Packers defense is making life hard for Jordan Love and the offense
The Green Bay Packers defense has picked the absolute worst time of the year to start letting the team down. After what's been a pretty solid year, the unit has looked like one of the league's worst in back-to-back losses to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Joe Barry's crew has allowed the most […]
The Green Bay Packers defense has picked the absolute worst time of the year to start letting the team down. After what's been a pretty solid year, the unit has looked like one of the league's worst in back-to-back losses to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Joe Barry's crew has allowed the most and second-most points of the year over the last two weeks and it's unable to stop both the run and the pass. Combine that with the fact it's allowing opposing offenses to convert red zone trips into touchdowns at a 62.5% rate and it's easy to see why Jordan Love and the Packers offense feels an even bigger need to put points on the board.
"When you have a good offense putting up points, you gotta respond as an offense and be able to match that and keep putting up points," Love told reporters after the game. "You know, that's where we got to be able to help our defense out, is by matching that offense and putting up points."
Love's comment shows why he's the leader of the team, but it's easy to see through it. Sure, the offense needs to help the defense out by putting points on the board, but the defense also needs to help the offense by actually, you know, getting a stop.
Of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' eight possessions before the final drive that ended the game, Baker Mayfield and co. scored six times – five of those being touchdowns. That also includes three-straight touchdown drives in the second half.
Even though they want to and even though it's the goal – it's unrealistic to expect Love and co. to score touchdowns on 63% of drives, much less 100%. The Packers defense is putting the offense in a bad spot and it's really hurting the overall product.
A lot of it is because the offense is so damn young. I mean, think about it: Even though the Packers are 14 games into the season, the offense doesn't have much experience as an overall unit. It's already learning on the fly and adapting to NFL life – the last thing it needs is more pressure to get all the little details, communication, and other aspects right as the opposing offense continues to march down the field on a frequent basis.
The last two games, the Packers have entered the fourth quarter down eight points and 10 points, respectively. The defense has to do a much better job at setting the offense up for success – not putting it in a hole that's hard to get out of.
Fortunately for Love, the Packers are scheduled to play the pitiful Carolina Panthers offense in Week 16. If the defense can't have success against Bryce Young and co. then the season will be lost, once and for all.
