Tag: rewatch

The Green Bay Packers held leads of 16-3 and 25-10 before eventually closing out a convincing 32-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at Lambeau Field.

The victory sends the Packers to the NFC Championship Game.

Here are all my notes and observations from rewatching the 32-18 win:

– Preston Smith broke up two passes, including one on third down on the opening drive. He wasn’t in a position to pressure the quarterback, but he read Jared Goff’s eyes the whole way, got two arms up and disrupted the pass. Smart play from the veteran.

– The Packers made their intentions known on offense right away. The first drive had a heavy dose of pre-snap motion and inside zone runs. Both concepts would be staples the rest of the way.

– Classic Aaron Rodgers. Identify the late substitution, get everyone to the line, snap it with at least 12 on the field, and get the free play. Stealing.

– Rodgers will want his 2nd-and-goal throw back. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was wide open on the extended play. It still ended up being a ball MVS should catch with two hands above his head, but that thrown should have been a layup.

– Excellent job by Preston Smith to work down the line and make the stop on 3rd-and-short in the red zone, which eventually forced the Rams into kicking a field goal. He got inside the block attempt on the backside and took a great angle at Cam Akers to make the play.

– It’s been said in this space several times, but Malik Taylor just isn’t a good enough kickoff returner. He made an awkward catch and hesitated for a second in the end zone on his first return, which ended up being stopped at the 15. The Packers can and should do better.

– Who knows how Aaron Jones survived the wicked hit attempt by John Johnson on the second drive. He has incredible toughness and contact balance.

– Just beautiful play design on the touchdown. Put Davante in motion, get Jalen Ramsey chasing and use the built-in traffic of the defense to create separation and the score. The Rams clearly wanted to defend that type of play differently, likely with a late switch in that scenario, which is why Ramsey was so animated after.

– The Rams had another communication breakdown on Za’Darius Smith’s sack. Two players – the left tackle and the running back – took Christian Kirksey on the blitz, allowing Za’Darius to split inside and have a free run at Goff.

– Two big penalties on the Rams helped the Packers. The first came on Aaron Donald on the first touchdown drive. It gave the Packers 15 free yards and prevented a 3rd-and-7 situation. A drive later, the Rams got flagged for 15 yards on the punt return, allowing the Packers to start the possession on the Rams’ 47-yard line. They scored a touchdown on both drives.

– Aaron Jones made Troy Hill look silly in the open field on a simple check down. Even at full speed, Jones can change directions so effortlessly.

– Davante’s best rep against Ramsey came on 2nd-and-14 in the second quarter. No one runs the slant better than 17. Ramsey didn’t even get a hand on him as he set up him and then broke inside.

– Why does Aaron Rodgers pump fake all the time when he’s extending a play or scrambling? Leonard Floyd found out exactly why. He bought what Rodgers was selling on the fake, clearing the path to the end zone.

– Brutal snap from Hunter Bradley on the extra point. He’s been shaking as the long snapper all season. JK Scott’s decision to throw the ball to Mason Crosby and risk an injury to the veteran kicker was another mistake.

– The Packers defense is becoming notorious for playing soft at the end of the half.

– The 33-yard completion to Robert Tonyan setting up the field goal to end the first half was just vintage Rodgers. Avoid the pressure, expertly maneuver in the pocket and find a receiver on an improvised route.

– Both of Rodgers’ final two attempts of the first half should have been intercepted. The Rams wasted two big opportunities to prevent three points.

– Awesome blocks from Corey Linsley and Lucas Patrick on Aaron Jones’ 60-yard run to open the second half. Create the alley, take out a second-level defender and then let Jones do the rest.

– Jamaal Williams ran really hard all night.

– The Packers tackled really well throughout the game. Even Kevin King was solid.

– One of the best reps of Rashan Gary’s career was the third down sack. Beating Andrew Whitworth for a sack is no small deal. He won inside with speed and was flexible enough to turn back outside to track down Goff to end the drive. Kenny Clark provided an assist.

– Rodgers’ accuracy was a little off at times, and it was way off on the deep ball to MVS. With a good ball, it’s probably a 92-yard touchdown.

– Amazingly, just one play after missing MVS, Rodgers hung in the pocket forever, standing dangerously in the end zone for seconds before unleashing a strike to Allen Lazard for the first down. The play took real guts from No. 12.

– The same concept that sprung Lazard wide open on what could have been a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter helped get him open the eventual 58-yard touchdown a quarter later. On both, Rodgers executed a hard run fake that sold it well.

– The pass breakup from Darious Williams on MVS was a crafty, veteran move. A little tugging to thwart the speed, and then an athletic play to high point the ball without too much contact. Charles Woodson would be impressed.

– The Rams had the quick passing game going in spurts. But any time Goff had to hang in there and make a throw downfield, the Packers pass-rush made it difficult or impossible.

– Krys Barnes had a nice game overall, but Akers took him for a ride on the Wildcat touchdown run. Barnes made first contact at the 5-yard line, but Akers carried him into the end zone.

– Hook and ladder on the two-point attempt. An awesome design and execution from the Rams. Pretty looking play that worked perfectly.

– Running a crosser with Allen Lazard from a bunched or condensed formation has become a staple play for the Packers in big spots.

– Twice, the Packers used A.J. Dillon as the vertical receiver from the backfield. It was open at least once. The play could be something the Packers go back to in these playoffs.

– JK Scott saved Hunter Bradley from another terrible snap early in the fourth quarter.

– The Packers defense dominated the fourth quarter. The Rams had 30 total yards on 14 plays.

– What a fortunate break on Dillon’s fumble. That could have been a disaster. Instead, Rodgers scooped it up like a shortstop and gained a yard.

– Rams cornerback Troy Hill bit HARD on the play-action fake on Lazard’s 58-yard touchdown.

– Barnes probably would have had a game-sealing pick if he had two healthy hands. His left hand was in a cast after a first-half injury. It was still a good read to break on the out-route and undercut the throw.

– Interior pressure from Za’Darius Smith forced Jared Goff into the final sack. Gary saw it the whole way and was there to stop the scramble attempt.

– Impressive final drive to kill the clock. The Packers just imposed their will up front and used a few simple play-action concepts. It was the same stuff they did all game.

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The Green Bay Packers are the No. 1 seed in the NFC after defeating the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. The 35-16 win secured a second consecutive 13-3 season and ensured the road to Super Bowl LV will go through Lambeau Field in the NFC playoffs.

Here are the notes and observations from rewatching the Packers’ win over the Bears in the season finale:

– I still think it was a smart challenge by Matt LaFleur to open the game. The difference was 39 yards, and a chance to pin the Bears at the 1-yard line. I also still think there was enough video evidence to overturn the original call. It required piecing the two replays together. I get why the NFL stuck with the call, but I don’t have much doubt that Cordarrelle Patterson touched the ball before he went out of bounds.

– The Packers really loaded up to stop Derrick Henry last week, but they played some lighter defenses to start the game against the Bears, and Chicago took advantage. Playing nickel against two tight end formations is a risk. A lot of the Bears’ production in the run game evaporated when the Packers played some bigger fronts, especially with Snacks Harrison.

– Kenny Clark had a dominant game. On 3rd-and-2 on the opening drive, Clark drove his blocker into the backfield with brute power and disrupted the whole play. He is playing a powerful brand of football entering the postseason.

– Chandon Sullivan was a little late on his slot blitz on fourth down on the opening drive, giving Mitchell Trubisky time to find the hot read and get rid of the ball. Mike Pettine wanted to be aggressive. Sullivan might have had a chance to disrupt the play with better timing.

– Kamal Martin plays fast downhill against the run, but he has to get better at staying under control and making the play in the hole. He whiffed badly on David Montgomery on the touchdown run. He had a chance to stop the play well short of the goal line. The rookie also missed a tackle on Darnell Mooney later in the game.

– Incredible individual plays from Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones on the third-down conversion on the opening drive. Rodgers somehow got rid of the ball and avoided a big hit, while Jones caught the ball eight yards short of the sticks but made three defenders miss and picked up 15. Special effort.

– The Packers love the slot fade to Davante Adams in big situations. Rodgers will go to it every time against single coverage. The holding penalty prevented what would have been a touchdown.

– I wonder how many times Rodgers has thrown a red-zone touchdown to his third or fourth progression in a play this season. The touchdown to Robert Tonyan looked like another one. He had enough time before getting hit to come back to Tonyan breaking open along the backline moving to the quarterback’s left. Credit to Rodgers for the patience, and credit the offensive line for providing the time.

– Clark is a screen-buster. On 3rd-and-long, he recognized the screen, instantly pivoted back towards the play and helped stop Montgomery after a short gain. Impressive play from a man his size.

– Tavon Austin has long had a fumbling problem. His fumble was the 23rd of his career. It looked like he wasn’t prepared for the hit from his left after Randy Ramsey blocked the Bears defender into him at a weird angle. Austin must be stronger in possession of the ball, especially on special teams.

– Harrison is quicker than he gets credit for at 339 pounds. He can get off the ball. With his strength and power, a step is all he needs.

– The Packers had the one giveaway, and the Bears turned it into just three points. The Packers scored 14 points off their two takeaways. Adversity defense is important.

– The Packers need to find a better kickoff return option than Malik Taylor. He just doesn’t look comfortable doing the job. In fact, he looks like a turnover waiting to happen. I’d probably let Jamaal Williams handle it in the postseason. At least they could count on the ball security.

– Getting Marquez Valdes-Scantling running down the seam against a linebacker is certainly a fun matchup for the Packers. Danny Trevathan had no chance. Right call at the right time.

– It was a little bit of a fluke play, but credit Jaire Alexander for sticking with it and ripping the ball out on the Cole Kmet fumble.

– The Packers used the jet motion to help the offensive tackles against the Bears edge rushers several times. It’s enough to get those guys to freeze for a half-second. Against guys like Khalil Mack, a half-second is important.

– Once again, Matt LaFleur was one step ahead of Chuck Pagano. He called the perfect play to beat the coverage on Dominique Dafney’s touchdown. The Bears gave safety help against Davante Adams, leaving Dafney an opportunity to get behind the linebacker and into the open spot in the zone for the score.

– Preston Smith jumped offsides for the seventh time since joining the Packers in 2019, negating Adrian Amos’ takeaway. He tries to jump the snap way too often.

– Kevin King probably should have intercepted Trubisky’s final pass of the first half, but it would have been a tough play. He didn’t see the ball until it was right on him. Still, King probably should have been more ready for the ball to get to him in that spot.

– The Valdes-Scantling drop really sucked the air out of the Packers offense to start the second half.

– Surprising to see Darnell Savage let a receiver get behind him as the deep safety. He was a step late from being in a position to potentially intercept the football on the deep ball to Mooney, who made a great play.

– Once again, great adversity defense after giving up the big play. The Bears settling for field goals after big plays changed the game.

– Rodgers received some serious interception luck for a stretch in the third quarter. Three of his passes probably should have been picked. All three were dropped.

– Look at this play from Jaire Alexander. What a player.

– The Packers plugged up the middle with Clark and Harrison on the game-changing fourth down play, forcing the Bears to throw it. Chandon Sullivan played sticky coverage on Allen Robinson and the Bears turned it over. In fact, he probably could have had a pick-six the other way had he caught the ball.

– LaFleur designed a beautiful drive to put the Packers up 28-16. He made life very easy on his quarterback.

– The turnover was overdue. Trubisky suddenly needed to push the ball downfield, and Amos made a great play to drift over from a deep safety position and make the play on a ball that never should have been thrown. At least a few times every game, Trubisky is going to provide turnover opportunities.

– Davante Adams tying the team’s touchdown record on a perfectly-executed slant against the Bears top cornerback was fitting. The hop step king strikes again. Adams is just devastating at the line of scrimmage.

– Rashan Gary is setting strong edges in the run game every week. The Packers held Montgomery to just 69 yards on 22 carries, in part due to the edge players funneling everything back inside to the help.

– Savage didn’t have a takeaway but he was awesome in the tackling department all game.

– Amos and Alexander made strong tackles to keep the Bears out of the end zone to finish it off.

The Green Bay Packers used a 19-0 start and a 21-0 finish to deliver a convincing 40-14 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

Here are all my notes and observations from rewatching the Packers’ win over the Titans:

– If a cornerback covering Davante Adams is playing six yards off the line of scrimmage down in the red zone, the ball is going to 17. And that cornerback better be able to play under control and make a tackle in the open field or 17 is scoring. Adoree Jackson was just asking to get victimized to end the first Packers drive.

– Mason Crosby hasn’t missed a field goal, but he’s missed four extra points, including one in three of the last four home games. In fact, all four of Crosby’s misses have come at Lambeau Field.

– The Packers played with five or six players along the line of scrimmage to contain Derrick Henry, including some fronts with four down linemen. The outside linebackers had a terrific night holding the edge and funneling Henry back to the help on the inside or disengaging and making the tackle.

– Kenny Clark had another big night. He’s played so well over the last month. While sometimes unnoticed, his impact isn’t.

– In the snow, Darnell Savage looked a step faster than every single player on the field. The conditions did nothing to slow him down. He got the pick later, but he was flying around on the first series of the contest, producing a crunching tackle on Henry, a pass breakup and a pressure on third down.

– The Titans did a nice job defending a couple of scripted looks for Tavon Austin.

– Credit David Bakhtiari for sticking with the block and drawing the hands to the face penalty on Rashan Evans. The infraction might not have been obvious right away. But Bakhtiari kept blocking, and Evans eventually made the call an easy one for the officials, extending the Packers’ second scoring drive.

– Equanimeous St. Brown beat a good slot cornerback – Desmond King – for the touchdown. He got inside with his release and just ran away from King for the necessary separation. St. Brown became the 10th player to catch a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers this season.

– Rashan Gary’s pressure – the result of a terrific bull rush on the left tackle – was a big factor in Savage’s interception. The pocket was disrupted on Ryan Tannehill. Savage did an incredible job covering Pro Bowler A.J. Brown from a deep safety spot on the crosser. His speed was on full display as tracked Brown and jumped underneath the route to intercept the pass.

– The Packers did a much better job tackling Henry than the Titans did with A.J. Dillon.

– What a throw from Rodgers to Adams on the second touchdown. Adams got a step of separation off the line and Rodgers put the ball right on him. The fade there isn’t always a high percentage play, but the Packers made it look like one. Beauty.

– It was a dominant series for the defense after going up 19-0. Sack on a blitz against play-action on first down, a batted down pass on second down and a sack on a stunt with Gary and Za’Darius Smith on third down. Three plays, minus 17 yards, and a punt.

– Rick Wagner appeared to miss the block that led to the blocked field goal.

– The Titans probably picked up something useful from the read-option that got stuffed on the final drive of the first half. Everyone crashed Henry, including the second level defenders. The Titans went right back to it to start the second half, and Tannehill kept it for the score.

– Malik Taylor didn’t handle the squib kick particularly well before the end of the half. You can bet teams will force him to field another one if he’s still the kickoff returner.

– Mike Pettine brought a bunch of different blitz looks and it really disrupted the Titans play-action passing plans. Just everyone got a chance to blitz on Sunday night.

– On the fourth down in the third quarter, the Packers used Allen Lazard to block the safety on the edge and asked Dillon to beat an unblocked cornerback for the first down. He did that, and then beat the safety in the open field for the score.

– Jaire Alexander completely eliminated Corey Davis, a very good receiver, from the contest.

– Pressures from Gary in the second half nearly created interceptions for both Savage and Adrian Amos.

– Preston Smith’s pressure created Christian Kirksey’s interception. He won quickly with an inside move and forced Tannehill into a bad decision.

– Rare moment for Rodgers on the interception. In fact, it was Favre-like. Rolling right, under pressure, throwing late back to the middle of the field. Favre did it all the time, but Rodgers almost never forces passes in this fashion.

– Savage did a terrific job as a tackler in the open field on Henry. Overall, this was one of the better tackling performances from the secondary this season, even with a missed tackle from Kevin King.

– The Packers didn’t do anything fancy on offense, especially in the second half. A lot of production was just the result of power running. Good blocking up front, and downhill power from Dillon. That combo mixes nicely outside in the snow and cold.

– The throw from Rodgers and the catch by Adams – especially the catch – on the 32-yarder in the fourth quarter were sublime. Adams showed late hands and made a sprawling catch away from his body while going to the ground in snowy conditions in December. Elite play by an elite player.

– Dillon truck-sticked a nose tackle on his way to the end zone to finish off his second touchdown run. It provided an exclamation point to a dominant performance, both by the Packers and the rookie running back.

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The Green Bay Packers used four total touchdowns from MVP front runner Aaron Rodgers to beat the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. The win clinched the NFC North title and allowed Matt LaFleur’s team to jump the New Orleans Saints for the top spot in the NFC.

Here are all my notes and observations from rewatching the 31-24 win on Monday:

– Kenny Clark’s early dominance set the tone for the run defense. He made two impressive stops on the first drive. Lions running backs rushed for only 34 yards on 13 carries in this game.

– The Lions’ plan early on was relatively straight-forward: attack the middle of the field and find ways to isolate matchups on Kevin King in the passing game. It was a smart and effective strategy.

– The coverage on Davante Adams’ opening touchdown was actually quite good. It didn’t matter because of the throw and the connection between the quarterback and receiver. There’s just no defending that play. Perfect timing, perfect placement, perfect run after the catch.

– Matthew Stafford missed a big play to Marvin Jones with King in coverage on the first play of the second drive, and he knew it.

– Tavon Austin got involved on the second drive, doing a lot of Tyler Ervin-like things. He caught two passes for eight yards but showed some explosiveness. His speed will be an asset in the Ervin role.

– The touchdown from Aaron Rodgers to Marquez Valdes-Scantling was an impressive play and an important moment for a young receiver. The catch was terrific. He caught it with his hands away from his body in heavy traffic, absorbing contact but still finishing the play in the end zone. Also, Valdes-Scantling had the timing and body control to make it work on the back-shoulder play. He understood the coverage and situation, turned his head to the quarterback, and twisted to make the catch. It’s a tough play overall. Well done by MVS.

– Dean Lowry is really starting to come on. On back-to-back plays, he had a run stop and a quarterback sack. On the sack, he beat the right guard with a quick move and closed the space on Stafford.

– A play later, Rashan Gary beat a planned double team for a third-down sack. He worked through the chip, looped around the right tackle and tracked Stafford down in the pocket.

– David Bakhtiari got caught jumping the snap count. He does it every week but this officiating crew called it. Like a pass-rusher, he can time his movement with the snap count. The Packers just snapped it a little late.

– JK Scott’s first punt hit at the 1-yard line and wasn’t directed toward the sideline, creating an easy touchback and negating a chance to pin the Lions deep.

– Kevin King HAS to stop trying to tackle by just throwing his shoulder into ball-carries. Not only does he have chronically injured shoulders, but it’s just a terrible way to tackle. He missed two tackles on one drive doing this exact tackle “attempt.”

– The Lions really found ways to catch the Packers napping on screens in the first half.

– Za’Darius Smith drew a pair of holding penalties in the red zone, including one that negated a Chase Daniel touchdown scramble.

– Christian Kirksey in coverage is an adventure. He had inside leverage on Danny Amendola and still lost the rep when Amendola beat him inside. Then he whiffed on the tackle. He’s still a physical player in the run game but his athleticism is almost gone. Later in the game, he fell down chasing D’Andre Swift to the sideline and was flagged for holding while trailing the intended receiver.

– Chandon Sullivan had a rough first half covering from the slot. He gave up two first-down catches and was penalized for holding.

– Credit Mike Pettine for getting aggressive late in the half, sending Darnell Savage on a well-designed blitz to end the scoring threat. Savage timed the blitz well. It likely prevented three points.

– The Lions did a nice job taking away some of the Packers’ go-to crosser routes against man coverage, often using a designated player in the middle of the field to help prevent easy stuff off of the various mesh route concepts in Matt LaFleur’s offense. When it worked, Rodgers had to wait for the receiver to clear the middle of the field, and he often had enough protection to do it.

– One of the biggest plays of the game was Valdes-Scantling drawing a holding penalty on the first third down of the second half. It was a good call. He got hooked as he was blowing past the cornerback on a go route. Without the hold, he might make the catch and coast into the end zone. The penalty avoided a three-and-out and extended the drive, which eventually ended in a touchdown.

– Rodgers doesn’t need to run as much in this offense, but when he sees man coverage across the board and the rush lanes open up a running opportunity, he can still take advantage. Good wheels for a 37-year-old.

– Adrian Amos had a few crunching tackles playing downhill against passes to the flat.

– Jaire Alexander was a half-step away from a pick-six on the Lions’ first third down of the second half. He still forced the incompletion and punt.

– Appreciation for MVS grows. He is so willing to put in the effort as a blocker. It doesn’t go unnoticed by coaches or teammates.

– The offensive line essentially erased the Lions’ pass-rush. Rodgers was playing from a clean pocket all day.

– The scheme works so well for Robert Tonyan. He just gets open and converts his opportunities consistently. The touchdown was another great example. He got lost in the mix and the linebacker was late picking him up as he got into the route late. The scheme does a great job making many of his responsibilities, whether it’s a run or pass, look the same.

– Lions fans should be furious about the replay on the Marvin Jones catch/no catch. It was close, but it looked like a fantastic play and catch on replay. The Lions eventually scored a touchdown, but the replay decision cost the team about 2:30 of game clock.

– The run game had to grind at times, but the Packers did pick up 10 rushing first downs.

– Davante’s crossover into high step combo on the 29-yarder in the fourth quarter was fun. Classic 17 swagger.

– What a kick by Mason Crosby in that game situation. He hit a screaming line driver that split the uprights. A play later, he saved a touchdown on the kickoff return. It ended up saving four points. Important seven-point swing there.

– The onside kick was something. The Packers were fortunate the ball hit out of bounds short of 10 yards. The Lions were close to getting the football back.

– Tonyan has clinched wins with first-down conversions late in each of the last three games. They love using him on that play-action concept when everyone is expecting run.

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