at 14.1 yards per catch, with four touchdowns. But when many of those receptions occur illustrates his true impact on this offense, as we saw in Seattle.