In July-like playing conditions, the Packers continued their October success against the Dolphins in Week 6. Aaron Rodgers crafted a game-winning drive that should keep Skip Bayless quiet for some time. The win was an expensive one, though, as inside linebacker Jamari Lattimore and cornerbacks Sam Shields and Tramon Williams all left the game early due to injury.
Despite racking up 27 points against a good Miami defense, the Packers offense was inconsistent and, as usual, overly-reliant on the arm of Rodgers. With the offensive line creating few running lanes for Eddie Lacy, Mike McCarthy never allowed the second-year running back to establish a rhythm. Instead, McCarthy leveraged the versatility of James Starks to pick up first downs both on the ground and through the air.
In the passing game, Rodgers was less dependent on proven targets Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, hooking up with rookie Davante Adams six times for 77 yards. Adams appears to have taken the next step as both a route runner and possession receiver and continues to play a bigger role on offense every week that Jarrett Boykin remains sidelined. Adams’s development is one reason why other offensive contributors like Brandon Bostick and Jeff Janis have been less involved early on in the regular season.
Like Adams, fellow rookie Ha Ha Clinton-Dix continues to make big strides. Clinton-Dix led the team with seven tackles against Miami and continues to look natural in coverage. With the Packers short on healthy cornerbacks, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see defensive back Micah Hyde shift back to his original cornerback spot, giving way to Clinton-Dix’s start at safety.
Even though Green Bay’s blitzing was effective in getting to Tannehill, the unit still struggles to actually bring down opposing quarterbacks. The failure to complete such blitzes puts pressure on the secondary to stay with receivers for an excessive amount of time. With the health of both starting cornerbacks in question for next week’s game against the Panthers, the front seven will need to be much more efficient when blitzing Cam Newton.
Green Bay’s meeting with the Panthers next week will be far from a walk in the park. But with the potential return of defensive end Datone Jones and Rodgers playing at an MVP level, the Packers must like their chances of moving to 5-2 and keeping pace with Detroit for first place in the NFC North.
From what I saw we did not learn much Come on O&D lines!!!!
Another post about nothing.