Check out this breakdown of Andy Reid’s genius strategy that helped the #Chiefs defeat the #Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
The Kansas City Chiefs put together their best performance of the season in a winning effort against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Now set to compete in their third consecutive Super Bowl, the Chiefs are one win away from making NFL history as the first team to ever complete a three-peat.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid did his best to put his offense, which is quarterbacked by reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, in a position to defeat Buffalo after Kansas City’s loss to the Bills in the regular season.
Though it may have been hard to see in real-time, Reid’s play-calling was a key part of his team’s win, as evidenced by this extended breakdown of the long-tenured coach’s genius decision by former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz:
The Chiefs waited all season to call a designed run for Patrick Mahomes They used the entire game to set up the Bills defense for this play. Here’s three plays, including the two before the touchdown run, that show how the Chiefs set up success. pic.twitter.com/CYTC4NzNui
Kansas City’s matchup against Buffalo was decided by just three points, and the innovative strategies explained by Schwartz may have been the difference between a win and a loss for the Chiefs.
Stay tuned to see what tricks Reid has up his sleeve when Kansas City faces off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on February 9.
Eagles 22, Packers 10: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The 2024 season of the Green Bay Packers ended abruptly Sunday in Philadelphia with a 22-10 loss to the Eagles, who led the entire game and forced four turnovers in the NFC Wild Card Round at Lincoln Financial Field
After starting 11-4, the Packers lost three straight games to end the season and will now watch the NFC Divisional Round from home after nearly taking down the San Francisco 49ers in that playoff round last January.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers fought defensively all night. In fact, Jeff Hafley’s defense was the only reason this game stayed close. The Eagles finished with only 290 yards, and seven of the team’s 22 points were gift-wrapped by Keisean Nixon’s fumble. The group consistently played adversity defense at a high level.
— Josh Jacobs turned 21 touches into 121 total yards and a score. He caught all three of his targets, created 81 hard-earned rushing yards and produced an incredible 31-yard score to set up the Packers’ only touchdown.
— Dontayvion Wicks had a 29-yard catch on third down, a 10-yard catch on third down and drew a 33-yard pass interference penalty on third down.
— Jayden Reed caught four passes for 46 yards, including a terrific effort on a 20-yard catch, and had a 20-yard punt return. He was effective with the ball in his hands. He just only touched the ball six times.
— The Packers limited Jalen Hurts to just 13 completions, and A.J. Brown caught just one pass for 10 yards.
What went wrong
— Keisean Nixon fumbled the opening kickoff, and the Packers scored three plays later. Just 99 seconds into the game, the Packers trailed 7-0.
— The Packers didn’t score until almost 10 minutes into the second half. They trailed 10-0 at half. It was another glacially slow start.
— Elgton Jenkins went out with an injury early, and the offensive line was crippled without him. Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort committed four penalties after Jenkins departed. Nolan Smith produced two sacks, including one in which he beat Zach Tom on third down.
— Jordan Love threw three picks and could have thrown more. His first pass was high and nearly picked. It’s nearly impossible to win playoff games when your quarterback has three turnovers and you lose the turnover battle 4-0. Love played poorly on a night when the Packers had to have his best.
— Carrington Valentine missed a tackle on Saquon Barkley on an explosive run in the first quarter and then got out-muscled by Dallas Goedert on a 22-yard touchdown in the second half.
— After cutting the lead to 10-3, the Packers immediately gave up a touchdown. After cutting the lead to 16-10, the Packers immediately gave up a field goal drive.
— The Packers committed eight total penalties, including two 15-yard, emotion-fueled penalties in the second half.
— Saquon Barkley didn’t dominate, but he and Jalen Hurts still combined for 155 rushing yards. Barkley needed 25 carries to get to 119.
— Malik Heath had a fourth down conversion fail when he couldn’t get two feet down in bounds. He also stumbled coming out of the break and likely ruined what would have been a touchdown pass in the second half.
— The Packers had only two tackles for loss, one pass breakup and zero takeaways. The defense was solid but not overly disruptive. This was a game where the Packers desperately needed a takeaway.
What it means
The 2024 season is over. The Packers finished 0-6 against the Eagles, Vikings and Lions, summing up the season overall. Matt LaFleur’s team was good overall but never great against the NFL’s best teams. And the taste of a three-game losing streak to finish it out will be tough to remove. A season that started with Super Bowl expectations — set by the crazy run to end 2023 — ended well short of New Orleans. But don’t let the disappointing ending cloud the improvement created by the 2024 team. They didn’t get to the “great” tier but the Packers improved in almost every meaningful area, including record, points per game scored, points per game allowed, yards per play, yards per play allowed, takeaways, turnover differential and point differential.
Highlights
What’s next
The offseason. It’s a big offseason for the Packers. They are no longer heavily restricted by dead cap problems and should have plenty of resources to improve, both via veteran free agency and the draft. Speaking of the draft, that little event is coming to Green Bay. Don’t be surprised if Brian Gutekunst is very aggressive this offseason. He has cap dollars to spend and a team that looks to be on the doorstep of being very good.
Vikings 27, Packers 25: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers scored three touchdowns in the second half and 15 points in the fourth quarter but were unable to overcome deficits of 20-3 and 27-10 in a 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Packers are now 11-5 entering the final week of the 2024 season, while the Vikings are 14-2 and preparing for a showdown with the Detroit Lions that will determine both the NFC North winner and No. 1 seed in the NFC.
All five of the Packers’ losses this season came against the Vikings, Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, the three teams with the best records in the NFC.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers overcame an early giveaway, got a big defensive stop and eventually drove for a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
— After the Vikings missed a 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, the Packers went touchdown-stop-touchdown to get back into the game. The offense drove 67 yards and 62 yards for touchdowns and the defense delivered a quick three-and-out.
— Carrington Valentine intercepted Sam Darnold in the third quarter, and Josh Jacobs scored a rushing touchdown for the seventh consecutive game.
— The Packers offense actually finished 8-for-14 on third down against one of the NFL’s best third down defenses. Four of the conversions came on the final two drives.
— The Packers held the Vikings to just 69 rushing yards on 26 attempts (2.7 per attempt). Aaron Jones managed just 47 yards on 12 carries.
— Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper produced a season-high four tackles for loss. He wasn’t perfect but he made big play after big play.
— Vikings kicker Will Reichard missed two field goals — one from 57, another from 43 — and the Packers scored points after each miss. Reichard had a third miss negated by a highly questionable offsides call before the half.
— Karl Brooks had a sack, and he also recovered a fumble after Carrington Valentine’s interception.
— Tucker Kraft, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks all had a catch of at least 18 yards on the final two drives, and Bo Melton converted a third down with a contested 13-yard catch.
What went wrong
— Sam Darnold dropped back to pass 43 times and was sacked just once. The Packers finished with only four quarterback hits. Pressure wasn’t nearly good enough, and Darnold ended up completing 33 passes for a career-high 379 yards.
— Four different Vikings pass-catchers had at least 60 receiving yards, and all four had a catch of at least 20 yards. Minnesota’s passing game tore apart Green Bay’s injury-depleted secondary.
— Josh Jacobs fumbled inside Minnesota territory on the opening drive. Turnovers after winning the toss and taking the ball are especially damaging.
— Jordan Love and the Packers passing game had only 64 total yards through the first three quarters. Love was pressured frequently and receivers dropped at least three passes. The passing game wasn’t good enough early on and played a big role in the Packers trailing big entering the fourth.
— Jayden Reed dropped a fourth-down conversion deep in Vikings territory. Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks also failed to make what could have been big catches in various spots.
— The Packers finished with seven penalties, including several ill-timed infractions. A questionable offsides call on Edgerrin Cooper helped hand the Vikings three points, and a few procedural penalties wiped out first down gains on offense.
— Cam Akers caught a touchdown pass on a wide open screen play and ended the game with a tumbling catch on third down with under two minutes to go.
What it means
The Packers missed their final opportunity to beat one of the NFC’s best teams during the regular season and will now be either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the playoff field. That means the Packers will either go on the road to play the NFC West or South winner OR go on the road to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round. The Packers believe they can beat one of the NFC’s top teams, but the results suggest they are a tier below the Vikings, Eagles and Detroit Lions.
Highlights
What’s next
A visit from the Chicago Bears in the season finale. The Bears have lost 10 straight games and haven’t won at Lambeau Field since 2015. The Packers need to get healthy at some key spots, get back on track on offense against a team that just gave up only six points to the Seattle Seahawks and take care of business at home. Finishing 12-5 with a win over the Bears entering the postseason is now the best-case scenario.
Packers 34, Saints 0: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
For the second straight week in primetime, the Green Bay Packers started fast, led big in the first half, overcame a little lull in the second half and cruised to a comfortable win — this time a 34-0 final over the shorthanded New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field on Monday night.
The Packers went over 30 points for the fifth straight game and secured the NFL’s first shutout of the 2024 season.
Matt LaFleur’s team opened up a 21-0 lead after scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions to open the game, and Jeff Hafley’s defense produced two takeaways and seven other stops in a dominant performance against a Saints team missing their top quarterback, running back and receiver.
The Packers are 11-4 and have clinched a playoff berth.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers took the opening kickoff, drove 63 yards in 10 plays and scored a touchdown — using four completions from Jordan Love and 40 total yards from Josh Jacobs to go up 7-0 early. The offense has been setting the tone early in games.
— The Packers defense gave up under 200 yards, had three sacks and produced two turnovers. The Saints never entered the red zone, and both takeaways came with the Saints inside the 30-yard line. Devonte Wyatt’s sack late in the first half took away another scoring opportunity.
— Running back Josh Jacobs turned 17 touches into 107 total yards and a touchdown. He ripped off a 20-yard run on the opening drive to set up a touchdown, caught four passes for 38 yards and once again scored from inside the 5-yard line.
— Brenton Cox Jr. had a sack, two quarterback hits and a team-high six total pressures (per Next Gen Stats). He was disruptive all night. So was Lukas Van Ness, Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt. The pass-rush had rookie Spencer Rattler under pressure on 52.6 percent of dropbacks. The emergence of Cox and Van Ness is especially encouraging for the present and future of the pass-rush.
— Tucker Kraft and Jayden Reed both had a pair of catches gaining 30 or more yards.
— Brandon McManus made a season-long field of 55 yards, hit from 46 with ease and connected on all four extra points. He had no issues on a December night at Lambeau Field.
— The Packers rushed for 188 yards, didn’t give up a sack and mostly dominated the line of scrimmage. Nine different players had a rushing attempt. Jacobs ran hard early, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks combined for 75 rushing yards and two scores, and receivers Christian Watson, Bo Melton and Jayden Reed added 42 rushing yards. The Packers are a dynamic and versatile rushing team.
— Tucker Kraft and Jordan Love both converted first downs on sneaks. The Packers are now 3-for-3 when Kraft does the sneak.
— The Packers were 3-for-3 on fourth down. The Saints were 0-for 2. The Packers also scored four touchdowns on four red zone trips.
— Zayne Anderson logged his first career interception during his first career start.
What went wrong
— Jordan Love went through a rough patch to start the second half. He completed only two of his first seven passes for six yards coming out of the break, but he did hit Jayden Reed for a big third-down conversion in the fourth quarter.
— Christian Watson left with a knee injury. The Packers will be holding their breath waiting for results this week. He’s been a key part of the offense’s breakout since the bye.
— The Packers had a pair of penalties on special teams, including one that backed up the second drive inside the 10-yard line and another (a tripping penalty on Lukas Van Ness) that turned into a 26-yard penalty after a poor punt from Daniel Whelan.
— The Packers also had a pair of penalties handing the Saints a first down. Brenton Cox Jr. was called for a questionable roughing the passer penalty, and Kingsley Enagbare had a hand to the face penalty on third down. Colby Wooden was flagged for unnecessary roughness following a fourth down stop.
What it means
The Packers are playoff bound, officially. Matt LaFleur’s team is now 11-4 and has a legitimate opportunity to get to 13 wins. While the NFC North title is no longer a possibility, the Packers can get as high as the fifth seed — which would mean playing either the NFC West or NFC South winner on the road to open the postseason. More than anything, the Packers look like they are playing their best football as January approaches. Green Bay is 5-1 since the bye and now ranks in the top 10 in both scoring offense (No. 7) and scoring defense (No. 6). This is a complete, well-balanced football team with the postseason nearing.
Highlights
What’s next
Going on the road to play the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on a short week this Sunday. The game — which was flexed to 3:25 p.m. CT — will determine if the Packers have a shot at getting the No. 5 seed. The Vikings have won eight straight games and are 13-2, in contention for the NFC North and fighting to be the No. 1 seed.
Packers 30, Seahawks 13: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers started fast, led big at halftime, overcame a second-half lull and then put the game away with a pair of big plays late in a comfortable 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night at Lumen Field.
Four straight scores to open the game helped the Packers take a 20-3 lead into the half, and Geno Smith’s injury in the third quarter ensured there would be no miracle comeback. The Packers dominated against backup Sam Howell, and Romeo Doubs’ diving touchdown catch slammed the door shut with around five minutes left.
The Packers are now 10-4 and in firm position in the NFC wildcard race.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers won the coin toss, took the ball to open the game and immediately drove down the field for a score and the 7-0 lead. Josh Jacobs handled nine of the 10 touches on the drive and scored another 1-yard touchdown. It was a punishing, tone-setting way for the Packers to start the contest.
— The Packers defense was highly disruptive. Geno Smith was effective at times early, but he also took a third-down sack and threw an interception into the end zone, and the Seahawks had only three points when he departed. Jeff Hafley’s unit finished with seven sacks, two interceptions, 10 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits.
— The pass rush came alive. The Packers got pressure with four-man rushes, stunts and blitzes. Six different players had a sack and nine different players hit the quarterback. This was an encouraging performance from the defensive front with the playoffs nearing.
— Carrington Valentine’s first career interception late in the first half turned what could have been a 17-10 score into a chance to tack on points before the break, and that’s exactly what the Packers did — driving for a short field goal. The takeaway and ensuing drive created, at the very least, a six-point swing to end the first half.
— Edgerrin Cooper’s first career interception sealed the deal. He undercut a Sam Howell throw over the middle and returned the pick inside Seattle’s 30-yard line, and Jordan Love hit Romeo Doubs for the dagger three plays later. Cooper had a pick, a near-pick, a sack, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. He was a monster.
— Speaking of Love and Doubs, the two connected for a pair of touchdowns. Love was efficient, completing 20 of 27 passes without a turnover against a team that had been great against the pass over the last four games. Doubs made two key plays in his return from a concussion. This connection is so important for the Packers offense.
— The Packers averaged 6.0 yards per play. The Seahawks? Only 3.7.
— The Packers got the ball into Jayden Reed’s hands eight times. He caught five passes for 34 yards and carried three times for 27 yards. The Packers need to find ways of getting Reed unlocked as a downfield receiver, but he had an impact on this game.
— Brandon McManus made all six of his kicks on a cold but mostly calm December night in Seattle.
— After Sam Howell entered the game, the Packers gave up only three net passing yards. Howell completed 5-of-14 passes for 24 yards and took four sacks losing 21 yards. Domination of a backup.
— The Packers drew a pair of pass interference penalties — one from Romeo Doubs setting up the field goal before the half, and another from Christian Watson in the second half.
— Watson caught three passes for a team-high 56 yards, including another catch of over 30 yards. Adding in the penalty he drew, Watson contributed 95 yards of offense and set up a few scores.
What went wrong
— The Packers had to settle for three short field goals, including two in the red zone. One was the result of mismanaging the end-of-half scenario, something Matt LaFleur took blame for post-game. Another came on 4th-and-1 from inside the 5-yard line, and the three points gave the Packers a three-score lead.
— Josh Jacobs fumbled in the fourth quarter, setting up Seattle’s only touchdown. It was a bad mistake in the situation. The only thing that could have let the Howell-led Seahawks back into the game was a giveaway. Zach Charbonnet produced the Seahawks’ one explosive run of the night on a well-blocked play that finished in a 24-yard touchdown shortly after Jacobs’ fumble.
— The Packers got 73 rushing yards at over 5.0 yards per clip from Josh Jacobs in the first half, but the run blocking and execution overall wasn’t there in the second half.
— The passing game missed a few opportunities. Jordan Love threw behind Romeo Doubs one play before Jacobs’ fumble, Jayden Reed slipped down during a route on a third-down play, and Christian Watson couldn’t haul in an off-schedule third-down throw.
— Love was a little inaccurate pushing the ball downfield, but underthrowing a few balls actually created pass interference penalties. The Packers would probably prefer those plays to be completions and not penalties.
— The Packers extended the lead to 23-6 and forced a quick three-and-out in the third quarter. But from there, four opportunities to put the game fully away were squandered. The Packers went three-and-out twice, Jacobs fumbled near midfield and Jacobs was stuffed on fourth down inside the 40. That little lull made things interesting late. And it could have gotten very interesting had Geno Smith been in the game.
What it means
The Packers took a big step towards making the postseason and showed they could on the road and take care of business against a good team. At 10-4, the Packers probably need only one more result to clinch a playoff spot. In fact, a win next week should do it. And now the Packers have internal confidence that they can be “road warriors,” as Matt LaFleur put it post-game Sunday night. More than likely, the Packers will be going on the road to play a division winner in the first round. A return trip to Seattle is possible. The Packers will be confident in their ability to win on the road to open the postseason.
Highlights
What’s next
A home primetime game against the New Orleans Saints next Monday night. The Saints are 5-9 but nearly came back and beat the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Who will start at quarterback? Derek Carr is hurt, but Spencer Rattler looked good in the second half. A win over the Saints and the Packers can clinch a playoff spot.
Lions 34, Packers 31: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers were able to overcome a slow start, but a run-down defense missing multiple starters ran out of gas late, and the Detroit Lions used scores on three of their last four possessions to escape Ford Field with a 34-31 win on Thursday night.
Jake Bates’ 35-yard field goal as time expired ended up being the difference.
Along the way, the explosive Packers and aggressive Lions traded blows in an entertaining and occasionally chaotic shootout in primetime.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— Despite a slow start, Jordan Love caught fire in the second half and was a big reason why the Packers had a chance to win the game late. He completed 12 passes for 206 yards, threw a third-down touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft, didn’t have a turnover and hit both a 59-yard bomb and an incredible 29-yarder under intense pressure to Christian Watson. Love was 9-of-13 passing for 175 yards in the second half.
— The Packers erased a 17-7 half-time deficit in all of three minutes and 45 seconds to start the third quarter. Love hit Watson for 59 yards and Kraft for the third-down touchdown to cut the Lions’ lead to 17-14, and Keisean Nixon’s interception of Jared Goff set up a Josh Jacobs touchdown run that gave the Packers their first lead. It was an excellent response after an ugly first 30 minutes.
— Christian Watson caught four passes for 114 yards. He lost the fumble in the first half setting up a field goal, but he also set up 10 points for the Packers with explosive plays.
— Josh Jacobs helped the Packers go 4-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. He scored three times inside 10 yards. He would have had a fourth touchdown had officials not flagged Watson for a questionable offensive pass interference penalty on the Packers’ final drive.
— The Packers run defense gave up three explosive runs but ended up allowing only 3.3 yards per attempt across 34 rushes from the Lions. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were not game-breakers on the ground. The run defense is really starting to take shape over the three games.
— Love scrambled four times for 23 yards, including a 14-yarder to convert a first down. He is looking more and more mobile.
— Rashan Gary had a third-down sack to end a drive, and Quay Walker produced a huge fourth-down stop with a stuff of Gibbs.
— Defensive lineman Kenny Clark played his best game of the season. He had eight tackles, including a tackle for loss.
— Dontayvion Wicks caught a season-high four passes and produced three first downs. He made a catch through contact on a 26-yarder in the second half and didn’t have a drop.
What went wrong
— The Packers defense gave up only 5.1 yards per play but allowed conversions on 4-of-5 fourth downs and ran out of gas while facing 76 plays. The Lions scored on three of their final four possessions, including a methodical touchdown drive after the Packers went up 28-24 and an easy march after the Packers tied the game at 31.
— The Lions scored a pair of touchdowns on fourth-and-goal.
— Jared Goff was sacked only once on 42 dropbacks, and the Packers finished with only three quarterback hits. The pass-rush wasn’t good enough again.
— The Packers started slow, giving up a touchdown on the Lions’ opening drive and going punt-punt-fumble on their first three offensive possessions. Green Bay trailed 17-7 at half — the third time this season they’ve trailed the Lions or Vikings by 10 or more after two quarters.
— Goff completed 32 passes, many on easy, well-timed screens or in-breaking dig routes to the middle of the field.
— The Packers offense converted only 1-of-5 third down opportunities. The Lions, meanwhile, converted 11 third or fourth downs. That resulted in a massive disparity in terms of total plays and time of possession — a big deal considering both teams were playing a third game in 12 days.
— Jayden Reed dropped a second-down pass in the first half and finished with zero catches and zero touches. He played only 25 snaps.
— Josh Jacobs scored three touchdowns, but he averaged only 3.7 yards per attempt despite facing mostly backups in the Lions front seven. The Packers offensive line struggled in the run game and were slow to figure out Detroit’s many blitzes.
— Watson’s fumble created a lost possession, and Quay Walker’s 15-yard penalty set up Detroit’s field goal on the ensuing drive.
— Former Packer Za’Darius Smith went right through Zach Tom to sack Love on the first play from scrimmage. He also got away with a roughing the passer when he hit Love in the head following a throw in the first half.
What it means
The NFC North race is over for the Packers, and now it’s wildcard or bust. Matt LaFleur’s team is still in a terrific position to earn one of the three wildcard spots, and securing the No. 5 or No. 6 seed would mean going on the road to play either the NFC South or NFC West winner in the first round. Not a bad spot. While disappointing, Thursday night’s loss showed the Packers can go anywhere and play with the best of the best in the NFC. Jordan Love is playing at a high level, and a hot quarterback can beat anyone. This team needs to get healthy, stack a few wins over the final four games and earn a chance to go back to Detroit in January.
Highlights
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What’s next
A chance to rest up and recover before another big game in the NFC playoff race. The Packers — who just played three games in 12 days — get the mini-bye of a Thursday night game before heading to Seattle to play the NFC West-leading Seahawks next Sunday night. Another primetime road game against a division leader. A win in Seattle would essentially guarantee a playoff spot. This is a great opportunity to bounce back from a tough defeat and get a big win over a playoff contender.
Packers 30, Dolphins 17: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers improved to 9-3 and won their seventh game in eight tries with a 30-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Night from Lambeau Field.
The Packers led 14-0 in the first quarter, 24-3 at the half and 27-3 early in the second half. The Dolphins threatened a rally between the third and fourth quarters, but the Packers made a crucial fourth down stop to make sure there would be no holiday comeback from Miami.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— Special teams made an immediate impact. Keisean Nixon produced a 43-yard kickoff return to open the game, and Robert Rochell’s recovery of a muffed punt inside the 10-yard line set up the opening score. The special teams were solid all night — Brandon McManus made all six of his kicks, Daniel Whelan put three punts inside the 20 and Malik Washington made little impact as a returner for Miami.
— The Packers converted their first three red-zone trips into touchdowns. Jordan Love and Jayden Reed connected for touchdowns on two different third downs inside the 20, and Josh Jacobs powered home another 1-yard touchdown run. In the second half, a negative play and a penalty short-circuited two red-zone opportunities, but a one-handed catch from Reed and a terrific effort from Dontayvion Wicks nearly got the job done.
— Jacobs and Tucker Kraft led the way offensively, turning 29 touches into 195 yards. The Dolphins struggled to tackle both players all night. While limited on the ground, Jacobs created 74 yards as a receiver. Kraft was bulldozing through tackles on all six of his catches.
— The Packers had five sacks and nine total tackles for loss. While the Dolphins ended up piling up the yards in the second half, Jeff Hafley’s defense made enough disruptive plays to survive. Quay Walker’s sack on fourth down from the 1-yard line was a huge play.
— After starting 0-for-2, Love heated up and was almost automatic. At one point he hit 11 straight passes. He finished 21 of 28 passing, but there were at least three drops and one incompletion that should have been a penalty. Love was sharp — decisive and accurate.
— The Packers stuffed the Dolphins run game. Miami had runs of 12 and 13 yards but finished with only 39 total rushing yards on 14 carries.
— Jacobs, Reed, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks all had an explosive run of at least 10 yards. While Jacobs managed only 43 yards on 19 carries, the Packers still finished with 114 rushing yards.
— One week after dropping a deep ball, Christian Watson beat Storm Duck down the far sideline and hauled in a 46-yarder from Love, setting up a score. He also fought through a pass interference penalty and made a 21-yard catch on 1st-and-15 on a first half touchdown drive. He made a key block on Reed’s second touchdown and probably should have drawn another interference penalty on a late deep throw in the fourth quarter.
— Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, who was questionable to play with an ankle injury, produced 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a crunching pass break up.
— Wicks had a bad drop, but he rebounded, catching his next four passes for 30 yards. More importantly, he blocked effectively all night. With Romeo Doubs out, Wicks was a plus in a bigger role.
What went wrong
— The Packers had four offsides or encroachment penalties on defense (including one negating a sack) and two false starts on offense.
— Although the Dolphins scored only 17 points, it could have and probably should have been more. Tua Tagovailoa missed a few open throws in the first half, and when he started hitting the in-breakers off play-action in the second half, the Dolphins passing game started cooking. He finished with 37 completions for 365 yards.
— Josh Jacobs had an 11-yard run early but struggled to find room over 19 carries. He had to fight for many of his 43 yards. The Dolphins clearly made it a priority to limit the Packers on the ground.
— Dontayvion Wicks had a drop. So did Jayden Reed on a pass to the flat. Jordan Love overshot Reed on a likely touchdown on the first drive, and he was a little late throwing a deep ball to Christian Watson in the fourth quarter. The passing game was very good but still left some yards and big plays out there.
— Elgton Jenkins had an unnecessary roughness penalty in the red zone, negating an opportunity for the Packers to potentially go for it on fourth down from inside the 1-yard line.
What it means
The Packers won their second game in five days and set up a huge NFC North showdown with the Detroit Lions next Thursday night at Ford Field. For the second straight week, the Packers started fast and controlled the game from start to finish against a playoff qualifer from last year. At 9-3, the Packers are a virtual lock to make the postseason. Can they make a run at the NFC North title over the final five games? It has to start with a win over the Lions next week.
Highlights
What’s next
The biggest game of the season to date. The Packers will go to Ford Field to play the 11-1 Detroit Lions in primetime next Thursday night. If the Packers can get to 10-3, winning the NFC North would become a real possibility. If the Packers fall, it’s wildcard time — meaning a road game against a division winner to start the playoffs. Expect an electric, playoff-like atmosphere at Ford Field next Thursday night.
Packers 38, 49ers 10: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers cruised to a 38-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Josh Jacobs scored three times and rushed for over 100 yards, Jordan Love threw a pair of red-zone touchdown passes and Jeff Hafley’s defense produced three huge takeaways in the second half.
The Packers led by at least two scores for the majority of the game and used a pair of late takeaways to create a 28-point final margin.
The Packers are now 8-3 and in a terrific position in the NFC playoff race.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— Josh Jacobs was a man on a mission. He rushed 26 times for 106 yards — hardly eye-popping numbers — but so much of it came as a result of his ability to power through tacklers. Per Next Gen Stats, Jacobs broke 15 tackle attempts. He also scored three 1-yard touchdowns.
— Speaking of short touchdowns, the Packers were a perfect 5-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone.
— The Packers had more first downs (22 to 11), more third-down conversions (6 to 3), more plays (67 to 47), more total yards (325 to 241), more rushing yards (169 to 44), more red-zone trips (5 to 1) and more time of possession (36:43 to 23:17) and fewer penalties (5 to 9) and turnovers (0 to 3).
— The defense produced three takeaways — the sixth time the Packers have generated at least three in a game this season. Green Bay scored 21 points off turnovers. Xavier McKinney’s interception — his seventh of the season — was the turning point.
— The Packers limited Christian McCaffrey to only 31 rushing yards on 11 carries. Deebo Samuel had one touch for just 21 yards.
— Emanuel Wilson had a third-down conversion on the opening touchdown drive, plus a 19-yard run setting up another first-half score. He finished with 41 rushing yards.
— Tucker Kraft scored an 11-yard touchdown on a tight end screen and set up another score with a 15-yard catch to the 1-yard line. Dontayvion Wicks had an explosive play — a 25-yard catch in the second half.
— Linebacker Quay Walker played one of his best games. He produced two tackles for loss and had a near interception.
— Kicker Brandon McManus connected on the team’s first field goal attempt of 50 or more yards this season. He also hit all five extra points.
— Not only did Xavier McKinney have a huge interception, but he also had coverage on Christian McCaffrey on a fourth down incompletion one drive prior. Both drive-enders happened inside Packers’ territory with Green Bay protecting a 10-point lead.
What went wrong
— Christian Watson dropped what would have been a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love at the end of the first half. The drop prevented what should have been a 24-7 lead.
— George Kittle caught all six of his targets for 82 yards, including a touchdown in the red zone and a 31-yarder. The Packers struggled to cover him in zone and man.
— Leonard Floyd had a pair of third-down sacks on Jordan Love.
— Romeo Doubs dropped one pass, and he exited in the third quarter after suffering a concussion.
What it means
The Packers did exactly what they needed to do against a short-handed team and strengthened their playoff position substantially in the process. Matt LaFleur’s team jumped out to an early lead, dominated the line of scrimmage and got the takeaways required to create a comfortable victory over a 49ers team missing their quarterback, left tackle and top edge rusher. The win improved the Packers to 8-3, which didn’t help in the NFC North race after the Lions and Vikings both won, but the victory has the Packers nearing lock status as a wildcard team. Green Bay has at least a two-win cushion over other teams in the hunt and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals. With six games to go, the Packers are still very much alive in the NFC North race and in great shape to be playing playoff football in January.
Highlights
What’s next
A holiday visit from the suddenly surging Miami Dolphins, who got four touchdown passes from Tua Tagovailoa during a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Since starting 2-6, the Dolphins have won three straight to get to 5-6. Tagovailoa’s return from a head injury created the spark. A short week, however, creates challenges for both teams. The Packers and Dolphins will play the nightcap on Thanksgiving from Lambeau Field.
Packers 20, Bears 19: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers avoided a nightmare scenario coming out of the bye week, using a late Jordan Love touchdown drive and a blocked field goal as time expired from Karl Brooks to escape Soldier Field with a 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Instead of watching a makeable field goal kick fly through the uprights and falling to 6-4, the Packers got an incredible block from Brooks and an 11th straight win over the Bears.
Now 7-3, the Packers are in a prime playoff spot, but no one doubts that Matt LaFleur’s team needs to get better fast to survive the final seven games of 2024.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers were explosive in the passing game. Jordan Love averaged 20.0 yards per completions, and he found Christian Watson for three plays of 25 or more yards and Josh Jacobs for two plays over 20. The 60-yarder to Watson late set up the go-ahead touchdown.
— The special teams finally made a game-altering play under Rich Bisaccia. Karl Brooks’ blocked field goal saved the day.
— Watson exploded for a career-high 150 receiving yards. He had a 17-yard catch on 3rd-and-11 and three catches of at least 25 yards, including a 48-yarder and a 60-yarder in the second half.
— Josh Jacobs turned 21 touches into 134 total yards. He had two runs of at least 10 yards and two catches over 20 yards, plus a 7-yard touchdown run.
— Love got a free-play touchdown with too many men on the field and a first-down conversion from an offsides penalty using his cadence. The former quarterback would be proud.
— Rashan Gary made his biggest play of the season when he powered through Braxon Jones and sacked Caleb Williams on the final drive, setting up 3rd-and-20. The Packers need more. A lot more. But it’s a start.
— The Packers had three players with a run of 10 or more yards: Jacobs, Love and Emanuel Wilson. Love’s 15-yard scramble set up his 1-yard go-ahead touchdown, while Wilson’s run came one play before Love’s free-play touchdown pass to Jayden Reed.
— The Packers had only three penalties for 25 yards, although one came in the red zone before Love’s interception.
What went wrong
— The Bears were 9-for-16 on third down and 3-for-3 on fourth down. Not surprisingly, the Bears dominated by number of plays (68-43) and time of possession (36:31 to 23:39). On the final possession, the Bears converted from 3rd-and-20 to extend the drive and set up the field goal try.
— The Packers scored three red-zone touchdowns, but they also had two completely empty trips inside the 20 — one on an interception thrown by Love, and another on a turnover on downs when the Packers went for it on 4th-and-goal from the six.
— The Packers gave up 179 rushing yards, including a career-high 70 yards by Caleb Williams and a 39-yard rushing touchdown from D’Andre Swift.
— Green Bay’s defense didn’t have a takeaway. Two of the team’s three sacks came on the final drive. Jeff Hafley’s group lacked disruptive plays and often suffered death by a thousand paper cuts.
— Safety Xavier McKinney missed a pair of tackles, including one as the last line of defender on Swift’s touchdown run.
— Linebacker Quay Walker failed time and time again to make stops in big spots.
— The Packers only had seven total drives, so going 1-for-5 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth down made a big impact.
— Cornerback Jaire Alexander left the game with a knee injury and didn’t return. He was clearly not 100 percent to start the game. Will he be available for next week?
What it means
The Packers avoided what would have been a terrible, potentially season-altering loss coming out of the bye and scored another ugly win to improve to 7-3. Matt LaFleur’s team still hasn’t played anything resembling their best game, and the unrealized potential is both encouraging and worrisome. Clearly, the Packers can play better. Their “A” level stuff could be as good as anyone’s. But we’re now 10 games into an 18-game schedule, and it’s fair to be concerned if all the inconsistency will either keep the Packers from getting to their top level or come back to bite them in a big spot in January. It’s mid-November and we just haven’t seen long stretches of consistently high-level play from the Packers. This team is 7-3 and still capable of winning 10-12 games. But the Packers must be better, especially with a particularly difficult stretch coming up over the next three weeks.
Highlights
What’s next
A visit from the San Francisco 49ers. While at Lambeau Field, the Packers can’t expect to play a “C” level game and beat the 49ers next Sunday. It’s time for the Packers to prove their status as a legitimate contender, and there’s no better way of showing it than beating the reigning conference champs. The 49ers have been the class of the NFC for years. The Packers could get a signature win in 2024 with a victory on Sunday.
Lions 24, Packers 14: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.
The Green Bay Packers gave up 24 straight points — including seven on an interception returned for a touchdown off Jordan Love late in the first half — and failed to engineer a comeback in a 24-14 loss to the Detroit Lions at a wet and windy Lambeau Field on Sunday.
The Packers are now 6-3 overall but 0-2 in the NFC North entering the Week 10 bye.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers actually out-gained the Lions by 150 yards — 411 to 261. On a per play basis, the Packers also scored a decisive win — 6.6 to 4.7. Green Bay even outrushed the Lions (138-124). The stat wins just didn’t translate on the scoreboard, for a variety of reasons.
— The Packers put together a long drive and took a 3-0 lead early. The opening possession took almost eight minutes off the clock and was important for establishing the run early.
— Josh Jacobs turned 13 carries in 95 yards, good for a 7.3-yard average. He had a 37-yard run and now has a run of 25 or more yards in three straight games. Emanuel Wilson also had a 19-yard run.
— Jayden Reed turned five catches into 113 yards, including three catches of 25 or more yards.
— Jordan Love’s mobility was limited, but he didn’t take a sack and the Lions were credited with only two quarterback hits.
— The Packers defense allowed only 17 points, including just seven in the second half. The Lions punted on three straight drives in the second half and were 4-for-12 on third down overall.
What went wrong
— Jordan Love’s pick-six late in the first half turned a 10-3 game into a 17-3 advantage for the Lions at half.
— The Packers finished 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone and 3-for-12 on third down. The Lions, meanwhile, had two red zone touchdowns and two fourth-down conversions.
— Ten more penalties. One extended a Lions scoring drive. Several others helped short-circuit drives. The Packers continue to be one of the NFL’s most penalized teams.
— The Packers fumbled three times, including twice on bad snaps. Elgton Jenkins and Love had issues in the rain executing shotgun snaps.
— The FOX broadcast credited the Packers with six drops. Four came on third down, including two in the red zone. Dontayvion Wicks had a drop in the end zone. The rain clearly affected the Packers’ ability to catch the football.
— Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 138 rushing yards, 34 receiving yards and 182 total yards.
— Kicker Brandon McManus missed his first field goal as a Packer. His 46-yard attempt drifted wide left in the first half.
— Keisean Nixon gave up a touchdown pass on fourth down and a third-down conversion, and his holding penalty extended the Lions’ scoring drive to start the second half.
— Jared Goff completed his first 11 passes. He finished 18-for-22 passing and took just one sack.
What it means
The Packers will go into the midseason break at 6-3, but a pair of disappointing home losses to division rivals and lingering issues with drops, penalties and interceptions have Matt LaFleur’s team looking vulnerable with a tough second-half stretch ahead. Winning the division looks increasingly less likely, given the Lions are now 7-1 and have a win at Lambeau Field. But who knows what can happen over the final two months. Can the Packers use the bye week to heal a few important injuries and find a way to catch fire at the right time? This team looks loaded with potential, but at some point, it all has to come together and be realized for it to matter. One could argue the Packers have lost to their three best opponents so far.
Highlights
What’s next
The bye week. The Packers are 6-3 and in good shape for a playoff run, but Matt LaFleur’s team needs to get healthy and solve some of the persistent problems during the off week. Coming out of the bye, the Packers go to Chicago to play the Bears, who dropped to 4-4 on Sunday and will be coming off a home game against the New England Patriots. It’ll be important for the Packers to get back on track and secure their first division win of the season on Nov. 17.
