Heading into Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, one of the worst fears of Green Bay Packers fans was that Matt LaFleur would lean too heavily into the run game against an epically bad Giants run defense.
On that front, the team’s offensive game plan and scheme should be cause for relief, as LaFleur chose not to simply keep the ball on the ground all game long.
Instead, LaFleur actually opened up the passing game a bit, getting back into the play action-based attack that worked well for the Packers over the last few seasons. Instead of having trouble beating coverages against a banged-up Giants defense, the struggle for the Packers offense was simply in catching the football.
Of course, that is a fundamental facet of the game. If not for a slew of drops by the Green Bay receivers, Jordan Love would have had an exceptionally efficient game despite often having little time to throw. But even with the drops, the Packers did enough to win, even getting a couple of takeaways to close the door late in the fourth quarter. It feels good to see the team back in the win column, and it feels like this was actually a solid week of self-analysis in terms of the offensive scheme.
Meanwhile, a last-second field goal by the Bears is all that kept them ahead of the Packers in the division race, while the Lions dropped another game by putting up fewer points (six) against the Eagles than the Packers did last Monday night. It’s all still there for the taking for the Packers, with five divisional games in their last seven. And while Sunday’s game showed fundamental mistakes, the team’s game plan should be one that can win against better teams, as long as the players can improve on their execution.
Game notes: Christian Watson’s clutch catches propel Packers | Packers.com
Two incredible touchdown receptions by Watson were the story, and it’s clear that he should be the team’s number one receiving option now.
Opportunity Knocked and Evan Williams Answered to Save Day for Packers | SI.com
Williams finally hauled in an interception — a tough one, at that — after the team had dropped four golden opportunities earlier in the game.
Packers rookie WR Savion Williams makes game-changing play vs. Giants | Packers Wire
Did Williams save the Packers’ season? It’s possible that the answer will be yes, depending on how the next several games go.
The Repack: Packers overcome the dropsies in win over Giants | FTF
For your morning commute, give a listen to this breakdown of Sunday’s win, which details why the Packers underachieved on the ground despite averaging over 5.5 yards per carry.
Midseason reports on NFL offensive coordinators, playcallers | ESPN
The Packers’ ramped up their play-action passing game after several weeks of putting it by the wayside, and with good effect.
Restaurant in China offers lion cub cuddles alongside afternoon tea | CNN
These lions might be more ferocious than the ones that lost to the Eagles on Sunday night. (Also, don’t do this – these kinds of places almost assuredly are not taking good care of their animals.)
