What to Watch Heading Into Weeks 5-8
The Packers sit at 3-1 through the first four weeks of the season. They've given us plenty to like, and plenty to dislike, from Weeks 1-4.
By MaggieLoney
The Packers are sitting pretty atop the NFC North through the first quarter of the season. In a dominating division, Green Bay is 3-1 with a 2-0 division record. Even with their first place status, the Packers know they can’t get complacent, as the rest of the division is sitting in their rear view mirror.
There’s plenty for Green Bay to improve on heading into the second quarter of the season. Weeks 5-8 they’ll be facing the Dallas Cowboys (away), Detroit Lions (home), Oakland Raiders (home), and Kansas City Chiefs (away). No team listed has a below .500 record. Coming out of that stretch with at least a 2-2 split is vital.
So, what does this 2019 Packers team look like with a reworked roster and brand new head coach? Here are some key takeaways thus far:
The defense is dominant through the air - through four games, the Packers have tallied four interceptions and a whopping 20 passes defensed. For the entire 2018 season, Green Bay had seven interceptions with 59 passes defensed. This 2019 defense is on pace for 16 interceptions and 80 broken up passes. Jaire Alexander is proving that he can become a shutdown corner in the NFL, and a healthy Kevin King makes a world of difference for this defense. Both players are already off to strong starts in 2019, and their arrows are still pointing up. Additionally, free agent Adrian Amos is proving to be the reliable safety he was advertised as. He’s capable of making open-field tackles and already has an interception on the season. The secondary has seen a big upgrade from 2018.
Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers - For the majority of this young season, the defense has carried the Packers. Because of that, Rodgers hasn’t had to find a telephone booth mid-game and don his cape. He’s looked pretty human, and that’s a good thing. For arguably most of his career, Rodgers has been working with underwhelming defenses, meaning the weight of the franchise has been resting largely on his shoulders. That’s not the case so far in 2019. Instead, the defense has been giving the offense short fields and plenty of turnovers to keep the Packers in close games. Through four games, Rodgers has 91 completions for 1,069 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception (off a deflection). He’s still protecting the football and making plays with his feet. He’s still making impossible Rodgers-esque throws. This offense is just struggling in the red zone, but we’ll get to that later. For what it’s worth, Rodgers is currently on pace for 4,276 yards, 24 touchdowns, and four picks. The touchdown number would come in a little low, but outside of that, his stats are on par with his numbers throughout most of his career (including his Super Bowl season).
Other quick takeaways - Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith have transformed this team’s pass rush. JK Scott is a weapon and special teams looks much-improved. Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are a solid one-two punch in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
Now that we know some positives, what does this team need to work on going into the second quarter of the 2019 season? Well, let’s take a look:
Wide receiver rotation is questionable - Davante Adams had a sluggish start to the season (which is to be expected when you’re consistently double and triple-teamed in coverage) before putting up a career game against the Eagles with 10 completions for 180 yards. Behind Adams, though, the depth is a concern, especially if Adams misses any time with his toe injury. While Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison are unquestionably wide receivers two and three on the team, neither has truly stepped up to demand a larger role on offense. Through four games, their stats leave much to be desired: MVS (16 receptions, 217 yards, 1 TD) Geronimo (8 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD). For comparison, Adams has 25 receptions for 378 yards with no touchdowns. It’s possible that Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow, and Darrius Shepherd can still carve out a role for themselves on offense, but that’s a big question mark thus far.
Run defense is a liability - The Packers defense is getting completely run over through four games. Green Bay surrendered 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings Week 2. Against the Broncos and the Eagles, the middle of the field became a liability. While it’s one thing to defend against the pass and sacrifice a few yards on the ground, that no longer matters when the run game is getting into the end zone. The Packers’ red zone defense has taken a hit these last few weeks, and there are plenty of opposing players in the near future that will test this Packers run defense further (see Ezekiel Elliott, Week 5). Mike Pettine needs to find a solution, and quickly.
Red zone offense stalling - Anyone that saw last Thursday’s game against the Eagles knows exactly why this is on the list. Sure, Jamaal Williams and Davante Adams not being in play for the last two red zone series against Philadelphia may have played a part, but the offense can’t walk away from the red zone with zero points on two consecutive series. Players like Jimmy Graham who were brought into Green Bay to be weapons for Aaron Rodgers need to step up and make plays when they’re asked to. Now that the offense appears to be clicking and sustaining drives, the next step is to put points on the board when they get into opposing territory. We’ll see if the red zone offense changes these next few weeks when the Packers aren’t facing some of the most aggressive, dominating front sevens in the league.
The sample size is small. That’s what we need to remember right now. Through four games, the Packers are still sitting at 3-1 in first place in the NFC North. That’s a good thing. Wins aren’t easy to come by in the NFL, especially against division rivals. But, there’s plenty this team will need to fix if they want to come out of the second quarter of the season above .500.
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Maggie Loney is a writer for Cheesehead TV and podcaster for Pack's What She Said. Find her on Bluesky at @MaggieJLoney.
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Comments (59)
Hematite
September 30, 2019 at 05:37 am
"Run defense is a liability"
This is quite the understatement!
The run defense is the Achilles heel of this team.
Lphill
September 30, 2019 at 05:40 am
Let’s get Ty Summers in at linside linebacker.
Hematite
September 30, 2019 at 07:11 am
Gotta try something!
Trying to scheme square pegs into round holes isn't working.
Sureshot
September 30, 2019 at 07:33 am
I would prefer to get Oren Burks back soon.
I'm not sure Summers is there yet.
mrtundra
September 30, 2019 at 10:22 am
We need a tough ILB who can make plays on the opponents' side of the LOS. Kwiatkowski of the Bears, comes to mind. He was stellar against the vikings. We need our LBs to plug up the gaps used as running lanes for our opponent's RBs. We still need to draft, or acquire in FA, some O lInemen next year, but we also need to get us a run stopping ILB or two. Not to mention the other positions of need.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Yes, because the Bears knew the Vikes had to run the ball to be successful. They played a tremendous amount of base in that game and begged the Vikes to throw. It worked. The Vikes were pathetic, and Cook was completely bottled up.
edp1959
September 30, 2019 at 07:08 am
Defense period is questionable, I saw more than just running plays that were a concern. This was the first time they faced a formidable offensive attack. Special teams has not improved except for the punter. There is not a run game without Jamal, Arun Jones is not a power back. Adams is the only reliable receiver #12 has. Rodgers saw all of this Thursday night and knew he had to take over for any possible chance of winning. It's clear he is still going to have to carry this team.
[email protected]
September 30, 2019 at 07:15 am
How about using Trevor Davis on Special Teams :-(
wildbill
September 30, 2019 at 01:13 pm
Generally when the Packers let a veteran go it’s not because they think they can’t play at an NFL level. It’s usually age/cost/upgrade. I think Davis falls in the upgrade category, don’t let one great play affect the reason behind the move.
Sureshot
September 30, 2019 at 07:32 am
Regarding the offense, it is still a work in progress. Some of the problems we've seen in the first 4 games were clearly expected. And still we are 3-1.
If there is no progress after half of the season, I will start to worry.
The defense is more concerning.
We faced poor offensive units in the first 3 weeks and I was expecting the real test to come with teams like the Eagles, Cowboys and Chiefs.
And we may have seen what our defense really looks like againts Philly.
If the defense can't stop the run, we will be killed by a heavy dose of runs and play actions.
We need to find a way to stop the run. The 3-3-5 scheme will not take us there.
Handsback
September 30, 2019 at 07:55 am
I want to see all the receivers involved with the offense. You can't establish a running game without proving your receivers will be open. Green Bay's receivers get open but if they aren't named MVS, Adams, or Graham....they will never see the ball. That can't keep happening.
Spock
September 30, 2019 at 07:59 am
Had anyone told me we'd be 2-0 in the division and 3-1 after 4 games before the season started I'd have been ecstatic. Now the team faces some adversity and we'll see how it responds. I'm glad there is the 'mini-bye' here because there's a lot of issues to work on. I'm still looking forward to some good Packer football coming up. Many were complaining about MM and his coaches; let's see how MLF and his coaches spend the time (crosses fingers, throws salt over shoulder, knocks on wood) to tweak the team. My biggest concern is D. Adams turf toe. If he's out the WR room is a bit "iffy" right now. Hopefully M. Adams will be back on defense as we need him on run defense. Lots to wonder about and lots to look forward to! Go, Pack, Go.
splitpea1
September 30, 2019 at 11:44 am
"Tweak the team"? I'm more interested in the mold eventually being broken and replaced by a respectable running game, quick release passes, and a solid defense up the middle. Not sure if we have all the players needed to accomplish this right now, but you have to start sometime.
Notice how New Orleans was able to handle Dallas last night. They were able to sneak it and convert other third downs on the ground when they needed to; they held Elliott to less than two yards per carry; they didn't need to score a touchdown to win; and they did it with their backup QB. Are the Packers capable of doing this?
It's great to have the luxury of a Hall of Fame quarterback, but you have to able to do some of the aforementioned things to win against the better teams. Through the first quarter of the season, we've made strides on defense (with the exception of last time), but offensively we're pretty much the same as we always were.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:13 pm
Part of what the Saints did, also, was expose Dallas as the beneficiary of being able to open their season with games against arguably the 3 worst teams in the league (Was, NYG, Mia).
RCPackerFan
September 30, 2019 at 08:09 am
What we have learned after the first quarter.
1 quarter through the season and we are 3-1, and 2-0 in the division. Going into the season all of us would have taken that to start the year.
The first quarter we are just starting to get a feel for the team. There are a lot of good things and some concerning things.
First the concerning things.
The run defense has to be the tops of this list. They have given up a lot of yards in 3 of the 4 games. Against the Eagles it honestly looked like they were just exhausted. Some of this could be from playing against the Broncos 4 days earlier. In the Broncos game the Packers lost the Time Of Possession Battle 35:34 to 24:26. I think 2 things have hurt the run defense. Losing Adams the last couple of games has hurt. Also the loss of Raven Greene has really hurt. Redmond should not be playing as much as he is. Amos needs to be at Safety also.
The offense also hasn't fully clicked yet. They have shown flashes but just haven't clicked. Against the Eagles they had 2 possesions at the 1 yard line and couldn't punch it in. Now to be fair the interception was caused because the DB interfered with MVS. But the possession before they couldn't punch it in.
Injuries are always concerning. But the offense had 3 big ones against the Eagles. Williams on the first play, Bulaga goes out and Adams gets hurt late. Sounds like Adams injury won't be long term which is good. But Bulaga is a big injury. Hopefully he can come back.
The good things -
While the run defense has struggled a bit the pass defense has been really good. The Smiths have been really, really good! Alexander has been phenomenal!
The rookies have really stepped up! Savage and Gary have shown some really good things! Jenkins is our starting LG and has been really good!
The offense is starting to find themselves again. While the run offense hasn't really gotten on track yet the Passing offense is getting better each game! They have just faced 4 really good defenses. The Bears are currently the #2 ranked scoring defense, Vikings are tied for 5th. Packers defense is 7th.. The Bears are the 3rd best Run Defense, Eagles are the 4th best and the Vikings are the 11th best.
The Packers offense has faced some really good defenses all while learning a new scheme! There will be bumps in the road. But they are improving each week!
Another good is that JK Scott has become a weapon!
Through 4 games, we have seen ups and downs. Even though we lost the Eagles game we had our chances. Now onto the Cowboys.
Rossonero
September 30, 2019 at 11:18 am
Excellent points, RC. There definitely is a lot more positive than negative about this football team compared to 2018's squad. Let's hope injuries do not derail us though.
RCPackerFan
October 01, 2019 at 06:26 am
Thanks!
I definitely agree with that.
I also hope that injuries don't hurt us.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:16 pm
"What we have learned after the first quarter.
1 quarter through the season and we are 3-1, and 2-0 in the division. Going into the season all of us would have taken that to start the year."
True, but the more they do, the more we want them to expand on it. Nobody wants to see them, after going 3-0, end up 3-13---well, nobody who doesn't wear purple anyway. There are several things here that point to an organization moving in the right direction, but there's a lot of football to play before we really know what this team is.
RCPackerFan
October 01, 2019 at 06:35 am
Oh definitely. But just in the first quarter to be 3-1 is a lot better then a lot of people expected. Going into the year most people thought if we went 1-1 in the first 2 games, everyone would have been happy with that. We went 2-0.
I think we are heading in the right direction. There will be bumps in the road. We are coming off our first loss and going on the road to a NFC favorite. So it will be interesting to see how they respond, especially with the possibility of them not having their top WR.
Turophile
October 02, 2019 at 04:08 am
Well written by Maggie Loney on the original piece, and RC in his reply. You both got an upvote.
(turns to the side camera) "Nice !"
murf7777
September 30, 2019 at 08:17 am
I’m eager to see how LaFleur’s coached team handles adversity. If getting the team ready to beat our two North rivalries is any indication then he should do just fine in Dallas. Go kick some cowboys as*.
GVPacker
September 30, 2019 at 09:03 am
If Mike Pettine can't fix the Run defense the 2019 Packers are Toast! This will be a rerun of 2008 when DC Bob Sanders D-unit was blown off the line ( Cullen Jenkins was on IR for most of the season) Remember this was why Dom Capers was hired. The first thing Mike McCarthy asked Dom Capers at his job interview was CAN YOU STOP THE RUN? I also believe he asked Capers if that was his REAL HAIR?
Two weeks ago against the Broncos on 4th down Phillip Lindsey 5 "8" 200 lbs was in the grasp of Dean Lowery 6'6" 300l bs and still plowed through into the end zone! That was very disconcerting!. Playing the boys this week in Dallas will be very interesting and might even set the tone for the remainder of the season!
jannesbjornson
September 30, 2019 at 07:40 pm
Lowry is playing too high against the O linemen, if that's what you mean. A 6'-6" guy has to work on his bend. The Denver play you refer to should have been a holding call on the OT.
PatrickGB
September 30, 2019 at 09:13 am
I expect that the injury report will go a long way to predict the winner of the game in Dallas. D. Adams, M. Adams, BUrk, King and Bulagas injury show how much we need them to play. Conversely, the injury to the Dallas tackle may help our pass rush. Still, I think that right now the Packers are not ready to win this next game. (I hate writing that)
murf7777
September 30, 2019 at 11:40 am
I respect your opinion but if they can go down to Chicago first game of the year and win, I think they have a good chance in Dallas. I suspect Vegas will have the spread at 3, which is even up given the home team the 3 points.
JohnnyLogan
September 30, 2019 at 09:24 am
Geronimo Allison has 76 yards... in four games. He's averaging 2 catches and 19 yards per game. Cobb has 157 yards. Anyone here who wouldn't rather have Cobb right now than Allison?... doesn't matter if you would or wouldn't, I know Rodgers would.
PatrickGB
September 30, 2019 at 09:45 am
But at what price? Many of Cobb’s yards have come because of the other weapons around him. Sheppard can do pretty much the same thing at a much cheaper price. Now, of course, Aaron has to actually throw to him one in a while.
Hematite
September 30, 2019 at 10:45 am
On that first and goal at the one yard line, Shepherd was wide open in the right side of the end zone and Rodgers didn't even look at him and instead threw into coverage.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
edp1959
September 30, 2019 at 11:22 am
Watch the video of that play and try to sell this.
Leatherhead
September 30, 2019 at 09:50 am
You are looking at trees and missing the forest. Allison is splitting time with MSV at the #2 WR position, and together, they have 24 receptions, one less than we’re getting from the #1 WR, Adams.
I do agree that it seems kind of two-faced to let Cobb go and then complain about the receivers.
PackfanNY
September 30, 2019 at 10:07 am
The reason Cobb isn’t here is the fact that he was getting paid north of 10M a year and could not stay on the field. He was hurt often and frequently out or questionable. It is unfortunate but it’s a reality.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:19 pm
Cobb had 69 yards in his first game, and has had similar numbers to Allison and MVS since. Nothing to see here.
Swisch
September 30, 2019 at 04:54 pm
I don't remember Cobb doing all that much for the Packers last season?
Maybe he was injured, but in any case he looked slow.
It seems as though LaFleur should be able to scheme our young receivers open, and that Rodgers should be able to get them the ball.
I have high hopes for our receivers including Shepherd, Vitale, and Tonyan -- if given a fair opportunity.
By the way, on the last drive against the Eagles, Aaron Jones and MVS helped out Rodgers with nice catches on errant passes; Tonyan made a good catch in traffic; Lazard, I think, drew a penalty for pass interference at the goal line; plus, Shepherd was open in the end zone on the interception.
Let's give these guys a real chance to make plays, even in their youthful imperfections.
cheesehead1
September 30, 2019 at 10:03 am
Three abysmal performances from our run D. Waiting to see what Pettine can dial up. Time to right the ship and show up big in Dallas.
mrtundra
September 30, 2019 at 10:26 am
The Saints' defenders stopped Elliott before he got to the LOS, quite often. Let's play on their side of the LOS and stop making Martinez look like AJ Hawk making tackles 6-8 yards downfield.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:21 pm
This is what the Packers may have to do: run blitz more than they'd like and hope they don't get burned.
Rossonero
September 30, 2019 at 11:21 am
2 things:
1. If the Saints can keep Ezekiel Elliott in check, then if I'm Mike Pettine, I'm going over that tape over and over again today and tomorrow to see what they did. Granted, we have different personnel, but perhaps schematically there's some nuggets of wisdom that Pettine can dig up.
2. If we get bludgeoned to death by Zeke, then it's officially time to panic. I originally lamented the loss of Mike Daniels, but it looks like he's already re-injured his foot in Detroit, so not as much as anymore....but if we bludgeoned, then I don't see how Gutekunst sits there and is satisfied with how his run defense is playing. Go get Muhammed Wilkerson, Darius Philon, SOMEONE who can help us out! I don't think Montravius Adams will be enough even when he does return.
Running the ball on us does several things: eats up the clock, keeps Rodgers off the field, gets the defense tired, and the fatigue will lead to mental mistakes and potentially more injuries. We've GOT to nip this in the bud NOW, not 5 weeks from now.
murf7777
September 30, 2019 at 11:42 am
I agree and I’m shocked Wilkinson isn’t on a roster yet.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:22 pm
There are a lot of "seasoned vets" out there who haven't been able to find a home.
Rossonero
September 30, 2019 at 12:23 pm
I don't know if his DWI from June could lead to a suspension by the NFL or not (if he gets signed by someone) -- but his BAC was .09, so I can't imagine it'd be anything beyond a 1 game suspension.
He makes so much for so many reasons -- cheap player, high upside, familiarity with Pettine, veteran player....still just 29 years old!!
stockholder
September 30, 2019 at 11:45 am
Keep looking to Gary and Adams. Davenport had 4 1/2 sacks last year. The Saints gave us 2 #1s for him. So if Davenport was worth two #1s, isn't Gary? My belief is Gute thought he was better then Davenport. He had the Smiths locked up. He had To believe he was. It takes at least three years for a pass Rusher to develop.
dobber
September 30, 2019 at 12:23 pm
"So if Davenport was worth two #1s, isn't Gary? My belief is Gute thought he was better then Davenport. "
My suspicion is that there was never any comparison between Gary and Davenport, as they were never on the same draft board at the same time.
stockholder
September 30, 2019 at 12:40 pm
The Cowboys could end the packers season. If Rodgers goes down, it's over. So while so many worry about the defense. The biggest worry, better be protecting Rodgers. Wipe the slate clean. Forget the clock. Blow everything Sky High. This game will be more physical then mental. The Packers must beat the Cowboy LBS. Arron Rodgers better play this game like his first. He must roll out. LeFluer must use Vitale. And Let his Tes run Free. Dallas is on the verge of breaking out. The escape plan is Don't dig your own Grave!
Pierre
September 30, 2019 at 01:20 pm
I don’t think the season would be over at all if Rodgers goes down.
Manning, Newton, and Foles are all out as starters and their replacement rookie QBs have each lead their teams to victories two weeks in a row!
Sometimes the backup QBs just need a chance to play when the starter gets injured. So, just because Rodgers goes down with an injury it does not mean the Packer’s season is over. Tim Boyle may came in and play QB really effectively to keep them competitive and surprise a lot if people. One can see that Rodgers is clearly not playing at the level of an elite QB when they won the SB; he’s average at best the past 30 games he’s played as he’s declining in being able to sustain drives and score TDs.
Since'61
September 30, 2019 at 07:53 pm
In the last 30 games Rodgers has played the Packers are 16-13-1 including 2 playoff wins and 1 playoff loss. Also 9 of the losses came during 2018 when Rodgers played injured for the entire season and the rest of the team fell apart. Plus MM was fired.
Without Rodgers the Packers are 5-12-1. I don’t want to see Boyle, who is a UDFA who has never taken a snap in an NFL game. I’ll stick with Rodgers. Thanks, Since ‘61
Lphill
September 30, 2019 at 01:05 pm
Rodgers is going to pass all over Dallas . their secondary is suspect as well as their pass rush, Dallas beats bad teams, so what if an opposing running back rushes for 100 yards or more, doesn't guarantee a victory just ask the Vikings. Packers just need to score touchdowns.
Swisch
September 30, 2019 at 04:01 pm
Aaron Rodgers dazzled us with 422 yards passing against the Eagles but his team lost; Carson Wentz quietly threw for only 160 yards but led his team to victory.
To me, the big question is whether Rodgers is willing to quietly throw for 160 yards if the Packers win -- or does he feel the need to demonstrate his superpowers eluding ferocious rushers and launching heroic heaves?
Will Rodgers put the Super Bowl for the Packers ahead of the Pro Bowl for himself?
Will Rodgers be passive aggressive in resisting his coaches by just going through the motions in the development of a short game that consistently moves the chains? Will he be petty in neglecting most of his teammates on offense rather than elevating them to success?
As a big fan of Aaron Rodgers, I'm hoping he truly becomes a consummate leader for this new version of the Packers, with a willingness to take the first step and assume a lower profile.
Will he embrace the little things like developing a short passing game that is creative in using the whole field and in utilizing a variety of players? Surely there are crossing patterns, and a mixture of motions, and triangle formations, and screen passes, and other ways to get guys open.
Before we write off our young wide receivers, let's see Rodgers throw some passes their way over the next four games, and let's see him encouraging them far more often than reprimanding them.
This is a test of character for Rodgers! He showed last game that he can still maneuver impressively with his feet and manufacture throws that are truly magnificent. He can still star in the highlights and fill up the stat sheet.
Yet what he needs to do most of all, in my opinion, is to become a leader of true greatness, even at the great sacrifice of self-discipline and self-effacement.
The paradox is that in honing the short game with true craftsmanship and selflessness at quarterback, the deep game will almost assuredly follow.
As always, I'm rooting for you, Aaron.
Since'61
September 30, 2019 at 07:38 pm
If you watched the Eagles game you would know that Rodgers used the short passing game throughout the entire game. IIRC he completed passes to 9 different receivers.
Also Rodgers did not have the benefit of a 60+ yard KO return, a KO out of bounds giving him field position at the 40 yard line or a sack fumble recovered in the red zone.
If Rodgers had 176 yards of rushing and 34 points I’m sure he would be happy to throw for only 160 yards.
As far as being a team player you may have noticed that he played the entire 2018 season injured and continued to play after the Packers were eliminated from playoff contention when he could have sat out due to his injuries. Yet he continued to play and remain on the field with his teammates. If that is not being a leader and putting the team first I’m not sure what is. If Rodgers needs to throw for 400+ yards to win a game I’m confident that is fine with his teammates and coach. I’m also confident that if he can win the game with 160 yards passing that will be fine as well. I know either works for me. Take all and any Ws we can get. Thanks, Since ‘61
Swisch
September 30, 2019 at 09:02 pm
I truly appreciate your response, Since '61, although it seems unnecessarily impolite to question another loyal fan about whether he watched the game.
I think I caught every play, and it pained me considerably to see such a disjointed offense seemingly so similar to the one we supposedly left behind last year.
Stats can be tricky, but here's mine -- only 7 points in the second half.
Honorable fans can disagree. I hope I'm way wrong in my concerns about Rodgers possibly being a prima donna not really interested in developing a short, rhythm offense that moves the chains and gets a lot of teammates involved.
To have the coachable humility and patient discipline to truly develop the intricacies of a diverse short game is the real test of leadership for Aaron Rodger, in my opinion.
flackcatcher
September 30, 2019 at 04:18 pm
Good points by all here. I will only point out the obvious that we all know and fear. In the past two seasons the Packers had similar 1st half records and then the team suffered from a wave of injuries that took it out of playoff contention in short order. We are seeing signs that this years team also maybe not deep enough to contend for the division this season. It all comes down to how quickly can the core/starters get back on the field and how quickly can the rookies/ second year players mature. At this point, we'll see how it plays out on the health front, then we fans will have an idea on how it goes..
GVPacker
September 30, 2019 at 05:17 pm
Awesome Post Flackcatcher!
jannesbjornson
September 30, 2019 at 07:15 pm
Sitting at 3-1, I would speculate that one thing we have to look at in depth is Fan Panic.
dobber
October 01, 2019 at 10:47 am
Beep! Beep!
Here comes the Worry Bus! Plenty of seats available!
Since'61
September 30, 2019 at 07:23 pm
We’ve learned 5 things about this team during the first 4 games of the 2019 season:
1. Our run defense is not very good and needs to improve now.
2. We confirmed that our receivers not named Adams are not very effective. That can still change but it may not.
3. Our run game needs to get better, especially in the red zone.
4. We have a very good punter who can flip the field and help our defense win the field position battle.
5. Aaron Rodgers is still a great QB but he needs more weapons than Adams.
Hopefully our injured players can be ready for Dallas. We need all hands into deck. Thanks, Since ‘61
jannesbjornson
September 30, 2019 at 07:59 pm
Allison has made three fantastic catches and two were TDs. The run D is behind schedule with Montravious rehabbing,Lowry playing too high and Lancaster a non-factor as a DE, try Fadol Brown. Maybe Pettine gets Summers on the field or Burks is ready to suit up. MVS has to learn to use his hands and reach with more authority. Needs to keep the body catching to a minimum. Maybe they need to bring in Dean Simon as a NT?
Cartwright
October 01, 2019 at 06:55 am
Oren Burks was drafted to compliment Martinez at LB. I'm curious to see in the Dallas game if his presence will change anything. Maybe a combo of him with Goodson and a return of Montravius might do the trick.
Spock
October 01, 2019 at 07:54 am
Is Burkes back? Where did you see that?
Slim11
October 01, 2019 at 08:15 am
Having Burks and M. Adams back for Dallas would be great. But, after reading an article about Burks' return to practice, I have doubts about his availability for Dallas. Adams' return might be a little more important than Burks' right now.
cuervo
October 01, 2019 at 09:08 am
I disagree with the Authors assertion that MVS and Allison's stats leave much to be desired.
MVS is currently light years ahead of where Adams and the beloved Jordy Nelson were in their second year. It took Adams 3-4 years to reach MVS's current production and it took Nelson 4-5 years. MVS is doing just fine in his second year, and my guess is he will continue to progress throughout the year.
Regarding Allison, he's a number 3 reciever, what are your expectations? If the offense improves, his numbers probably will, but if the number 3 guy on the team ends up with 40 catches or so, thats about what I would expect.
The offense has lots of issues, wide reciever isn't one of them,