Tag: Breakdown

Breaking down Packers’ 30-13 win over Seahawks in Week 15

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 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. Areturn trip to Seattle is possible. The Packers will be confident in their ability to win on the road to open the postsesason.

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 34-31 loss to Lions in Week 14

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 30-17 win over Dolphins in Week 13

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 38-10 win over 49ers in Week 12

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 20-19 win over Bears in Week 11

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 24-14 loss to Lions in Week 9

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 30-27 win over Jaguars in Week 8

Packers 30, Jaguars 27: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.

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.

Breaking down Packers’ 24-22 win over Texans in Week 7

Packers 24, Texans 22: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.

The Green Bay Packers ran their win streak to three games by coming from behind to beat the Houston Texans with a game-winning field goal as time expired on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The game had seven lead changes. The final change came when Brandon McManus’ 45-yard field goal sailed through the uprights with 0:00 left on the clock, giving the Packers a 24-22 win against the AFC South leaders.

The Packers are now 5-2. Matt LaFleur’s team has won five of the last six games after losing in Brazil in Week 1.

Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:

What went right

— The Packers allowed only 10 completions and 55 net passing yards against C.J. Stroud, one of the game’s best young quarterbacks. Pressure was consistent, and the Packers finished with four sacks and seven quarterback hits.

— Romeo Doubs caught eight of 10 targets for 94 yards, including a pair of catches on the final drive. Dontayvion Wicks produced a 30-yard touchdown and a key conversion on third down to extend the final drive. Christian Watson and Jayden Reed were quiet, but the other Packers receivers stepped up.

— The run game was inconsistent, but Josh Jacobs produced three explosive runs over 10 yards and caught his first career touchdown pass. His 17 touches gained 92 yards.

— Emanuel Wilson and Bo Melton both had key third-down conversions on scoring drives. Complementary players on offense played key roles.

— The new kicker made all three extra points and then hit a clutch kick to win the game. Does Brayden Narveson make all four of those kicks if he’s still the kicker? The Packers don’t need to think about the hypothetical. Brandon McManus looked like a 10-year vet in his Packers debut.

— Jordan Love was inconsistent, and he threw two bad interceptions leading to points for the Texans, but he was terrific while the Packers trailed, and he was calm and efficient in leading a game-winning drive. His touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft in the first half was a laser beam.

— Rookie safety Evan Williams stuffed the Texans’ two-point conversion attempt in the first half. The Packers ended up winning by two. Williams led the defense with nine total tackles.

— Jeff Hafley’s defense got three sacks on blitzes. Xavier McKinney got one on third down, and Eric Wilson produced two more sacks.

— Punter Daniel Whelan averaged 56.8 yards per punt and consistently flipped the field. He also had a terrific hold on the game-winning field goal.

— The Packers were 2-for-2 scoring touchdowns in the red zone and scored a decisive win situationally by holding the Texans to 2-for-4 scoring touchdowns inside the 20. Houston was also 4-for-13 on third down. A late stop in the red zone gave Jordan Love a chance to go win the game.

What went wrong

— Jordan Love threw an interception on the first possession, leading to a field goal, and another pick in the first half with the Packers leading, leading to a Texans’ go-ahead touchdown before the half. Jalen Pitre made an excellent individual play on the first pick, and Love just sailed his throw under pressure on the second. He has now thrown eight picks in five starts.

— The return game was a mess. Keisean Nixon’s game-opening kickoff return got called back by a holding penalty. Nixon failed to catch a punt, and the ball hit Corey Ballentine before being recovered by the Texans. Jayden Reed caught a punt inside his 5-yard line.

— The Packers didn’t get a takeaway and lost the turnover battle 3-0. The Texans scored 16 of their 22 points off turnovers.

— Gadget runs to Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Bo Melton lost five yards on three attempts.

— Reed’s drop on a deep ball late in the first half likely cost the Packers three points.

— Love was sacked three times, a season high. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter both got to Love to help kill drives.

— The run defense once again gave up a big day to a running back. Joe Mixon rushed 25 times for 115 yards and two scores. Mixon joins Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Jones and Kyren Williams as running backs to gain at least 90 rushing yards against the Packers this season.

— The Packers were penalized eight times for 55 yards.

— The Packers were 4-for-10 converting on third down. During one stretch in the second half, the Packers punted on three straight possessions.

What it means

The Packers didn’t have their “A” game, but they still beat a legitimate AFC contender. At this point last season, the Packers were 2-5 after losing three one-score games. This year, the Packers are 5-2. Matt LaFleur’s team is still young and growing, but they’ve learned how to win in different ways — a vital step to become a title contender. And winning while gathering steam early in the season is what the best teams do. On a more micro-level, getting a game-winning drive from Love and a game-winning kick from the new kicker is certainly a big boost for a team that didn’t take advantage in similar spots last year and is now too good to throw away points with missed kicks. While it’s still too early to look at the standings, the Packers, Lions and Vikings all have five wins right now. What a division.

Highlights

What’s next

A trip to the Florida sun to face another AFC South team. After winning back-to-back home games, the Packers will travel to Jacksonville to face the 2-5 Jaguars next Sunday. Doug Pederson’s team just beat the New England Patriots to finish off a two-week stay in London. The Packers are already 3-0 against the AFC South and finish off the sweep next week.

Breaking down Packers’ 34-13 win over Cardinals in Week 6

Packers 34, Cardinals 13: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.

The Green Bay Packers scored on four straight possessions to open up a 24-0 lead and then slammed the door shut on any comeback attempt with three consecutive takeaways in the second half of Sunday’s 31-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Jordan Love threw four touchdown passes, including three in the first half. The Packers also recovered three Cardinals fumbles.

The 21-point win at Lambeau Field improved the Packers’ record to 4-2 after six games. Matt LaFleur’s team has won two straight games and four of the last five.

Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:

What went right

— Love completed 22 of 32 passes after a 1-for-4 start, and he threw touchdown passes to Jayden Reed (on third down), Romeo Doubs (on third down, against a blitz) and Christian Watson (on first play following big punt return).

— The Packers recovered three fumbles. Karl Brooks’ solo effort against a screen created the first. Evan Williams punched out the second. And Kenny Clark recovered the third in the backfield on a botched handoff. The turnovers completely killed any momentum the Cardinals offense was building in the second half. Green Bay now has three takeaways in five of six games and 17 total takeaways.

— The Packers rushed for 179 yards. Much of the production came after the Packers built a big lead. Four different players produced a run of 10 or more yards, including two each from Emanuel Wilson and Bo Melton.

— Romeo Doubs returned from suspension and made three big catches. He had a 19-yarder on an extended play from Love and the two touchdown catches. On the first score, he gained enough separation on an out-breaking route and broke a tackle. On the second, he made the right adjustment to a 50/50 ball. Love’s trust in Doubs is still very high.

— The Packers limited the Cardinals to just 89 rushing yards. Kyler Murray was bottled up — he turned seven attempts into just 14 yards. James Conner had only 24 yards. The Cardinals averaged only 3.9 yards per rush.

— Tight end Tucker Kraft converted a quarterback sneak. He motioned under center, took the snap and bowled his way for two yards to convert.

— Williams not only forced a fumble, but he stuffed Murray on a read option in the first half. Javon Bullard closed down a few of Murray’s scramble attempts.

— Complimentary football helped early. Daniel Whelan’s punt inside the 10-yard line pinned the Cardinals deep, the defense forced a quick three-and-out, the special teams set up the Packers at the 44-yard line and the offense did the rest, with two explosive runs and a third-down touchdown pass from Love giving the Packers a 7-0 lead.

What went wrong

— The Cardinals briefly got back into the game with a 13-0 stretch between the second and third quarters. A turnover — on an unforced mistake — nearly helped ignite a comeback.

— Bo Melton slipped down mid-route and created an interception late in the first half. The Packers were up 24-7 and driving for more before the half, but the turnover allowed the Cardinals to close the gap to 24-10. On the first drive of the second half, Arizona drove for more points.

— Brayden Narveson missed another field goal, this time from 44 yards. He did come back on the next possession and connect from 41 yards. Once again, his miss went wide right. He has a miss in four of six games (and would have a miss in five of six without a negated miss due to a penalty in Tennessee).

— The Cardinals had three tackles for loss against the run game, and Josh Jacobs only averaged 3.4 yards per carry.

— Cardinals tight end Trey McBride caught all eight of his targets for 96 yards, including a 27-yarder on a scoring drive.

— Dontayvion Wicks left with a shoulder injury and was ruled out coming out of the second half.

What it means

The Packers took care of business at home against a pesky opponent, the offense enjoyed a breakout performance, the defense kept disrupting and taking the football away and the special teams even chipped in a few big plays. Matt LaFleur said he wanted complimentary football, and the Packers obliged. Green Bay dominated in terms of total yards, first downs and time of possession. The Packers out-rushed the Cardinals by almost 100 yards, converted 8-of-13 opportunities on third or fourth down and won the turnover battle. The passing game was efficient and productive early, and the run game and defense took it from there. This is how the Packers will play their best football this season. LaFleur’s team won back-to-back games against teams they should beat, and things are starting to click with big games (vs. Texans, vs. Lions) coming up before the bye.

Highlights

What’s next

Lambeau Field will be the setting for one of the best games in Week 7. C.J. Stroud and the AFC South-leading Houston Texans will come to Green Bay for a big-time NFC-AFC showdown. The Texans have won three straight games and are 5-1 entering Week 7.

Breaking down Packers’ 24-19 win over Rams in Week 5

Packers 24, Rams 19: Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward.

The Green Bay Packers overcame a wild pick-six thrown by Jordan Love and a 13-10 deficit in the first half and used a late defensive stand to escape Los Angeles with a 24-19 win over the Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Josh Jacobs scored his first Packers touchdown, Xavier McKinney delivered two more takeaways, Jordan Love threw a pair of touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft and Karl Brooks produced a pair of second-half sacks in the victory.

The Packers are now 3-2 and headed back home for Week 6.

Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:

What went right

— The Packers won the turnover battle again, thanks largely to Xavier McKinney. He scooped up a fumble caused by Kingsley Enagbare and ranged to his right to intercept an errant throw by Matthew Stafford, delivering two takeaways leading to 14 points. McKinney now has six takeaways by himself this season. The Packers won the turnover battle 2-1.

— Rookie Edgerrin Cooper made two huge plays — both on stunts. He stunted off the edge and sacked Stafford on third down in the first half, forcing a punt. On the decisive 4th-and-3, Cooper stunted inside and pressured a hurried throw from Stafford.

— Explosive plays were once again huge. Jayden Reed made an incredible catch on a heave from Jordan Love into triple coverage, creating a 53-yard gain and setting up Josh Jacobs’ opening touchdown. Later, Tucker Kraft caught a pass from Love and made it happen after the catch on a 66-yard touchdown. The two plays accounted for over half of Love’s passing yards.

— The pass rush was quiet for long stretches, but Cooper’s sack ended a drive and Karl Brooks had three important plays, including a pressure causing an interception, a third-down sack forcing a punt and a second-down sack on the final series. There was just enough pressure for the Packers defense to get off the field late.

— Cooper had two important pressures, and rookie Evan Williams defended two passes. Javon Bullard played more snaps in the slot and had a run stop early.

— Love settled in after his pick-six. He completed nine straight passes, including both touchdown passes, helping the Packers score 17 straight points and take control of the game. The mistake — and some of his poor plays under pressure early — could have spiraled a lesser-willed quarterback. Instead, Love steadied the ship and got the Packers back on track.

— Rookie kicker Brayden Narveson made all four of his kicks, including three extra points and a 46-yard field goal. The Rams attempted to freeze him with a timeout before the field goal, but Narveson made the kick. For one week, Narveson rewarded the Packers’ faith in him.

— The Packers defense made two critical fourth down stops. One in the first quarter inside the red zone, taking away points. And the second with the game on the line late.

— The Packers averaged 5.6 yards per play and 7.0 yards per passing attempt, compared to 4.9 yards per play and 4.9 yards passing attempt from the Rams. The Packers were explosive but inconsistent. The Rams lacked efficiency during a few key moments.

— The Packers gave the Rams three opportunities to return kickoffs but stopped all three returns inside the 30-yard line, beating the touchback spot.

— Josh Jacobs had three more explosive plays. Two runs over 10 yards, and a 21-yard catch.

What went wrong

— Love’s interception was an avalanche of mistakes. The Packers blew a protection, allowing a free runner from the blind side. Love didn’t feel the defender behind him as he rolled right and had to make a hurried and chaotic throw to get rid of the ball, which was intercepted and returned for a score. A safety would have been a better result. Either way, however, it was a disaster sequence.

— The Packers were 1-for-8 on third down. The lone conversion required a scramble from Love on 3rd-and-12. The Rams converted 8-of-16 third downs.

— The pass rush still isn’t disruptive enough in big spots. As was the case last week, Matthew Stafford played from too many clean pockets in obvious passing situations. The Packers aren’t getting pressure without bringing second-level blitzes.

— Dontayvion Wicks is still struggling to finish. He caught two of seven targets, including one clear drop and another failed contested catch opportunity on third down late in the game. Wicks is still separating fine, but the hands have to be better. And soon.

— The Packers were penalized six times for only 34 yards, but the penalties came at inopportune times and often killed momentum. Pre-snap procedural penalties keep happening. The Packers had at least three false starts, including one in the fourth quarter that helped kill a drive that took eight minutes off the clock but resulted in a punt.

— For the fourth time in five games, the Packers allowed a running back to go over 90 yards. Kyren Williams ran hard, turning 22 carries into 102 yards. Williams, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones have all rushed for at least 90 yards, and Williams, Barkley and Taylor went over 100.

What it means

The Packers overcame a tricky week and avoided starting 0-3 in conference play. Matt LaFleur’s team lost at home to a division rival last week and had to go on the road to play a Super Bowl-winning head coach and quarterback while dealing with an internal distraction (Romeo Doubs suspension) and a lengthy injury report. It all looked like a recipe for a letdown. While the Packers were sloppy, good teams sometimes have to win ugly games when they don’t play their best. Once again, it feels like the Packers are close. The offense needs to be better on a down-to-down basis, but most of the missed opportunities have been self-inflicted mistakes. The defense blitzed to create pressure but still isn’t good enough pressuring with four. Now 3-2, the Packers have a chance to head home and prove their status as a contender over the next month. They’ll get the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field over the next four weeks.

Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fBrfZK6JOQ

What’s next

The Packers will return to Green Bay and host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6. The Cardinals came from behind to beat the San Francisco 49ers on the road on Sunday, improving to 2-3 after five games. Jonathan Gannon’s team has played the 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions early this season, so they’ll be battle-tested coming into Green Bay.