Tag: Breakdown

Packers 27, Patriots 24: Breakdown of Green Bay’s Week 4 win

Packers beat the Patriots in overtime. What went right, what went wrong and what it all means.

The Green Bay Packers are 3-1 and have won three straight games after escaping an upset bid from the New England Patriots on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Twice, the Packers fell behind in the second half, but a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Romeo Doubs tied the game at 24, and Mason Crosby’s 31-yard field goal as overtime expired handed the Packers a 27-24 win.

The Patriots were without starting quarterback Mac Jones and eventually had to turn to rookie third-stringer Bailey Zappe after Brian Hoyer was knocked out of the contest with a concussion.

It wasn’t a pretty win, but any win – especially against a desperate team coached by Bill Belichick – is worth celebrating.

Here’s our analysis of the Packers’ win, highlighting what went right, what went wrong, and what it all means moving forward:

Packers 14, Buccaneers 12: Breakdown of Green Bay’s Week 3 win

Breaking down the Packers’ Week 3 win over the Bucs: What went right, what went wrong and what it means.

The Green Bay Packers opened up a 14-3 lead in the first half and then survived a late rally from Tom Brady, securing a 14-12 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

The Packers have won two straight games after a disappointing opener and are now 2-1 after three games. Up next is the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field next Sunday.

Here’s our instant analysis of the Packers’ win, highlight what went right, what went wrong, and what it all means moving forward:

Packers 27, Bears 10: Breakdown of Green Bay’s Week 2 win

Breakdown of the Packers’ win over the Bears, highlighting what went right, what went wrong, and what it all means moving forward.

With Sunday’s win in primetime, the Green Bay Packers have now won seven in a row against the Chicago Bears.   

Aaron Rodgers and the offense scored three touchdowns in a 27-10 win over Chicago and looked much more in sync than they did last week. Green Bay’s pass defense also produced a much better performance as they held the Bears to just 48 total yards through the air.   

Here’s our instant analysis of the Packers’ win, highlighting what went right, what went wrong, and what it all means moving forward:

Brian Baldinger breaks down how Steelers dismantled Jaguars in third preseason game

We knew this #Jaguars loss wasn’t pretty, but @BaldyNFL showed us just how bad it really was on his Twitter post-mortem.

Nobody can explain the game of football like NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger, and he gave the Jacksonville Jaguars his signature deep-dive breakdown on Twitter after their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. His expert analysis shed some light on what led to the team’s third loss in as many games.

First, he praised Steelers rookie Kenny Pickett for his expert play in relief of starter Mitchell Trubisky, which helped lift Pittsburgh over Jacksonville on the scoreboard before halftime.

Next, he highlighted the intensity that the Steelers brought to TIAA Bank Field as a key factor in the game’s outcome. Watch how hard Mekhi Sargent got hit on the play of the video, and how the defender absolutely levels second-year receiver Tim Jones on the second. Given how Pittsburgh was popping ball carriers the way they did on Saturday, it is no wonder they managed to eke out a win.

The last video Baldinger shared showed quarterback Trevor Lawrence being sacked by T.J. Watt, which is sure to make the Duval faithful cringe every time they watch it. Thankfully, Lawrence was just fine after the big hit, but the play definitely highlights the Jaguars’ need to keep their franchise quarterback upright in the pocket at all costs.

Their third preseason tilt against Pittsburgh wasn’t all doom and gloom for Jacksonville, but it was far from the best possible outcome for the team when it was all said and done. If they play better this week against Atlanta, maybe Baldinger will break down some of their highlights instead of weighing in on their deficiencies on both sides of the ball.

 

Breaking down Packers’ 2022 draft class: Best picks, sleepers, overall assessment

Breaking down the entire Packers’ draft class in 2022, including best picks, sleepers and an overall assessment.

The Green Bay Packers made 11 selections in the 2022 NFL draft, starting with linebacker Quay Walker at No. 22 overall in the first round and ending with receiver Samori Toure at No. 258 overall in the seventh round.

It’s time to break down the class. Best picks. Sleepers. Winners. Losers. Strategy. Let’s dig in.

Here’s a closer look at the Packers’ draft class in 2022:

Instant analysis of the Packers drafting WR Christian Watson at No. 34 overall

Breaking down the Packers’ selection of North Dakota State WR Christian Watson at No. 34 overall in the 2022 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers entered day two of the NFL Draft needing a wide receiver. They wasted no time finding one, trading up with a division rival to grab their guy in North Dakota State’s Christian Watson.   

Brian Gutekunst traded picks No. 53 and No. 59 to the Minnesota Vikings to move up to No. 34. They used the selection to take Watson, who was a borderline first-round talent after a stellar career in the FCS and had a breakout showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. It may be a decision the Vikings regret, despite what the trade value chart says, as Watson will now be catching passes against them every year from Aaron Rodgers.  

As a member of the Bisons, Watson led the team in receptions and receiving yards for three straight seasons. Those unfamiliar with Watson received a crash course introduction at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine when Watson measured at 6-4 and 208 pounds before running a 4.36 in the 40 and logging a 38.5-inch vertical leap. His athleticism, coupled with his size, earned him a near-perfect RAS score from Kent Lee Platte.   

As a player, Watson is a coach’s dream. He’s got a strong work ethic and will be great in the locker room. Also, his skillset matches what the Packers need.   

In college, Watson was an All-American kick returner and will compete for those duties right away. He ranked ninth in school history with 686 kickoff return yards and tied the school record with two kickoff return touchdowns during his junior season. Watson will help a Green Bay special teams unit in desperate need of a boost.   

On offense, Watson will be a versatile piece for one Matt LaFleur. When Green Bay lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, the offense lost an explosive element to the passing game. Watson can replenish that void as an explosive playmaker responsible for 57 plays that went 20-plus yards in college. He can take the top off a defense with his imposing speed or run by people on jet sweeps and end-arounds.  

Watson will need to improve his hands and route running, but the latter is an area that has gotten better every year. Check out this film review for a more in-depth breakdown of Watson.  

Right away, the Packers can use Watson’s size and speed to turn him into an immediate contributor. If Watson lives up to his true potential, he will follow in the footsteps of Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams as the next great Green Bay receiver selected in the second round.   

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Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati: Staff Predictions

Who wins Saturday and why?

Brian Kelly is in his 12th season as the head coach at Notre Dame and this Saturday’s game will be just the third regular season contest his Irish have hosted as a top-10 team against another top-10 squad.  The previous was a 38-17 win over No. 8 Stanford as Ian Book made his first Notre Dame Stadium start in 2018 while the other was last year’s double-overtime thriller that ended with an upset of No. 1 Clemson.

I’m not sure the odds you could have gotten when Kelly was hired that he’d win more games than any coach in program history, but the odds that he’d be taking on his former program in a 2021 top-10 matchup would have been even that much greater.

So what ultimately happens in this Saturday showdown between a pair of top-10 teams?  Here’s what the Fighting Irish Wire staff sees:

Breaking down the Green Bay Packers’ 2021 draft class

Best pick. Sleeper pick. Questionable picks. Winners. Losers. We break down everything about the Packers’ 2021 draft class.

The Green Bay Packers made nine selections in the 2021 NFL draft, starting with cornerback Eric Stokes in the first round and ending with running back Kylin Hill in the seventh round.

It’s time to break down the class. Best picks. Sleepers. Question marks. Winners. Losers. Strategy. Let’s dig in.

Here’s a closer look at the Packers’ draft class:

Uriah Hall vs. Anderson Silva prediction | UFC on ESPN+ 39 breakdown

Check out the MMA Junkie’s Dan Tom’s analysis and predictions for the UFC on ESPN+ 39 main event between Uriah Hall and Anderson Silva.

Check out the MMA Junkie’s Dan Tom’s analysis and predictions for the UFC on ESPN+ 39 main event between Uriah Hall and Anderson Silva.

Robert Whittaker vs. Jared Cannonier prediction | UFC 254 breakdown

Check out the MMA Junkie’s Dan Tom’s analysis and predictions for the UFC 254 co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier.

Check out the MMA Junkie’s Dan Tom’s analysis and predictions for the UFC 254 co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier.