Familiar problem crops back up during Packers' loss to Broncos
Heading into Week 4, the Green Bay Packers averaged 7.8 penalties per game, which was fifth-worst in the NFL. It represented a brand new problem for Matt LaFleur and co., as the team was always on point when it came to avoiding yellow flags. It was bad, too. Especially against the New Orleans Saints. But […]
Heading into Week 4, the Green Bay Packers averaged 7.8 penalties per game, which was fifth-worst in the NFL. It represented a brand new problem for Matt LaFleur and co., as the team was always on point when it came to avoiding yellow flags.
It was bad, too. Especially against the New Orleans Saints. But at the same time, the Packers were 2-1, so things weren't as magnified as much.
Penalties weren't an issue against the Detroit Lions and the Las Vegas Raiders, so the conversation died down quite a bit. And honestly, it looked like the Packers had figured things out. As noted above, Green Bay was averaging over seven penalties per game heading into Thursday Night Football, before proceeding to commit just seven combined against the Lions and Raiders.
Well, the Packers got back to their old ways on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, committing seven penalties for 56-yards. Currently, the five-worst teams in terms of penalties all average seven or more flags per game, so, Sunday's performance would have the Packers right back where they started if it were their current per-game average (they currently average 6.8 penalties per game, which is ninth-worst).
The total amount was bad enough, but things get even worse when looking at Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins' ill-timed holding penalty that blew the Packers' chances of reattaining the lead with a field goal attempt.
It was the subsequent play that followed the two-minute warning. The Packers were down by two points, but found themselves with a 2nd and 10 at the Broncos 44. Jordan Love gained four yards off a scramble to set up a 3rd and 6 at the Denver 40, but Jenkins was called for the hold. That pushed the Packers out of Broncos territory and set them up with a 2nd and 20, instead.
Love couldn't connect with Christian Watson on the 2nd and 20 and then Broncos DB P.J. Locke picked him off on the ensuing 3rd and 20 to end the game.
It was a major mistake on Jenkins' part and it capped off yet another dismal performance from the Packers offense.
"That was critical. [It was] another critical penalty at the end of the game and it just seems like there's a there's a lot of those critical mistakes that keep popping up," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. "And those are the things that cost you. We had a lot of penalties in this game and I thought the previous couple of games, we've done a better job at not getting penalized. And unfortunately today it was a problem."
"We got to find a way to limit those penalties," said Love. "… There's just too many critical errors right now on offense."
The Packers already have enough to worry about on offense. The entire unit is a mess. The last thing they need are self-inflicted mistakes that make things even harder for them.
But, at this point, it doesn't seem like the penalties are going away. Mostly because the Packers continue to dig themselves into holes they can't get out of. And when you press the issue out of reaction, it typically doesn't go well in the NFL.
The Packers can't beat anyone, currently. So the last thing they need to do is beat themselves. But until they fix the penalty issues (on a permanent basis), those are the only Ws they're going to get.
