The 2024 Packers continue to be a work in progress through five games. All three units are plagued by inconsistency. There seems to be only one thing this team can count on week in and week out: Xavier McKinney taking the ball away.
Has any NFL defensive free agent ever made a bigger splash in his first five games? Maybe the bigger question is, where would this defense be without him? Add in his two takeaways on Sunday and that’s a preposterous six through the first five games. McKinney has given Jeff Hafley’s unit an identity, thanks to his ball-hawking expertise. Green Bay has an NFL-leading 14 takeaways through five games.
But that’s not his only winning trait. The team’s two rookie safeties, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, are off to dazzling starts, and you have to believe McKinney’s tutelage and early-season greatness are rubbing off on them. They combined for 18 tackles on Sunday, with Williams making a great play to end the game (thanks partly to fellow rookie Edgerrin Cooper‘s pressure on Matthew Stafford).
The play of the three rookie defenders is my biggest takeaway from a sloppy, ugly 24-19 win over the Los Angeles Rams. If this unit can stay relatively healthy (getting back Jaire Alexander and Devonte Wyatt will help), it will be fascinating to see what it looks like in the back half of the season when the stakes are higher.
I still have concerns about the lack of a consistent pass rush (Rashan Gary, where are you?), and no team can rely on collecting turnovers week in and week out, but the youngsters will only get better with more opportunities. I’ll throw some love Karl Brooks’ way, too; the second-year D-lineman made the most of his extra snaps with 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and three QB hits.
We know the Rams offense is missing its two stud receivers, but the Pack held them to 12 points, thanks largely to the two turnovers, McKinney’s pick and fumble recovery — the latter thanks to J.J. Enagbare’s forced fumble. The run defense is still an issue, and they allowed a 50% conversion rate on third downs, so there is work to be done. But they bailed out an offense that is maddeningly inconsistent.
The best development is Jordan Love‘s health; he looked much more comfortable moving around. That 12-yard quarterback run showed that he is getting close to 100%. He delivered what has to be Green Bay’s offensive play of the year on the bomb into triple coverage to Jayden Reed. But then he followed it up with a Brett Favre-esque decision, trying to avoid a safety and handing the Rams a quick seven points.
I thought Matt LaFleur was a little too pass-heavy in the first half. They never got into any kind of rhythm, with four three-and-outs in the first five times they had the ball. The Rams came into the game with the league’s 31st-ranked defense, so that’s a bit concerning. Drops continue to be a storyline, as do offensive penalties.
With the team down a couple of key receivers, only Tucker Kraft stepped up and filled the void. His two third-quarter touchdown passes officially vault him into the No. 2 ranking of reliable receiving options. That 66-yard catch-and-run showed why there was a lot of excitement about his future, from the stiff arm on CB Darious Williams to his speed – he clocked in at nearly 20 MPH as he scampered into the end zone.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Dontayvion Wicks, who had an opportunity to step into the void but wasn’t up to the challenge, adding two more ugly drops to his stat line. We saw Davante Adams go through a similar stretch in his second year – hopefully, he’ll get past it soon. With Watson’s injury likely keeping him out for a little while and Romeo Doubs’ uncertain future, the Pack will need Wicks to be the guy who tantalized us late last season.
Speaking of Doubs, hopefully we’ll get some clarity regarding his situation on Monday, when he’s scheduled to meet with LaFleur. It sounds like the team believes he will be back at it as they prepare for the Arizona Cardinals, but who knows where his head’s at.
Reading the tea leaves, he probably wasn’t thrilled with an offensive game plan that didn’t feature him. He attended practice on Wednesday when the team installed its offensive plan, but he was a no-show the rest of the week.
When a team employee has to go to your house to check on your well-being because no one has heard from you, that’s a big problem. On the one hand, you hope he’s okay mentally because that seems so out of character. On the other hand, you just cannot let your team down like that. It creates ripple effects throughout the locker room. Love had targeted Doubs 15 times in his two starts, and he’s an integral part of the passing attack. Maybe someone needs to keep whispering that in his ear.
It was nice to see Josh Jacobs get his first touchdown of the season, but the overall lack of success against that run defense is a concern. I would not have believed he’d average less than four yards per carry against the putrid Rams defense. He and the O-line need to be better.
Another bit of positivity: When Love rebounded from the pick-six and marched the team down the field at the end of the half, Brayden Narveson stepped up and hit a 46-yard field goal, even after Sean McVay iced him. You could almost feel his heart beating from your man cave as he lined up. A perfect day for the young kicker — something to build on.
Was it pretty? No. Was it a pivotal road win against an NFC team? Yes. I think it’s safe to say the Packers are not in danger of peaking too early. Still, Love is getting healthier, the young defense is gaining confidence, and, maybe most importantly, the X-man is always lurking, ready to unleash his turnover-grabbing superpowers.
