5 Big Questions Revisited from Green Bay Packers Matchup with Ravens
By Paul Bretl
![Dec 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws to tight end Josiah Deguara (81) during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Dec 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws to tight end Josiah Deguara (81) during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/06d448946d0ede5c4ff49b61c69af0b41cc48b419233d8ecf0927162fa2e47b0.jpg)
Q: How many pass attempts will Rodgers and Green Bay Packers have?
A: 31
Given that Baltimore was without all four of their preferred Week 1 starters in the secondary and the fact that the Ravens pass defense has been one of the worst in football this season while their run defense has been one of the best, I thought there was the real possibility that Aaron Rodgers could eclipse 40+ pass attempts just as he did against Los Angeles.
Although he did not reach 40 attempts, we still saw Rodgers throwing the ball around the yard and finding a lot of success. In the end, he completed 23 of his 31 pass attempts for 268 yards at 8.6 yards per attempt—that’s really good. He also had three touchdowns and a passer rating of 132.2 while he targeted nine different pass-catchers as the Ravens tried to do everything that they could to take away Davante Adams.
One big reason that Rodgers didn’t hit 40 pass attempts as he did against the Rams, who also have a very good run defense, was that Green Bay only ran 59 offensive plays in Baltimore compared to 78 against LA. With that number of opportunities, I imagine Rodgers would have easily hit the 40-45 pass attempt range.
Typically I am a very big proponent of a good run/pass mix but against the Ravens, the clear weakness of this defense was their secondary, and as expected, Rodgers and Co. did an excellent job of taking advantage.