Packer Panic? What’s Wrong with Green Bay

After a 6-0 start to the season, the Green Bay Packers have dropped their last two and looked dismal in doing so. Is it just a blip on the radar for Aaron Rodgers and Co., or is there trouble in Titletown?

The Packers appeared to be cruising in the early part of the season, jumping out to a 6-0 start and seemingly in control of the NFC North. Two weeks later and they find themselves tied with the Minnesota Vikings atop the North, riding a losing streak in which they were blown out at certain points in both games. Are the Broncos and Panthers that good, or is Green Bay seriously flawed?

A Quick Look at the Season:

W 31-23 @ Bears

 Green Bay opened the season in Chicago, and the Bears hung tough with them until a 4th quarter interception by LB Clay Matthews sealed the game. The Bears, in the midst of a rebuilding season, gave the Packers a good test as the offense understandably struggled without top receiver Jordy Nelson. But castoff-come-home James Jones caught two touchdown passes and they held off the Bears 31-23. Always a good sign to win a rivalry game on the road.

W 27-17 v. Seahawks

Green Bay then  exorcised some demons at home verses the Seattle Seahawks, the team that eliminated them in a gut-wrenching loss in the NFC Championship game. Aaron Rodgers took advantage of a Seahawks secondary missing its lynchpin safety Cam Chancellor to turn a fourth quarter deficit into a lead, with an interception again sealing the win late.

W 38-28  v. Chiefs 

The Packers’ offense looked surgical, (Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdown passes), and the defense sacked Chiefs QB Alex Smith seven times. The most dominating Packers win to date this year, as the Packers took care of business at home, with a late surge by the Chiefs making the game appear closer than it actually was.

W 17-3 @ 49ers

A workman-like victory over San Francisco followed against the inept 49ers, as the Packers defense took advantage of a San Francisco offense that was rudderless in the midst of a slump thanks to some truly awful play by  49ers QB Colin Kaepernick. It was a good–if not overly impressive–win by the Packers, as the 49ers had given them fits in recent years, but looked totally outclassed in this tilt.

W 24-10 v. Rams

Aaron Rodgers looked mortal for the first time in years at home, throwing two interceptions. Rams RB Todd Gurley gashed the Packers for 159 rushing yards and St. Louis looked competitive in most of the phases of the game.  Luckily for the Packers, that did not extend to the quarterback position as Rams QB Nick Foles threw four interceptions, snuffing out the Rams’ momentum on multiple occasions as the Packers took the game 24-10.

W 27-20 v. Chargers

Facing an aerial onslaught from San Diego QB Philip Rivers, the Packers leaned on RB James Starks who had his best game of the season, rushing for over a hundred yards (including a 65-yard touchdown), but still needed a 4th down deflection on the goal line to seal the deal. It was a sloppy game full of missed opportunities for both sides, but the Packers have a way of pulling those games out.

L 29-10 @ Broncos

The Broncos completely shut down the Packers’ offense, suffocating the receivers and hemming Aaron Rodgers in the pocket, taking away perhaps the best part of his game: creating when the play breaks down. The Broncos jumped out to a 17-0 lead an never looked back, holding Aaron Rodgers to just 77 yards passing, the worst total of his career, and the Denver offense put up points with a balanced attack.

L 37-29 @ Panthers

The Panthers punched Green Bay in the mouth, jumping out to a 27-7 lead, showing off a power running game and a deep passing game that left the Green Bay defense on its heels and searching for answers (as well as skirmishing with one another on the side lines). Carolina faded in the fourth quarter (for the second week in a row), allowing the Packers back into it, as QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Randall Cobb finally connected on a deep ball that’s been missing all year. The Packers showed signs of life late, but were essentially dominated for the second week in a row.

 

Takeaways:

Green Bay’s 6-0 start seems to have hidden some flaws. Their best victory (over the Seahawks) looks less impressive now as Seattle has proven mercurial at best, and their victory over the Rams came before rookie sensation RB Todd Gurley had fully hit his stride (which is frightening for all future Rams opponents. Those two teams are 4-4; the rest of their opponents have sub .500 records. The running game has been sub-par (so much so that RB Eddy Lacy has lost his starting job), and even though Aaron Rodgers is still an MVP caliber quarterback, the offense is not quite as potent without WR Jordy Nelson. WR Randall Cobb has disappeared for long stretches, WR Davante Adams has not taken the step forward that was expected of him, and the TE play has been inconsistent after Andrew Quarless was put on short term IR. The lone bright spot has been the return of James Jones, who left Green Bay and found little success, but has quickly established himself as Rodger’s big play and scoring threat. At age 31, Jones still has underrated speed, decent size, and veteran savvy, but he may not be enough to put Packers over the top against elite defenses (e.g., Carolina and Denver). This does not bode well come playoff time.

The Packers face a mixed bag on the back half of the schedule, facing the hapless Lions and rebuilding Bears for three games while also traveling to NFC West leading Arizona and to Oakland to face a vastly improved Raiders squad. They catch a tough scheduling break as the Dallas Cowboys should have QB Tony Romo back for their week 14 match-up after missing a couple months with a broken clavicle. But the two most important games will be against the new NFC North challenger, the Minnesota Vikings, facing them week 11 and then in week 17 in what could be a winner-take-all match-up in Lambeau.

Prediction:

Packers finish 10-6 and pull out a victory in week 17 to take the division crown…but are one-and-done after the wildcard game.