Behind the Numbers: Packers get run over by Eagles
The Green Bay Packers came up short once again, this time to the Philadelphia Eagles, as they fell to 4-8 on the season. The offense kept Green Bay in it, but the defense provided little fight against the Eagles’ run game. At this time, the Packers are still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, but the odds of them making it are small, and there is little hope.
Now with another game in the rearview mirror, as always, it is time to go Behind the Numbers with the stats and figures you need to know from the Packers’ performance.
363
Three hundred and sixty-three rushing yards were allowed by the Green Bay Packers. Despite Philadelphia running the ball nearly 33 times per game this season, it’s as if this Green Bay defense had no idea what to expect. The Eagles didn’t do anything fancy; they just simply overpowered the Packers up front, capitalized on missed tackles, and Jalen Hurts took advantage of poor fundamentals. Joe Barry was reluctant to deviate from lining up in nickel; there were poor run fits along with failed stunts, edges that weren’t set, and, oh, did I mention poor tackling? Green Bay did use Quay Walker as a spy at times, but in not knowing how often that was actually his responsibility, the main takeaway from that is he either wasn’t utilized in that capacity enough or struggled with it because it didn’t stop Hurts. With the season on the line, this is the performance we see from Green Bay’s defense.
20.97
We all know that Christian Watson is fast. But even on his 63-yard catch and run for six, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how with defenders nearby as he caught the ball, he was able to pull away. According to Next Gen Stats, Watson maxed out at 20.97 mph. He is second in the NFL this season in plays from scrimmage, where he hits at least 20 mph. To put it simply, that speed is game-changing and really does affect how defenses have to defend this Packers team. In addition to big play opportunities for himself, he creates for others and can help open up the run game. After dealing with injuries early on, Watson is developing into a playmaker right before our eyes.
16
Matt LaFleur said after the game that the Packers missed 15 tackles. PFF credited Green Bay with 16 missed. Either way, it was a lot, yet at the same time feels like it should be more. Joe Barry certainly deserves blame for the performance of the defense, but when it comes to tackling, he can only do so much–at some point, players have to make plays. This inability to tackle helped the Eagles extend some drives and led to several big plays. The Green Bay linebackers Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, and Krys Barnes had the most missed tackles on the team.
1/7 and 8/15
The Packers were abysmal on third downs on both sides of the ball. Despite the offense putting up 33 points and averaging 7.0 yards per play, their success all came on either first or second down as they converted only one third-down attempt, and it didn’t come until late in the fourth quarter. The defense, meanwhile, actually did a decent job of creating third and long situations, but it didn’t really matter. The Eagles were 8/15 on third downs and 2/3 on fourth downs. When it was all said and done, because Green Bay couldn’t stay on the field on offense or get off defensively, the Eagles ran 80 plays to their 49 and held the ball for 11 more minutes. Honestly, it’s impressive the game was as close as it was.
113
Jordan Love took over when Aaron Rodgers exited with a rib injury, and he looked quite good. We saw a much more confident version of Love, who had no hesitancy as he was letting it rip on each pass attempt. He went through his progressions in the pocket with his footwork working in unison with his eyes while he was also able to extend plays when needed. At this point in the game, the Eagles were playing a bit softer, but Love did what was asked of him and looked more refined in doing so. Overall, he was 6/9 for 113 yards and a touchdown.
26/38
Between 21 rush attempts as a team and 17 total completions in the passing game, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon were involved on 26 of those touches (20 rushes and six catches). We saw the Packers utilize two back sets more often than they had been, and unlike at the beginning of the season, they were much more effective in doing so. This is a very good Eagles’ defense, but the run game is an area that can be exploited without Jordan Davis in the middle and the linebackers being a weaker point in this defense. Green Bay did that and averaged 5.0 yards per rush. This success on the ground helped open up play-action opportunities and the passing game as a whole. In total, it was an impressive performance by the offense, who, as already mentioned, totaled 33 points and 7.0 yards per play.
Notable Snap Counts
Sammy Watkins (4): With the Packers utilizing a heavy dose of two running back and two tight end sets, there wasn’t a huge need for a fourth receiver. Sammy Watkins finished with only four snaps, and Samori Toure just two. However, when it comes to Watkins, his very limited role is likely here to stay. With Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard as go-to targets, along with Christian Watson’s emergence and the eventual return of Romeo Doubs, there will be little playing time available. Watkins was supposed to provide stability at receiver, but he has struggled to get open and hasn’t been on the same page as Rodgers on several occasions.
Darnell Savage: Savage would leave with a foot injury but prior to that, he was not in the Packers’ starting nickel lineup. Instead, it was Keisean Nixon in the slot with Rudy Ford and Adrian Amos deep. Following the Titans game, Matt LaFleur stressed how there were too many communication errors in the secondary, and oftentimes this season, when those happen, Savage has been close by.
Devonte Wyatt (20): Wyatt played his most snaps in a game this season, recording one pressure and a tackle. With the season over, it’s time to start letting him get more reps and building some momentum towards 2023.
JJ Enagbare (66) and Justin Hollins (21): I’ve talked often about the edge rusher depth being a massive concern for the Packers, but in a game where there were few positives for the defense, it was the edge depth that impressed. JJ Enagbare and Justin Hollins and the first and second most pressures on the team. Hollins also had a nice play against the run.
Josiah Deguara (14): For an offense that has struggled for much of the year, I’ve been surprised at how little Deguara has played. He’s been a reliable blocker and made some plays with the ball in his hands. As the H-back, he brings versatility to the offense and can help LaFleur achieve that “illusion of complexity” he talks about by creating mismatches and opportunities for himself and others with his ability to catch, block, and line up just about anywhere. But, for whatever reason, he continues to see around 14 snaps per game.
