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.

Paul Bretl | 9/23/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Last week I asked the question, would this be the game where we see the Packers pass rush let it rip? Well, it certainly was, particularly in the second half.

“It’s free, freedom,” said JJ Enagbare post-game. “We knew what we’re capable of. Last two weeks, we was just following the game plan and pretty much this just showed how dominant we could be.”

All throughout training camp and the preseason, we had heard about this attack front play-style under Jeff Hafley, where in short, the job is to get off the ball as quickly as possible and into the backfield. However, through the first two games, the governor was on as the Packers prioritize keeping Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson in the pocket with more controlled power rushes.

As both Hafley and Matt LaFleur made clear leading up to this game, Titans’ quarterback Will Levis certainly has the ability to hurt defenses with his legs. But from the outside looking in, it also appeared that there was going to be a much more grand opportunity to get after Levis against a Titans’ offensive line unit that has struggled mightily in pass protection.

The Packers finished the game with eight sacks, the most that the team has had in a single game since 2005 when they recorded nine against the Bears that season. ESPN also credited the Green Bay defense with 12 quarterback hits as well.

“I just think we stayed with the plan,” said Preston Smith. “We knew the opportunities were going to come. We maximized on the opportunities. We left some out there and we didn’t capitalize on every opportunity, obviously with the eight. Guys played really hard. A lot of people were getting sacks. I was almost like, ‘Oh man, when my turn coming?’ Everybody was rushing hard, playing hard. Our defense played really well.”

Through the first two quarters of the game, the Packers had only one sack. However, playing with a two score lead for much of the second half, the Packers were able to turn up the pressure–literally–as the Titans became more pass heavy.

On the Titans’ opening possession of the third quarter, Devonte Wyatt recorded a first down that put Tennessee behind the sticks. A few players later, Quay Walker came up with the fourth-down sack, with Isaiah McDuffie and Jaire Alexander taking away the throw to the running back in the flat.

Two possessions later, JJ Enagbare won his pass rush rep about as quickly as one can, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Lukas Van Ness. From that point on, the Packers pass rush was like snowball rolling down a mountain, gaining momentum and size with each passing play.

“Pretty much tackle just over-set it,” said Enagbare of his strip-sack. “I was able to grab his hand and pretty much get a clear lane for the sack. Then my dog Lukas scooped it up.”

The next time Tennessee had the ball, Preston Smith came up with a third-down sack. On the possession after that, the Packers recorded back-to-back sacks on second and third down. Then, on the Titans’ final full possession of the game, Smith recorded another first down sack, putting Tennessee behind the sticks. Two plays later, Xavier McKinney came up with his third interception.

“Oh my goodness, they went crazy,” said Malik Willis of the pass rush. “That was amazing. Eight sacks, right? Oh my goodness. That was super. They won the game for us, if you want to say that. Them guys did great. Everybody deserves a game ball. I’ll pay however much money out of my pocket to everybody if they keep doing that. I’ll add to their salaries. Oh my goodness. That was amazing. It was good to see. Those guys work hard all week. You just love to see it come to fruition out on the field.”

Going beyond the impressive numbers that the Packers put together, you see a defense under Hafley that is willing to adjust its play-style based upon the game-flow. In the early going, there again was a more controlled pass rush approach with an emphasis on lane integrity because Willis does have the ability to extend plays, along with wanting to limit rushing lanes for the Titans’ running backs. Tennessee was also using the quick passing game often in the early portion of Sunday’s contest.

But as the game went on and the Packers established their two or three-score leads, the Titans’ became more pass-heavy, with longer developing routes, at which point there became a greater opportunity to truly get after the quarterback–which the Green Bay pass rush took full advantage of.

There isn’t a player on the defensive side of the ball who doesn’t benefit from a stout pass rush. Obviously, sacks create long down-and-distance situations for the offense, but pressures will also disrupt the timing and rhythm of the play, can lead to mistakes, and mean less time in coverage for the defensive backs.

“It’s amazing,” said Jaire Alexander of the pass rush. “Like, it’s just so good. It’s complementary. When I’m covering down the field and I hear a big roar or something, I’m like, ‘Well, I guess we got another sack.’ This is amazing.”

We often talk about complementary football in terms of the three phases of the game–offense, defense, and special teams–working together. But defensively on Sunday, we saw complementary football with the defensive front and the back end of the defense working together in unison. The end result was a dominant performance with eight sacks, three takeaways, and the Titans’ averaging just 4.5 yards per play.

“I think it ties in, coverage and the rush,” said Xavier McKinney after the game. “But when they rushing like that, man, those guys up front, we got a special group and I just know that every time, every play, they gonna make something happen and they gonna be able to cause chaos and that’s gonna speed up the quarterback’s process and it’s gonna make it a hell of a lot easier for us as DBs to go out there and cover because we know that pressure gonna get there, so we get more opportunities to go make plays on the ball, so it’s been special.”

Paul Bretl | 9/22/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Based on reports, Malik Willis will get the start against Tennessee at quarterback for the Packers. This puts an added emphasis on the need for a strong run game that the offense can lean on, however, accomplishing that this week will prove to be a bigger challenge–literally.

Through two games, the Titans’ defense is surrendering just 4.0 yards per rush, which is the 10th-lowest rate in football at this point. The 92.5 rushing yards per game Tennessee is giving up also ranks 10th.

In the middle of what has shown to be a salty, as Matt LaFleur put it, defensive front are Jeffery Simmons, rookie T’Vondre Sweat, who measures in at 6-4 – 362 pounds, and Sebastian Joseph-Day.

“Well they’re giants,” said LaFleur about the Titans defensive front. “And they do a good job. They’re both athletic, but I think it’s just the totality of the defense. I think you look across-the-board the majority of their players are veteran players that have played a lot of ball and they have a good scheme. So it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

Individually, Joseph-Day ranks sixth and Simmons 15th in PFF’s run-stop rate metric out of 118 eligible defensive tackles. With Sweat, his impact isn’t always going to be felt on the stat sheet, but his ability to take on double-teams and eat up space frees up other defenders to make plays.

“They’re big inside,” said offensive line coach Luke Butkus. “They’re strong, they’re physical. We’ve got to match that physicality, and we’ve got to win up front. We’ve got to own the line of scrimmage in the run game and protect our quarterback. That’s football.”

Along with the Titans being a much more stout opponent this week against the run, the big question for the Packers is can they replicate last week’s success with Willis at quarterback, and how do they go about doing so?

The element of unpredictability that the Packers had a week ago is decreased this week with the Titans having at least a week’s worth of game tape to study. There also isn’t another team out there that knows what Willis can and can’t do more than Tennessee.

In addition to that, even with a game under his belt, Willis is still quite inexperienced when it comes to operating this offense–it’s only been just over three weeks, after all–and because of that, there’s only so many options LaFleur and Co. have when it comes to play designs.

With that said, there will certainly be elements from last week’s game-plan that can be useful this week as well, specifically getting the receivers involved in the run game. This will give Green Bay rushing opportunities on the perimeter and away from the interior defensive line, not to mention the pre-snap eye-candy will help get the defense flowing one direction before actually running the ball the other.

This could be a game where we see a real concerted effort by the Packers to get out-wide in the run game in an effort to avoid Simmons, Sweat, and Joseph-Day. Even with the overall success that Titans defense has had, they’ve surrendered explosive runs to D’Andre Swift and Breece Hall out by the offensive tackles.

“Simmons is really good,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. “I think it’s harder in the pass game to double. When you have a guy like Simmons or Aaron Donald, when they play an interior position, a three-technique, you can slide at him but there’s certain instances where they give you five across, they force you to go one-on-one pass protection, stuff like that, and that’s where those elite players, they make their money.

“He is definitely an elite player. He plays with a great motor. He’s got excellent talent, all the physical tools. Yeah, he’s going to be a problem that we have to understand where he’s at.”

Success on the ground will be a must for the Packers. That will allow the Packers to control the game flow, and set up short down-and-distance situations where the playbook opens for LaFleur and passing opportunities for the offense.

On the flip side, struggles in the run game will put Willis and the offense in predictable passing situations against a physical secondary and a defensive coordinator in Dennard Wilson, who is very willing to blitz.

“I think they got a lot of veteran players and they’re a well-built defense,” said LaFleur. “I think schematically it’s a challenge. Dennard Wilson coming from Baltimore and just he’s an experienced guy in this league. And then when you couple that with really good players, you have a chance to be a really good defense. And they do all the little things the right way, in terms of the effort and physicality that they play with. So we’ve got our work cut out for us this week.”

Paul Bretl | 9/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — What’s the bigger challenge: accomplishing what Malik Willis and the Packers offense did last Sunday on short notice or duplicating that performance a second time?

If Jordan Love, who is listed as questionable, is unable to play this week against the Tennessee Titans, we may find out the answer to that above question with Willis under center again.

From the play designs and game-plan to the execution from Willis and the rest of the offense, it was a masterful display of football by the Packers offense against the Colts. It was a run-heavy performance, with Green Bay rushing the ball 53 times, but one filled with a variety of personnel, motion, and schematic mixtures to keep the defense guessing.

“The big concern for me going into that game plan was could Malik handle all the moving parts of the game plan,” said Adam Stenavich. “Not necessarily him actually throwing the ball just making sure the motions were good, were timed up and all that. It’s a testament to him, just like his focus and his work throughout that week, that was pretty impressive because there was a lot of things that could’ve–you know, you snap the ball early or you mess up an exchange, you go the wrong way or something like that.

“For a new guy to come in here and do that, that’s what I was most impressed with was just the operation of the game and how he just executed the game plan, so that was pretty cool.”

A new week, however, presents a new opponent and a new set of challenges. For one, an advantage that the Packers had last week was the complete element of surprise. Prior to that game, Willis had just 233 offensive snaps over his first two-plus NFL seasons–that’s not exactly a lot to go off of. In addition to that, none of those snaps came with Green Bay, so how exactly he would mesh with the Matt LaFleur offense was an unknown as well.

The Colts were left to look at the few snaps that they had of Willis in Tennessee, his college tape and the core principles of LaFleur’s system in an effort to mold an idea of how he could be utilized.

But this week, that same layer of unpredictability is gone. Although one game isn’t a large sample size by any means, the Titans do have last week’s game tape to go off of. Not to mention that, even with Willis’ success last week, he’s still quite inexperienced when it comes to operating this offense–it’s only been just over three weeks, after all–and because of that, there’s only so many options LaFleur and Co. have when it comes to play designs.

There is also the added wrinkle of the Titans’ defense knowing well what Willis does well and where he struggles after facing him all summer throughout training camp.

“Every game’s a little bit different,” LaFleur said early in the week. “Just in my initial glimpses of Tennessee’s defense, this is a pretty salty group. It’s got a lot of good veterans on it, and there’s some premier players over there, so it’s going to be a tough task regardless. But we’ll put together a game plan, one we feel like can give us an opportunity to win the game.”

Further complicating things for the Packers is that this is a much more stout Tennessee Titans defense overall, and one that is willing to blitz and plays extremely physical. The 206.5 yards per game allowed in two weeks is the fewest in football, and the defense has given up just 16.5 points per game.

In the middle of the Tennessee defensive front is Jeffrey Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat. Against what would likely be another run-centric game plan from the Packers with Willis, the Titans are surrendering only 4.0 yards per carry–the 10th-lowest rate in football.

“Simmons is really good,” said Stenavich. “I think it’s harder in the pass game to double. When you have a guy like Simmons or Aaron Donald, when they play an interior position, a three-technique, you can slide at him but there’s certain instances where they give you five across, they force you to go one-on-one pass protection, stuff like that, and that’s where those elite players, they make their money.

“He is definitely an elite player. He plays with a great motor. He’s got excellent talent, all the physical tools. Yeah, he’s going to be a problem that we have to understand where he’s at.”

Realistically, this won’t be another game where the Packers are able to rush the ball 53 times. For starters, doing so once is already a pretty rare feat nowadays. But given the opponent and 93 degree heat, chances are the Packers will have to rely more heavily on Willis’ arm in this one.

Just like in the run game, the Titans’ defense won’t make this easy. It’s a group under defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson that will blitz the quarterback, which can complicate things, and one that has been incredibly stingy. The 3.9 yards per pass attempt surrendered is the second-lowest mark in football, and the 114 passing yards per game give up is the fewest.

“He (Wilson) gets the guys to compete, first and foremost,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable. “They are a competitive group. They’re experienced on the back end. They went and signed some vets who know how to play. But he challenges.

“I think some teams will play off and soft or this and that, he–the last game versus the Jets, they got their hands on. They play with good technique, they play with good leverage, and they compete every single play. Every single play. So when you watch the tape, they didn’t give up a lot of easy ones against them. They made the Jets earn it.”

At this time, we don’t know if it will be Willis or Love at quarterback for the Packers. Even if it’s Love, everything that’s been said is still true and this Titans’ defense will pose a challenge for the Packers offense–they’ll just have more ways to combat it with Love.

LaFleur, the coaching staff, and the players were excellent last week. But if they have to, can Willis do it again?