The Green Bay Packers have yet to put together a truly “complete” game this season, and that remained the case in Sunday night’s 40-40 tie against the Dallas Cowboys.
A stellar performance from Jordan Love was overshadowed by self-inflicted wounds, and heading into the bye week, the Packers have a lot to clean up.
The Good
Despite the disappointment associated with tie games in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers did have a few things to hang their hat on postgame.
Most notably, Jordan Love cemented himself as a certified Cowboy killer, producing what was arguably the best game of career.
Love completed thirty-one of his forty-three passes for three hundred and thirty-seven yards and three touchdowns while also taking care of the ball, which should’ve been all the Packers needed to avoid the tie.
After last week’s gameplan was punished by the Browns for being far too slow-developing, Love was near-perfect in the short passing game, going twenty-eight for twenty-eight.
And the main beneficiary of Love’s sensational performance?
Doubs has continued to prove that he is one of the most important pieces of this Packers offense, which I discussed previously in my overview of the team’s 2022 draft class, and his stat line on Sunday only contributed to his own successful history against the Cowboys.
He caught six of his eight targets for fifty-eight yards and a career-high three touchdowns, including a few critical chain-movers.
The Packers were simply slinging it, and if that wasn’t enough, Josh Jacobs also ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns the ground.
If the offensive production told the whole story though, Green Bay would’ve had this game in the bag.
The Bad
Matt LaFleur’s play-calling has come under fire more than it’s fair share of times since he became head coach, but criticism has come to a head this week, mostly due to the Packers failure on their final drive.
When the team had first and ten in the red zone with a chance to win, they ran two completely un-inspired plays.
A screen to Matthew Golden, and a pass out of the backfield to Emanuel Wilson.
If you’re familiar with watching the Packers, these “cute” types of plays are a common frustration, and they seem to be reflective of LaFleur’s aggressiveness when it comes to closing games.
What may have been worse however, was the clock management.
Between 3:10 and 2:00 left in overtime, the Green Bay Packers only ran one play, despite the fact that they had not yet reached midfield.
One could argue that it was wise to kill clock, especially considering the leg on Cowboys’ kicker Brandon Aubrey, but when you know what you need to win, why play for a tie?
That stretch, in tandem with a lack of urgency in the final minute, left the Packers with barely enough time to even the game.
The single second remaining for the tying field-goal was a gift from the clock operator, and fans went to sleep with a bad taste in their mouths.
The Ugly
Similarly to last week against Cleveland, a debacle on special teams ended up being the difference for the Packers, despite a myriad of other issues throughout the contest.
After securing what should’ve been a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, Green Bay’s kicking unit allowed for another blocked try, this time on a PAT, which the Cowboys returned to the end zone for two points.
The resulting 13-2 score seemed unimportant in the context of the team’s hot start, but when it was all said and done, those points were crucial.
In addition, Cowboys’ returner KaVontae Turpin also had several great run-backs at the towards of the game, which gave Dallas the field position they needed to keep up every time Jordan Love answered the bell.
Considering how awful the defense played the entire second half, with corners practically giving up on plays, it’s very telling that, for the most part, all eyes are on the special teams.
If the Packers are going to compete in meaningful games down the line, a change will certainly be necessary.
Into the Bye
Early season byes are often troublesome, but the break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Green Bay Packers.
The team needs a chance to get healthy, especially on the offensive line, and several players will have the opportunity to return from the PUP or IR before the next game.
The Packers’ upcoming schedule features several favorable matchups, and to keep pace in the division, they’ll need to string together some wins.
Anything else, and what began as a promising season will quickly turn to shambles.
