A Week 3 win over the Chiefs on Monday Night helped end the Packers’ recent trend of slow starts in the month of September. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers looked dominant on both sides of the ball in their 38-28 victory, a score that was not the slightest bit indicative of Green Bay’s dominance for three quarters of the game.
On offense, Rodgers received just enough protection to hook up with James Jones and Randall Cobb for a combined 230 yards and four touchdowns. In-game injuries to Davante Adams and Andrew Quarless provided opportunities for young receivers Ty Montgomery and Jeff Janis, which figure to take on even more active roles in the coming weeks.
The bigger stories coming off of this win may have been on defense, where the Packers tallied seven sacks and one interception while holding elite running back Jamaal Charles to 49 yards on the ground. While a prevent defense in the fourth quarter allowed the Chiefs to hang around until the game’s final minutes, Dom Capers has to be pleased with the aggression and physicality that the front seven, in particular, has shown over the past two games.
It has become increasingly clear that Clay Matthews will remain at inside linebacker for the foreseeable future, given the success he’s had at the position through three games. And while one would expect Capers to move Matthews around in an effort to confuse opposing offenses, the fact remains that the Packers do not have many other capable options at inside linebacker.
The defense has an opportunity to gain even more respect next week against Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers, who have continually shredded the Packers with the read option since 2012.