3 Big Things from Green Bay Packers Chaotic Win in Baltimore

Green Bay Packers defense was unable to adjust

First, I’ll start by saying Tyler Huntley isn’t the typical backup quarterback that we see. He impressed on Sunday and very well could get the opportunity to start somewhere else next season. Also, Mark Andrews has been one of the more productive tight ends in football for a few years now, and he’s closing in on a 1,000-yard season.

With that said, that doesn’t absolve this Green Bay Packers defense from what was an overall poor performance.

As I often point out, there’s always more to it than what meets the eye in the game of football. However, the game plan to slow this Baltimore offense seemed fairly straightforward.

Coming into the game, the Ravens averaged nearly 32 rushing attempts per game, which was the third-most in football, so we knew they were going to lean on the run game if able to. Second, with a quarterback as mobile as Huntley, sealing the edge was going to be crucial in an effort to keep him in the pocket and from extending plays with his legs. Lastly, as the game unfolded, it became quite clear early on that Andrews was going to be a favorite target.

Yet, when it was all said and done, the Packers were unable to stop either of those aspects in this Baltimore offense. Now, without Kenny Clark, I can forgive the inability to stop the run. Plus, with Green Bay leading for much of the second half, the Raven running backs didn’t hurt them too badly.

But the Green Bay edge rushers and defensive front did a poor job of holding contain on the edge, which created running lanes and ways for Huntley to escape the pocket. He finished the day with 73 rushing yards on 13 carries along with two rushing touchdowns.

The Packers also had no answer for Mark Andrews, who caught 10 of his 13 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns. At some point, Green Bay should have double-teamed the tight end and forced Huntley to beat them elsewhere—but that never happened. The same could be said for Marquise Brown, who had 10 receptions of his own.

We also saw a lot of soft coverage from the cornerbacks, which led to a lot of quick and easy completions. While the Ravens do have some speed at the receiver position, adjustments to take away those easy completions should have been made.

Overall this was not a good day for the defense, and the lack of adjustments throughout the game was head-scratching, to say the least. But in the end, they came up with a key stop to secure the win, and over the course of the season, there are going to be games like this. Given their level of play for much of the year, they should be afforded some leniency.