GREEN BAY − The Green Bay Packers are coming off a 40-40 tie against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 28 as they enter their bye in Week 5 of the NFL season.
Each week, we ask our PackersNews team the burning question of the week about the Packers and this week we’re asking:
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What’s one thing from the Packers that’s been good? What’s been a serious problem?
Ryan Wood: For me, it’s a bit of a glass half full or glass half empty situation. Glass half full? The Packers have shown elite potential on both sides of the football. Quarterback Jordan Love has played most of this season without his full offensive line, and he’s never had his full arsenal of pass catchers, yet his 113 passer rating is tied with Jared Goff for second highest in the NFL. Much healthier than a season ago, Love appears to be taking another step in his development. It’s a quarterback league, and when your quarterback is playing at Love’s level, the sky is the limit. He also has a defense with the potential to be the best in the league. Now, here’s the glass half empty: The Packers not only have gone two straight weeks without pairing the best of their offense and defense together, but they’ve done it against inferior opponents. Championship-caliber teams don’t do that. This Packers team was supposed to have the experience to consistently win, yet it still seems like this young team has not learned how to pull out games on a weekly basis. That’s even more disheartening than their inability to field a competent special teams, a problem that grows bigger every week.
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Four things we’ve learned about the Packers after four games, including where special teams stand
Pete Dougherty: What have the Packers done well? Jordan Love is playing good football – his 113.0 passer rating is tied for second best in the NFL. But the thing the Packers have done best in the first four games is rush the passer, this last game at Dallas notwithstanding. The Packers’ 44 pressures (sacks, hits and hurries) are tied for third-most in the NFL. Micah Parsons has shown he can win a pass rush right off the snap, which over the course of the season will be a big problem for offenses. But defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley learned against Dallas there still will be times when he has to turn loose Edgerrin Cooper as a blitzer. On a day when the rush wasn’t getting home, Hafley blitzed Cooper only twice, and Dak Prescott had a big day (124.9 rating, 40 points). With Parsons on board, the pass-rush talent is there. But there will be games when the four-man rush isn’t quite enough, and Hafley will have to get Cooper and Quay Walker after the quarterback, too. What’s been a serious problem? Special teams obviously. Two blocked kicks (a game-winning field goal, and an extra point returned for two points) have been huge factors in the Packers’ loss and tie. But another big long-term problem is the stalled run game. Josh Jacobs is averaging only 3.3 yards on his 80 carries. That has to improve if Matt LaFleur is going to field a top offense. Injuries to tackle Zach Tom and guard Aaron Banks have been a big contributor to the run-game woes. The Packers can only hope this week’s bye will get them back on the field next week. But injuries are a fact of life in the NFL, and teams still have to find a way.
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Tom Silverstein: The Packers are 2-1-1. They could easily be 2-2, so that’s probably a good. Their defense has been good despite the effort against the Cowboys. Maybe the latest effort will force the coaches to dig in and find out how they can create turnovers. The consistent bad has been the special teams. No way to get around that. It will be their downfall if it’s not corrected.
TOM SILVERSTEIN: Time for Jeff Hafley to explore more ways for Micah Parsons to lift Packers defense
Dominique Yates: The Packers have proven they can be a team worthy of winning a Super Bowl. That’s the good. In the first two games against the Lions and Commanders, the Packers had great protection for Jordan Love. When he has a clean pocket, I think he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the league. No question, the next step for him is to prove he can stand tall and make plays happen when he’s dealing with an elite defense with a strong pass rush. When the passing game is clicking, this offense will get to fully unleash Josh Jacobs. This defense also has a chance to be at the top. From the first two games, it’s clear the Packers have the potential to be great. The problem for me, besides the obvious special teams, is this team has to figure out how to put teams away. When it’s 13-0 against Dallas and Packers fans are turning Jerry’s World into a home game, you have to find a way to run away with the game and not look back. You can’t get extra points blocked and make too many crucial mistakes in the game. This is the NFL with too many talented players. Giving the other team momentum is a not a winning recipe. The Packers have to put it all together and play complementary football in all three phases to finish the season where they want.
This article originally appeared on Packers News: What’s good, bad about Packers heading into bye? Our reporters answer