Acme Packing Company
There’s a lot of doom and gloom about the Green Bay Packers’ preseason loss to the New York Jets out there right now. After watching the game over, I don’t think there’s that much to worry about with the first-team offense or defense, aside from drops, that can’t be explained by simple coaching adjustments.
If you want to complain about drops, I’ll concede that. Our receivers coach for the last two years has been our former assistant offensive line coach. At a minimum, the drops coinciding with that hiring (and retention) are bad optics.
Anyway, let’s get into Saturday’s action.
First Offensive Drive
The video linked above includes all of the Jordan Love dropbacks against the Jets, so we’ll be referencing those plays as we go through, if you want to follow along.
Love threw to WR Romeo Doubs, who dropped the ball on a bang-bang play after the offense drew New York’s defense offsides on an untimed play.
On second-and-five, RB Chris Brooks ran for four yards.
Depending on your perspective, this third-and-one play was either a drop from Doubs or should have been called a defensive pass interference on Jets CB Sauce Gardner. I lean toward interference, and Gardner was called for the penalty on a similar play on the offense’s second drive.
The Packers were forced to punt on fourth-and-one, but LB Kristian Welch made a hell of a play running down the play, when the Jets took Green Bay’s punt gunners out of action.
So far, no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet.
First Defensive Drive
On the first two plays of defense, the Packers held the Jets to five yards on the ground. Success.
Third-and-five is on the board. Jeff Hafley calls one of his exotic disguise coverages. LB Isaiah McDuffie meets the pass-catcher at the first down marker and gives up the extra yard through contact.
First-and-10 is an incomplete out route against off coverage.
Second-and-10 is a play-action rep where LB Edgerrin Cooper slips and falls to all fours, giving up the first down. A bad result? Sure. Something replicable? No. We all know Lambeau Field’s surface is slippery, and the rain yesterday certainly didn’t help there.
This is our first big mistake (aside from drops) on either side. This play is designed for S Javon Bullard, playing the slot here, to chase down the backside of a run that is forced to cut back. For whatever reason, Bullard doesn’t pursue the run hard enough, failing to make contact with the back until he’s already 11 yards downfield. With a full head of steam, the back injured safety Zayne Anderson, who was already the injury replacement for Xavier McKinney, who is dealing with a calf issue.
The next play is another gut punch, but a coachable moment for LB Isaiah Simmons. To the naked eye, Simmons looks like he’s stuck in a bad Madden animation, but what he’s...
