An avalanche of questions faced the Green Bay Packers offense this past week after an abysmal week one performance against the Chicago Bears. The first quarter, in particular, was a point of emphasis, as the Packers opened the game with three straight three-and-outs, and had negative yardage after the first 15 minutes of play.
How did they respond in Week 2? Three straight touchdowns on their first three drives. Aaron Rodgers had a perfect 158.3 passer rating with 141 yards and two touchdowns after the first quarter, and the green and gold were off to a piping hot start against their division rival Minnesota Vikings. The Packers led Minnesota 21-0 with 14:15 left in the second quarter.
From there, unfortunately, things started to go south. The 2-yard Aaron Jones touchdown early in the second quarter that put them up three scores would be the last score of the game for the Packers. Minnesota would come back from their early deficit with a 16-0 run to make it a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter. And while their comeback bid ultimately fell short, there were many red flags for the Packers on Sunday.
What’s to like
Before delving into the concerns, it should be noted that there were a ton of promising moments for the Packers on Sunday. For starters, let’s not overlook how big this win was for Green Bay. Yes, the way they won was incredibly ugly and grueling to watch, but for the second week in a row, they handled a division rival who many people have dubbed Super Bowl contenders.
Defensively, Green Bay showed that their performance in Soldier Field was no fluke. The pesky coverage they showed last week was again prevalent, as Kirk Cousins struggled all day to connect with his receivers. He went just 14 for 32 on the day and also tossed a couple of interceptions. All together the defense forced four Vikings turnovers, including a huge Kevin King interception late in the fourth quarter. A few mishaps led to big plays for the Vikings offense, but all in all, it was another reliable performance.
For Green Bay’s offense, it is evident that the unit is already growing and evolving. After Week 1, Rodgers said his biggest concern with the offense was its lack of pace. It’s obvious that was a point of emphasis coming into week 2. It took just over two minutes for Rodgers to find Jamaal Williams for the Packers’ first score of the game, and they showed just as much tempo and urgency on the ensuing few drives.
After a slow week on the ground, Aaron Jones was able to go over the century mark in Week 2. That is huge for Matt LaFleur, who is desperately trying to establish a gritty ground-and-pound identity with this offense.
Going nearly three quarters without a score looks very bad for LaFleur’s offense. But looking at the evolution from Week 1 to Week 2, it’s clear that this offense is moving in the right direction and has a lot of room for growth. Davante Adams said after the game that this offense is still a work in progress. Being able to beat a team like the Vikings with an offense “still in progress” should be a scary sight for the rest of the league.
What’s concerning
After the offensive performance the Packers showed the final three quarters, you’d think that would be the primary concern walking away from this game. I say otherwise. While that sort of display is certainly not something you want to see every week, context is everything. It’s still a new offense which is learning as they go, and they were going up against a Vikings defense that neutralized a very potent Atlanta team just a week ago. Once the kinks are worked out with this offense, they should be just fine. The concerns for this team, ironically, are on the defensive side of the ball.
Despite another excellent defensive performance, there was one consistent downfall for that unit on Sunday: big plays. Both of Minnesota’s touchdowns were a result of breakdowns in Green Bay’s defense resulting in huge plays. First, was a 75-yard scamper by Dalvin Cook early in the second quarter. Next, a 45-yard connection from Cousins to Diggs early in the third quarter after Diggs blew the top off the defense and got behind everyone. They were also burned on a 61-yard connection from Cousins to Chad Beebe. Missed assignments every once in a while are a given, but to consistently give up big plays defensively, is a significant cause for concern. Those are the types of plays that can bring life back to an offense even with a defense playing as stingy as Green Bay has the past two weeks. In order to be put in that championship-caliber category as a defense, the big plays need to be accounted for.
The other big concern for the Packers defensively: the run game. This wasn’t a massive problem for Green Bay last week, mainly because Chicago threw the ball 45 times. No running back for the Bears got over six carries on opening night. Minnesota, on the other hand, is another beast. Cook ran wild against this defense and highlighted the one glaring weakness this unit has. On 20 carries, he ran for 154 yards and that huge 75-yard touchdown that was mentioned before. Yes, now that Cook is 100% healthy, he should be one of the premier backs in the league, and we have to give credit to Minnesota for their ability to run the ball. But other than Kenny Clark up front, the Packers have a weak defensive interior, and that could cause significant problems down the line.
What is next for the Packers
Green Bay’s offense has had a tough start to the year, going up against two of the premier defenses in the league. It doesn’t get much easier next week as the Denver Broncos come to town. If they can take another step forward as they did from Week 1 to Week 2, it should be a fun offense to watch. Defensively, it will be another massive test against a run-heavy offense.
Ethan Knipfer is a writer for PFN covering the NFC North. You can find him on twitter at @ethan_knipfer.