The Green Bay Packers dropped their second game in a row, this time to the Las Vegas Raiders in a primetime game where the offense in particular had a rough performance.
As always, here are my instant takeaways from what I saw from the Packers:
Buy Packers Tickets— This loss is largely on the Packers offense. The defense held the Raiders to 17 points – 14 of which they were responsible for – and forced a turnover while limiting Las Vegas to fewer than 5.0 yards per play. The play calls at times and what the offense was trying to do was confusing. The execution wasn’t consistently there either. This offense does not have an identity right now. When the going gets tough, what are they able to consistently lean on?
— If it wasn’t for two rare misses from Daniel Carlson, the Packers aren’t even in a position to try and win the game at the end—a drive that included two dropped passes by receivers and an interception.
— The run game has struggled this season and the Packers were without Aaron Jones, but the opportunity to find some success was there. This is a Raiders run defense that ranked 26th in yards per game allowed and had given up the sixth-most runs of 10-plus yards this season. Overall, the Green Bay run game wasn’t dominant in terms of ripping off huge gains, but it often kept them ahead of the sticks and gave the offense something to lean on, which hasn’t been the case this season.
— It wasn’t always pretty, but generally we saw a less passive approach by the Green Bay defense. They were playing with more defenders near the line of scrimmage, taking away some of the underneath throws that Jimmy Garoppolo often looks for, and helping to limit a Raiders run game that came into Monday’s game ranked 31st. The Raiders averaged just 3.3 yards per rush.
— Slants and screens did give this Green Bay defense fits. With that said, for the most part, and as already mentioned, this unit did there job and kept the team in this game. During that second quarter, it could have been really easy for things to get out of hand.
— Eat your vegetables on early downs by slowing the run, and the pass rush will then have the opportunity to get after the quarterback. There were a few stretches where Garoppolo had too much time, but on third downs the Packers were able to generate three sacks.
— I’m not sure what that was from the Packers offense in the second quarter, in particular. Running between the tackles was working, but Matt LaFleur tried dialing up some misdirection runs that didn’t work whatsoever. You also wouldn’t know it watching the first half specifically, but Jordan Love entered the game ranked top five in intermediate and downfield pass attempts. However, the Packers had a very conservative, and did so against a banged up secondary that has struggled this season.
— After the offensive line got bullied a week ago, was LaFleur trying to protect the offensive line with quick throws, rollouts, and trying to set up screens on third and long? Was this a product of planning on involving Jones often in the passing game and then not having him? Again this all contributed to what was a rough second quarter for the offense.
— Patrick Taylor had three targets in the first half while Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs combined for one. It sounds like the game plan was really thrown off by Aaron Jones not being available, who was supposed to take on a large role, but as Matt LaFleur said following the Detroit game, they have to be better about getting their playmakers the ball, even with designed touches. This offense did not do that in the first half.
— Green Bay continues to be really effective in the third quarter, but they need to become much quicker at making adjustments early on. If it wasn’t for the defense getting stops, this game easily could have turned into the New Orleans and Detroit games with the Packers going into halftime down multiple scores.
— Running lanes were improved, but we saw a much more physical and decisive version of AJ Dillon as a ball carrier.
— The defense did well at not letting Davante Adams completely take over. Jaire Alexander wasn’t lined up on Adams all that much, but similarly to how the Packers defended Justin Jefferson in Week 17 last season, they provided safety help directly over the top on whichever side of the field Adams was on.
— Preston Smith had by far his best game of the season. He was defending the run well and getting after the quarterback.
— Rudy Ford came away with his second interception in two games. At the end of the day, Ford is often positioned well and where he needs to be, putting himself in position to make plays on the ball. Last season, Ford was responsible for four takeaways.
— Early on in the season and throughout the summer, Love had done well knowing when to fit the ball into a tight window or push it downfield and when to take what the defense gave him. However, the last two weeks in particular, when moving the ball through the air has been tough, he has been less patient and trying to force the ball more. Against the Raiders, he threw three interceptions—two of which were forced and another was a poor read.
— In key situations, the Packers were just 3-for-10 on third downs and 1-for-three in the red zone, where they had been one of the most efficient offenses in football this season. They also lost the turnover battle against a Raiders team that was a league worst minus-9 in turnover differential heading into the game.
— Like Matt LaFleur said earlier in the week, Maxx Crosby is relentless. He was all over the field, faced chips and some double-teams, but still made a number of plays.
— Unfortunately, the Packers suffered two more injuries. Darnell Savage left with a calf injury and Quay Walker a knee injury.
