The Green Bay Packers are preparing for an upcoming matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coming off of a game that not only made a limited Giants offense look great, but also had a very questionable ending series of play calling, Green Bay Packers fans are eager to know how the staff was going to adjust from the most recent loss.
Green Bay Packers Addressing Run Defense
For a team that was looking improved on defense, critical stops were needed at the Meadowlands that simply looked impossible to come. One of the main aspects that was not anticipated going in to the game was the running disparity against the Giants.
On 34 rushing attempts, the Green Bay Packers defense allowed 209 yards. Averaging 6.1 yards per rush going forward will all but assure that the Packers will be staying home during the post-season. This stat is misleading in the sense that it wasn’t like the opposing team simply lined up in the I-formation all evening and dominated the line of scrimmage. The final rushing total more so came from the ability of Saquan Barkley to break a large gain on any given play, and the scrambling legs of Tommy DeVito.
Joe Barry offered his thoughts, saying the following:
It wasn’t just one thing or one guy. It was one thing here, one thing there and that’s the quest is just to find that week in and week out consistency.
For Saquon Barkley, if you take out his single longest run of 34 yards, he ran for 52 yards on 19 carries, for a much better looking 2.7 yards per carry. This is not supposed to be an excuse for the Green Bay Packers defense. Because if you play the hypothetical games, then you could add the fact that “if” Barkley doesn’t fumble at the end, then the numbers would also look worse.
This is to point out a common theme throughout the year that occurred again in this game. The defense does an overall good job limiting the rushing game, only to allow critical conversations at the most inopportune times.
Green Bay Packers QB Rushes Against
The other big contributor of the rushing defense being so bad was DeVito making plays with his athleticism. He had 10 rushes for 71 yards, and a long of a 26 yard gain.
This is mostly what prevented the Green Bay Packers defense from sacking DeVito. Even when they forced pressure, or forced DeVito to have to move from the pocket, he was able to evade the pass rush and hurt the Packers. One possible saving grace, is that there is not as much tape on DeVito as other quarterbacks, and in a rematch you would think that the defense would be more conscious of setting the edge, and containing the pocket.
Speaking on the zero sacks, Coach Barry offered this:
That was frustrating because we felt pretty good with our group, the way they had been rushing, that I never would have thought that that would have been an issue.
In terms of quarterback style and mobility, this will be an opportunity to see how this Green Bay Packers defense is able to adjust. Baker Mayfield is a pass first quarterback, who is a capable runner, especially when forced out of the pocket, he will look to pick up yards on the ground. This similarity is something to monitor on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers Against the Buccaneers
This needs to be a bounce back performance. In many senses, the defense knows that they let a good opportunity slip away, despite it being an evening that the other units also struggled. This Green Bay Packers organization speaks often of improving and learning from mistakes. They will need to pass this Sunday test, or else the road the the playoffs gets much bumpier.
