Strength Turns Into Potentially Fatal Flaw at Worst Time for Packers

“A wise coach once told me you’re going to fly to Miami a lot faster than you’re going to walk.”

Former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said that early in the 2019 season.

He’s right. The NFL is a passing league, and the game is often dictated by explosive plays.

The Packers’ issue under coach Matt LaFleur was they were too far bought into that theory defensively. From 2019 through 2023, the first five seasons of LaFleur’s tenure, the Packers were the worst team in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per carry.

Then something changed.

The Packers hired Jeff Hafley, and a shift took place.

The Packers under their new defensive coordinator finished third in yards allowed per carry and seventh overall against the run last year. The season culminated in a postseason loss in which they at least slowed down 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley in a wild-card loss to the Eagles.

Typically, a matchup against a star running back running behind a good offensive line was a recipe for disaster under some of Hafley’s predecessors.

Coming into play two weeks ago, the Packers had gone from worst to first. They ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. They were third in the league following the win at Pittsburgh.

“You just do your job. It’s that simple,” defensive tackle Colby Wooden said. “The coaches do a great job putting together a great game plan. You got to stop the run.”

The passion in Wooden’s voice was evident of a culture shift in Green Bay on defense. Stopping the run was no longer a secondary thought, but a mandate.

In Sunday’s loss against the Panthers, however, that mandate was broken as they were beaten over the head by Rico Dowdle. All of the preseason concerns about Green Bay’s inability to stop the run reared their ugly head in a 16-13 upset.

The Panthers had a clear plan from the outset of Sunday’s game. They wanted to run the ball, and then run it some more. Their passing game was a mere supplement, and only to be used in obvious situations.

The final numbers reflect that.

Bryce Young threw for 102 yards, which should be a recipe for a blowout victory for the home team who entered the game as a double-digit favorite. The only problem was the Packers’ vaunted run defense forgot to show up.

Carolina’s offensive line was banged up, and Green Bay was essentially at full strength in the spine of their defense with Quay Walker being active.

None of that mattered. Carolina’s run game was dynamic. Rico Dowdle ran for 130 yards on 25 carries, including a 19-yard back-breaker on the final possession to set up a game-winning field goal.

“Typical run defense starts up front, and there were some things that we didn’t do that we typically do at a high level,” LaFleur said on Monday. “It all starts for us just making sure our guys are playing their right responsibilities, their right gaps, and then it comes down to the technique and fundamentals. Just weren’t good, good enough in that regard.”

Is that one bad performance, or a sign of some cracks in the foundation?

The Packers are going to find out immediately.

After Dowdle’s big performance, next on their schedule is the biggest bully on the block, the Eagles.

The Packers know this ground game well. They faced Barkley and the powerful Eagles’ offensive twice last year. Barkley topped 100 yards in both games.

That was a defense that had proven run defenders Kenny Clark and TJ Slaton in the middle of the defensive line. Those guys are gone now, and the new general of the unit, Wooden, left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.

“Nothing long term. So, we feel good about that,” LaFleur said.

Some solace can be taken that this is not the same bully that bookended Green Bay’s season last year. Barkley topped 100 yards 11 times in the regular season, and three more times on the way to him winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year and the team winning the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley bursts through a hole during last year's playoff win over the Packers. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

This year, however, the numbers are not nearly as eye-popping. He’s averaging 64.9 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry compared to 125.3 per game and 5.8 per carry last season.

The Eagles were forced to replace right guard Mekhi Becton, who left in free agency after the team’s Super Bowl victory, and results have been mixed with Tyler Steen and Brett Toth making starts.

In addition, the interior of their offensive line has been banged up. Left guard Landon Dickerson, their most powerful offensive lineman, has been in and out of the lineup with various injuries. Center Cam Jurgens has been banged up, as well. The tackles, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, are great, but they have not had the same magic.

Barkley has one 100-yard rushing game this season, and Philadelphia’s offense has struggled at times finding its identity.

All that said, when was Barkley’s first 100-yard game of the year? Against the New York Giants, in the game before last week’s bye.

While the Packers were busy getting bludgeoned by Dowdle and Carolina’s run game, Barkley and his offensive line were resting and presumably getting healthier for Monday’s clash.

Yes, the Eagles have playmakers on the outside that draw your attention. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith form one of the best receiver tandems in football. Dallas Goedert is a reliable tight end.

Yes, quarterback Jalen Hurts can be inconsistent at times, but he’s fourth in passer rating and finds ways to dial up big plays. In his last two games, he’s thrown seven touchdown passes and nine incomplete passes.

Make no mistake, though, Philadelphia’s identity is built around its ground game and how to spring Barkley.

“It’s something that we got to get fixed understanding the teams we got coming up,” defensive end Micah Parsons said.

Will the Packers be up for the challenge?

They better be, or it’ll be another long night at Lambeau Field for a team that has dreams not of Miami but Santa Clara, Calif., for this year’s Super Bowl.

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