ESPN La Crosse 105.5

‘On a mission’ preparation and confidence has Packers LB Quay Walker playing his best ball

Paul Bretl | 11/29/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Two weeks ago against the Chicago Bears, both Jeff Hafley and Quay Walker acknowledged that wasn’t his best performance by any means. Missed tackles and opportunities, poor angles, and wrong assignments were all a part of the equation.

However, since then, Walker has played what Hafley called his “best game” against San Francisco and then carried that momentum into Thursday’s game with Miami.

“I think the little things just add up,” said Quay Walker at his locker on Thursday night. “Leading up to the game, practice, walk-throughs and everything, just being locked in. I was really, really locked in the whole entire week through everything. Wasn’t saying much, just making sure I come out and play my best. I think that’s translated over to Sunday.”

Hafley agrees. The way Walker responded after that Bears game was like a man “on a mission,” and that began with his practice and preparation throughout the week leading up to the 49ers game. That focus and attention to detail led to him playing with “great” fundamentals and several impact plays.

But most importantly, Hafley was proud of how Walker responded after a tough showing the week prior.

“I thought the way he responded and the way he practiced and in practice it was like he was on a mission last week, and then he went out and played like that,” said Hafley of Walker’s performance. “He was fast, he was getting downhill, he tackled well. He played with great fundamentals, he was using his hands, he had a couple TFLs.

“I mean he was just getting there, beating people to the punch, he was knocking guys back, he was setting the edge, he was really good in pass coverage. I think that’s the best game he’s played at least since we’ve been together and I hope he can build off of that. But again, I think the coolest part is how he responded. I mean, that says a lot about him and I was really proud of him.”

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Against Miami, Walker was tied for the team lead in tackles with 10, two of which came for a loss behind the line of scrimmage. For a linebacker, that tackle metric can, at times, be hollow, but facing a speedy and YAC-heavy Dolphins’ offense, Walker and the Green Bay offense were able to limit those big play opportunities by swarming to the ball carrier–a point of emphasis for the defense this week.

In addition to the tackles, Walker also had a quarterback hit and a key sack with Miami facing a fourth-and-goal from inside their own five yard line.

For Walker, as already described, the preparation throughout the week has been a crucial factor in his improved play. With that improved confidence in what he’s being asked to do because of the foundation he’s laid on the practice field an in the team meetings, there is less thinking, and simply more reacting, resulting in fast and physical play.

“I think I just do too much thinking and, being honest with you, instead of going out there and just play,” Walker said. “Anytime I can play without doing any thinking – not that Hafley’s making me think or whatever the case may be – just be me trying to do everything right instead of just lining up and just playing, anytime I have that mindset, see it, go, I can be a real, real productive player. I don’t want to give myself too much credit but that’s how I see it.”

While the production and this level of play hasn’t has been there from Walker, he brings a very versatile skill-set to the linebacker position, which, as we’ve seen, gives Hafley a lot of flexibility in terms of how he utilizes him–almost being able to customize his role on a weekly basis depending on the matchup.

Walker can be utilized as a blitzer to help drum up pressure. His sideline-to-sideline speed, coupled with his physicality to fight through blockers, allows him to restrict running lanes for ball carriers, particularly on runs outside the tackles. Then, in coverage, he has the ability to cover a lot of ground as well.

“From the time that I got around him when I first came to now,” said Xavier McKinney of Walker, “obviously he’s growing each game, each practice, but from my eyes and from what I’ve seen, I believe Quay’s the best middle linebacker in the league, in my opinion. I think he has so many different qualities that you don’t really see. He can cover well, he can tackle well, he do a lot of things.”

With Hafley taking over as the defensive coordinator, Walker not only has been navigating learning a new defensive scheme, but he’s also become the Mike linebacker in the middle of the Green Bay defense–a role with immense responsibilities.

The Mike linebacker is responsible for relaying the play to the rest of the defenders, along with signaling coverages, making sure everyone is aligned correctly, making adjustments based on the offensive alignment and so much more. All of which has to be done in those few seconds before the ball is snapped.

“He goes through different things because he got the Mike,” McKinney added, “and that’s something that I completely understand because I had the Mike when I was in New York for a time. I know how hard that can be. So I understand him.

“I try to help him, just trying to call certain calls out and just try to make his job easier so he can go out there and play fast. But when he goes out there and plays fast, there ain’t a lot of people that can do what he can do.”

A big box was checked on Thursday night for Walker. After having his best performance of the season versus San Francisco, on a short week, he backed it up with another strong showing.

Like any player, Walker is still chasing consistency, so what we saw from him performance-wise these past two games becomes closer to the norm rather than the outlier. But over the last week and a half, he appears to be on the right track with his preparation leading to confidence and that confidence translating into disruptive play on the field.

“Man just continue to play, just allow my confidence to continue to grow,” said Walker. “Like I said, don’t do no thinking and just play. Whenever I see it, just go. Still a lot I can be better at, still a lot I can get better at.”

Packers defense finding its groove in another low-scoring performance

Paul Bretl | 11/29/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Less than two weeks ago, the Packers defense had a performance against the Chicago Bears that was “not to our standard,” as defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley put it. However, the unit has responded since then and appears to be hitting its stride as another matchup with Detroit awaits them.

It’s no secret that San Francisco was without quarterback Brock Purdy in that game. But that was still an offense that featured Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Kyle Shanahan as the play designer and play caller. Against an albeit shorthanded unit, the Packers defense did what any good defense would do in that situation–they controlled the game. San Francisco scored just 10 points and totaled just 241 yards of offense.

“I don’t care who was playing,” said Hafley on Tuesday. “And I get it. I know who wasn’t playing. And I’m not going to sit here and tell you that, ‘Oh, we’re (awesome).’ I’m not. They’re good players. But at the same time, that scheme, the players they still had and that coach, are very hard to defend. So I give credit to the guys on the team.”

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Just a few days later on a short week, the Packers defense had a much more difficult test against a Miami offense that has a lot of speed and was averaging 29.0 points per contest over their last five games with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. But again, the Packers defense kept points off the board and while the Dolphins’ offensive stat sheet looks nice, the game was never in their control.

Tagovailoa finished the game completing 37-of-46 passes for 365 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt with two touchdowns. However, where it matters most, the Miami offense would muster only 17 points.

A lot of those yards that were produced through the air were empty calories, meaning they didn’t lead to points, and came in the second half when Green Bay held a 27-3 lead, which isn’t to say that’s acceptable. There are things that certainly have to be cleaned up.

“We just got leaky,” said Xavier McKinney about the second half performance. “We could have been better on our details. That’s kind of what it was. I think just kind of small, little details that they hit us with and we just gotta do a better job.”

With that said, a defense often takes a different approach when leading by 24 points in the second half compared to when it’s the first half and the game is far from decided. And when a big play–or plays–were needed, with Miami at the one-yard line in a 2nd-and-goal situation, the defense came away with a massive stop.

“I think our guys were playing physical and made a couple plays there,” said Matt LaFleur of the stop. “They tried to run a keeper out of the gun, and Keisean was kind of all over it. We got good penetration on that fourth-down play and got the sack. So I think our guys, they did their job.”

However, when it comes to determining what to make of Green Bay’s defensive performance in Week 13, I would turn my attention to the first half, where we saw this Packers’ defense really flexing its muscles.

As he was the entire game, Tagovailoa was efficient, completing 14-of-19 first-half targets. He would total, however, a modest 118 passing yards, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. For some context, that 6.2 figure on the season would rank 29th out of 32 eligible quarterbacks. And most importantly from Green Bay’s perspective, the Dolphins had just three points at halftime.

The Packers were willing to give up that kind of efficiency if it meant limiting the number of explosive pass plays. But in order for that approach to be effective, swarming to the ball and sound tackling was a must in order to prevent this speedy and dynamic offense that does well at getting its playmakers the ball in space from picking the Green Bay defense apart with yards after the catch.

“For sure,” said McKinney about the emphasis on tackling. “When you play guys like that that’s all speed they going to get the ball on the perimeter and everybody gotta be running to the ball because sometimes, that first person might not get him down, not due to a missed tackle but they might out run your angle.

“So that’s the type of speed that they got. But I think we did a great job today of just all running to the ball and really a great job of getting them down.”

The Packers’ offense jumping out to a quick multi-score lead helped limit Miami’s ability to lean on their run game. The Dolphins entered this contest ranked eighth in rush attempts per game, but De’Von Achane and Raheem Moster ran the ball just 12 times combined. And even when they did get the ball on the ground, they totaled just 33 yards.

“It’s just complementary football from all three levels,” said JJ Enagbare of the run defense. “The D-tackles, D-line, linebackers able to flow to over top and then the DBs able to make the open-field tackles when it comes to them, so it was pretty much just all 11 playing together and playing with each other.”

The trickle-down effect of playing with a lead, along with containing the run, is that it puts the opposing offense in obvious passing situations where the defensive front can pin its ears back. That, however, against Miami anyways, isn’t always enough to get after Tagovailoa.

This is a rhythmic Dolphins’ offense that leverages Tagovailoa’s ability to anticipate throws to get the ball his out of his hands at the quickest rate in football. To counter this, the Packers’ did a very good job of disguising their coverage looks, along with playing a physical brand of football, helping to takeaway Tagovailoa’s initial reads.

The end result for the Green Bay defense was a pressure rate of 31 percent, according to PFF, which was up 10 percent from Tagovailoa’s average pressure rate this season, and five sacks.

“That was pretty much our game plan for starting today,” added Enagbare. “We pretty much knew they’re a rhythm offense. He pretty much like to do everything in synch and a timing type of scheme, so pretty much I guess the DBs was able to re-route them and get them off the spot and just mess up the timing and that helped the rush and vice versa. The rush helped the coverage, so I feel like it was just complementary football on the defensive end.”

Now awaiting the Packers next Thursday is a rematch with the 11-1 Detroit Lions. When it comes to the NFC North race, this game is a must-win for Green Bay.

Although that first game at Lambeau Field between the two, which was won by the Lions fairly convincingly, was only a month ago, this Packers team is in a different position and playing better, more complementary football than what they were at that time.

The offense has leaned on the running game, while the passing game has found more consistency, and the defensive unit is finding its groove. When paired together, you get a difficult team to beat.

“The way we’re preparing,” said McKinney of the improved play on defense. “Like I said, every time I talk to ya’ll, I tell ya’ll like, hey we going to get back into the lab and we’re going to figure out what we need to do better and then we’re going to do that. And we’re doing that. And you can tell, you can see it when we go out there and play.

“So like I said, that’s really the biggest reason. We’re really locking into the small things and the little details that make us that much better. So we’re going to keep doing that. Obviously we’re not comfortable with where we’re at as a defense right now, there’s still some things that we gotta work on, but we’re going to do that.”

Packers WRs Malik Heath and Dontayvion Wicks will have more on their plates vs stingy Miami secondary

Paul Bretl | 11/28/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers will be without Romeo Doubs for their Thanksgiving night matchup with Miami, putting more on the plates of Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath.

Doubs sustained a concussion in Green Bay’s win this past Sunday against San Francisco when going up for a ball in the back-right corner of the end zone, coming down hard on his back. As of Tuesday, Doubs was still in concussion protocol.

In a Packers’ offense filled with playmaking potential, as he did last season, Doubs has provided a steady presence week in and week out. His 52 targets are tied with Jayden Reed for the most on the team and he ranks second in yards with 483.

Where Doubs has really thrived is in helping this offense move the chains, oftentimes in those must-have-it third down situations. Of his 34 receptions, 25 have picked up a first down, and Doubs has done that in a variety of ways, from where he’s lined up to what routes he’s asked to run.

“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.

“The one thing he’s been doing great that people probably haven’t taken notice is his run-blocking. He’s done a really good job in the run game. He’s becoming a total wideout for us and doing a good job. If he’s not out there, we are deep and I think these guys are gonna do a great job if Romeo is not out there, filling in for that.”

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It will, in all likelihood, take a group effort to make up for Doubs’ absence. Reed and Christian Watson will have to continue to come through for the offense on those third downs, while Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath likely see more playing time.

Wicks’ sophomore season has been plagued by drops. Pro Football Focus has credited Wicks with six drops this season, tied for the second-most among receivers. He also has the highest drop rate in football at 26.1 percent and his catch rate of 37.8 percent is the second-lowest among qualified pass-catchers.

However, despite the drops and inconsistent play from Wicks, he is still third on the team in targets with 45, and he’s second in touchdowns with four. The reason is that he’s a well-refined route runner with a diverse release package at the line of scrimmage who knows how to create separation, allowing him to win–and get open–at all levels of the field.

To illustrate this, PFF has a metric called separation percentage, which tracks how often a receiver gets open by beating the coverage rather than benefitting from how the defense defends the play. So far this season, Wicks ranks second among all receivers in this category, creating separation on 74.5 percent of his routes.

Against San Francisco, Wicks would catch a pass from Jordan Love over the middle of the field, setting up a catch-and-run opportunity for him, picking up 25 yards. As always it was a smooth route from Wicks, but what hasn’t always been the case was that it was a smooth reception as well. The context of when this happened in the game matters, with Green Bay in control at this point, but hopefully this play can be a catalyst towards more consistency from Wicks in the remaining weeks.

“It was great,” Stenavich said of Wicks’ reception. “It was great. Just for him to go rolling in there over the middle of the field, strong hands catch, get some good YAC. He’s got all the ability in the world, and we trust him. That was a really good thing to see.”

Heath has most often been known for his willingness and ability as a blocker in the run game. But the point of emphasis for him this offseason was fixated on his route running to pair that element with his already strong pass-catching hands.

The Packers have seen this growth from Heath throughout the regular season in practices, but we got a glimpse of those aspects on display late in the fourth quarter of this past Sunday’s game. With the Packers at the three-yard line, Heath’s release at the line of scrimmage helped him gain enough separation against the cornerback for Love to throw the ball up to his in the back left corner of the end zone. Heath then went up and picked the ball out of the air with “violent” hands.

“He’s done a really good job,” Stenavich said of Heath. “Malik’s always had really good hands. Big thing this offseason was him working on his routes, working on his drop steps and all that stuff. Just being violent when he catches the ball and he’s made some great plays in practice.

“He’s just one of those guys that’s just been biding his time and waiting for his opportunity. We’ll see this Sunday–see him out there in a little bigger role probably.”

Awaiting the Packers on Thursday night is a Dolphins’ pass defense that has been quite stingy this season when it comes to eliminating big passing plays. This is a product of the players that they have on the back end, led by cornerback Jalen Ramsey, along with this being a defensive scheme that disguises their coverages with the best of them.

The 6.1 yards per pass attempt surrendered by the Dolphins’ secondary is the fifth-lowest mark in football this season. They’ve also given up just 27 explosive pass plays–or plays of 20-plus yards–which is tied for the second-fewest in football.

“I think all across the board, they’ve got really good players, especially in the back end,” said Jordan Love of the Dolphins’ defense. “It’s tough, because on such a short week, this is a defense that, they’ve got a lot of stuff in their arsenal in terms of coverages, pressures.

“In a game, they’re mixing up their calls and do a bunch of different looks. It’s a game you’ve got to be focused in and dialed in on all the pre-snap tells you might get and just seeing what they’re getting to post-snap. They’re a very good defense. We talked about in the beginning of the week, they’re top-10 in almost all the categories. So definitely a really good challenge coming here Thursday.”

By Love’s own admission, and as we see on Sunday’s he wants to push the ball downfield. He trusts his arm and he trusts his receivers to make the plays. This week, however, could provide Love, LaFleur, and the offense as whole a test of their patience. This may be one of those games where leaning on the run, taking the checkdown, or continually targeting the short to intermediate parts of the field may be a requirement to moving the ball consistently against Miami.

Then, if the Packers can eat their vegetables and move the ball steadily in that capacity, it could then open up some downfield opportunities for Love and the passing game to try to capitalize on.

“It just comes down to understanding what the defense is trying to do, seeing the coverage and obviously post snap recognizing if they’re bluffing or doing any disguise,” Love said of the defense. “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.”

Forced fumble vs 49ers can be catalyst and confidence boost for Packers DE Lukas Van Ness

Paul Bretl | 11/27/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — A forced fumble this past Sunday against San Francisco can hopefully be a catalyst for Packers’ second-year defensive end Lukas Van Ness heading into the remaining stretch of the season.

With the Packers up 24-10, the San Francisco offense had the ball at their own 15 yard line. Facing a 1st-and-5, from shotgun, quarterback Brandon Allen faked the handoff to Christian McCaffrey. With a mix of speed and power, Van Ness would run through the blocker, throw MCaffrey to the side, and hit Allen from behind as he stepped up in the pocket, forcing the fumble, which was recovered by Kenny Clark.

It was this play that ultimately put the 49ers away, with the Green Bay offense scoring three plays later to take a commanding 31-10 lead.

“I’ve been waiting for a big play like that and I’ve kept my head down,” said Lukas Van Ness on Tuesday. “Even going back to that game, I think a lot of it is you gotta take your shot and be willing to go out there and make a difference.”

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The play and the end result is a promising development on its own, particularly since it’s been a fairly quiet year for Van Ness. However, what is really encouraging is the real-time diagnosing by Van Ness of what the 49ers’ offense was trying to do and then putting together a pass rush plan that he was able to execute on.

Following the game, when asked about Van Ness’ forced fumble, Rashan Gary mentioned that a few series prior, Van Ness had noticed something in how the offensive line was blocking off of play-action and how the defensive front should then attack it. Then when San Francisco presented that look again, Van Ness knew exactly how to respond and took advantage.

“Man it was a great,” said Gary of the play. “A couple series back, Lukas was saying if he gives me the play-action, if we get it, just shoot up field and it was crazy because the play out there was the same play he was getting a couple series ago.

“So it actually showed how locked in he is, and we locked in and you see the formation, you pull the trigger and when you pull the trigger big plays happen and we needed it.”

Again, the result was terrific, but everything that went into getting to that point showcases the strides that Van Ness is making, even if that element isn’t going to show up on the stat sheet.

Van Ness finished that game with two pressures, his most in a game this season, along with recording his second sack. Before that game, Van Ness had just seven pressures in the previous 10 games and now ranks 79th out of 122 defensive ends in PFF’s pass rush win rate metric.

In terms of playing time, he was the fourth member of that rotation against the 49ers, being out-snapped by Brenton Cox.

Coming to the NFL out of Iowa, Van Ness was a very raw prospect with fewer than 1,000 collegiate snaps under his belt. In Year 2, we are still seeing a young player who appears to be navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL, with it too often looking like he doesn’t have a complete pass rush plan and when his initial move is countered by the offensive lineman, Van Ness is seemingly taken out of the play.

This play on Sunday, and everything that went into making it happen, can hopefully provide Van Ness with a needed confidence boost.

“I hope it gives him the confidence that he’s been looking for,” said Jeff Hafley. “He kind of went in with power, continued to fight and did a really nice job finishing on the ball. I thought he played a better game, and I think he’ll continue to get better.

“Hopefully it’s just a confidence, just getting in routine, feeling good about himself and going out this week and continuing to do so. We have a ton of confidence in him. I think he did a really good job in the run game.”

It’s not only Van Ness who has gone through ups and downs this season, but, to varying degrees, you could lump most of the Green Bay pass rush unit into that category as well–although this unit has been picking up some steam in recent weeks.

When it comes to the Packers’ defense as a whole reaching its ceiling this season, an improved four-man pass rush over the second half of the season will be a must. The name of the game is getting after the quarterback, and when done consistently, there is a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense, with the timing and rhythm of the play being disrupted, which can then lead to mistakes–not to mention that pressure means less time in coverage for the defensive backs.

As a key member of that four-man rotation, Van Ness is going to play a pivotal role in helping this defensive front find more pass rush consistency. While the next step is to build off of Sunday’s performance so it becomes more of the norm rather than the outlier, Van Ness’ play against San Francisco was a step in the right direction.

“They always talk about stealing a play and that’s what separates those great players is they get a look once and they get it again they can recognize that and steal that play,” Van Ness said.

“That’s what I talked to my D-line coach about and it’s something I recognized during the game, but totally a difference maker and that’s again what’s separates all those great players is you can understand what you’re getting pre-snap and be able to react and make a big play.”

Potentially a much larger role incoming for Packers’ rookie LB Ty’Ron Hopper vs dynamic Miami offense

Paul Bretl | 11/27/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers potentially could find themselves quite shorthanded at the linebacker position in Thursday night’s game with Miami, who features an offense that can very much stress that position group.

On the two estimated injury reports that have been released this week, both Edgerrin Cooper and Isaiah McDuffie have been non-participants. Cooper is still navigating a hamstring injury that popped up during practice last Wednesday. McDuffie, meanwhile, is working through an ankle injury that was presumably sustained in Sunday’s win over San Francisco.

When Matt LaFleur was asked on Tuesday if he was concerned about the linebacker depth with these injuries, his reply was short and to the point: “Absolutely.”

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If the Packers are without both Cooper and McDuffie this week that will leave them with Quay Walker and Eric Wilson to handle the nickel linebacker snaps. Walker is coming off of what Jeff Hafley called his best performance of the season. In that game, he was decisive in his decision-making, which led to fast and aggressive play.

That success that we saw from Walker on the field Sunday began with his week of preparation, and improved fundamentals. The need for Walker to build upon that performance, given the injuries at linebacker and the opponent ahead, will be vital.

Against a Miami offense that features a ton of speed, while nickel is already the most often utilized defensive personnel package, we may see Green Bay lean into that even more in this week’s matchup. However, there will be instances where they do have to line up in their base 4-3 defense, which puts three linebackers on the field, which will thrust rookie Ty’Ron Hopper into a much larger role.

Hopper has been a core special teams player for the Packers this season, ranking fourth on the team in snaps. He didn’t see his first defensive snaps until this past Sunday, where he was on the field for seven, most of which came at the end when the game was out of reach.

When the Packers drafted Hopper in the third-round out of Missouri, GM Brian Gutekunst noted his “stopping-power” when taking on blockers and overall physicality, along with Hopper’s speed. Gutekunst added that they measured Hopper’s 40-time in the high 4.5 second range.

However, like many rookies, Hopper has been navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump from the college to the NFL level, which includes learning a new system and the intricacies of it, along with adjusting to the play speed. But the Packers have continually seen progress from him on the practice field as the season has went on.

“He’s done a really good job,” Hafley said of Hopper. “Whether he’s on that look team, or whether we put him in on reps, you can see him getting better, getting more comfortable, being more confident. I thought when he did go into the game, I thought he was physical. I thought he played fast. I think he took advantage of the opportunity, and if he has that opportunity again, I think we’re all confident that he’ll be able to do it again.”

Between the speed that this Dolphins’ offense features, along with all of the pre-snap eye candy, this is a group that can really stress the linebacker position in particular.

All of the motion, which Miami uses extremely heavily, and misdirections are done, in part, to get the linebackers and the defense as a whole looking one way while the play is unfolding elsewhere. With players like Tyreek Hill, DeVon Achane, and Jaylen Waddle, it only takes a slight hesitation or a half-step in the wrong direction for a big play to ensue, with the defense being stretched horizontally, creating running and passing lanes.

This is also a Miami passing game that does an excellent job of getting their pass catchers the ball in space, oftentimes over the middle of the field on short to intermediate routes–where the linebackers are positioned–or on screens, forcing the defenders to make a play in the open field to limit any YAC opportunities.

“You’ll see them throw the ball downfield and hit some big plays,” added Hafley, “but then you’ll see a lot of catch-and-run, where in rhythm he’s throwing the ball, whether it’s play-action or he’s just getting the ball out quick in quick game. He does a really good job with it. He’s accurate. Like I said, he really throws the ball in rhythm well, and then he has those guys, when they catch it, you’d better be on them or you’d better take great angles.

“They probably throw as many screens as we’ve seen on film, and a variety of different ones. And it’s not just the receivers. It’s the backs, too. So they’ve done a really good job creating some mismatches, getting the ball in space and letting their guys kind of catch and run. So they do a really good job with that.”

Containing this Dolphins’ offense that is averaging 29.0 points per game over the last five contests with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback will take a complementary effort on the defensive side of the ball. But given the speed, all of the pre-snap eye candy, and how this Miami offense operates, the Packers’ potentially shorthanded linebacker position could be a focal point on Thursday night.

Speedy and dynamic Dolphins’ offense will challenge Packers’ fundamentals and discipline

Paul Bretl | 11/26/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Coming off of a dominant performance against an, albeit shorthanded 49ers team, the Packers’ defense faces a bigger challenge this week against the speedy Miami Dolphins offense, one that will test their fundamentals and discipline.

“I think you’re just trusting your eyes, your discipline, just reacting to what you see,” said Lukas Van Ness of the Miami offense. “I think there’s going to be a lot of eyewash, a lot of stuff going on very similar to what we played last week, so that definitely helps with those similar systems. But again, trusting your fundamentals and trusting your eyes.”

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Now 12 weeks into the 2024 season, this year has had two starkly contrasting halves for the Miami offense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a scary concussion in Week 2 that landed him on injured reserve. Without Tagovailoa over that following month, Miami had one of the worst offenses in football.

However, since his return in Week 8, as was expected at the start of the year, this has been one of the more high-powered units in football. During that five game span, the Dolphins are averaging 29.0 points per game and are winners of three of their last four.

Individually, Tagovailoa is first in completion percentage, completing a whopping 77 percent of his passes along with being fifth in both yards and touchdowns.

“He does such a great job of throwing with anticipation,” said Matt LaFleur of Tagovailoa. “He’s as good as it gets in this league. So, you’ve got to make sure you try to disrupt the timing somehow, some way, whether it’s getting him off the spot, because he will make you pay. If there’s just a sliver of light in there, he trusts his wideouts to be in the right spot. He hits his back foot and that ball gets out of his hands.

“So, it’s a great challenge. It really affords his guys, because he’s a very accurate thrower, as well, so when the ball’s coming out as quick as it does with him and he puts it on the money, it gives those guys the opportunity to run after catch, and we all know the speed that these guys have – it’s unlike probably any team in the National Football League.”

Surrounding Tagovailoa is a litany of speed and playmaking options. Of course, featured at the receiver position are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle–both of whom averaged over 14 yards per catch in 2023 with a healthy Tagovailo. Then there is Jonnu Smith who is among the most productive tight ends in football this season, ranking fifth in receiving yards on the season.

Running back DeVon Achane brings a dynamic presence out of the backfield, both in the run game, where he’s averaged 6.0 yards per carry since Tagovailoa has returned, while also being among the league leaders in receiving yards at his position over the course of this season.

With that speed and playmaking comes big play potential, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll see the Dolphins routinely throwing the ball downfield. Miami’s offense has the ability to turn a screen, which they run a lot of, or a quick throw into space into a massive gain.

“They’re definitely the fastest group that we’ve seen so far on tape,” said Jeff Hafley of the Miami skill position players. “We’ve got to do it in a variety of different ways – different coverages, different ways to try to slow them down. I don’t want to get into anything too specific, but it’s something that not a lot of people have been able to do. Ultimately you’ve got to try to keep the ball in front of you. Hopefully some of the things that we’re going to do, some of the adjustments we’re going to make will allow for that to happen.”

Handling this dynamic group in straight forward one-on-one matchups can present obvious challenges. But the added wrinkle that makes defending this offense all the more difficult is all of the eye-candy pre-snap, through motions and misdirections.

For any defense, trying to decipher what is real and what is fluff can be a real challenge. All of that pre-snap movement can stress a defense horizontally, creating both running and passing lanes to be exploited. And when coupled with Miami’s speed, it only takes one false step for a play to turn into a homerun.

“Trying to get your eyes in one spot so that they can hit something somewhere else,” said Evan Williams. “They have so much speed that they’re able to do that pretty effectively to a lot of these defenses. But for us, it’s just simplifying everything and while all the motion is happening just making sure your eyes are in the right spot. So thinking ahead, anticipating what you’re going to get to next and just being ready to be on your toes, make those adjustments, and put your feet in the ground.”

The Packers, at the moment, are navigating some injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Jaire Alexander remains sidelined as he works through a knee injury, as does Edgerrin Cooper, who exited last Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury. Also added to the injury report was linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, who was estimated as a non-participant in Monday’s practice, which was really just a walkthrough.

If McDuffie can’t go, the Packers will lean heavily on Eric Wilson when in their nickel alignment and likely Ty’Ron Hopper when they line up in their base defense. This Dolphins’ offense, in particular, can really stress the linebacker position with all of their pre-snap movement, along with Tagovailoa heavily targeting short and intermediate routes in the passing game.

“I thought in the snaps that he went in for last week, I thought he did a nice job,” LaFleur said of Hopper. “I think he’s shown progress, and that progress has been seen at practice. It always starts there and that gives us confidence to put him in the game. I thought just the way he went out there and competed, I thought it was at a high level.”

At cornerback this past Sunday without Alexander, Keisean Nixon continued to start on the boundary with Javon Bullard in the slot, while Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes alternated series opposite of Nixon.

With the linebacker and cornerback positions navigating injuries, there will be an added emphasis on the play of the Packers’ defensive front. When throwing from a clean pocket, Tagovailoa’s completion rate is 75 percent at 8.9 yards per attempt. However, when under duress, his completion rate plummets to 40 percent and only 5.3 yards per attempt.

But pressuring Tagovailoa won’t come easy. The Dolphins’ offensive line has the third-lowest pressure rate in football this season, and contributing to that success is how quickly Tagovailoa gets the ball out of his hands, with an average time to throw of 2.33 seconds–the quickest mark in the NFL.

“I’ve just noticed that he gets the ball out really, really quick,” said Van Ness of Tagovailoa. “So I think first and second down up front we’ve just gotta do what we can to try to impact those throws. We know they’re going to do a lot of different things, whether that’s screens or different looks, so just reacting fast, playing fast and doing what we can to help affect him.”

In order to have steady opportunities to generate pressure, the Packers’ defense has to eat its vegetables on early downs and slow the Miami run game. While the pass-catching options that the Dolphins have will garner plenty of attention, their 28.7 rush attempts per game are the eighth-most in football. As is the case with the other Shanahan-esque offenses, the foundation begins with the run game.

The trickle-down effect of not being able to contain Achane and Raheem Mostert on the ground will keep the Miami offense ahead of the sticks, where the entire playbook is then open to them at that point. And when you put together an off-balanced defense wary of both the run and the pass, all of the misdirection and motion Miami utilizes, along with the dynamic players on this offense, well, that’s a recipe for a long day.

Everything just described isn’t all that unlike what they just saw a few days ago against the San Francisco offense, with Miami head coach Mike McDaniel coming from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. But the biggest difference, obviously, is the quarterback position. Where the Packers could go a bit heavier and really emphasize taking away the run game against Brandon Allen, they won’t have the luxury of doing that on Thursday against Tagovailoa and the weapons around him.

On a short week, will Packers lean more heavily on Wilson and Brooks at RB?

Paul Bretl | 11/26/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers leaned heavily on Josh Jacobs in Sunday’s win over the 49ers with him carrying the ball 26 times. Now, with a quick turnaround and a Thursday night matchup with Miami, Green Bay may have to rely more on Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks this week in an effort to be mindful of Jacobs’ workload.

“Luckily for us, we do have confidence in those other two backs,” said Matt LaFleur after Sunday’s win. “I thought Emanuel Wilson ran really good. Brooks has given us some good carries as well. So yeah, we may have to lean on those guys a little bit more next game in a couple days here. But that’s one guy that I don’t worry about is Josh Jacobs. That guy is an animal. He is a dog and a dog competitor. He definitely relishes those opportunities.”

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Since Wilson arrived in Green Bay last summer as an undrafted rookie, he’s showcased his burst and ability with the ball in his hands. Despite only getting maybe a handful of carries each week, more often than not, Wilson generates a chunk run on the play.

Through 12 weeks this season and 66 carries, Wilson is averaging 4.7 yards per rush–which ranks 14th among all running backs–totaling 19 missed tackles forced, along with 12 rushes of at least 10 yards. Wilson’s ability to make defenders miss and routinely generate positive plays begins with his acceleration and being able to start and stop on a dime.

“He’s got really, really good feet and acceleration,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans. “And when I say that, like his cutting ability, he can stop and start at full speed, and I think what happens with that, is when defenders are, whether they’re coming at him or he’s got to read a block, is when they’re ready to change direction as he’s changing direction, he’s already by them. So I think that’s a facet of his skill set that kind of has allowed him to have those explosive runs.”

Wilson has also steadily improved in pass protection and in the passing game in general, helping him earn more playing time, but filling that do-it-all role for the Packers at running back has been Brooks.

Snap count-wise, Brooks has often been the second running back on the depth chart in recent weeks, handling a variety of responsibilities. The Packers have gotten him some touches, both as a ball carrier and in the passing game, and moved him around the formation, lining up in-line, as a fullback, and even out wide.

However, the part of Brooks’ game where he continues to stand out is in pass protection, especially with picking up blitzers, and it’s that ability that has played a pivotal factor in his role increasing as the year has gone on. While PFF’s grading system isn’t the be-all-end-all, Brooks ranks second among all running backs in pass-blocking grade this season.

“He’s had really good training when he was down in Miami,” said Sirmans of Brooks ability in pass protection. “So I think that part of it has been good. He came in already with a general knowledge of how our protection works.

“I think the No. 1 thing that a guy has to have is just that tenacity that this man, this guy is not getting to the quarterback. Even if his technique and fundamentals break down. But that’s rule No. 1. If you got that mindset that’s going to go a long way in picking up protection.”

Coming to Green Bay on Thursday will be the Dolphins, who against the run, are allowing 4.3 yards per rush this season, ranking 16th in that category, and are 24th in ESPN’s run-stop rate metric.

Ultimately the matchup and game flow will dictate the run-pass mix that the Packers strike in a given game. But as we saw this past Sunday, the run game can be a catalyst for the rest of the offense, opening up the playbook when in those manageable down and distances to keep defenses off-balanced, along with playing a key factor in Green Bay’s third down and red zone success.

“That opens up just a lot of things that we can get to,” said Tucker Kraft of Jacobs and the run game. “We can get to play pass, and we got shots off the runs that we have. So just opens the playbook up even more. And we don’t even have to get to those plays. We just still rely on our backs.”

All of that said, Jacobs is, of course, going to be a factor in this game. The question at hand, however, is what his workload will look like–will it be a game with closer to 15 carries or will the Packers lean on him again?

For Jacobs, he’s doing everything he can in these few days to put himself as close to 100 percent as possible so that if his number is called often, he’s ready to go, and that preparation started immediately following Green Bay’s win over San Francisco.

“Recovery, man,” said Jacobs about playing on a short week. “That’s the thing that I had to learn, I feel like my second, third year in the league is how to take care of my body and how to go about things like that. I mean I’m about to be in here for like another hour and a half before I actually even go home, just trying to get my body right and trying to be as close to 100 (percent) as possible come Thursday.”

Two pivotal plays from Xavier McKinney helps turn tide for Packers vs 49ers

Paul Bretl | 11/25/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The game ended as an easy 38-10 victory for the Packers over the 49ers. However, in the process of getting to that point were two crucial plays by Xavier McKinney on back-to-back possessions to begin the second half when the Niners were still in striking distance.

Following a late first-half touchdown, San Francisco cut the Packers lead to 17-7, and the 49ers started with the ball in the second half. Led by Christian McCaffrey and the run game, the 49ers were again driving on that opening third-quarter possession, making their way down to the Green Bay 39-yard, where, at a minimum, they were on the cusp of field goal range and making it a one-score game.

Facing a 3rd-and-8 from the Packers’ 45, Niners’ quarterback Brandon Allen would scramble to his left but be pushed out of bounds by McKinney to force a 4th-and-2 at the aforementioned 39-yard line.

With Christian McCaffrey lined up in the slot, he would run a quick out route a few yards beyond the first down marker. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who was lined up closely to McCaffrey’s left, would run and in-breaking route, with the two players crossing within a yard of each other. But McKinney was all over it. The second McCaffrey put his foot in the ground to begin his cut, McKinney navigated around Jennings and undercut McCaffrey’s route for the pass breakup.

“That’s what I came here to do,” said Xavier McKinney at his locker. “That’s why I was brought in, to be able to make big-time plays when we really need it, so credit to a great call with Haf. Credit to everybody doing they job and that’s just going out there and me being able to make a play. That’s really it.”

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Then on the second 49ers’ possession of the half, following a Packers’ punt, San Francisco was again driving into Green Bay territory. Again trying to lean on the run game, the 49ers gave the ball to McCaffrey on first and second downs, but TJ Slaton was there to limit him to rushes of two yards and no gain.

Now in a 3rd-and-8 situation from the Packers’ 45 yard line, the 49ers had to pass. Allen dropped back and threw over the middle to Deebo Samuel. The Pass was a bit behind and went through Samuel’s hands and to McKinney who was the defender over the top, positioned perfectly as he always is.

McKinney would then return the interception 48 yards to the 49ers’ 26-yard line. Three plays later, the Packers’ offense would score a touchdown, giving them a 24-7 lead and the 49ers were never a threat from that point on.

“They were dropping a lot of passes, so I kinda played for the tip,” McKinney said of the interception. “I saw what was in front of me, but I kinda figured that that one probably was gonna get straight through the hands because it seemed like to be a thing pretty much the whole game, so I just played for the tip and luckily it bounced right to me and I was in the right spot and I was able to make the play.”

In the grand scheme of what ended up being blowout victory, these two plays could be forgotten about, to some degree. But they were pivotal moments in the second half that propelled the Packers to their big win. All it takes is some combination of a field goal or touchdown on either or both possessions and this game takes on a completely different dynamic.

These types of game-altering plays, of course, aren’t new for McKinney. He’s been doing it since he arrived in Green Bay. That interception is now McKinney’s seventh of the season, which is tied for the most in football. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinney is surrendering just one reception every 35.4 snaps, one of the highest-marks in football. Quarterbacks are only throwing his direction once every 23.6 snaps–again, one of the highest rates this season.

“It’s pretty special,” Evan Williams said of McKinney. “The ball finds him and that’s not a surprise or by chance at all. It’s just him putting himself in those situations and being in the right spot at the right time so if anything happens where it’s not a catch, he’s going to be in the right place to make a play. And he certainly makes the most of his opportunities, to say the least.”

McKinney is a force multiplier. His impact goes beyond just the stat sheet. His versatility provides Jeff Hafley flexibility as he puts together the gameplan, mixing and matching what role he asks McKinney to fill depending on the opponent, not to mention that he enhances Hafley’s ability to disguise coverages. Where McKinney is lined up pre-snap doesn’t mean that’s where he’s going to be when the quarterback hits the top of his drop.

In addition to that, as the numbers above illustrate, the field shrinks for offenses with McKinney out there because of the attention he garners and quarterbacks not wanting to throw his direction. All of this has a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense, helping to put the other members of the secondary in advantageous situations.

The results and big plays that we see on Sundays from McKinney begins early, very early, in the week with his preparation. There is a relentlessness to McKinney and his work ethic. A prime example of this came right after the team’s win in Jacksonville. As the players and coaches are on the buses to be taken to the airport, McKinney sends defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, who was on a separate bus, asking if he has the Jared Goff tape yet–the Packers’ next opponent–so McKinney could dive in.

This is just one anecdote, but it’s not a one-off either. This is who McKinney is, and it’s a key part of what makes him so special.

“You send it to him,” said Hafley, using the third-down gameplan as an example, “and then this morning he comes in before anybody else and he wants to sit down and meet and he wants me to go over it with him. And then he goes over it with RD (Ryan Downard) and the DBs, and he does it in the walk-through and he does it on the field, because he wants to get it right, right away, and he gets angry when he doesn’t, because that’s what the great ones do.

“And he holds himself to such ahigh standard where he doesn’t want to make mistakes, and it shows. That’s what your really good players, every play matters, just like it does to us. So that’s the biggest kind of look-in I can give you to what he’s like. He’s always wanting to be on top of his stuff. The details, the execution, the competitor. That’s who he is, and that’s why he’s a really good player.”

To land McKinney in free agency, the Packers gave him a four-year, $67 million deal. The nearly $17 million per year that McKinney is earning makes him the fourth-highest-paid safety in football–a deal that looks like a bargain, given his impact both on and off the field.

Without those two crucial plays from McKinney on Sunday, perhaps the Packers still win–they were up 10 points after all, so we can’t confidently say the outcome would have changed. But what it is safe to say is that the Packers aren’t 8-3 if they don’t have McKinney.

“Any (time) that you can take the ball away and get yards after it, it’s a big deal,” said Keisean Nixon. “X is — seven picks now? I think that was a big-ass free-agent signing, but it’s kudos to him and his preparation. I see him come in the building every day and do the same thing.”

Josh Jacobs and run game cures Packers’ situational woes vs. 49ers

Paul Bretl | 11/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Leading the way for the Packers ‘offense in Week 12 was Josh Jacobs and the running game, who, for at least a week anyway, helped solve Green Bay’s red zone and third-down woes.

From the jump, the gameplan was to get Jacobs heavily involved. The San Francisco defensive front was without game-wrecking defensive end Nick Bosa, along with not having defensive tackle Kevin Givens, who was inactive, as well as Javon Hargrave who is on injured reserve. In the first half alone, Jacobs would carry the ball 17 times.

“It was pretty impressive,” said Matt LaFleur of Jacobs’ performance. “I think early on that got us going. We thought we could hit them with some of the downhill stuff. Obviously they’re missing a key part to that defense, two starters actually, so, but I thought we did what we had to do.”

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In total, Jacobs would carry the ball 26 times for 106 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Emanuel Wilson would rush for another 41 yards on nine carries. When it was all said and done, the Packers rushed for 169 yards as a team.

According to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Jacobs would force 11 missed tackles in this game, which has been his calling card all season long. Coming into Week 12, Jacobs has been one of the most difficult ball carriers to bring down, ranking fifth in average yards after contact and seventh in missed tackles force.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” said Jacobs of his performance. “I don’t really feel any type of way about it. I just try to go in there and put my stamp on the game, and I felt like I was able to do that today. So, man, it just feels good when you get a convincing win like that.”

That ability to make defenders miss is a credit to his physical running style, but also his superb vision and feel for a game that has slowed down for him over the years, making it often look like Jacobs is a step ahead of the defenders that are trying to chase him down.

“The game just slows down for them and then now they can process what’s going on,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans about Jacobs’ vision. “And sometimes they can manipulate and that’s what he can also do, he can manipulate blocks understanding that if I’m going to manipulate it this way, it should open up something over here then that’s where I’ll take it.”

This success in the run game would play a key factor in the Packers’ ability to move the chains on third downs and to find the end zone when in the red zone–two areas that have given them fits this season. The Packers came into Sunday’s game ranked 22nd in third-down success rate and 27th inside the red zone.

However, against the 49ers, excluding the Packers final possession where they were trying to run out the clock, they converted 50 percent of their third down attempts. For some context, the Chiefs with a conversion rate of 51.8 percent is the best mark in football this season.

The impact of the run game on these figures is that moving the ball on the ground often keeps the offense ahead of the sticks and out of predictable passing situations. In short down-and-distance situations, the entire playbook is open for the offense, which can create opportunities for the passing game, and the defense is on its heels, having to defend the entire field while being prepared for both the run and the pass.

“That’s something that we’re going to have to lean on in this final stretch of the season is our run game,” said Jordan Love after the game, “and I think the O-line has been doing a great job and they will continue to do that. Obviously, it all starts up front. We always talk about it, if you can get the run game going, it’ll make life easier in the pass game. It’ll help you set more things up, too. I think that’s going to be a big piece for us to lean on in the second half of the season.”

In the red zone, meanwhile, after converting on fewer than 50 percent of their previous red zone trips coming into this game, the Packers were a perfect 5-for-5 against the 49ers. Penalties in this part of the field have played a pivotal role in the red zone blues that Green Bay had experienced up to this point, and even in this game, they had another one.

Moving the ball in the red zone via the passing game can already be an innately more difficult task, given that it is a condensed part of the field and there is less space to operate in–you can’t stretch a defense vertically from the five yard line. So when an offense is being penalized and put into those dreaded ‘get back on track’ situations where they are forced to throw the ball, the level of difficulty is turned up a few notches.

But as LaFleur has mentioned previously, success in the red area can often start with the running game, for many of the reasons already mentioned, mainly putting the offense in favorable down and distances. So not coincidentally, in a game where Jacobs was featured heavily and found success, the Packers were able to find the end zone five times, which Jacobs being the ball carrier for three of those scores.

“I think it all started with the run game,” said Love of the team’s red zone success. “I think we were making some big plays in the run game. The o-line was doing a great job giving Josh some lanes, and then just handing the ball to 8. Three touchdowns on the ground for him, big night for him. I think it all started up front. Obviously Tuck had that screen. It was great execution there. Like I said before, it just comes down to executing the plays and finding ways to get in the end zone.”

The passing game for Green Bay had its moments, but it was also a bit of a disjointed performance as well, with some drops and off-target throws apart of the equation. But as was the case a week ago in Chicago, Jacobs helped provide the offense with some stability–an element to lean on throughout the game.

For a game anyway, the situational football issues that have plagued the Packers for much of the season weren’t even on their radar this Sunday. The challenge, however, is replicating that success so that the performance we saw against San Francisco becomes more of the norm rather than the outlier.

Certainly, each week isn’t going to look the same, and with an offense that features as much talent as the Packers do, they have plenty of players to get the ball to and different ways they can exploit an opponent. With that said, the blueprint for success in those key situations was on display, and it often starts with Jacobs, and can lead to so much more.

Can Packers’ situational football get back on track vs 49ers’ defense?

Paul Bretl | 11/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Situationally this season, specifically on third downs and in the red zone, the Packers’ offense has struggled. But could a matchup against the San Francisco defense help Green Bay get back on track situationally?

On the year, the Packers’ rank 22nd in third-down success rate and 27th inside the red zone. For an offense that, overall, moved the ball well against Chicago last week, with five red zone visits in just six possessions while averaging 8.5 yards per play, it was their performance in these key situations that played a big factor in the game being as close as it was.

“I think it’s tough,” said Jordan Love of the offense’s red zone performance. “I think it’s a lot of just looking at what we’ve been doing, what defenses have been doing to try to stop us and just trying to find better plays, find out what we can do better, what I can do better to get us in that end zone and get over the kinda lulls we’re having in the red zone right now.”

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Despite being able to move the ball and generate chunk plays, the Packers were just 1-for-5 on third downs versus the Bears. In the red zone, they were 3-for-5, which certainly isn’t awful, but what really hurt them was that on their two red zone “misses,” they didn’t just not score a touchdown, but they didn’t leave with points.

While this game and performance is the most recent example of these third down and red zone woes, it’s a problem that has impacted this Green Bay offense really all season–as the numbers illustrate.

A lot of the issues experienced by the Packers begin with self-inflicted errors. Whether it be a penalty–which have been prevalent with Green Bay penalized 19 times in the red area this season–a dropped pass, an off-target throw, or whatever it may be, the Packers are putting themselves in long down-and-distance situations far too often.

“It has, and it’s been kind of as the year has gone on it’s been different problems,” said Adam Stenavich of the team’s third down struggles. “At first we had a lot of penalties. And then we had a lot of drops. And now we’ve just got to make sure we keep focusing on being productive and just honing in on simple plays and making sure we can play fast and go execute.”

The trickle-down effect of this is that the offense is then in a predictable passing situation, giving the defense the advantage because they aren’t necessarily worried about the run game anymore. The pass rush can then pin its ears back and when needing to convert a third-and-long, there are only so many routes that can be run in that situation.

In the red zone specifically, as Matt LaFleur has discussed in the past, having a strong run game to lean on is a very important element, but when behind the sticks, that ability is at the very least restricted, if not completely taken away.

Without question, the Packers have to clean up these errors. But when discussing something that has been a season-long issue, which in this case is the third down and red zone offense, it’s never just one thing. The execution has to improve as well.

“That was one of the weirdest games,” said Stenavich of the Bears’ game. “And a lot of the third downs were in the red zone, too. So it was just strange. We had the ball for, I think we had six real possessions and we had one punt, and the rest of them we were in the red zone.

“We did a great job moving the ball, so yeah, it’s one of those things, you can see how explosive we are, you can see how productive we can be, but we’ve really got to focus on finishing, whether it’s the third downs or in the red zone, finishing with touchdowns or at field goals at least. We’ve just got to be better in those situations for sure.”

As LaFleur noted on Monday following the Bears’ game, Chicago often played Cover-2 down in the red zone, to which LaFleur pointed out that if you can’t run the ball in those situations, it’s going to be “very difficult” for the offense. An example he gave was on the run play to Jayden Reed, where a missed block blew that play up in the backfield.

Another head-scratching part of that sequence was that Christian Watson, who put the Packers in the red zone on that drive with a 48-yard completion, wasn’t on the field during that red zone possession. Instead, the Packers opted to go with Bo Melton and Malik Heath, which not only means one of your best players isn’t on the field in a critical situation, but that’s a pretty obvious tip of the hand that a run play is coming.

“We had a linemen downfield so we went backwards,” LaFleur said on Monday. “Called the play to Jayden Reed, missed a block at the point of attack and went backwards again. Then, we threw the pick. That was a bad sequence, but I thought all-in-all we know and recognize where we’re having most of our struggles and most of our struggles right now on offense are coming in the red area.

“Again self-inflicted wounds whether it’s penalties or negative plays and then on third down we just have to do a better job. That’s the emphasis and we’re working hard at it. It’s just we haven’t gotten the results that we’d like right now.”

This is just one example, but the first failed red zone attempt by the Packers last week in Chicago seemed to perfectly encapsulate the issues they’ve often experienced this season. A penalty put them behind the sticks, a missed assignment led to a run play going for a loss, and then the drive ended with an interception.

Awaiting the Packers this week, however, is a 49ers’ defense that, overall, has still fared well against both the run and the pass, ranking top 10 in yards per attempt in each category, but is also a unit that ranks 25th in third down defense and 23rd in red zone defense.

Making matters more difficult for San Francisco is that they will be without Nick Bosa. According to ESPN, the 49ers’ team pressure rate with Bosa on the field is 33 percent compared to just 18 percent without him, which would rank as the lowest-mark in football.

“There’s some plays that you certainly would not want to do with him in the game,” LaFleur said of Bosa. “He’s just, he’s that type of player. He’s a game wrecker, and he can definitely impact the game.”

Obviously, who you’re going up against and how the opponent defends each play is going to impact the outcome, but for this Packers team, performing better on these critical downs starts with themselves from limiting the self-inflicted errors, to the execution and play-calls, and making sure your best players are on the field.

“I definitely think it’s something that fixable,” Love added. “You look last year, I think we were a lot better in the red zone. Whether that’s just the plays we’re drawing up, whether we were just finding better options versus what the defense was doing or just coming down to making those plays that we might not be making right now, but I’m concerned about it. I think it’s something that we will fix going forward, but it definitely hasn’t been up to the standard we’re trying to have it at.”