The Green Bay Packers used a 19-0 start and a 21-0 finish to deliver a convincing 40-14 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
Here are all my notes and observations from rewatching the Packers’ win over the Titans:
– If a cornerback covering Davante Adams is playing six yards off the line of scrimmage down in the red zone, the ball is going to 17. And that cornerback better be able to play under control and make a tackle in the open field or 17 is scoring. Adoree Jackson was just asking to get victimized to end the first Packers drive.
– Mason Crosby hasn’t missed a field goal, but he’s missed four extra points, including one in three of the last four home games. In fact, all four of Crosby’s misses have come at Lambeau Field.
– The Packers played with five or six players along the line of scrimmage to contain Derrick Henry, including some fronts with four down linemen. The outside linebackers had a terrific night holding the edge and funneling Henry back to the help on the inside or disengaging and making the tackle.
– Kenny Clark had another big night. He’s played so well over the last month. While sometimes unnoticed, his impact isn’t.
– In the snow, Darnell Savage looked a step faster than every single player on the field. The conditions did nothing to slow him down. He got the pick later, but he was flying around on the first series of the contest, producing a crunching tackle on Henry, a pass breakup and a pressure on third down.
– The Titans did a nice job defending a couple of scripted looks for Tavon Austin.
– Credit David Bakhtiari for sticking with the block and drawing the hands to the face penalty on Rashan Evans. The infraction might not have been obvious right away. But Bakhtiari kept blocking, and Evans eventually made the call an easy one for the officials, extending the Packers’ second scoring drive.
– Equanimeous St. Brown beat a good slot cornerback – Desmond King – for the touchdown. He got inside with his release and just ran away from King for the necessary separation. St. Brown became the 10th player to catch a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers this season.
– Rashan Gary’s pressure – the result of a terrific bull rush on the left tackle – was a big factor in Savage’s interception. The pocket was disrupted on Ryan Tannehill. Savage did an incredible job covering Pro Bowler A.J. Brown from a deep safety spot on the crosser. His speed was on full display as tracked Brown and jumped underneath the route to intercept the pass.
– The Packers did a much better job tackling Henry than the Titans did with A.J. Dillon.
– What a throw from Rodgers to Adams on the second touchdown. Adams got a step of separation off the line and Rodgers put the ball right on him. The fade there isn’t always a high percentage play, but the Packers made it look like one. Beauty.
– It was a dominant series for the defense after going up 19-0. Sack on a blitz against play-action on first down, a batted down pass on second down and a sack on a stunt with Gary and Za’Darius Smith on third down. Three plays, minus 17 yards, and a punt.
– Rick Wagner appeared to miss the block that led to the blocked field goal.
– The Titans probably picked up something useful from the read-option that got stuffed on the final drive of the first half. Everyone crashed Henry, including the second level defenders. The Titans went right back to it to start the second half, and Tannehill kept it for the score.
– Malik Taylor didn’t handle the squib kick particularly well before the end of the half. You can bet teams will force him to field another one if he’s still the kickoff returner.
– Mike Pettine brought a bunch of different blitz looks and it really disrupted the Titans play-action passing plans. Just everyone got a chance to blitz on Sunday night.
– On the fourth down in the third quarter, the Packers used Allen Lazard to block the safety on the edge and asked Dillon to beat an unblocked cornerback for the first down. He did that, and then beat the safety in the open field for the score.
– Jaire Alexander completely eliminated Corey Davis, a very good receiver, from the contest.
– Pressures from Gary in the second half nearly created interceptions for both Savage and Adrian Amos.
– Preston Smith’s pressure created Christian Kirksey’s interception. He won quickly with an inside move and forced Tannehill into a bad decision.
– Rare moment for Rodgers on the interception. In fact, it was Favre-like. Rolling right, under pressure, throwing late back to the middle of the field. Favre did it all the time, but Rodgers almost never forces passes in this fashion.
– Savage did a terrific job as a tackler in the open field on Henry. Overall, this was one of the better tackling performances from the secondary this season, even with a missed tackle from Kevin King.
– The Packers didn’t do anything fancy on offense, especially in the second half. A lot of production was just the result of power running. Good blocking up front, and downhill power from Dillon. That combo mixes nicely outside in the snow and cold.
– The throw from Rodgers and the catch by Adams – especially the catch – on the 32-yarder in the fourth quarter were sublime. Adams showed late hands and made a sprawling catch away from his body while going to the ground in snowy conditions in December. Elite play by an elite player.
– Dillon truck-sticked a nose tackle on his way to the end zone to finish off his second touchdown run. It provided an exclamation point to a dominant performance, both by the Packers and the rookie running back.
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