Leading up to Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, not much was going right for the Green Bay Packers in regard to their game prep.
There were a few late adds to the injury report, and what should’ve been a routine flight out of Wisconsin on Saturday was delayed almost five hours on the tarmac.
What resulted was an undeniably sloppy showing, but when push came to shove, the Packers came out on top, cheered on by yours truly.
You can find my takeaways below.
Worth Every Penny
Micah Parsons arrived in Green Bay just over seven weeks ago, and with him came otherworldly expectations.
Some even compared his acquisition to the late, great Reggie White, and somehow, Parsons has been even better than advertised.
Heading into week eight, Parsons leads the NFL in pressures with thirty-nine per PFF—early bye, snap limitations, and all—and his presence was certainly felt in the desert.
The ex-Cowboy had one of his best games as a pro against the Cardinals, producing ten pressures and three sacks in the win, which improved on his previous career best of two and a half sacks.
Even better than just the stats however, was that all of the production seemed to come on critical downs.
As the season progresses, the Packers will be asking more and more of their prized All-Pro, and as far as I’m concerned, Sunday’s victory was carried on his back.
The Elephant in the Room
The Green Bay Packers have a big problem at cornerback, and it’s time to address it.
Although the Packers’ pass rush covered up some of the defensive backs’ struggles early on, it’s becoming more and more evident that the complement just isn’t good enough, and it hasn’t been for several seasons.
Say what you want about the cutting of Jaire Alexander—who’s struggled mightily since joining the Ravens in Baltimore—but the front office’s continued refusal to invest in the room through the draft has cost them.
I’m still not sold on Keisean Nixon as a starting corner, and I likely never will be, but the main problem lies with the Packers’ latest attempt to poorly band-aid the position.
Hobbs joined the Green Bay Packers this past offseason on a massive four-year forty-eight million dollar deal, and to be frank, he simply can’t play the boundary.
Through seven weeks, Hobbs has allowed a passer rating of 120.9, all while generating only a single pass breakup.
He’s been exposed against multiple teams thus far, with no performance worse than the one he put up against Arizona.
The former Raider was picked on constantly by the opposing Jacoby Brissett, and there were several instances in which safety Xavier McKinney appeared to speak to Hobbs in confusion regarding Hobbs’ positioning after plays.
Following a training camp in which Hobbs underwent a knee scope and barely got the chance to do anything other than hit his own teammates too hard, you can’t help but wonder if he is even healthy, and if he is, why he isn’t playing more physically.
It certainly doesn’t make sense for him to keep taking snaps from Carrington Valentine, especially if he doesn’t know where he’s supposed to be on the field.
Regardless of the individual, the Packers will need to clean it up in the secondary to compete against more talented teams, especially in late-game situations, and if postgame comments are anything to go by, Xavier McKinney seems to agree.
Still Perfect
As was the case last week, substitute kicker Lucas Havrisik played a huge role in the Green Bay Packers’ 27-23 win, and this time, he earned a place in the record books.
Havrisik’s sixty-one yard field goal to close the first half was the longest successful field goal attempt in Green Bay’s storied history, and it provided a pick-me-up that the team desperately needed.
Without that kick, and the thirty-one yarder Havrisik hit earlier in the quarter, the Packers would’ve never gained any momentum.
While the incumbent Brandon McManus is most certainly the kicker when he gets healthy, especially after signing a three-year fifteen million dollar extension in the spring, it’ll be interesting to see what the Packers do with Havrisik, who hasn’t missed a kick in two weeks.
Following Sunday’s showing, you can’t just let him walk, right?
A Win is a Win
Despite more than their fair share of difficulty, the Green Bay Packers were able to improve to 4-1-1 over the weekend, thanks in part to an overwhelming amount of Cheeseheads in attendance.
Jacoby Brissett told reporters that the Cardinals were playing with a silent count all game, which certainly isn’t a good look in your home stadium, and the effect that it had on the outcome was apparent from the stands.
It’s always a joy to watch my Packers in-person, and with the win, I moved to 5-0 all-time in attended games.
Looking ahead to Sunday Night Football, Green Bay has an important game on deck.
For the first time since he was traded in 2023, Packers legend Aaron Rodgers will face the Green and Gold, matching up against his former protégé, Jordan Love.
In front of the eyes of millions, one can only hope that Love will rise to the challenge and claim his share of the Packers’ legacy.
