The Green Bay Packers fell behind 17-0 and then gave up 21 straight points in the second half en route to an embarrassing 38-3 defeat at the hands of the New Orlean Saints on Sunday in Jacksonville.
Here are our notes and observations from re-watching the game:
– The run defense started well, stuffing a first-down run thanks to a physical play from inside linebackers Krys Barnes and De’Vondre Campbell. It was a rare win in the first half.
– The pass-rush lanes weren’t good for the Packers, and Jameis Winston took advantage early. He had wide-open alleys to step up and run. Kenny Clark missed what should have been a sack on the first drive.
– The Packers rotated players upfront on defense early and often, but the second-teamers at defensive line and edge rusher really struggled against the Saints’ excellent offensive line.
– Matt LaFleur sure tried to set the tone early with the fourth-down try.
– Aaron Rodgers’ accuracy was off even early on. He threw well behind Robert Tonyan on the first drive.
– Preston Smith was really active early. He had a quarterback hit forcing an incompletion and an impressive run stop setting the edge on the first two drives.
– Kevin King playing off coverage continues to be a recipe for disaster.
– Sean Payton was two steps ahead of Joe Barry early. And he wasn’t at all scared of the Packers defense.
– The Packers got A.J. Dillon rolling downhill on the second series but never really went back to it. Rodgers took a bad sack on a first down off a play-action fake and it killed the drive.
– The Saints offensive line dominated the game in the first half.
– The Saints took advantage of some over-aggressiveness from Rashan Gary during the first half, but the third-year outside linebacker also made an impressive play to create a third-down stop near the goal line, and his fourth-down pressure on Winston should have ended the drive. It took an outstanding play to convert the touchdown.
– It was one of the lone highlights, but the connection between Rodgers and Davante Adams was a thing of beauty. What a throw, what a catch.
– Rodgers’ accuracy was off for much of the contest. An odd sight after he led the NFL in completion percentage last season.
– Rodgers’ interception in the red zone was the product of immediate pressure. Cameron Jordan beat rookie Royce Newman off the ball, and Rodgers threw behind Adams. An ugly play at the worst time.
– His second interception was one of the worst throws of his career. Never looked off the safety and then threw it 5 yards over Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s head. It was well defended and never had a chance. The ensuing return on the arm punt essentially gave the Saints seven more points. A game that could have been 17-10 turned into 24-3 in a hurry.
– Not sure what Darnell Savage was doing on Winston’s third touchdown pass. He reacted to Winston stepping up into the pocket and left Chris Hogan all alone in the end zone. Chandon Sullivan never had a chance to recover. Savage didn’t have to vacate because Campbell was in a position to spy Winston’s scramble.
– Play-action on 4th-and-2 down 24-3? Baffling. The action fooled no one. And it made the stop an easy one for the Saints.
– The roughing the passer penalty didn’t impact the outcome. But it was a terrible call. Egregiously bad. Za’Darius Smith won on an inside move and had a clean hit on Winston. Bad, bad, bad.
– King was at least partially responsible for Winston’s fourth touchdown pass. He picked off Sullivan, leaving Juwan Johnson wide open in the end zone.
– It happens in all these ugly losses. The Packers fall behind early, the gameplan goes out the window, Rodgers plays hero ball and the whole thing on offense falls apart.
– Billy Turner, Lucas Patrick and Royce Newman all had issues protecting the passer. The offensive line is going to be something important to watch until David Bakhtiari returns.
– King ran 4.43 in the 40-yard dash coming out of Washington. There’s zero chance he can still run 4.43. He might be in the 4.6 range. He got smoked by Deonte Harris and had no recovery speed on the 55-yard touchdown.
– Jordan Love completed passes of 19 yards and 32 yards to Amari Rodgers and Randall Cobb, respectively. He probably should have had another completion over 20 yards on a throw to the sideline to Allen Lazard, who couldn’t finish the catch. Love looked confident standing in the pocket and delivering downfield, even against vanilla defenses.
– The game fittingly ended on a red zone turnover. Protection broke down and the quarterback was sloppy with the ball.
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