This one was as hard to swallow as a plateful of haggis.
After a week of exploring, sightseeing, and celebrating with Green Bay Packers fans from all corners of the globe, we were treated to a solid first 30 minutes of football. The Pack was moving the ball with a solid running game and a quick passing attack that had Aaron Rodgers getting rid of the ball quickly and spreading the love to wide receivers and tight ends alike.
Then the second half happened. The New York Giants’ marathon opening drive seemed to flummox the Packers’ defense, with Saquon Barkley hitting the big play that left Darnell Savage planted in the turf. Suddenly, Daniel Jones stopped worrying about his ankle and used his legs to keep the defense off balance. And all of a sudden, everything clicked for New York’s offense. Jones found open receivers in the middle of the field on crossing patterns. It didn’t matter how many yards he needed on third down, he converted.
What has happened to this vaunted Packers’ defense? The one with seven first-rounders — with all 11 preferred starters on the field. The game turned on the first play of the second half when a holding call on Savage wiped out an 11-yard sack by Rashan Gary. That flag changes everything. The ensuing drive chewed up more than half of the third quarter and left the defense gassed when the Pack’s offense followed up with a quick and meek three-and-out.
Instead of taking advantage of the talent on defense by adopting an aggressive mindset, using the corners’ strengths by playing man, and challenging the Giants’ backup receivers, Joe Barry has his unit playing back in zone, terrified of giving up an explosive play. The linebackers play flat-footed and a step slow, seemingly fine with allowing their opponents to chip away and move methodically down the field. If nothing changes, things will get really ugly when they start facing teams with more than one legitimate offensive weapon. Guys that shined last season, like De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas (flagged three times on Sunday), need to wake up soon.
As for the offense, credit the Giants for loading the box and playing a single-high safety in the second half, effectively daring Rodgers to take deep shots and get away from what was working so well. You’d think that a HOF quarterback with plenty of capable targets could find an answer, but the Pack had no answers on this day. And here’s something I complain about virtually every week: Green Bay has to find a way to put the ball in Aaron Jones‘ hands a lot more than 15 times.
Through five games, the Packers have yet to play 60 minutes of football that in any way resembles that of a contender. It’s not too late to figure things out, but it’s also getting harder to see how things might change for the better. This team is as healthy as it’s going to be all season. It’s time to find an identity. I still believe the offense is going to improve and actually show an ability to score points after they come out of the locker room at halftime. But like virtually every other Packer fan, I’m starting to wonder whether Joe Barry is the right guy to lead this defense, which is stacked with very talented players.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to make the trip across the pond and explore this magnificent city for the first time — I will definitely be back; I absolutely love this place. I will bring home memories of sharing amazing experiences with fellow Packer fans from Minnesota and meeting incredible fans from all over Europe.
But ultimately, I’ll come home knowing that my favorite team has a lot of warts. And in a season where they’ve pushed all their chips to the middle of the table, we’re seeing them all too often fold.
