The Packers know that coming off the bye week they had to have a get right game. After a disastrous finish in Cleveland and a tie versus the Cowboys, a win became essential. While it did not look pretty at times, the Packers escape with a 28-17 win against the Bengals.
Since losing Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury, the Bengals have been in disarray. While Jake Browning has been an okay backup quarterback in the past, his performances forced the Bengals to make a change. A franchise who historically is hesitant to any sort of changes, especially midseason.
A week ago, at this time, Joe Flacco was the backup quarterback to the Cleveland Browns. While he initially was the starter, Kevin Stefanski announced that Dillon Gabriel would be starting instead.
The Packers faced Flacco in Cleveland. Flacco did not have a memorable performance. However, when the Browns needed him to drive down the field for the game winning field goal, Flacco delivered.
Divisional trades are extremely rare. Nonetheless, the Browns have plenty of competition in their quarterback room. Making it possible for the Browns to trade Flacco to the Bengals. On Tuesday, Flacco left Cleveland for Cincinnati, to learn a brand-new playbook as quickly as possible.
The Packers Lack Complementary Football
When you watch the Packers, the pieces of a Super Bowl team are undoubtedly there. I believe one of the true downfalls of Matt LaFleur as a coach is his teams consistently lack complementary football. This is something that is notable every season.
When the offense is firing, the defense stalls. When the defense plays with authority, the offense is sleepwalking. Don’t get me started on special teams’ debacles throughout LaFleur’s entire tenure.
The defense started out unbelievable in the game. Flacco did not even have a free moment to breathe. The defensive front of the Packers was swarming to every Bengals player that touched the ball. Meanwhile, LaFleur’s playcalling in the first half indicated he did not trust the offensive line.
The offensive line found some cohesion. Overall, they finished the game much better than they started and had some crucial blocks. Most notably, Josh Jacobs waltzing into the endzone completely untouched. After a tipped interception, Jordan Love finished the game dominantly.
Love has a short memory, which is what you want in a quarterback. He does not linger on mistakes. After a puzzling overthrown pass over Luke Musgrave’s head, on the next play, Love throws a gorgeous pass where only Matthew Golden can catch it.
The Packers have a lot to work on. However, it is only October and, in my opinion, the future is still bright for this team. Matthew Golden is starting to break out, and with Christian Watson coming back, this can be a dynamic receiving duo.
At the end of the day, the Packers won the game by two scores. They did what they needed to do to win. Now, the team needs to continue to find ways to improve and play all three phases of complementary football.
