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.”

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.”

Paul Bretl | 9/26/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’ll be a heavy-weight matchup on Sunday between the Packers rushing offense and the Minnesota Vikings stingy run defense. The winner may give their team the advantage when it comes to the outcome of this game.

“He just causes you a lot of headaches,” said Matt LaFleur of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. “A lot of your run game it can be problematic in the run game, you’re not always going to run it into some great looks. There’s going to be some dirty looks and you’ve got to do your best to gain as many yards as you can. So, like I said, I’ve got a lot of respect for how he’s able to create a whole lot of conflict for opposing offenses.”

The Packers’ offense will enter Sunday’s game averaging 5.5 yards per rush–the second-highest mark in football. They’re also leading the NFL with 204 rushing yards per game and are first in explosive running plays of 10-plus yards with 17 of them.

The beauty behind the Packers’ early season success on the ground is how they’re doing it. Having to adapt on the fly the last two games with Malik Willis at quarterback, we’ve seen a different Packers offense that features designed quarterback runs, an emphasis of getting offensive linemen in space, both gap and outside zone running schemes being featured, and a few receivers contributing as well.

“I mean it’s hard in this league to just line up, be static and beat people,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “Like you really gotta have an unbelievable roster to do things like that. Now, I think we have good players, but you just have to keep the defense guessing, you have to make them look one way (and) go the other just to distract them for a split second so you can find seams in defenses or whatever it is, that’s something I believe in and I like to do.”

On the other side of the ball this week will be a Vikings defense that not only throws a lot at opposing passing game with their blitz-heavy approach, but this is also a unit that has been extremely difficult to run on, in part because of the pressure. It’s a physical group that rushes in unison. Similarly to what the Packers do on offense by throwing a lot of looks at opposing defenses, the Vikings do that defensively to their opponents.

As good as the Packers offense has been at generating big running plays, the Vikings have been one of the best at limiting those opportunities on the ground, allowing the third-fewest yards per rush at just 3.6. Opponents have also averaged just 71.3 total rushing yards per game–the second-fewest–and the three rushes of 10-plus yards surrendered by Minnesota is the third-fewest.

“Running the football into pressures is its own challenge in and of itself,” said Josh Myers at his locker. “It’s a difficult thing to do. So we just have to be great at communicating. Understand our assignments. Understand what each call means and how we’re supposed to execute it. And then we have to go and do it. So, it’s tough, we’re going to have to be vigilant, going to be watching for it and communicating it.”

Finding some sort of success on the ground begins pre-snap with the communication and protection calls from the offensive line, specifically identifying where potential pressures could be coming from and then setting the correct protections based on that information. The quarterback also has the ability to make adjustments based on what he sees as well.

Of course, with the Vikings’ ability to disguise what they’re ultimately wanting to do, the set protections are likely never quite full-proof–so oftentimes the blockers will have to adjust as the play is unfolding. 

“(It’s about) Having a feel for our offense,” said Myers about adjusting mid-snap. “For the rules within in our offense because for sure, we’re going to get some looks we haven’t talked about or they haven’t shown. I think it’s trusting our rules. Trusting the offense and trusting the guys next to us that they’re going to do their job. Kind of have to work throughout.”

Schematically, in an effort to combat the Vikings front, the Packers could try to spread them out, using a heavy dose of 11 personnel to do so. The continued usage of motion and some pre-snap eye candy will have to remain high, forcing the defenders to move pre-snap, potentially opening up running lanes or the defense tipping their hand when it comes to which players are coming with the pressure.

Chances are, it is going to be tough sledding in the run game for Green Bay in this one. Regardless of whether it is Malik Willis or Jordan Love at quarterback, we probably won’t see the same run game emphasis that we’ve seen the in the previous two games from the Packers’ offense–the Vikings just won’t allow it.

“They pose a big challenge because a lot of their fronts there’s just so many guys up on the line of scrimmage and they’re very multiple with their personnels,” Stenavich said. “And they can give a lot of different looks from a lot of different personnels where it’s not a very good look, or very favorable to run the ball in a lot of situations.”

With that said, even if the Packers are only able to muster three or four yards a carry, what they’ll want to avoid is becoming one-dimensional and pass-heavy, which results in predictability, allowing a very potent pass rush and blitz-heavy defense to really tee-off. This then begins a vicious cycle that can be difficult to get out of for an offense, and that is something the Packers must avoid.

“You just really have to be patient with it and just focus on your mentality because there’s going to be some bad looks and you just got to get what you can out of them,” said Stenavich. “But they pose a problem. They got smart players, they pressure a lot, and their very talented across the board, so it’s going to be a really big challenge for us this week.”

Conversely, the ability to move the ball on the ground–or at least be committed to doing so–can result in short down-and-distance situations, which can help keep a defense off-balanced, to varying degrees, and potentially open up opportunities in the pass game, which this Packers offense will have to take advantage of because the chances to do so could be limited.

Paul Bretl | 9/25/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers have navigated the last two weeks beautifully on offense, however, this week’s game against the Brian Flores-led Minnesota Vikings defense will present a very new challenge for Green Bay.

“I think he’s the only one doing it like this,” said Matt LaFleur of Brian Flores’ defense. “I think his defenses are very aggressive and it causes you a lot of headaches. He’s one of the most challenging guys to go against in this league. So, I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s been able to accomplish.”

Through three weeks, the Vikings currently rank second in blitz rate this season, sending at least one additional pass rusher on nearly 40 percent of their defensive snaps. This has played a key role in the Vikings’ ability to pressure the quarterback as they currently rank fourth in pressure rate and first in sacks.

However, the challenge for the Packers isn’t just in the fact that the Vikings blitz. A lot of teams blitz, including the Tennessee Titans, who the Packers played last week. The challenge is in how Flores sends pressures, doing so from a variety of spots on the field, in the number of players that he sends, along with disguising well where those pressures are coming from.

“They do a lot of stuff,” said Jordan Love at his locker. “And I think their players are all pretty in-tune, where they can have different guys playing different positions and moving around on every play. So they make coverages look the same with guys in different positions, send different pressures and make it all look the same at the end of the day. I think they’re coached up very well, and they all have a great idea of where they need to be.

“I think at the end of the day, it just comes down to being able to decipher what they’re doing and then at the snap of the ball, trying to figure out, ‘Are they bluffing? Are they coming?’ Things like that. They do so much stuff that it is hard to have an idea what they’re doing pre-snap, so a lot of that stuff you’ve just got to feel it out.”

The name of the game in football is giving the quarterback time. With time in the pocket, it allows the quarterback to go through his progressions and throwing within the timing and rhythm of the play.

On the flip side, pressure means less time for the pass-catchers to get open, it can disrupt that aforementioned timing and rhythm, which ultimately can result in mistakes or sacks that put the offense in long down-and-distance situations. The Vikings will enter Week 4 having generated the third-most takeaways this season, and their ability to get after the quarterback has undoubtedly played a factor in that success.

When facing those second and third-and-longs routinely, it’s like a vicious cycle at that point, with the offense in an obvious passing situation and the defense able to pin its ears back and be aggressive when it comes to getting after the quarterback.

“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.”

So far, the Packers’ offensive line has done well in protecting the quarterback this season, ranking second as a collective unit in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric. Successfully doing that begins pre-snap with the communication, specifically identifying where potential pressures could be coming from and then setting the correct protections based on that information. The quarterback also has the ability to make adjustments based on what he sees as well.

Of course, with the Vikings’ ability to disguise these looks, the set protections are likely never quite full-proof. And in the offensive line’s effort to be prepared for any blitzing linebackers or cornerbacks, not to be forgotten about is the Vikings’ defensive front. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard is tied for fourth among his position group in total pressures. Interior defensive lineman Jihad Ward ranks 10th and Jerry Tillery is 23rd.

“They play fast, they play physical, they’re doing a great job of getting after the quarterback, the run game is a challenge to go against,” added LaFleur. “They give you a lot of different looks and I think much like we talk about the illusion of complexity where we like to give looks that are difficult on the defense, but simple for us, I feel like that’s what they do. They have a system in place that makes it easy for their players, or easier for their players to go out there and execute. But it makes it extremely difficult on the offenses they are going against.”

To combat the blitz, the Packers can use help from the tight end position and keep a running back in the backfield to pick up any defenders who make their way through the line of scrimmage. And speaking of the running backs, finding success on the ground will be pivotal to keep the offense ahead of the sticks and out of the aforementioned vicious cycle that teams can fall into when facing a pressure-heavy opponent.

That, however, is a task easier said than done against a unit that can quickly close-up running lanes with their aggressive approach at the line of scrimmage. While the Packers have been quite effective with the run game, the Vikings have been quite good at stopping it, ranking third in yards per rush allowed at just 3.6.

“There’s not many teams that look like this, that are doing it, just some of these personnel groupings, the amount of pressure,” said LaFleur. “I think it’s the only system out there. He’s not afraid to zero you, so you better have a plan for that. He just causes you a lot of headaches, a lot of your run game it can be problematic in the run game, you’re not always going to run it into some great looks.

“There’s going to be some dirty looks and you’ve got to do your best to gain as many yards as you can. So, like I said, I’ve got a lot of respect for how he’s able to create a whole lot of conflict for opposing offenses.”

In addition to all of that, this is also a week where we could see an emphasis on the quick passing game, and the Packers’ usage of pre-snap motion will have to remain high, forcing the defenders to move pre-snap or tip their hand when it comes to which players are coming with the pressure. But ultimately, whoever is under center for the Packers will have to be decisive–as Matt LaFleur has said in the past, “indecisive equals ineffective.”

Flores was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator last season, so it’s not as if what the Packers are up against is completely new–although there will be adjustments made by Minnesota, just as every team and unit does from one season to the next, and there have been some new additions this offseason on that side of the ball of well.

“You can tell it’s a bunch of guys that are in Year 2 of the system but I do think, when you look at the corners, I mean outside of Murphy they’ve got two new guys and, but, they all have learned it well,” said LaFleur. “I mean they’re veteran players, so I feel like they’ve picked it up quickly. Obviously Cashman and Greenard have been huge pick ups for them. I think both of those guys are outstanding football players. Got a chance to study them in free agency and they are really good players.”

The added challenge for the Packers potentially lies in having to prepare both Jordan Love and Malik Willis this week, with there still being some uncertainty around Love’s status. While Willis has shown he can handle a lot, still not even one month into being with the team, how the Packers ask him versus Love to handle this blitz-heavy defense will be different. On the flip side, there is some unknown for the Vikings as well, who will attack each of these quarterbacks differently.

Paul Bretl | 9/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — One of the more impressive–and important–feats that Malik Willis has accomplished while starting at quarterback for the Packers has been his ability to take care of the football in these two games.

“He’s done a really nice job in that regard,” said Matt LaFleur about Willis’ command of the offense. “I think it’s a credit to the other 10 guys in the huddle, as well, just knowing the offense because sometimes things can get crazy on gameday.”

On 33 pass attempts against Indianapolis and Tennessee, Willis has been extremely efficient, completing 73 percent of those passes at 9.7 yards per attempt, with of course, no interceptions.

But beyond not throwing any picks, by PFF’s metrics, Willis hasn’t even had a throw that’s been deemed turnover-worthy. For some perspective, of the 35 quarterbacks through three games who have had at least 29 dropbacks, Willis is one of three, including Justin Fields and Aaron Rodgers, without a turnover-worthy throw.

Willis’ ability to take care of the football has, in return, given Matt LaFleur the confidence to open up the passing game, knowing that the ball won’t be put in danger. A key contributor to the Packers’ offensive success against the Titans was the offense’s ability to generate several explosive pass plays, along with Willis converting some key third-and-long situations.

“I mean that’s, that is the number one job of the quarterback, take care of the football and he’s done a great job of not putting it in harm’s way,” said LaFleur after the win in Tennessee. “And quite frankly that’s allowed us, and given us confidence to open some of the things up.

“To come out and throw a pass on the first play of the game, anticipating they’d be geared up for a run, and to get that big explosion play to J-Reed I thought really set us off.”

We learned post-game from Willis that the Packers have weekly meetings where the sole focus is on taking care of the ball and stressing the need to win the turnover battle.

However, we all know that the ball is life in the NFL and taking care of it is important. It’s certainly one thing to say that, to discuss it, and to stress the importance of it, but going out on the field and executing that is a completely different story.

Given the nature of the NFL, along with the circumstances Willis found himself in, having just arrived in Green Bay several weeks ago, one could assume that the ball might end up in the hands of a defender or at least there be an opportunity for the opponent to make a play on the football–whether that be from an errant throw or a poor decision.

But, as highlighted above, that hasn’t been the case whatsoever. That’s a credit to LaFleur and the coaching staff for putting together a game-plan that Willis has been able to execute, and of course, it’s a huge credit to Willis for not putting the ball in harm’s way.

Willis’ success with protecting the ball shows a quarterback who knows the ins-and-outs of the game-plan, specifically knowing when is the right time to push the ball based on the coverage look he’s getting and when to tuck it and run. Or, to put it another way, taking what the defense is giving him. The zero turnover-worthy throws is also a nod to Willis’ ability as a passer, putting the ball where he needs to.

“More than anything, it’s a testament to Coach LaFleur and all the other coaches,” said Willis about taking care of the ball. “We have a ball meeting, and we talk about what’s a key component to winning ballgames, and more than anything, it’s the turnover differential. And I think that he does a great job of just showing us the importance of the ball and keeping it and being plus on the turnover margin. I think we just try and focus on that, and that’s throughout the team.”

If you can win the turnover battle, you have a good chance of winning the game, and the Packers’ ability to do that the last two weeks has been instrumental in winning these games. Defensively, it takes points off the board and can often result in good field position, while for the offense, it leads to additional possessions and opportunities to put up points.