Through five games, the script for the Green Bay Packers has been very similar: jump out to a double-digit lead and then either continue to mow down the opponent (first two games), or either hang on for dear life, or let a win slip away (the next three).
Game 6 was a different story. The Pack gave up points on the opening drive. They never sniffed a double-digit lead, going ahead for the first time in the final two minutes, and they needed signature plays on both sides of the ball to escape the Arizona desert with their fourth win.
The fact that they haven’t played a clean game since Week 2, against less-than-stellar competition, has most of us wondering if they really are among the elite in the NFC — though it’s unclear who really is elite in the conference at this point.
We know this: Having game-changing playmakers on both sides of the ball gives you a chance every time you take the field, and Green Bay’s leaned on those guys to escape with their first win away from home this season.
It was a career day for Micah Parsons, whose three sacks all came at pivotal moments, either in the red zone to force a field goal attempt or on the game’s penultimate play, forcing a fourth-down heave in the closing seconds. He had 10 pressures and five QB hits and saved an otherwise mediocre defense.
Rashan Gary’s strip sack of Jacoby Brissett early in the second half tilted the momentum and ended the four-week takeaway drought at the perfect time. Other than that play and Parsons’ huge day, the defense made Brissett look like a Hall of Famer.
Arizona toasted CB Nate Hobbs early and often, once again demonstrating he’s not an outside corner. It’s time to give Carrington Valentine a chance to win that job and let Hobbs compete with Javon Bullard for the slot spot. I don’t care how much he’s making.
Most concerning is the unit’s inability to cover tight ends. The average line this season: eight catches, 65 yards, and a touchdown. Trey McBride is among the game’s best, but he’s the only guy on that offense who should scare you, and the Packers left him basically uncovered twice in the red zone, resulting in touchdowns. The run defense was also leakier than usual, facing a team missing its top two guys. Bam Knight should not be busting out eight- and nine-yard runs on first down.
After two weeks, it looked like the Packers were establishing an identity as a defense-first team. A month or so later, there are more questions than ever about whether that unit is good enough to deal with guys like Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Lamar Jackson — all of whom they’ll see a bit down the road.
For the first time this season, the offense came out disjointed and choppy, as if those five hours on the tarmac at Austin Strobel International had messed with their mojo or something. They were playing with a lesser version of Josh Jacobs, whose calf injury made him a true game-time decision. He was on a pitch count early; Matt LaFleur mentioned at halftime that they wanted to ensure he was fresh for late in the game. That paid off, as he scored twice. He continues to be one of the best red-zone threats in the league among running backs.
One gripe in the passing game: Jordan Love finds Matthew Golden three times on the opening drive, including a third-down conversion. And then he targets him just once more the rest of the game (a fourth reception, by the way). I’m not saying Golden needs double-digit targets each game, but when you’re down two of your top four receivers and your fifth guy (Wicks) is banged up, it feels like a time to get the ball in the kid’s hands. Tucker Kraft and Romeo Doubs still deserve to be the target priorities, but there should be more emphasis on getting the ball to their speedy rookie.
I didn’t think it was a great play-calling day for LaFleur, especially on third down, where the Pack struggled for the first time all season, going 3 for 10. Those slow-developing toss plays on third-and-short drive me crazy. But credit LaFleur with making two game-changing, gutsy calls.
When McBride scored in the closing seconds of the first half, I grabbed my dog’s leash and headed out for our weekly halftime walk. Got back to the house and saw some texts referencing the amazing field goal, and I had no idea what they were talking about. Seven seconds left from the 25, and LaFleur decides to run a real play? I figured there was still scar tissue from the aggressive decision late in the half in Dallas that backfired. A 22-yard completion to Doubs later and out trots Lucas Havrisik, who proceeds to boot the longest field goal in Packers history.
The interesting conundrum that is “What to do with Havrisik?” can wait for another day. That was a momentum-shifting decision, cutting the lead to one possession at the half. The Pack failed to ride that momentum, going three-and-out on the opening drive of the third quarter. Still, a decision like that shows confidence in the offense and should pay dividends as the season moves along.
The other big call was the change of heart on fourth down in the closing minutes. I was on board with a field goal try, even though it was hard to trust the defense to stop the Cardinals. When LaFleur called his second timeout to mull over his decision, it felt like he gave away a precious asset that he might need in the closing seconds. He said he looked at Love’s face as he was coming off the field and decided to put the ball in his hands. Again, showing faith in your young star QB will only boost his confidence as he ascends.
Love showed he can deliver in a game-shifting moment, when he found Kraft, his third read on the play, and delivered just a gorgeous 15-yard throw that allowed us to exhale and let Jacobs take over from there.
Brissett still made it interesting in the final two minutes, but Parsons made sure that on this day, the defense would do just enough to get the job done.
There are still plenty of questions about how good this team is through six games; they have not played their best football over the past month, against middling competition. But the fact is, they could very well head into Pittsburgh next Sunday night with the best record in the NFC.
If they can find their groove, and getting guys back like Devonte Wyatt, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed will help, it feels like their ceiling can still be as high as we hoped when the season started.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have No. 1 on your side, either.
