The Green Bay Packers took an unconventional route to a fourth straight win, using a big performance from running back Josh Jacobs and some late heroics from backup quarterback Malik Willis to overcome the loss of Jordan Love and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The response after Jordan Love went out. The Packers trailed 17-13 on the road and had a hurt quarterback. Instead of folding, the Packers went to work. Josh Jacobs carried on four straight plays and gained 16 yards, Malik Willis hit Dontayvion Wicks for a third down conversion, Willis scrambled for 20 yards and Jacobs busted a 38-yard touchdown run. On the third play of the next drive, Edgerrin Cooper stripped Trevor Lawrence and Devonte Wyatt bulled his way to the fumble recovery. Tucker Kraft’s 3-yard touchdown catch a few plays later made it 27-17. Elite response to adversity.
— The game-winning drive featured one explosive play, and that’s all the Packers needed. The perfect call at the perfect time to win the game.
— The Packers rushed for 170 yards and held the ball for almost 35 minutes of game time. Jacobs finished with 127 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. The Packers had four runs of 10 or more yards.
— Xavier McKinney produced his sixth interception in eight games. The takeaway came after a Jordan Love interception and set up a Packers touchdown. Green Bay scored 14 points off two takeaways.
— Romeo Doubs had two catches over 20 yards, Tucker Kraft had a 67-yard catch and Jayden Reed had a 51-yarder. Explosive plays were once again the fuel on offense.
— Brandon McManus made all three field goals — all under 40 yards — and all three extra points. He’s 10-for-10 on kicks and 2-for-2 on game-winners in his first two games with the Packers.
— The Packers defense forced three three-and-outs and had an interception during the first four series. The Jaguars finished 1-for-9 on third down.
— Despite a few penalties early, the Packers finished with only three penalties for 20 yards.
What went wrong
— Jordan Love threw an interception in the red zone, and the Packers started 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line. The issues in the red zone helped keep the Jaguars in the game early when the Packers were dominating.
— The Packers defense had issues tackling, especially against running back Tank Bigsby.
— After going up 27-17, the Packers gave up two long scoring drives, including an 87-yard touchdown drive that tied the game. The defense also gave up a quick scoring drive at the end of the first half. The 27 points allowed are the third-most given up by the Packers this season.
— The Jaguars averaged 7.0 yards per play, including 9.1 yards per passing attempt. Six different Jaguars pass-catchers had a reception of 20 or more yards.
— The Packers were 3-for-11 on third down.
— The defense produced just one sack (although it was a strip-sack) and only three other quarterback hits. Pressure was sporadic.
What it means
The Packers completed the sweep of the AFC South, improved to 6-2 and set up a huge showdown next week for first place in the NFC North. Of course, everyone in Green Bay will hold their breath while the injury status of Jordan Love is assessed, but early indications are that Love avoided a major injury. Once again, the Packers got a winning performance from the backup quarterback. Once again, the Packers won without their “A” game. At some point, and probably as soon as next week, the Packers will need to play their best to win a big game. You get the sense that this year’s team has already won 2-3 games that the 2023 Packers absolutely would have lost, including Sunday. Given everything that has happen on the injury front at the quarterback position, being 6-2 entering Week 9 should feel like a very good spot to be.
Highlights
What’s next
A visit from the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions, who improved to 6-1 with a thrashing of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Dan Campbell’s team has a legitimate case as the NFL’s best team through eight weeks. This could be the biggest game of the Packers’ season so far, but expect injury question marks to cast a shadow over this titanic battle in the NFC North.