After a one-year absence, Green Bay is back in the playoffs, and considering how well this club performed in the closing moments, this is definitely something to celebrate. It is fair to say that the Aaron Rodgers era will go down as one of the most prosperous in franchise history, but there is something more enjoyable and joyful about a youthful squad succeeding as they experience victory for the first time.
Focusing on Rodgers and maybe one or two of his favorite targets was another hallmark of the Rodgers era. Rodgers and Adams and the others constituted so much of the recent past. Though Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers are both likely Hall of Famers, the offense as it exists now is much more of a collective effort. Love is the first to set an example for this; he meets regularly with each of his recipients and is ready to find and trust them all, even in times of need. Bo Melton was an afterthought on the practice squad three weeks ago. He gained eighty-six yards overall against the Bears on Sunday, building on his 105 yards the week before.
No football team has a more evenly distributed receiving corps than the Packers, who Love usually targets eight different players in each game. While none of the Packer receivers gained more than eight hundred yards overall, five did. Two rushers achieved more than six hundred yards, with Aaron Jones’ 656 being the most. No rusher scored a thousand yards. Despite finishing the regular season without a Pro Bowl pick, Green Bay had one of the strongest overall offenses in the league. They didn’t do this because they were lacking stars; rather, it was because they have an excessive number of them, and since nearly all of them are in their early 20s, the other teams in the league haven’t caught on yet. They are going to, very soon.
Taking Control of the Match
The Packers dominated from start to finish, outgaining Chicago by 240 yards, and converting 7-10 of their third downs compared to the Bears’ 3-11. On Sunday, the final score was a very narrow 17-9. In fact, the Packers broke some type of record when they became the first team since the merger to score 17 points or less in a game (with one turnover or less) without ever punting.
Aaron Jones became the first running back this season to gain over a hundred yards on the ground against the Bears, finishing with 111 yards on 22 attempts and chipping in 30 receiving yards. Dillon has been sidelined due to a fractured thumb, so Jones has been getting the majority of the work lately. Jones has recorded three straight 100-yard performances since he eventually fully recovered from his early-season injury. More significantly, though, he has prevented the Packer offense from getting into bad down-and-distance situations.
Jordan Love has made the most of his opportunities, and he excelled against Chicago, completing 27 of 32 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. With the exception of a fumble while trying to scramble for a first down, he was almost flawless. Had receivers Romeo Doubs and Bo Melton made tough but controllable receptions, he easily could have scored two more touchdowns. While slot receiver Jayden Reed was a big play maker, receiving all four of his targets for 112 yards, including grabs of 59 and 32 yards, Dontayvion Wicks had one of his best games of the season, catching six balls for 61 yards and a score. With 64 receptions in a season, Reed now owns the Packer rookie record most receptions. Reed broke
Close the door
In addition to the exceptional performance of the receivers, the tight ends also had a strong game. Luke Musgrave, who had a lacerated spleen, made a crucial 11-yard reception that helped Green Bay run out the clock. Since Musgrave has been sidelined, youngster Tucker Kraft has emerged as one of the team’s top run blocks and the leading producer of yards after the catch for Green Bay. Kraft gained thirty-one yards on three receptions, two of which resulted in lengthy third downs. Sam LaPorta of Detroit will probably win every award for being the greatest rookie tight end in the league, but Kraft was the third-most valuable tight end in the league according to Football Outsiders’ analytical measure, Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA).
Because the rookies for the Packer team played well on that side of the ball, the defense also performed their part. Karl Brooks, a sixth-round selection, was instrumental in Green Bay’s five sacks of Justin Fields and exerted tremendous pressure on Chicago’s interior offensive line. The Packers now have one of the best defensive interiors in football thanks to Brooks, who has developed into an excellent interior complement to Kenny Clark. In addition to recording a sack, fellow rookie Lukas Van Ness also kept his discipline throughout outside rushes, trapping Fields in the pocket. This is more significant. The Packers have struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks this season, and on Sunday, Van Ness nearly single-handedly stopped Fields from escaping. In the game of the utmost importance, everyone contributed equally.
In the opening round of the playoffs, the Packers will play a superb Dallas club, which is coached by former Packer Mike McCarthy. Upsetting Dallas and San Francisco, who were this year’s NFC champions, won’t be simple. Star-studded Dallas defense has never faced opposition this strong in Jordan Love’s brief tenure. Dallas is a top-heavy offensive team that depends heavily on top receiver CeeDee Lamb for a large portion of their passing game. Former Badger Jake Ferguson is the only other serious threat, and Dak Prescott, the quarterback, has done a fantastic job buying time and identifying his players.
Nevertheless, Dallas has had trouble scoring late in games, so if the Packers can
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