Tag: Green Bay Packers

Packers offensive line bounces back in major way vs. Panthers

The Packers struggled along the offensive line in Los Angeles. They bounced back against the Panthers on Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers’ disappointing performance against the Chargers in Los Angeles had roots in an uncharacteristically unfocused afternoon from the five starters along the offensive line.

That group bounced back in a major way on Sunday against the talented defensive front of the Carolina Panthers.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked just twice, including once for a short loss after an extended passing play, and he was rarely under pressure despite dropping back to pass 30 times in slippery conditions. The offensive line also dominated the line of scrimmage in the run game, opening gaping holes for running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams – who rushed 26 times for 156 yards and three scores.

According to Field Yates of ESPN, Rodgers was pressured on just four total dropbacks and running backs were provided 3.6 yards before contact per rush against the Panthers.

“I think offensively the line deserves a lot of credit,” Rodgers said Sunday. “They were obviously frustrated by their performance last week and you look at today, we had a coverage sack and then one of those phantom minus half-yard sacks when I ran around there too long. Overall, the protection was really good and they controlled the line of scrimmage.”

In Los Angeles, the Packers committed four pre-snap penalties and gave up three sacks, including two on early third downs in the first half. The offense never got going, and many along the offensive line took the blame for the struggles.

They also took it on themselves to bounce back against a Panthers team that led the NFL in sacks entering Week 10.

Mission accomplished.

David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga largely handled the Panthers’ edge rushers, while Elgton Jenkins, Corey Linsley and Billy Turner were highly effective moving people in the run game.

The Packers knew they had to bounce back from a poor performance, play better across the board and get to the bye week at 8-2. The offensive line led the way back on Sunday, protecting Rodgers against a terrific pass-rush and helping Jones and Williams out-rush Christian McCaffrey in an important win for Matt LaFleur’s team.

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Packers CB Tramon Williams quietly having strong season

The 36-year-old cornerback is having a quietly strong season for the Packers in the slot.

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The interception was a gift, the result of a smart play by safety Adrian Amos in the end zone during the Green Bay Packers’ 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Veteran cornerback Tramon Williams was in the right place at the right time. He made the diving interception behind Amos, taking points off the board and giving the Packers an NFL-leading fourth pick in the end zone this season.

Williams, now 36, has been in the right place at the right time all season.

Quietly, Williams is having a strong and steady year. He not only has the highest overall grade at Pro Football Focus among Packers cornerbacks, but he’s allowed a passer rating against his coverage of only 67.3, according to Pro Football Reference.

Williams’ interception was his first during the 2019 season and his first for the Packers since the 2014 season.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine plugged Williams in as the slot cornerback over the summer, figuring his football intelligence and experience would give the Packers a smart, savvy player to handle coverage duties from the inside.

For long stretches in 2019, slot receivers have done little against the Packers defense.

Williams is a big reason why. He’s played 74 percent of the defense’s snaps while allowing Jaire Alexander and Kevin King to handle responsibilities on the perimeter.

How good has Williams been? The Packers view Josh Jackson’s best position at slot cornerback, but the 2018 second-round pick hasn’t been active last two weeks because Williams is fully entrenched in the nickel.

While Alexander and King have the flashy numbers, and Amos and rookie Darnell Savage have salvaged the safety position, Williams’ steady presence shouldn’t be overlooked. Even at 36, he’s thrived as the Packers’ slot cornerback through the first 10 games.

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NFL Week 11: How to survive and advance in your knockout pool

The Niners and Raiders are double-digit favorites in the same week for the first time since 1987. Does that make them safe picks?

The Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons combined to send many knockout pools to the finish line in Week 10. However, if you rolled the dice and went with the Bears against the Matthew Stafford-less Lions as a late audible, you were rewarded … barely. On to Week 11 as the drama builds and tension heightens.

Don’t think about it

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles get together for the first time since Super Bowl LII. This figures to be a great game to watch and if you somehow have either team available, keep them in the bank. The Rams and Bears get together again. Last year saw Chicago on top. Another game that is worth enjoying and not getting anywhere near. Would have to say the Steelers and Browns fall into this category. Pittsburgh is playing well and Cleveland is coming off a good win against Buffalo. It’s Thursday night and not worth ruining your weekend. The Texans and Ravens get together in what should be a showcase of two of the best QBs in the game, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson. This could come down to who has the ball last and that is not the memory you want to take away from being eliminated from a knockout pool. Not going to try and figure out what Colts team shows up to face the Jaguars. If Brian Hoyer plays again, stay far away from Indy. And, in the Monday night matchup, San Diego plays host to Kansas City in Mexico City. This could provide plenty of offensive fireworks and is a great way to finish NFL Week 11 by enjoying it and not having to choose sides.

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Second-half Saints schedule sets up for a strong playoff push

The New Orleans Saints strength of schedule is mediocre. The Green Bay Packers have it easy but the San Francisco 49ers are in for a shock.

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The second half of the NFL regular season is upon us, and it couldn’t have started worse for the New Orleans Saints. They air-balled what should have been an easy win over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, losing their grip on the second playoff seed in the NFC as the Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers and the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers suffered their first setback of the year to the Seattle Seahawks.

But Saints fans should feel optimistic about their fortunes moving forward, and their team’s chance to recover. New Orleans has just four games against opponents with winning records, including the 49ers (8-1), Panthers twice (5-4), and Indianapolis Colts (5-4), as well as the middling Tennessee Titans (5-5). There’s plenty of time for correction and improvement ahead of them.

According to NFL Research, the Saints’ second half schedule ranks near the middle of the pack, with their remaining opponents sharing a combined record of 33-31-0 (.516). Here’s how they rank among their peers:

Compare that to what other NFC playoff contenders are facing. The San Francisco 49ers are set to play the second-toughest schedule down the stretch, with their future opponents having gone 40-25-1 (.614); their odds of holding onto the top playoff seed in the conference are slim. However, the Green Bay Packers are in good position to maintain their one-game lead on the Saints in playoff seeding, with a relatively weak strength of schedule of 25-30-1 (.455) ahead of them. That’s the ninth-easiest second half schedule in the NFL.

As for the two-team race in the NFC South: the Carolina Panthers are still a few games behind the Saints, but their remaining strength of schedule at 32-32 (.500) is slightly easier to navigate than what New Orleans will see. If Carolina handles its business and the Saints continue to play down to their competition, it’s not impossible to see a path for the Panthers to steal a divisional title in the season’s final weeks. If New Orleans plays like they did last Sunday, they could be in for a rude awakening no matter how favorable their schedule looks on paper.

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Packers tally 14 pressures from OLB Za’Darius Smith vs. Panthers

Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack, but he was ultra productive rushing the Panthers QB on Sunday.

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Za’Darius Smith didn’t have a sack on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, but the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker was nothing if not ultra-productive rushing the passer.

Position coach Mike Smith told Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official site that the Packers recorded 14 total pressures from Smith.

The official box score credited Smith with nothing more than three quarterback hits. A good day at the office, to be sure. But box scores often lie, and clearly Smith was far more impactful as a rusher than his traditional statistics indicated.

The same was true for Kenny Clark, who set a new career-high with 10 pressures but didn’t have a sack.

The Packers lined Smith up all over the defensive front, and he won pass-rushing battles from both edges and inside against the guards. On several reps, he had Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen in his sights but couldn’t finish the sack.

Overall, the Packers produced nine quarterback hits and three sacks of Allen, who was surprisingly elusive despite consistent pressure.

After 10 games, Smith ranks second in the NFL with a career-high 20 quarterback hits. He’s also sixth in the NFL in sacks with 8.5 and third among outside linebackers in total pressures.

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Seahawks vs. Eagles in Week 12 flexed from Sunday night to early slot

The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles will no longer meet Sunday night in Week 12, with the game slated to start at 10:00 a.m. PT.

The Seattle Seahawks’ matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12 has been flexed out of prime time.

The NFL announced the schedule change on Tuesday, which will now feature the 49ers and Packers in the 5:20 p.m. PT time slot, pushing the Seahawks and Eagles up to a 10 a.m. PT kickoff — Seattle’s fourth early game of the season.

The Seahawks were initially slated for four straight prime-time games. Seattle is now entering its bye week.

 

Seattle is 5-0 on the road for the first time in franchise history and 3-0 in 10 a.m. start times this year, so perhaps this news isn’t as daunting as it seems.

The Eagles were the Super Bowl champs two years ago but went just 9-7 last season and are only 5-4 in 2019, perhaps a factor in moving the game.

Additionally, the 49ers and Packers are two of the strongest teams in the NFC, and their matchup should be a good battle for supremacy in the conference.

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NFC playoff picture after Week 10

The Vikings and Seahawks had huge wins, while the Saints lost their first-round bye position.

The NFC playoff picture is looking a little clearer as far as who will make it, but it’s muddled as far as positioning goes.

Here’s where the NFC stands after Week 10.

First-Round Byes

49ers, 8-1
Packers, 7-2

The 49ers took a hit on Monday Night Football, losing to their division rivals. San Francisco is now only a game up for first place in the division.

The Packers hung on against the Panthers and managed to move up in the standings thanks to the Falcons stunning the Saints.

Wild Card Round

No. 6 Vikings (7-3) at No. 3 Saints (7-2)

No. 5 Seahawks (8-2) at No. 4 Cowboys (5-4)

The Vikings and Seahawks both had huge statement wins over the Cowboys and 49ers, respectively.

It should be fun when the two teams face off in Week 12 in Seattle.

Holding On . . .

Rams, 5-4
Eagles, 5-4
Panthers, 5-4
Bears, 4-5

The Eagles suddenly find themselves back in conversation in the NFC East, while the Rams and Bears play in Week 11. The loser of that game will have a pretty tough time making it back to the playoffs considering this group is already 2.5 games back.

Packers-49ers flexed to ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 12

The Packers’ Week 12 trip to play the 49ers in San Francisco has been flexed to “Sunday Night Football.”

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The Green Bay Packers will do battle with the San Francisco 49ers in primetime in Week 12.

The NFL flexed the previously scheduled late-afternoon matchup to “Sunday Night Football,” putting the showdown between the NFC’s current No. 1 and No. 2 seed under the lights of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Nov. 24.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. CT.

The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles were originally scheduled to play on “Sunday Night Football.” That game was moved back to the noon CT timeslot.

The matchup between the Packers and 49ers could determine the NFC’s No. 1 seed going into Week 13. The Packers are 8-2 entering the bye week, while the 49ers will have a chance to improve to 9-1 with a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Packers have already played four primetime games. They are 3-1 in those games, with wins over the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs and a loss to the Eagles.

NFL flexes Packers-Niners to Sunday Night Football on Week 12

The Green Bay Packers-San Francisco 49ers game on Nov. 24 has been flexed to SNF.

NBC is going to be the beneficiary of an audible by the NFL on Week 12.

Instead of a battle of the Birds, between the Seahawks and Eagles, on Sunday night Nov. 24, the NFL has moved the Packers-Niners game to that evening.

The Seahawks-Eagles game wasn’t shabby but Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay against Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners must have seemed a bigger lure when it comes to TV ratings.

Have to wonder if the league is reacting to the ratings from MNF’s spectacular Seattle-San Francisco game.

And one more note involving the suddenly fashionable Niners.

Eagles’ Week 12 matchup with Seahawks moved from Sunday Night Football to 1 p.m.

Eagles Week 12 matchup with Seahawks flexed off of Sunday Night

There was some discussion of it a few weeks ago, but now it’s official. The NFL announced the Eagles vs. Seahawks Week 12 matchup has been moved from Sunday Night Football and will kick off at 1 p.m. ET.

The NFL set up its schedules with the flexibility to move certain late-season games around, thus avoiding low ratings when two poorly performing teams match up.

NFL rules state that Sunday night games can start being flexed as early as Week 5.

The league bases the decision off of the possibility that two hotter teams could possibly take that spot on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

The NFL has deemed the Packers vs. 49ers matchup as the bigger game. For the Eagles, the flex isn’t necessarily that bad, and with the Seahawks traveling east, the early start could play in the Birds favor.