Tag: good bad ugly

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 34-17 win over 49ers

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ win over the 49ers in Week 9.

The Green Bay Packers improved to 6-2 at the halfway mark of the 2020 season with a 34-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium.

Kyle Shanahan’s team was undermanned, but the Packers won’t apologize for cruising to a convincing win, especially on a short week and in last year’s house of horrors.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ win:

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 28-22 loss to Vikings

Highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ loss to the Vikings in Week 8.

The Green Bay Packers suffered their first defeat at home in 2020 and the first loss against an NFC North opponent in the Matt LaFleur era on Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings.

Running back Dalvin Cook scored four touchdowns to power the Vikings’ 28-22 upset win.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of Sunday’s defeat at Lambeau Field:

Good, bad, and ugly from the Packers’ NFC Championship loss to the 49ers

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

The Green Bay Packers came into the NFC Championship Game with dreams of avenging their brutal loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12 of the regular season. Instead, it was more heartbreak for the Packers, who once again got dismantled by a ferocious and dominating 49ers team. The Packers went down 27-0 in the first half and were unable to stop San Francisco from doing whatever it wanted on the field en route to a 37-20 defeat.

Instead of playing for the chance to win a Super Bowl, the Packers must settle for an NFC Championship Game appearance and will head into the offseason looking to build on an incredibly promising first season under head coach Matt Lafleur.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers:

The Good

  • Davante Adams: The Packers’ best receiving threat once again showed why he should be in the conversation as one of the best receivers in the league. Adams finished the game with nine receptions and 138 yards, including an incredible 65-yard catch that set up a score in the fourth quarter. The Packers will likely look to acquire some other playmakers on the offense, but they’ll go into the offseason with confidence Adams is a true difference-maker in LaFleur’s offense.

The Bad

  • First half play: The Packers’ biggest issue in their Week 12 meeting was heir first-half woes, and that didn’t change at all on Sunday. The Packers were absolutely awful in the first two quarters of the NFC Championship Game, turning the ball over twice and punting four times on offense, while giving up 27 points and letting Raheem Mostert run all over them on defense. JK Scott shanked a punt, setting up a score. It was about the worst start the team could have imagined.
  • Blake Martinez: Already in a shaky position due to his inconsistent play and free-agent status coming up, Martinez didn’t help his case much on Sunday. The Packers’ leading tackler once again looked out of his depth at times, as he was unable to help the Packers defense stop Raheem Mostert and the 49ers run game throughout the NFC Championship Game. After the game, Martinez expressed uncertainty about his future with the team, but it would be moderately surprising if the Packers looked to bring back the young linebacker, especially considering the offers he might get on the market.
  • Third Down offense: After going 0-13 on third downs with Aaron Rodgers in Week 12, the Packers once again couldn’t do much of anything on third down, as the team finished 3-9 on third downs in the NFC Championship Game. Green Bay punted on four of their six first-half possessions, with the other two ending in turnovers. Needless to say, that type of performance isn’t good enough to win a big game in the postseason against an elite football team.

The Ugly

  • Packers defense: The Packers defense was one of the biggest surprises of the 2019 season, but when the lights got the brightest, they were unable to match the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan’s offense absolutely dominated the Packers defense on the ground, as Raheem Mostert ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Throughout the game, it was clear that Mike Pettine simply had no answer for Shanahan’s run schemes, and San Francisco barely needed Jimmy Garappolo, who threw just eight times. It was an awful finish to a season that began with much promise for the defense, but they will have better pieces to build around going forward.

Good, bad, and ugly from Packers’ playoff victory over the Seahawks

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 28-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.

The Green Bay Packers started Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game on fire, lighting up the Seattle Seahawks during a one-sided first half.

However, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks made things extremely interesting, and it took clutch plays late for the Packers to win their first playoff game in three years and secure a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

It wasn’t always pretty, but it wasn’t always ugly either, and now the Packers will get to travel back to the West Coast for a chance at not only getting some revenge against the San Francisco 49ers, but a chance at punching their ticket to the Super Bowl.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 28-23 win against the Seattle Seahawks:

The Good

  • Aaron Rodgers: The veteran Packers quarterback was much better than he had been throughout the month of December. Rodgers finished the game completing 16-of-27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns and looked extremely sharp on a handful of crucial passes throughout the game. On the final drive, he hit Davante Adams and Jimmy Graham for big conversions on third down. He finished his seventh career playoff game with a passer rating over 100, which trails only Tom Brady (eight) in NFL history. Rodgers shined when he needed to and was a huge factor in the Packers moving on to San Francisco.

  • Davante Adams: Adams continues to prove why he should be in the conversation for the best wide receiver in football. He hauled in eight passes for 160 yards – a Packers postseason record – and two touchdowns, and every catch he made felt like a big one. Not only was he incredibly crisp on routes, but he came up clutch late in the contest with a 32-yard catch on third down. His 20-yard touchdown gave the Packers an early lead, and he helped extend the lead back to 18 points with a 40-yard score in the third quarter. He was clearly the Packers’ best player on Sunday.
  • Third Down Offense: The Packers offense on third down had long been the biggest problem for the team. For at least one game, that changed, as Green Bay was absolutely dominant on third down. The team finished 9-of-14 on third down conversions, including the final two conversions that led to the end of the game. Aaron Rodgers was also masterful on third down, finishing 9-of-11 for 121 yards and a touchdown on the key down.

  • Preston Smith: The Packers defensive line was consistently in the Seahawks backfield on Sunday, but they weren’t always stopping Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who was as elusive as ever. Preston Smith’s sack on Wilson on third down late in the fourth quarter was incredibly clutch and set the stage for Green Bay to kill the clock. The Smith duo has come up with huge plays for the Packers defense all season, and it continued Sunday night.

The Bad

  • Containing Russell Wilson: It was the biggest part of the Packers defensive game plan, and for the most part, they failed. Russell Wilson was incredible on Sunday, finishing 21-of-31 for 277 yards and a touchdown. He also ran seven times for 64 yards and was consistently getting free despite massive pressure from the Packers. Thankfully for Green Bay, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t as big of a threat to escape the pocket.
  • Fourth quarter offense: The Packers offense was rolling throughout the first three quarters of Sunday’s game, but things came to a halt in the fourth quarter. Outside of the final drive that ended the game, the Packers ran just 11 plays on two drives, both of which ended in punts. If the Packers want to punch a ticket to the Super Bowl, they’ll have to capitalize on a couple of more late drives next week.

The Ugly

  • Second-half defense: Green Bay ended the first half of play on a roll, up 21-3 and ready to end things against a team that had given them some nightmarish losses in the past. Instead, the Packers defense was torched in the second half. The Seahawks scored on three of their four drives, cutting the lead all the way to 28-23 along the way. While Green Bay was able to get one final stop and melt the clock on their final drive, it wasn’t an inspiring finish for the Packers defense, which looked gassed in the second half. The 49ers punished the Packers defense in a similar fashion this season, so it’ll be up to the Packers offense to keep their defense off the field a bit more in the NFC Championship Game.

Good, bad, and ugly from Packers’ victory over the Lions

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 23-20 win over the Detroit Lions.

The Green Bay Packers went into their Week 17 matchup against the Detroit Lions with a clear goal: win, and secure a first-round bye. The Packers still spent most of the game sleepwalking against a division rival.

Matt LaFleur’s team woke up in time to come back from down 14 points in the second half and won a close game that propelled them to a 13-3 record and secured a first-round bye.

The Packers will get the next week off while they wait to see who they’ll be playing in the NFC Divisional Round.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 23-20 win against the Detroit Lions:

The Good

  • Za’Darius Smith: Unlike last week, when he filled up the stat sheet in Minnesota, Smith didn’t rack up a bunch of stats on Sunday. However, he was once again a major presence on the defense and helped force David Blough into a handful of key mistakes that kept the Packers alive in the game. He’ll be a key player for the Packers during their playoff run.

  • Aaron Jones: The Packers offense continues to hum when Aaron Jones gets fed a steady diet of touches. Although he wasn’t as incredible as he was against Minnesota, Jones still finished the day with 100 rushing yards on 25 carries, and his 31-yard reception at the end of the game set up the Packers winning field goal. If Green Bay has any aspirations of winning in January, it’ll be because of Jones.
  • Allen Lazard: The Packers may not have a ton of playmakers when it comes to their wide receiving corps, but Lazard continues to show up as a secondary weapon behind Davante Adams. He’s continued to develop throughout the year and once again was a big factor on Sunday, hauling in four catches for 69 yards, including the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.

  • Mason Crosby: Redemption came twice for Crosby this year. First, Crosby kicked the game-winning field goal in Lambeau Field to defeat the Lions, and he got to do it once again on Sunday. Although he missed on a 51-yard kick early in the game, he did nail an extra point and two field goals in the second half, including the game-winning kick that secured Green Bay a first-round bye.
  • Packers defense: While the Packers didn’t deliver a standout defensive performance, they did contain the Lions enough in the second half to give the Packers a chance to win. Despite being down 17-3, the Packers defense held the Lions to just three points in the second half. Mike Pettine’s group will finish the year on a solid five-game stretch going into the playoffs.

The Bad

  • Reliance on deep balls: The Lions came into the game with the worst passing defense in the NFL, and it appeared the Packers were hellbent on taking advantage of that, regardless of situation. Despite the offense stagnating throughout most of the game, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers continually tried to attack the Lions secondary downfield, and it failed way more often than it succeeded. They eventually adjusted and found some rhythm in the second half. Can the Packers hit on more big plays in two weeks?
  • Jaire Alexander: A surprising dud for the standout cornerback. Alexander just looked off all game. Not only was he unable to stick with some of his assignments, but he also allowed wide receiver Danny Amendola to get in his head, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty early on. Alexander is more than talented enough to bounce back, though, so look for him to be ready during the Divisional Round.
  • Run defense: The Packers defense looked to be getting better when it came to the running game, but things came to a crashing halt on Sunday. Green Bay allowed 171 rushing yards against the Lions on just 25 carries, most of which came in the form of Kerryon Johnson absolutely torching them on the ground.

The Ugly

  • Aaron Rodgers: In a disturbing trend, Rodgers has continued to struggle the last couple of weeks. After a rough showing against the Vikings, Rodgers was downright terrible against the Lions for the majority of the game. Rodgers finished with a career-high 28 incompletions, many of which seemed to come thanks to egregious overthrows on his part. He was able to throw for two touchdowns and led the Packers on a game-winning drive, but his play is beginning to become a bit of a concern at the worst possible time of the year.

Good, bad, and ugly from Packers’ victory over Vikings

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 23-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Green Bay Packers arrived at U.S. Bank Stadium looking for their first victory at the Minnesota Vikings’ new facility and walked out as NFC North champions. After an incredibly sloppy first half, the Packers rode Aaron Jones and a dominating defense to victory, coming away with a 23-10 win that gave Green Bay its first division title in three years. Now, they’ll head to Detroit with a chance to lock up a first-round bye with a victory.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 23-10 win against the Vikings:

The Good

  • Defense: The Packers offense came to life in the second half, but it was the Packers defense that kept the game in check for its entirety. The Packers finished with five sacks and held the Vikings to just 139 total yards and seven first downs. The Vikings were without Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, but the Packers still dominated from the very first snap and seem to be getting back into their groove at just the right time.
  • Za’Darius Smith: Smith may not have been selected for the Pro Bowl, but he’s playing like he wants to be Defensive Player of the Year regardless. Smith was an absolute force to be reckoned with on Monday, tallying seven tackles, 3.5 sacks, five tackles for a loss, and five quarterback hits. Smith was constantly in the Vikings’ backfield, and his presence helped the Packers defense keep the Vikings from doing much of anything. Every week, Smith looks like more and more of a bargain.

  • Kenny Clark: Criticism of Clark early in the season looks absolutely silly now. Ever since the calendar has switched to December, Clark has absolutely wrecked opposing offensive lines. Clark finished the game with four tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss. He was unblockable for much of the night against the Vikings.
  • Aaron Jones: The Packers running back was tasked with a heavier workload after Jamaal Williams left the game with an injury, and he rose to the challenge. Jones powered the Packers offense, rushing for 154 yards on 23 carries and scoring twice, including a 56-yard touchdown that helped ice the game for Green Bay. He continues to be the most effective player on offense, and if Green Bay wants to win into January, they’ll need to keep feeding him.

  • CB Kevin King: His interception and return in the third quarter sparked a touchdown drive. It was his fifth pick of the year. He also had a tackle for loss and helped the Packers defense hold Adam Thielen without a catch. The Packers are now 11-0 when producing at least one takeaway this season.

The Bad

  • Aaron Rodgers: Another rough week for Aaron Rodgers, who looked awful through the first half of Monday’s game. Rodgers finished with just 216 passing yards and no touchdowns and an interception. Rodgers looked out of sync early and even many of his completed throws looked to be behind or late to receivers. Rodgers continues to be effective enough to help Green Bay win, but he struggled for stretches on Monday night.
  • Red zone offense: This one goes hand in hand with Rodgers, but the Packers had a rough time in the red zone against Minnesota. The Packers scored a touchdown on just one of their three trips in the red zone, kicking short field goals on the other two. Scoring points is always good, but Green Bay’s offense isn’t explosive enough to be wasting trips to the red zone as often as they did against Minnesota.

The Ugly

  • Turnovers: Two of the three Packers losses this year have come as a result of losing the turnover battle, and on Monday, it looked like that would happen again, as they turned it over three times in the first half but somehow came away with a win. Aaron Jones fumbled on the first drive, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception, and then Davante Adams fumbled, all of which gave Minnesota big chances to score. Jimmy Graham and Tyler Ervin also fumbled. The Packers defense was up to the task, stifling the Vikings at nearly every turn. Teams don’t often win when turning the ball over three times in the first half.

Good, bad, and ugly from the Packers’ victory over the Bears

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 21-13 win over the Chicago Bears.

Another week, another ugly win for the Green Bay Packers. After beating the Washington Redskins in a somewhat sloppy affair last week, the Packers won what could be an even uglier game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Green Bay looked to be in command late in the third, but an inconsistent offense allowed Chicago to get back into the game. Despite the way they won, the Packers are still 11-3, and still have an inside track at the two seed in the NFC and the NFC North.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 21-13 win against the Chicago Bears:

The Good

  • Kenny Clark: Earlier in the season, many thought that Clark wasn’t playing up to snuff. Clark got healthy and has continually proved his doubters wrong, including Sunday. Clark finished the game with eight tackles, two sacks and three tackles for a loss. He was nearly unblockable by anyone on the Bears offensive line, especially early on.
  • Za’Darius Smith: The captain of the Packers defense continues to deliver even when he isn’t stuffing the stat sheet. Smith finished with just one tackle, but was once again huge in forcing pressure. Late in the 4th quarter, Smith’s pressure on Trubisky is what forced him to throw into Dean Lowry, who came away with the interception. Smith continues to be worth every single penny the Packers gave him, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see his efforts result in a Pro Bowl berth.

  • Dean Lowry: Lowry didn’t have an incredible game, but his interception on Trubisky late in the fourth was big for a Packers defense that looked tired. The Bears were able to stop the Packers from scoring any points, but the interception resulted in almost three minutes coming off the clock, which was huge for the Packers.
  • Third Quarter Offense: The Packers offense was pretty rough throughout most of the game, but in the third quarter, things looked as good as they could be. After coming out of the half with the ball, the Packers scored on their first two drives, needing just ten plays to go extend their lead from 7-3 to 21-3. Unfortunately, things didn’t stay this good, but the Packers offense continues to have brief moments where it looks to be clicking on all cylinders.

The Bad

  • Aaron Rodgers: There’s no other way to see it, Aaron Rodgers was incredibly disappointing on Sunday. Rodgers needed 33 attempts to throw for 203 yards and made a couple of throws that easily could have been turnovers. Once again, he continues to be able to make a handful of plays that can spark the offense, but his play as of late has been anything but the otherworldly stuff that fans expect.
  • Marquez Valdes-Scantling: The second-year receiver dropped what would have been a 70-yard touchdown on the Packers’ first play from scrimmage. He didn’t see another target the rest of the game. MVS has two catches for 11 yards over the last six games.
  • Not capitalizing on turnover chances: The Packers finished Sunday’s game with two interceptions and six pass breakups, but the numbers could have been even larger. For most of the game, Mitchell Trubisky threw at least seven or eight passes that could have been intercepted by the Packers. While they weren’t able to make the plays now, it would be nice to see them capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes more.
  • Penalties: The Packers continue to shoot themselves in the foot in big moments. With the Bears backed up on a 3rd-and-15 and down 21-3, the Packers were whistled for defensive holding, which extended the possession and helped the Bears keep driving. Sunday’s game was actually relatively clean in terms of penalties elsewhere, but the Packers can’t let mistakes like that affect them during crucial moments.

The Ugly

  • Packers offense: The current state of the Packers offense is ugly, and there’s no way around it. Green Bay started the game relatively well, but once again couldn’t get anything going in the second quarter. Even after they got extremely hot in the third quarter, the Packers completely stalled. After going up 21-3 and forcing a Bears punt, the Packers offense produced just nine yards on 18 plays and punted all five times. The team seems to be able to achieve the high-level, uptempo style they aim to play at, but not for very long stretches. Whether it’s inconsistent play from the offense or Aaron Rodgers and Matt Lafleur not agreeing on playcalls at certain times, the Packers offense hasn’t looked playoff-ready in some time, and with two weeks left to play, there isn’t much time left to fix it.

Good, bad, and ugly from the Packers’ victory over the Giants

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 31-13 win over the New York Giants.

Following a dud against the San Francisco 49ers, the Green Bay Packers traveled to New York for a game against the Giants that nearly everyone thought Green Bay would win. They did just that, turning in a complete performance that put the Packers back in the win column as they head down the final stretch of their season.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 31-13 win against the New York Giants:

The Good

  • Za’Darius Smith: The captain (and MVP) of the Packers defensive continues to deliver. Smith didn’t register any sacks during the game, but was constantly in the Giants backfield, tallying five quarterback hits and a tackle for loss. His pressures were a huge boost to a Packers defense that struggled early, and he continues to be a massive addition to the Packers as a whole.
  • Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers had one of, if not the worst game of his career last week, but he followed it up with a stellar performance against the Giants. The Packers quarterback finished with four touchdowns while spreading the ball out and looking very elusive on a handful of plays. One touchdown, in particular, saw Rodgers hit Marcedes Lewis just as he was wrapped up. Rodgers said he needed to get hot in December, and so far, he’s been just that.

  • Forcing turnovers: The Packers bread and butter on defense has been forcing turnovers, and they were able to do that very well against rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. The Packers forced three interceptions on Sunday, finishing the game with a plus-3 turnover margin. Jones has been prone to mistakes all season, but it’s still nice to see the Packers capitalize in a game that they absolutely should have.
  • Davante Adams: The Packers star wide receiver went from not having any touchdowns to scoring in consecutive games, as Adams hauled in two touchdowns Sunday. He didn’t finish as the leader in yards, but Adams was once again an excellent safety valve for Rodgers, and was also able to draw a handful of penalties that aided the Packers offense early on.

The Bad

  • First-half play: The Packers’ first half was a mixed bag, as the offense was able to get out to an extremely hot start while the defense took some time getting its feet under them. To their credit, Green Bay’s defense held the Giants to just 10 points in the first half, but for a while, the Packers soft zone coverage and inability to put drives away looked to make this a much closer game than it needed to be.
  • Penalties: The number one killer for the Packers in 2019 hasn’t been its special teams play or inconsistent offense. Instead, it’s been the penalties that the team accrues, and they once again popped up against the Giants. Green Bay was called for seven penalties in the game, some of which helped enable the Giants to continue extending drives. It didn’t hurt them too much but is something that has to be cleaned up.

The Ugly

  • Fourth down defense: The Packers “bend but don’t break” philosophy was tested heavily against the Giants, as the Packers had an extremely hard time forcing stops against a Giants offense that came into the game as one of the very worst in the league. The Giants finished the game just 5-14 on third downs, but was 3-4 on fourth downs, which allowed New York to have a huge time of possession advantage early on. It didn’t end up being a problem, but in the modern day NFL, teams – especially bad ones – aren’t afraid of trying to go for it on fourth down, and the Packers will need to get off the field on more of those attempts than they have been.

Good, bad and ugly from the Packers’ loss to the 49ers

Breaking down the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 37-8 loss to the 49ers on Sunday night.

The Green Bay Packers went to San Francisco with hopes of delivering a statement win but left the West Coast with a blowout loss that exposed Matt LaFleur’s team and handed the 49ers the inside track at home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 37-8 loss in San Francisco:

The Good

OLB Za’Darius Smith: The Packers’ defensive captain delivered 1.5 sacks, two tackles for losses and three quarterback hits while winning several one-on-one matchups against backup left tackle Justin Skule. Both of his sacks ended drives on third down.

Adams in the end zone: For the first time since Week 16 of last season, Packers Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams caught a touchdown pass – ending a six-game drought. His 2-yard score on a touch pass from Aaron Rodgers was the lone highlight of the Packers’ miserable night.

The Bad

Defending George Kittle: The 49ers’ All-Pro tight end returned after missing two games with an ankle injury and dominated the Packers in the middle of the field. He caught six passes for a game-high 129 yards and the game-sealing 61-yard touchdown. Three of his catches gained 20 or more yards, including a 22-yarder that set up a field goal before the half. The Packers had no answer. They’ve rarely had an answer for a good tight end this season.

JK Scott: The second-year punter has regressed in a significant way over the last month or so. On Sunday night, Scott hit six punts, and, despite perfect conditions at Levi’s Stadium, not a single one traveled further than 41 yards. He averaged 37.2 per punt. The struggling Packers offense desperately needed Scott to flip the field and help out the defense, especially early. Instead, he put Mike Pettine’s group in bad spots all night.

Third down: The Packers finished 1-for-15 on third down, with the lone conversion coming with backup quarterback Tim Boyle in the game late in the fourth quarter. Of the 15 third downs, 12 required eight or more yards to convert. That’s no way to live against one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing fronts.

Geronimo Allison: He caught three passes for only nine yards, dropped a third-down pass in the first quarter and short-circuited a drive with a block in the back penalty. After 11 games, Allison has 26 catches for 220 yards, with 12 catches of five yards or fewer.

Officiating: Games with significant officiating controversy are just becoming the norm in the NFL. Sunday night got off to an odd start when the side judge flagged Davante Adams for taunting after a first-down catch on the Packers’ first drive. It set a standard the rest of the crew didn’t uphold the rest of the game. Several other early calls were questionable at best, including a hold on David Bakhtiari and a hands to the face penalty on Kevin King. Later, the Packers’ lone touchdown drive was aided along by a handful of ridiculous calls against the 49ers.

Punt returns: Tremon Smith had two decent chances to return a punt and still managed to lose yards on both returns. He had -3 punt return yards total, pushing the Packers’ total to -11 yards after 11 games. The team’s longest punt return of the entire season is one yard. The incompetence of Shawn Mennenga’s return groups is staggering.

Negative yardage plays: The Packers have talked all season about eliminating negative yardage plays. On Sunday night, they had 13 plays that resulted in no gain or lost yards.

The Ugly

Packers passing offense: It’s hard to believe just how unproductive the Packers were in the passing game. Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass 41 times but finished with just 104 passing yards and 66 net passing yards. He took five sacks, fumbled away the ball on the first drive, averaged 3.2 yards per attempt and 5.2 yards per completion. Rodgers was constantly under pressure, especially after Bryan Bulaga exited in the first half. Even when he wasn’t, he had no one to throw to down the field. Down big, Rodgers took no extra risks to help ignite the offense. No player averaged more than 7.0 yards per catch. Davante Adams was targeted 12 times but managed only 43 yards. Geronimo Allison, Jimmy Graham and Marquez Valdes-Scantling had chances at big plays but couldn’t convert. Aaron Jones was targeted just once. A total and complete failure from the Packers passing offense, with enough blame to go around for everyone, including the playcaller, the quarterback and just about every player in the supporting cast.

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Good, bad, and ugly from the Packers’ victory over the Panthers

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers.

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Following a stinker of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Green Bay Packers returned home to Lambeau Field, where winter arrived just in time to help the Packers against the Carolina Panthers. The Packers rode the likes of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams to a victory, beating the Panthers 24-16. Sunday’s game had a little bit of everything, but more importantly, it gave Green Bay another signature win before their bye week.

Thanks to the win, the Packers are now 8-2, and will head into their bye week as one of the best teams in the NFC. As they get healthy and aim to fix some mistakes, the team is undoubtedly in the chase for a first-round bye, and their first game out of the bye will be an important one, as they look to take on the presently undefeated San Francisco 49ers.

Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Packers’ 24-16 victory over the Panthers.

The Good

  • Aaron Jones: There’s not much left to say about Aaron Jones that hasn’t already been said. The leader of the Packers running back room and possibly MVP of the offense once again proved his worth on Sunday, as Jones ran for 93 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He finished the game averaging 7.2 yards per carry and was crucial to the Packers killing some of the clock late in the fourth quarter. As good as Davante Adams is, and with all respect to Aaron Rodgers, there is an argument that Jones has been the best player on the Packers offense in 2019. The Packers will undoubtedly be leaning on him as they continue to play down the stretch.

  • The Smiths: The Packers’ dip into free agency during the offseason continues to pay off. Za’Darius and Preston Smith once again wreaked havoc on the Panthers offensive line and young quarterback Kyle Allen. The pair combined for two sacks and seven quarterback hits, with Za’Darius adding in a bunch of other pressures to boot. Preston Smith has already hit his career-high in sacks, and with Za’Darius not too far behind his own, it’s been clear that these two have completely changed the Packers defense for the better.
  • Red zone defense: For the last six weeks, the Packers defense has been anything but the elite unit that many thought they had become to start the season. However, the Packers “bend but don’t break” mentality on defense has proven to work so far. Although Green Bay gave up 401 yards to the Panthers, they were able to shut them down when Carolina got into the red zone, forcing a turnover and a late goal-line stand that won them the game. The Packers’ defense continues to be extremely opportunistic and live off of turnovers, and while that might be troublesome when it’s not working, the Packers have proven that when they need to, they’re able to tighten things up.

  • Kenny Clark: The Packers’ best defensive lineman had a quiet October, but he produced one of his best games of the 2019 season. He played a big part in limiting Christian McCaffrey to 108 rushing yards and was consistently disruptive as a pass rusher.

The Bad

  • J.K. Scott: To Scott’s credit, he did finish the game with a couple of nice punts, but it was a rocky game for the young kicker. After starting off the season on fire, Scott has once again cooled along with the weather. In a wet, snowy game at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Scott’s first couple of kicks were flat out awful, and as a whole, his punts averaged just 35.3 yards, with his first two kicks giving the Panthers great field position. Scott has been extremely streaky this year, and it’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back following the bye.
  • Penalties: The Packers played a much more disciplined game this week then they did against the Chargers last week, but an alarming trend of penalties killing the team is starting to pop up. Green Bay finished the game with 10 penalties totaling just 64 yards, but the manner in which they came was rough. On offense, false starts and delay of games doomed some of the Packers drives, and late in the game with the Panthers on a potential game-tying drive, both Za’Darius and Preston Smith were caught offsides in crucial moments. It didn’t come back to bite them on Sunday, but giving teams extra chances to beat you is never good, and something the team will have to work on.
  • David Bakhtiari: A surprising entrant on this part of the list, Bakhtiari has struggled during the last couple of weeks. Coming into the season as an All-Pro candidate and one of the best left tackles in the league, Bakhtiari has looked like anything but recently. Not only was he beat a handful of times on Sunday, but he’s been whistled for a ton of penalties that have severely hurt some Packers drives in recent games. The bright side of things is that whether it’s a minor injury or just a stretch of poor play, it’s a safe bet that Bakhtiari will turn things around at some point.

The Ugly

  • Pre-halftime play: It’s important to note that as far as this play is concerned, I believe the decision to go for it was the absolute correct one, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Just prior to the end of the first half, the Packers had the ball on the Panthers 1-yard line with two seconds remaining. Instead of kicking a field goal, the Packers opted to go for it and were stuffed for a 3-yard loss. Not only was Aaron Jones not on the field, but the Packers lined up in a heavy formation, essentially letting the Panthers know they’d be trying to run straight up the middle. Not only did Panthers defensive end Gerald McCoy, who blew up the play, say he knew what was coming prior to the snap, but David Bakhtiari also whiffed on a blocking attempt, which ended any chance of the play succeeding. Going for it was the right decision, but they’ll need better plays for those moments in the future.