Behind Enemy Lines with Packers Writer
The 3-7-1 Eagles, now in third place in the NFC East percentage points behind the New York Giants and Washington Football Team, will play the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers, who sit at 8-3, in Lambeau Field on Sunday (4:25 p.m.).
The Eagles played perhaps their most complete offensive game of 2019 when they went to Green Bay and one 34-27. The Eagles were 1-2 at the time; the Packers 3-0.
Every season is different, though, and right now, these look like two very different teams from that game on Sept. 26, 2019.
Bill Huber, who publishes Packer Central for SI.com, and I got together and asked each other questions about the teams we cover.
Here's a link to Bill's questions and my answers to him regarding the Eagles:
https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/green-bay-packers-vs-philadelphia-eagles-behind-enemy-lines
Here are my questions to Bill about the Packers:
Q: What is the biggest difference you have seen now in Year 2 of the Matt LaFleur era than the end of the Mike McCarthy regime?
A: Aaron Rodgers. That’s the biggest difference.
For much of the Rodgers-McCarthy era, the offense revolved around Rodgers’ ability to create. It was a great plan when Rodgers had Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams as his receivers like he did in runs to the NFC Championship Game in 2014 and 2016.
Heck, in 2011, when Rodgers set the NFL’s all-time record for passer rating, Rodgers had Nelson, Cobb, James Jones, and Greg Jennings as his receivers and Jermichael Finley as his tight end. So, Rodgers could extend plays, and, inevitably, somebody would get open.
That didn’t work so well toward the end, though, when the supporting cast got weaker and weaker.
So, enter LaFleur, who brought a scheme with him to Green Bay in 2019. It wasn’t pretty last year but it’s been fantastic this year. There’s been total buy-in from the start by Rodgers. I’ve always pointed to a Thursday night game early in 2018 between the Rams and Vikings. Mike Zimmer’s Vikings defenses generally gave Rodgers fits. But in that 2018 game, Jared Goff and the Rams piled up 38 points on the Vikings. Rodgers took notice of what scheme – that particular scheme – could do.
With comfort has come production. A lot was made of the Packers’ failure to get Rodgers another receiver in the 2020 draft. And yet, they enter this week’s games ranked No. 1 in scoring.
Q: The Packers offensive line has only allowed 12 sacks and has opened enough holes in the run game to put them in the top 10 in rushing, what has been the key to the line’s play this year?
A: Depth.
It’s not as bad as the Eagles, but Green Bay has battled injuries all season. On Sunday, they’ll roll out their fifth different starting combo of the year. This rendition will have left guard Elgton Jenkins moving to center to replace injured Corey Linsley and Philly native Jon Runyan, a rookie sixth-round pick, sliding in at left guard.
Fortunately, Jenkins and right tackle Billy Turner have provided uncommon flexibility. Jenkins has played 572 snaps at left guard, 104 at center, 32 at right tackle, and 27 at left tackle. Turner has played 398 snaps at right tackle, 171 at left tackle, and 13 at right guard, where he started every game last season.
Turner’s been a revelation. He wasn’t worth a darn at right guard last year but has done a solid job in replacing longtime starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who departed in free agency. And the scheme helps, too, with the running game setting up play-action and a lot of bootlegs. When Rodgers goes to pass, it might be a three-step drop, a five-step drop, a boot one way or another. So, it’s not as if the pass rushers know where to attack.
Q: The Packers are one of the team’s favored to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but what do you think could be one of the obstacles they must overcome to make that happen?
A: Their defense isn’t very good. The adage that “defense wins championships” doesn’t hold much water anymore. It’s a quarterback-driven league.
Still, I think the last six Super Bowl winners finished in the top 10 in points allowed, so I don’t think you can win with a bad defense. Green Bay’s defense is slightly below average in terms of points allowed per game. And until recently, it hadn’t produced many takeaways. I don’t care about yards allowed. The only things that matter are points and turnovers.
The Packers have forced eight turnovers in the last four games, but they’ve also faced some mistake-prone quarterbacks during that stretch, so I’m not sure that’s going to be relevant come playoff time.
The run defense is especially bad. It’s played well in spurts, to be sure, but not consistently enough. If I were Doug Pederson, I’d hand the ball to Miles Sanders 25 times and take my chances.
Q: Aaron Rodgers seems to get better with age. He turned 37 on Wednesday but hasn’t slowed down. Where do you think this season ranks with some of his others?
A: Right at the top. He won MVP awards in 2011 and 2014 with star-studded groups of pass-catchers. This offense doesn’t have that. Davante Adams is a truly great receiver. Beyond that, the contributions have been sporadic.
Receivers Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have had big games, and the same is true for tight end Robert Tonyan. But Rodgers isn’t surrounded by the same talent as the other MVP frontrunners, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, among others) and Seattle’s Russell Wilson (DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett).
If I were an MVP voter, I’d give it to Rodgers. He’s got a 100-plus passer rating in 10 of 11 games despite injuries to Adams (two-and-a-half games) and Lazard (six games). The name of the game on offense is scoring touchdowns. Rodgers is in total control of an offense that has scored more points than anyone in the NFL.
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