The Green Bay Packers move to 7-3 after a blocked field goal helped the Packers knock off the rivals Bears for the 11th straight time. Here are some key takeaways.
Oh boy, that game was unreal. Packers looked down and out when Caleb Williams and the Bears were moving down the field on the last drive only for Karl Brooks to get a finger on the ensuing field goal attempt to give the Packers a last second win.
There were 3 key takeaways from this game that are going to determine how the Green Bay Packers 2024 season will go. The first one is pass rush. In this game, the pass rush was largely inconsistent. Just last week, the New England Patriots sacked Bears QB Caleb Williams 9 times. Today, the Packers got to Caleb Williams 3 times. Once by Brenton Cox, one by TJ Slaton, and another by Rashan Gary.
The pass rush needs to improve
However, the Packers should have had more. The Bears offensive line is bad, they have been bad, and they cut their highest paid guard this past week. Not only that, they were without starting LG Teven Jenkins. The Packers should have had more sacks, but if not sacks, you would have really liked to see more pressure from the defensive line. How the pass rush goes the rest of the season will determine how far the Packers make it because of how much this scheme depends on the pass rush getting home.
The trade of Preston Smith meant more playing time for Brenton Cox Jr, who had a couple plays that flashed. He had a tackle for loss, and the first sack for the Packers when he was unblocked and sacked Caleb Williams resulting in a third and long for the Bears.
Overall, the pass rush needs to be better. They are too talented to be so passive. Lukas Van Ness, in particular, needs to be better.
The offense will figure it out
The second key takeaway was that the Packers offense will be fine, seriously. The Packers essentially had 6 drives in this game. They scored a touchdown on 3 of those. The other three, Jordan Love threw an interception on the goal line, and they failed to convert a 4th and goal. They only punted once.
Hence, they had 5 total drives that ended in or one yard away from the endzone. They are consistently moving the ball, they just need to finish drives. This season, the Packers are 29th in Red Zone efficiency, last season, they were around the top. As always, this number will regress to the mean. Last years numbers were not sustainable, this years numbers are also not sustainable. Except them to get better in the red zone, especially with Jordan Love getting noticeably healthier.
Feed the hot hand
My last key takeaway involves the Packers wide receivers. Packers have 4 really good receivers who could go off at any moment, during any game. Today, Christian Watson had 4 catches for 150 yards.
This was, by far, his best performance of the season. Therefore, the Packers need to figure out which receiver is in form that day and feed that specific receiver. Figure out whether Doubs, or Watson, or Wicks, or Reed is having the best day and continue to feed the hot hand. Watson was very sure with his hands, and generated great YAC on his last catch.
Continue to feed the hot hand.
As always, Go Pack Go. Beat the Niners at home.
