Perhaps it was wishful thinking that the Packers’ deep-rooted issues on both sides of the football would be resolved in just one week of practice. Green Bay’s stagnant offense and inconsistencies on defense followed the team from Denver to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte – which has emerged as a likely candidate for hosting at least one playoff game in January.
Playing most of the game from behind, Aaron Rodgers and the offense continued to fail to establish a rhythm in the passing game. While Rodgers’ stat line would suggest otherwise, the Green Bay passing game was generally outplayed by Carolina’s pass defense, failing to take advantage of opportunities that would have made the game close before the fourth quarter.
It’s painfully clear that the current wide receiver corps will continue to struggle to get separation from quality secondaries using talent alone. While Davante Adams turned in his best performance of the season against Carolina, there is still some noticeable lack of chemistry between the second-year wide out and Rodgers. The fourth quarter rally that nearly sent the game into overtime may have been more a product of complacency on the part of the Panthers instead of true course correction for the Packers’ passing game.
Matters did not fare any better for the Packers on the defensive side of the ball. The 27 points allowed by Dom Capers’ defense in the first half alone put the Packers in a deep hole and provided Carolina with the ability to control the tempo of the game during the third quarter. The previously acclaimed pass rush was unable to apply consistent pressure on Cam Newton, who had never beaten the Packers coming into Sunday’s game.
With the offense in disarray and defense having lost a step from its early-season form, it’s more than convenient that the Packers will host the league’s worst club next Sunday. It would be wrong to assume, however, that Green Bay’s problems – which span from play calling to pass protection to the pass rush – will magically vanish against a Detroit team that is clearly better than their record would suggest.
The last three games have uncovered what some of us feared, the defense is not as good as it seemed, the offensive line does not stand up to top tier D and the Offensive schemes don’t adjust to attack the particular opponents. Beating the lesser teams and losing to the better teams is only going to produce a so-so season.