This past Sunday the Green Bay Packers defeated the Washington Football Team 24-10, extending their winning streak to six games. That is the second-longest current winning streak in the NFL.
Rodgers Leads Packers’ Offense
Aaron Rodgers continued his quest for back-to-back MVPs with another great performance over the Football Team. He completed 27 passes on 35 attempts for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Aaron Jones led an underwhelming backfield with 19 yards on six carries. In addition, Davante Adams once again led receivers with 76 yards on six catches and a touchdown.
One of the biggest differences in the Packers offense this week was A.J. Dillon, who only got three carries. Robert Tonyan made a bigger offensive impact this week, with 63 receiving yards and a touchdown after having a disappointing season as compared to last year. In addition, Randall Cobb and Mercedes Lewis also got more involved, catching three passes each.
On defense, Chandon Sullivan picked off Taylor Heinicke for his first interception of the season. Notably, the Packers defense forced four fumbles. De’Vondre Campbell forced two, newcomer Rasul Douglas forced one, and Rashan Gary forced the other. Also, Gary had two sacks, Kingsley Keke had one on his own and combined with Dean Lowry for another.
“We’ve still got room to improve,” said Gary postgame. “We’re not a finished piece. Like I said, day by day and week by week, we’re chipping away to become that perfect piece.”
For the Football Team, Heinicke had a mediocre showing, completing 25 passes on 37 attempts for 268 yards with a touchdown, an interception and two fumbles. Heinicke also led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 95 yards. Terry McLaurin led receivers with seven catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. DeAndre Carter and Antonio Gibson each had a fumble.
For the Football Team’s defense, Montez Sweat had a great day with a sack and forced fumble. Jonathan Allen also sacked Rodgers twice. In addition, Danny Johnson forced a fumble.
Sunday’s Highlights
The Packers finally struck first this week on Rodgers’ 17-yard touchdown pass to Adams. On the very next drive the Football Team tied the game with a huge 40-yard touchdown pass from Heinicke to McLaurin. Both the Packers and Football Team had a chance to take the lead with a field goal on their next two drives, however, both team’s field goal attempts were blocked.
In the second quarter, the Packers took the lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Allen Lazard. It was Lazard’s second touchdown of the season. The Packers led 14-7 at halftime.
In the second half, the Packers added to their lead with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Tonyan. The Packers were not done yet, as Mason Crosby hit a 39-yard field goal to make the score 24-7. The Football Team managed just one field goal in the second half as Chris Blewitt hit a 45-yard field goal to make the final score 24-10.
This time, the win came relatively easy for the Packers as the Football Team is struggling this season. The Football Team came into the game with a 2-4 record and a two-game losing streak. The only area of concern for the Packers was the Football Team’s front seven. Boasting names like Sweat, Allen, Matthew Ioannidis, and Chase Young. However, the Packers offensive line held up and gave Rodgers enough time to torch the Football Team’s secondary.
The Packers’ injury-riddled secondary stepped up in a big way. Douglas looked right at home in a Packers uniform, and Eric Stokes had some nice plays even though McLaurin, who he was primarily covering, had a solid day.
The Packers’ defense improved in the red zone, which has not been a strong suit for the Packers this season. They surrendered 15 straight touchdowns in the redzone this season prior to Sunday’s game.
“Everybody knows that we’ve been struggling a little bit in the red zone, so that definitely was a point of emphasis coming in,” Campbell said. “I think today was definitely a step in the right direction.
Thursday Night Preview
The Packers managed to get out of Sunday’s game without any new injuries. However, Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be present for the Packers Thursday night matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. The defense now meets virtually and the Packers defense could be in trouble against the Cardinals’ high-powered offense.
Unfortunately, Davante Adams has also been placed on the COVID-19 list, but it has not been confirmed that he tested positive, making him doubtful for Thursday’s contest. On the other hand, Packers All-Pro Lineman David Bakhtiari is back at practice, although it is unknown when he will be active. Also, the Packers have a slew of players that are questionable and have an expected return in Week 8. Among them are Dennis Kelly, Josh Myers, Kevin King, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Preston Smith, Jaire Alexander and Bakhtiari.
The Packers take on the undefeated Cardinals in a short week on Thursday night. This will be the Packers biggest test of the season so far. Expect a high-scoring shootout between two of the league’s top offenses.