Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ Week 2 win against Lions
There was no need for a good, bad and ugly synopsis last week after the Green Bay Packers were blown out by the New Orleans Saints in their season-opening game.
Week 2 told a different story. The Packers bounced back by producing a comfortable 18-point victory over the Detroit Lions on Monday night at Lambeau Field.
Monday’s game showed a more complete game from both sides of the ball for the Packers, though the defense still has some room for improvement.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from Green Bay’s Week 2 win over Detroit:
The Good
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12).
Aaron Rodgers throwing from the pocket: In Green Bay's opening game against New Orleans, Rodgers was skittish inside the pocket and tried to extend plays with his legs far too often. It was a different story against Detroit. Rodgers delivered on several throws from inside the pocket, best highlighted by his touchdown pass to Robert Tonyan. According to PFF, Rodgers was 19-of-20 for 212 yards with a 150.4 passer rating from a clean pocket. All four of his touchdowns came from inside the pocket, as well. When Rodgers trusts his offensive line to give him time, he's able to deliver clean throws with near-perfect accuracy. Matt LaFleur utilizing Aaron Jones: The Packers offense got away from their rushing attack in Week 1, a game where Jones saw just five carries. Against the Lions, Jones was the focal point of the offense, totaling 115 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 23 touches. When the Packers offense runs through Jones, it becomes incredibly difficult for defenses, particularly against play-action. Eric Stokes showing promise: While a communication mix-up was responsible for the Lions' second touchdown, the rookie first-rounder made a name for himself by producing two pass-breakups later in the game. Both PBUs came on fourth-down, forcing a turnover on downs for the Lions offense. Stokes played on 44 snaps, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him even more involved next week against the 49ers.
The Bad
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Packers' pass-rush: Green Bay's defense had trouble affecting the quarterback when sending just four pass-rushers. According to Next Gen Stats, Lions quarterback Jared Goff had an average time to throw of 3.28 seconds in the first half, the second-longest time to throw in his career. The Packers began sending more pressure in the second half, which eventually produced better results. Still, the defense failed to record a sack. Rodgers' connection with Marquez Valdes-Scantling: On two occasions in the second half, Valdes-Scantling was seen streaking down the field a step ahead of his defender. Rodgers missed him each time on overthrows. The Packers quarterback also missed him on a short throw into the end zone. While it's nice to see MVS getting open downfield, Rodgers needs to deliver to create more explosive plays.
The Ugly
Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus.
Kevin King in off-coverage: It's becoming a recurring theme for King and the Packers. Whenever King plays off-coverage without a chance to get his hands on opposing receivers in press, he's unable to keep up. He's simply not athletic enough anymore after several injuries to stay step for step with speedy receivers. He was beaten deep by Deonte Harris in Week 1 against the Saints, and it happened again on the Lions' first drive of the game against Quintez Cephus. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry experimented with placing King in the slot for 22 snaps in order to get Eric Stokes involved on the boundary. How much longer until the Stokes takes over King's job full-time?
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