Category: Latest Packers News

Where do Packers stand in playoff picture after blowout loss to 49ers?

Sunday night’s loss hurt the Packers’ chances of securing a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers’ opportunity to lay claim to the top spot in the NFC came and went on Sunday night in San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers jumped out to a 23-0 halftime lead and eventually slammed the door shut on a 37-8 victory at Levi’s Stadium, giving Kyle Shanahan’s team a 10-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the conference after 12 weeks.

The loss dropped the Packers to 8-3 and prevented Matt LaFleur’s team from becoming the fourth different team in the NFC with nine wins.

Where do the Packers settle in the standings after the defeat?

First, the good news: the Packers still lead the NFC North with five games to go, thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Minnesota Vikings, who were on the bye in Week 12.

NFC North standings:

1. Packers (8-3, 3-0 vs. division)
2. Vikings (8-3, 1-2 vs. division)
3. Bears (5-6, 2-1 vs. division)
4. Lions (3-7-1, 0-3 vs. division)

The Packers play the two-win New York Giants and two-win Washington Redskins the next two weeks before embarking on a three-game gauntlet against the NFC North to finish the season. It’s entirely possible the Packers will be 10-3 going into a Week 15 matchup with the Bears at Lambeau Field. The Vikings are at Seattle next week.

Now, the bad news: The Packers are no longer one of the top two seeds in the NFC. The loss dropped them down one spot to No. 3, behind the 49ers and New Orleans Saints, who survived a scare from the Carolina Panthers earlier Sunday.

NFC standings:

1. 49ers (10-1, next: at Ravens)
2. Saints (9-2, next: at Falcons)
3. Packers (8-3, next: at Giants)
4. Cowboys (6-5, next: vs. Bills)
5. Seahawks (9-2, next: vs. Vikings)
6. Vikings (8-3, next: at Seahawks)

7. Rams (6-4, next: at Cardinals)*
8. Bears (5-6, next: at Lions)
9. Eagles (5-6, next: at Dolphins)
10. Panthers (5-6, next: at Redskins)

*Play Monday night vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Packers play their final five games of the season against the NFC, including four games against teams with losing records. However, three of the games are on the road, including a pivotal game in Minnesota on Dec. 23.

The NFC playoff picture has sharpened some as of late, with five teams with at least eight wins. The Cowboys and Eagles may need all 17 weeks to decide the NFC East, but the other five teams currently possessing playoff spots are on solid footing as of right now. The Rams, at 6-4 going into Monday night, could change that.

The Packers need to take care of business the next two weeks.

Remaining schedule: 

at Giants (2-9)
vs. Redskins (2-9)
vs. Bears (5-6)
at Vikings (8-3)
at Lions (3-7-1)

Combined record: 20-34-1

Even accounting for Sunday night’s loss, the Packers have a 92-93 percent chance of making the postseason and a 67 percent chance of winning the division, according to the New York Times’ playoff predictor.

In the vast majority of simulations, the Packers either secure a first-round bye (roughly 33 percent) or host a wild-card game (36 percent). The team’s most likely record is 12-4 (37 percent).

The Packers will likely be favored in four of the final five games. If they win all four, they’ll finish 12-4 and likely hold off the Vikings in the NFC North.

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Report: Packers hopeful RT Bryan Bulaga avoided significant injury

The Packers believe Bryan Bulaga dodged a major injury, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

The Green Bay Packers are hopeful they’ve dodged a season-changing injury to their offensive line.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers believe right tackle Bryan Bulaga avoided a major injury to his knee during Sunday night’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Bulaga was injured after being rolled up on by tight end Robert Tonyan during a run play in the first quarter. He left the game and didn’t return.

The Packers replaced Bulaga with second-year offensive tackle Alex Light, who struggled mightily against the 49ers’ talented defensive front.

Demovsky described the injury as “week-to-week,” suggesting there might even be a chance for Bulaga to play next Sunday against the New York Giants.

Coach Matt LaFleur didn’t have an update on Bulaga’s status in the immediate aftermath of the 37-8 defeat.

The Packers have practiced rest and recovery with Bulaga all season in an effort to keep him healthy over the long haul. He started the team’s first 11 games and has played at a Pro Bowl level for much of the season.

The Packers placed offensive lineman Cole Madison on injured reserve on Saturday, opening a roster spot. It’s likely the Packers will need to use that spot to add another offensive tackle.

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49ers expose Packers’ fatal flaws in primetime beat down

The Packers have fatal flaws that need immediate repair if Matt LaFleur’s team wants to be a Super Bowl contender.

More and more, the 2019 Green Bay Packers look like a mirror image of the 2015 Green Bay Packers.

The 2015 Packers started fast but eventually had their fatal flaws exposed, handcuffing a 10-6 team that limped into the playoffs and got beat in the Divisional Round.

That flawed football team scared no one in the passing game, even with Aaron Rodgers under center, and good quarterbacks routinely chewed up Dom Capers’ defense.

Matt LaFleur’s team is slowly but surely blazing a similar path.

For the second time in a month, the Packers went to the West Coast and got blown out. The San Francisco 49ers provided the latest lashing in a 37-8 beat down on Sunday night in Santa Clara. But the location of the games wasn’t the problem either time. It was the matchup.

The Los Angeles Chargers drew up the blueprint on Nov. 3, and the 49ers executed it perfectly Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium. Both teams attacked the Packers’ two primary flaws: The lack of a second target in the passing game and the defense’s inability to cover the middle of the field.

Beating the Packers offense looks more and more simple, especially for teams with good pass-rushing players. Rush four, cover consistently with seven and lean the coverage towards Davante Adams. It’s an effective strategy against any modern offense. The Packers just don’t have another receiver or tight end who can consistently get open or threaten single coverage in the passing game, especially when the defense can commit to flooding areas downfield.

On Sunday night, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Geronimo Allison and Jake Kumerow combined for four catches and 23 yards on 10 targets. Jimmy Graham caught one pass for seven yards.

The Packers got beat up front a lot, especially after losing Bryan Bulaga in the first half. But Rodgers dropped back to pass 41 times and rarely had an open receiver in the progression, at least based on the way he continually held the football even when the blocking held up.

The Packers have gotten by without a legitimate No. 2 receiver, but the lack of a secondary playmaker really showed up in Los Angeles on Nov. 3 and in San Francisco on Sunday night. Teams, if capable, will copy the blueprint, and a lot of teams in the NFC playoff field look capable.

The defense’s fatal flaw has been readily available for the better part of the last two months. Mike Pettine’s group has no answer for receivers, tight ends and running backs in the middle of the field.

On Sunday night, the 49ers scored touchdown passes on explosive plays to Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Both completions were to the middle of the field. Kittle caught six passes for 129 yards, with most of the damage coming between the numbers and against little resistance. Talented tight ends and quick receivers capable of winning on in-breaking routes have given the Packers the most trouble.

The issues covering the middle of the field have resulted in explosive plays almost every week. That’s a problem that started in Week 2 and hasn’t gone away.

Another potential fatal flaw is on special teams, where Shawn Mennenga hasn’t fielded a capable group all season. The unit might have hit rock bottom on Sunday night as punter JK Scott hit one shank after another and the return groups, especially on punts, continue to accomplish nothing.

The Packers haven’t played a complete game this season, but they have produced a pair of three-phase meltdowns.

To their credit, the Packers have won in Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City, and they’ve won five of six games at home. LaFleur’s team has laid the foundation of a legitimate run to the playoffs. And with games against the Giants, Redskins and Lions still to go, getting to 11 wins looks possible, if not likely.

But issues evolve into fatal flaws when they’re big enough and consistent enough to prevent a team from making a deep run in the playoffs, and the Packers’ inability to find a legitimate second target in the passing game or cover the middle of the field or play a complete game have risen to that level.

The loss to the Chargers looked like something of an aberration, a glitch in the matrix. Sunday night proved the issues are embedded much deeper in the software.

Despite a trying month, the Packers still have everything in front of them. An opportunity to win the NFC North and host a playoff game is right there. Getting to 10 or 11 wins and stamping a trip to the playoffs should be all but expected.

But time is running out on LaFleur, Rodgers, Pettine and Mennenga to fix what has been consistently wrong, the problems that plagued the Packers even as they were piling up wins.

The Packers are good, but are they great? And can they take that next step in five weeks? McCarthy’s 2015 team stumbled and never really recovered, a result of flaws they couldn’t fix, even as the Hail Marys were being answered.  LaFleur’s team has similar flaws, but also a chance to write a different ending.

3 takeaways from Packers’ embarrassing blowout loss to 49ers

Three takeaways from the Packers’ 37-8 loss to the 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 12.

In the biggest game of the year, the Green Bay Packers turtled their way to a pathetic 37-8 loss to the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers.

Coming off the bye week, the Packers had two weeks to prepare with the healthiest roster they’ve had in recent memory and they collapsed in the face of the Niners’ top-notch pass rush.

Aaron Rodgers saw ghosts early, and the team couldn’t find anything in the form of a sustainable offense. The points started to domino thereafter for the 49ers, and the Packers couldn’t respond. Add onto that an early turnover and floundering special teams and you have the recipe for a blowout.

The Packers entered Sunday night’s matchup hoping to prove they were the class of the NFC. What they found out is that they’re currently at least a tier below the upper echelon of the NFC.

Onto the takeaways:

Rodgers, offense flashback to 2015

Yes, losing Bryan Bulaga played a big role, but injuries happen, and Bulaga can’t be the difference between eight points and, say, 24.

The Packers simply couldn’t execute any part of their offense. They struggled to open holes running the football. Aaron Rodgers had little time in the pocket it to throw, and anything downfield was either contested or overthrown.

Rodgers ended his night completing 20 of 33 passes for 104 yards (3.2-yard average). As a team, the Packers averaged 4.0 yards rushing with Rodgers in the game. Rare is the day when your offense is more efficient on the ground than through the air.

In a marquee matchup on Sunday night, Rodgers would exit and Tim Boyle would get mop-up duty.

Let’s start with Rodgers. Given the circumstances, this is one of his poorest games of the season. In the biggest games, you need your high-dollar players to be money. After the Niners got to Rodgers early, he developed a case of happy feet and held onto the ball, loathe to fit the ball into tight windows. As a result, Aaron Rodgers of 2019 looked a lot like the Rodgers we saw last year or in 2015. Without anything breaking open downfield, Rodgers takes the sack. He also wasn’t very accurate with the football, overthrowing Marques Valdes-Scantling in the end zone and Davante Adams on a deep out.

Rodgers has been at his best when he’s been forced into a quick rhythm passing game. He’s going to have to rediscover that approach if they’re going to beat this team again if and when they meet in the playoffs. The Niners only need to rush four to get to the quarterback, and one of the best ways to stymie a potent pass rush outside of an effective rushing attack is a quick, three-step drop passing offense.

This isn’t to say it’s all on 12. The offensive line couldn’t pass protect, and receivers weren’t catching the ball well. Geronimo Allison struggled with drops early, and Jimmy Graham dropped what would have been a big pass downfield in the first half. The broadcast officials suggested that it would have been a catch, but knowing the capricious nature the what is a catch, it’s hard to fault LaFleur for not throwing the red hankie.

All in all, the Packers couldn’t step to the plate and match blow-for-blow against a top-tier defense. If the Packers want to be Super, they’re going to need to come up with answers.

Offense lacks urgency

Down 23-0 at the beginning of the second half, the Packers would take 8:34 of game clock to score. The score was crucial, obviously, but the tempo – or lack thereof – with which the offense played was maddening. Down in and down out the offense would run through the bulk of the play clock. The offense was slow exiting the huddle and showed little urgency lining back up.

This is an issue that dates back well into the McCarthy years, and it’s something Matt LaFleur tried to eradicate in training camp. Alas, we’re here again. The Packers refuse to find any sense of tempo, and it’s a slow death when the offense can’t produce anything in the form of a big play.

LaFleur needs to re-emphasize it. Rodgers needs to acknowledge it.

Special teams once again a disaster

JK Scott began the season as a weapon; he’s since been disarmed.

On six punts, Scott averaged a paltry 37.2 yards. Scott’s been trending downward for a few weeks now, but one would have through the better weather would have cured some of his woes.

One issue may be with the length of his release. The Niners pressed the pocket quite well tonight, which may have shortened Scott’s approach. Whatever the reason, it’s crippling what had been one of Packers’ strengths.

The Packers were also awful again on the receiving end of the punt. Tremon Smith fielded two punts for a total negative three yards.

Like clockward, the Packers’ special teams are among the worst in football, and there are few signs for improvement.

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Instant analysis of the Packers’ 37-8 loss to the 49ers in Week 12

Breaking down the Packers’ miserable night in San Francisco that ended with a 37-8 win for the 49ers.

The Green Bay Packers got thoroughly dominated for the second time in a month on the West Coast, losing 37-8 to the San Francisco 49ers in a nationally televised Sunday night game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

It was over when …

… tight end George Kittle ran away from Kevin King and rumbled in from 61 yards out off a brilliantly designed play-action fake, giving the 49ers a 30-8 lead and destroying any hopes the Packers had of getting back into the game to start the second half.

Game balls

  • Offense: No game ball awarded.
  • OLB Za’Darius Smith: The defensive captain delivered 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits. Both of his sacks ended drives.
  • Special teams: No game ball awarded.

Key Stat

3.2: Yards averaged per attempt by the Packers passing offense. They averaged a full yard more rushing (4.2). Overall, the offense averaged only 5.2 yards per completion.

Quick takes

– The Packers got dominated at the line of scrimmage on offense. It started early, got worse when Bryan Bulaga went out and never really stopped. Everything about the blowout starts there.

– Aaron Rodgers attempted 33 passes on 41 dropbacks. He produced 66 net yards passing, took five sacks, lost a fumble and scrambled three times for 13 yards. This was one of the worst ever performances in the long career of the future Hall of Famer.

– The Packers have fatal flaws. There is no second option in the passing game and they can’t cover the middle of the field. No magic cure is coming for either ailment. The 49ers and Chargers exposed each flaw mercilessly. Future opponents, if capable, will do the same. And there are plenty that can do it in the NFC field.

– Teams that can rush the passer with four players and cover effectively and consistently with seven are going to give the Packers a lot of problems. Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers haven’t found an answer.

– I can’t shake the feeling that the 2019 Packers are just the 2015 Packers. They don’t scare anyone in the passing game and good offenses chew up their defense.

– The 49ers didn’t do anything special on offense, but they ran the ball well enough and found explosive plays in the middle of the field. Jimmy Garoppolo hit touchdown passes of 42 and 61 yards. Once again, the Packers defense got beat by the big play. Another fatal flaw.

– The Packers keep hitting new lows on special teams. JK Scott had a miserable night, and the punt return group lost more yardage. There is no bottom for Shawn Mennenga’s unit.

– The receivers behind Davante Adams did next to nothing. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Geronimo Allison, Allen Lazard and Jake Kumerow combined for four catches on 10 targets for 23 total yards. The Packers not adding a legitimate No. 2 receiver at the deadline might have sunk their season.

– The Packers were 1-for-15 on third down. The one conversion came on the final drive.

– Things look really bad for the Packers right now, but they have two extremely winnable games coming up. Matt LaFleur’s team really needs to be 10-3 going into the final three games against the NFC North. It’s possible. This is still a playoff team, but they have a lot to figure out over the final month.

– Up next: The Packers go back on the road, this time to the East Coast for a game against the two-win New York Giants.

Packers rule out RT Bryan Bulaga with knee injury vs. 49ers

Bulaga has been ruled out for the game. #GBvsSF https://t.co/mvrsC6rp9a – Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 25, 2019 The Green Bay Packers will be without starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga for the rest of Sunday night’s game in San Francisco. …

The Green Bay Packers will be without starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga for the rest of Sunday night’s game in San Francisco.

The team ruled out Bulaga after he suffered a knee injury in the first quarter against the 49ers, leaving backup Alex Light to handle the work at right tackle for the final three quarters.

Bulaga’s injury happened when he got rolled up on from behind by tight end Robert Tonyan on a run play. He was examined in the blue medical tent before walking back to the locker room.

Bulaga, 30, started the team’s first 11 games. When healthy, he’s one of the game’s best right tackles, but he’s struggled with major injuries throughout his career.

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Packers inactives: 6 healthy scratches for Matt LaFleur’s team vs. 49ers

The Packers have six healthy scratches for Sunday night’s game against the 49ers.

All six players on the inactive list for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers are healthy scratches.

The Packers were only required to make six players inactive due to having an open roster spot after placing offensive lineman Cole Madison on injured reserve on Saturday.

Tight end Robert Tonyan and fullback Danny Vitale, who were both listed as questionable, are active for the Packers.

Among the inactives are safety Will Redmond and rookie tight end Jace Sternberger. Second-year defensive back Josh Jackson, who was inactive the last two weeks, is back up this week.

The Packers’ inactives:

WR Ryan Grant
RB Dexter Williams
S Will Redmond
CB Ka’dar Hollman
G/T Adam Pankey
TE Jace Sternberger

The 49ers will be without running back Matt Breida, left tackle Joe Staley, edge rusher Dee Ford and kicker Robbie Gould, but tight end George Kittle and receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel are all active.

The 49ers’ inactives:

QB C.J. Beathard
K Robbie Gould
RB Matt Breida
WR Marquise Goodwin
DE Dee Ford
LT Joe Staley
TE Levine Toilolo

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Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith planning special sack celebration for SNF

The Packers OLB is ready to reveal a special message for a special fan if he delivers a sack on Sunday night against the 49ers.

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith has a special celebration planned for Sunday night’s primetime matchup in San Francisco.

According to Lily Zhao of WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Smith will reveal a personalized message to a family member of a team equipment manager if he delivers a sack against the 49ers.

“We (heart) Eileen” is emblazoned on a shirt Smith will wear under his uniform on Sunday night.

Per Zhao, the family member is a “huge” Packers fan who is dealing with an illness.

Smith, a free-agent addition of the Packers this season, has 8.5 sacks and is becoming well-known for his post-sack celebrations.

The Packers and 49ers kick off from Levi’s Stadium at 7:20 p.m. CT.

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Packers at 49ers: Live blog, score updates, highlights from SNF

Live updates, highlights and analysis from the Packers’ Week 12 showdown with the 49ers on “Sunday Night Football” from Santa Clara.

The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers will do battle for first place in the NFC on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Stay here for live updates, analysis, stats and highlights from the high-stakes showdown between old conference rivals in primetime:

Score: Packers 0, 49ers 0

Analysis

– Sunday night’s matchup is just the sixth game between teams with two or fewer losses at this point in the season since 2007. The last two winners went on to win the Super Bowl (Broncos in 2015, Seahawks in 2013).

– The New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks both won and improved to 9-2 on Sunday. If the Packers win in San Francisco, the NFC will have four teams with nine wins going into Week 13.

– With a win, Matt LaFleur can tie the franchise record for wins in a season by a first-year coach. Mike Holmgren (1992) and Mike Sherman (2000) both won nine games in their first seasons.

Highlights

Pro Bowl TE George Kittle expected to play Sunday vs. Packers

The 49ers will have one of the game’s best tight ends available on Sunday against the Packers.

The Green Bay Packers better be prepared to face one of the game’s best tight ends on Sunday night.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is expected to play through his ankle injury and return to the field for the first time since suffering the injury on Oct. 31 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers listed Kittle, who practiced in a limited capacity this week, as questionable. Schefter reports that Kittle suffered a broken bone in his ankle against the Cardinals and still isn’t recovered from the injury.

Kittle has 46 catches for 541 yards and two touchdowns this season. He set the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end last season when he was named a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur called Kittle one of the game’s best tight ends.

The Packers don’t have an obvious coverage option against Kittle, although defensive coordinator Mike Pettine will likely use a bunch of players, including safeties Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage and Ibraheim Campbell, and possibly even second-year linebacker Oren Burks or slot cornerback Tramon Williams.

All players must be ready to take on Kittle in the run game and tackle him after the catch. Even at less than 100 percent, Kittle presents major problems for the Packers as a blocker and a receiver.

Inactives are due 90 minutes before game time. By about 6:00 p.m. CT, the Packers will know if they’ll have to face Kittle or not.

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