3 and 0hhhh Myyyy Packers!

Here Green Bay sits 3-0 after a very soggy win over the Denver Bronco’s. The Packer’s reward from the NFL? A quick turn around to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night. The same Eagles who were beaten by the Detroit Lions. That’s a head scratcher. At least the Packers came away looking pretty healthy. The Packers had no significant injuries, neither RB was worn out, and Rodgers was kept mostly clean. This Eagle’s game could turn out better than most predicted at the beginning of the season.

We should all accept a win over a loss at any time. To say this win was pretty, would not be accurate by any means. Although the offense scored more points than the two previous contests, they actually looked worse and possibly regressed. The offense benefited from very good field position at the hands of the defense. Once again I saw poor communication between Aaron Rodgers and his young receivers (except Davante Adams). We heard from Coach Matt LaFleur and Rodgers that some passes were dropped at key times, routes were run incorrectly and a couple passes sailed on Rodgers. Davante was seeing double and triple coverage by the Bronco’s and will continue to see extra defenders. The only cure will be when the young WRs can stretch the defense and hang on to the ball.

As good as the defense played in creating turnovers (3) and recording sacks (5), they continue to allow excessive rushing yards (149) and miss too many tackles. The best adjective to describe this defense is opportunistic. Just when it seemed Denver was putting together a game changing drive, the Packers would either record a sack or turnover. The best part of this is Aaron doesn’t have to win games this season, because winning has become a team effort. I understand when Rodgers and LaFleur say they want the offense to play better, the talent is evident. The efficiency and the awareness is nowhere near complete. In the past, Jennings, Jones, Nelson, Driver, and Finley had the instincts to make adjustments and know where to take their route. Rodgers was able to lead the WR’s into a completion and the WR’s were able to take their routes to open zones in the defense. At this point in 2019, it’s not happening with the young WR’s. Time will tell if Valdez-Scantling, Geronimo Allison and the others will develop that natural ability to run their route open.

As Packer fans we will see a true test for Mike Pettine’s defense, when the Eagles visit. Eagles Quarterback Carson Wentz is a legitimate threat both running and passing. He has many weapons at his disposal, both on the ground and through the air. It will be interesting to watch how the Packers respond. The Packer’s offense will face another stiff challenge in the Eagles defense. If anything these difficult times for the offense will provide value lessons for future games in the latter part of the season.

As Coach LaFleur put it so simply, “the focus for week 4 is to go 1-0.”

As Always, Go Pack Go!

PackerGreg