Packers should learn to win video games like this

GREEN BAY – Head Coach Matt LaFleur’s message after Sunday’s recreation was fairly clear.

The Panthers knew how they wished to play, and the way they wished to make the Packers play. They succeeded, and the Packers could not win that approach.

“They played the game they had to play in order to beat us,” LaFleur mentioned moments after the 16-13 defeat.

What that meant, defensively talking for the Panthers, was to remove the massive play, drive the Packers to maneuver the ball slowly and methodically down the sector, and depend on them making a mistake someplace alongside the best way.

Which is strictly the way it performed out.

The Packers had six drives within the recreation of between 9 and 13 performs in size. Six out of seven in actual fact. And but they scored on simply three of them, and produced solely 13 factors due to a fumble, a missed subject objective, a handful of offensive penalties, a sack, and a basic lack of execution.

“We thrive on some explosive plays,” LaFleur mentioned, “and whenever you’re not getting them, and when you have to simply transfer the ball down the sector persistently …

“It’s going to be tough if we can’t figure (stuff) out and score in the red area. It’s just going to be tough to win football games like that.”

But that is precisely what the Packers must do. Find methods to win soccer video games similar to this one.

Because future opponents are going to see how a lot hassle the Packers have after they cannot get chunk performs and should steadily execute throughout a protracted, drawn-out drive.

There have been different examples this season of those identical issues, however for essentially the most half the Packers have overcome them. Now the Panthers have proven it will possibly work for 4 quarters to beat Green Bay, at Lambeau Field no much less.

The big-play passing recreation was restricted to a 52-yard bomb to Christian Watson and completions of 30 and 28 yards to Romeo Doubs. Only one different go play gained greater than 16 yards on Jordan Love’s 37 makes an attempt, and the Packers appeared pissed off all day due to it.

“We all, and I’m talking about myself as much as anybody, but when we get into these types of games where it’s just about consistent execution, you just can’t chase the big play,” LaFleur mentioned.

Except they did anyway, when a deep shot for Watson into triple protection within the third quarter become a present interception. Double lined already, Watson had no probability when a 3rd defender, security Tre’von Moehrig, floated over as soon as the go was launched.

He settled underneath the lengthy ball and obtained Carolina’s second takeaway of the sport, which the Panthers become a landing for a seven-point lead, the biggest of the sport. Love mentioned he did not see Moehrig, and with no route on the again facet forcing him to carry his place, he began to cheat earlier than the ball was launched.

Seeing three defenders surrounding Watson on a deep ball thrown on first down into a hard wind was the epitome of impatience, and taking part in into the Panthers’ fingers, actually within the case of the place the ball wound up.

But even with the ill-advised interception, the Packers had loads of probabilities to win this recreation. Going 1-for-5 within the crimson zone and shedding by three is all of the proof anybody wants.

Ultimately Love’s analysis of the offense is that “it’s inconsistent,” which is completely true, as a result of all of the unevenness is why the Panthers’ plan labored.

So what do the Packers should do? If the reply is hit extra explosive performs, there might be extra video games like this. If defenses are going to maintain a lid on the again finish, the Packers have to search out methods to steadily execute a protracted, bit-by-bit landing drive with out flubbing up. It took till the offense’s final possession – which began with a 21-yard completion however had no acquire longer than eight yards after that – to do it, and the Packers by no means obtained one other probability.

“If they’re going to play two high (safeties), you’ve got to stay with the run game and find ways to just dink and dunk the ball down the field,” Love mentioned. “It just comes back to finding ways to run the ball at a high level and maximize your yards after catch on some of the shorter passes and keep finding completions.”

Josh Jacobs did his half on the bottom, with 17 carries for 87 yards (5.1 avg.). Take away his longest run of 18 and he nonetheless averaged 4.3. That could possibly be higher, however the issues are usually not primarily with the operating recreation.

It’s on the errors throughout the board – a fumble, two false begins and 4 holding penalties (one declined) unfold throughout six completely different gamers, and that is not counting the missed blocks on blitzes and screens, and a missed subject objective.

“It’s very frustrating,” Love mentioned. “I think everybody in that locker room is very frustrated.”

The excellent news is the season is simply reaching the halfway level, so there’s nonetheless time to search out what’s lacking in some of these video games. The unhealthy information is that they’ll most likely should do it with out one of many offense’s most necessary and dependable gamers, tight finish Tucker Kraft, who’s seemingly out for an prolonged time as a consequence of a knee damage.

Nothing was simple about successful 5 video games by the top of October, and nothing will get simpler from right here.

“You’ve just got to get back to it,” Love mentioned. “I feel a very powerful factor is simply all people staying collectively, staying with that mindset, discovering methods to get higher, studying from the errors.

“This is the NFL. This is what it is.”