Green Bay Packers

Green Bay's Blunders Overshadowed Jayden Reed's Masterful Performance

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A brief understatement: The Green Bay Packers’ heavily anticipated 2024 season did not begin as fans hoped, with Green Bay falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-29.

Still, there was much to learn about the team in this first game. The defense looked strong at times and like a weakness at others. Josh Jacobs started slow but picked up momentum as the game progressed. The officials seemed to call a penalty on every other play, and players on both teams were slipping all over the field.

However, Jayden Reed’s performance was the biggest and most positive thing to take away from Green Bay’s calamitous loss.

Entering the season, Reed had a lot of hype after being the team’s leader in receiving yards last year as a rookie. Not only was he a playmaker, but he could attack a defense in several different ways. The Packers lined him up in the slot and used him in the deep attack or lined him up wide and used him in the backfield. Regardless of where they positioned Reed, he always seemed to make plays and rarely ever made mistakes.

The second-year man out of Michigan State seriously impressed during the first half. Reed scored Green Bay’s first touchdown on a 33-yard jet sweep to take a 12-7 lead. He showed off his speed and ability to break a tackle on that play.

Later, with about five minutes to go in the second quarter, Reed caught a bomb from Jordan Love on a third-and-10, and he took it 70 yards for a score. It was Love’s longest touchdown pass of his career, and the Packers took a 19-14 lead.

There wasn’t anything special about his route running or the catch on this play. However, after hauling the catch, he juked C.J. Gardner-Johnson so hard he nearly broke his ankles.

Reed was the strength of Green Bay’s offense. However, Reed’s counterpart, Saquon Barkley, was crucial in Philadelphia’s offense throughout the game. Barkley had three rushing touchdowns during the game. Reed would have finished with three receiving touchdowns if his first one was not called back for too many men on the field.

Reed had four receptions and one carry for a combined 171 yards and two touchdowns. Doing that against a Vic Fangio defense with multiple former Georgia Bulldogs on the unit is impressive, especially as a second-year player.

Reed can make these types of plays in different ways and be flat-out dangerous with the ball in his hands, showing that the Packers may have found a diamond in the rough with him since he was not highly scouted and was taken with 50th-overall pick in the second round. Green Bay has a versatile receiving corps, but it seemed like only Reed and Christian Watson made plays in the receiving game on Friday night in Brazil.

Green Bay’s Week 1 loss was unfortunate. However, they still scored 29 points against Philadelphia’s stout defense, and it would have been 33 had they not gone for two and Brayden Narveson made his 43-yard attempt.

The Packers’ defense helped them early on with two early takeaways that gave them the ball in prime territory. However, Green Bay had to settle for field goals both times. That was mainly because Josh Jacobs had a hard time getting started. But once he got going, he looked good.

It was a weird night for the offense. They flashed at times and struggled mightily at others. Jayden Reed was the only guy who continued to get open and make big catches.

The Packers should look Reed’s way more. He has proven that he can make big plays in different ways. Keep him going; that will draw more defensive attention to him and open up more opportunities for Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Luke Musgrave.

Green Bay made many mistakes that collectively cost them the game on Friday: missed tackles, holding penalties, and illegal shifts. But those mistakes are correctable in a week’s worth of practice. It’s important to remember that the Packers have weapons like Jayden Reed, who can produce against good defenses. The rest will take care of itself if they can correct the little things.

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