Rest v. Rust

The Packers started as many 2^nd stringers as they could, and many played well. The offensive line did some nice things, mainly Jordan Morgan – starting at his natural position, LT – but with Clayton Tune at QB, there was no chance to get any production. The ground game was “good,” overall, rushing for 128 yards on 35 attempts. This includes Emanuel Wilson’s boneheaded -19-yard rush; had he just taken the loss of 2 yards that would’ve made the rush numbers look much better…taking it to 145 yards, which is a key number, 140+ rush yards.

What we didn’t get was a good look at rookie WR Matthew Golden. Tune hasn’t been able to throw a forward pass, so that’s hurting everyone’s development, or at least cost a great opportunity to see more prospects. It was clear the goal was to get out of this game as healthy as possible to prepare for the playoffs instead of getting any momentum or rhythm and timing. Always a tough decision, but we’ll find out.

Did Anyone Stand Out?

The kids on defense played well, mainly Barryn Sorrell (#99, pictured above) had one of the 2 Packer sacks in the game. He also had 8 tackles and has earned more playing time, in my opinion, we’ll see if that comes true on Saturday night. The major bright spot, and most-hyped, was Collin Oliver (#45), who produced more in his 1^st NFL game than Rashan Gary has in the previous 10 games – earning more playing time moving forward.

The other bright spot was newcomer, Trevon Diggs (#28). According to Pro Football Focus, Diggs played 32 snaps (17 in pass coverage, 15 in run defense), and he was targeted once. Diggs didn’t give up a catch on 1 targeted pass attempt and had 2 tackles in the run game. If he can get going that could boost the Packers’ defense in the most-needed area on this team, the defensive backfield.

Season: 9-7-1; 2nd in NFC North; 7th Seed in NFC

With the Regular Season finished, Green Bay ended the season with a 9-7-1 record, which was the 13^th-best record in the NFL…appropriately aligns with their scoring differential, which too ranked 13^th in the league at +31. It’s frustrating to think of how good this team/season would’ve been had they stayed healthy and learned earlier how not to beat themselves – but the NFL has a way of equalizing many teams every year. All in all, and as always, the Packers’ success will be determined by what they accomplish in the postseason. Keep in mind the goal upon acquiring Micah Parsons was to win the Super Bowl, hell, that was the goal BEFORE trading for Micah.

Is LaFleur Coaching For His Job?

Elaborating on expectations, there’s a chance LaFleur’s future depends on the Packers’ performance this month. While having one of the best starts to a coaching career, MLF has seen his team go just 30-23-1 (including playoffs) since Jordan Love took over at QB. The talent on this roster had fans believing (me included) more should’ve been accomplished. While I don’t think the Packers will part ways with him, regardless of the outcome of Saturday night, I believe anything short of a Conf. Title appearance will have his seat be one of, if not, the hottest in the entire NFL entering next season.