Packers win the North: What went right & what went wrong?
For the third time in three years, the Green Bay Packers are NFC North champions as they left Baltimore with a hard-fought victory over a scrappy Ravens team, 31-30.
The Packers overcame a slow start along with a 7-0, and 14-7 first-half deficit to secure the win in dramatic fashion.
With the win, the Packers also become the first team in the NFL to 11 wins and sit atop the NFC with a one-game lead.
Let’s check out what went right in the Green Bay Packers’ big win Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
After a slow start, the offense got its groove back.
As expected, running the ball was extremely difficult from start to finish. Still, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the way, completing 23 of his 31 pass attempts along with three touchdowns, tying him with Hall of Famer Brett Favre for the most in franchise history.
According to PFF ($), Rodgers finished with a 79.2 grade despite the slow start.
Like most of the season, the offense started slow but started to pick up toward the end of the half, leading drives which resulted in scoring a pair of touchdowns to head into the half tied-up after being down 14-7.
The Packers came out of the half to take a 21-14 lead and never looked back, averaging 5.9 yards per play and turning what was an issue early in the season to strength, scoring touchdowns on four of their five trips to the red zone.
This offense seems to be clicking at the right time, too, now averaging 35.5 points per game over their past four games.
Is a fourth MVP on deck for Rodgers? It’s very possible.
It was a big win on the road against an unfamiliar foe, but not everything went according to plan. Let’s take a look at what went wrong Sunday in Baltimore.
The once-promising defense has turned into a big question mark.
A few weeks ago, we were all praising this defense, and rightfully so. They had just shut out the Seattle Seahawks and the week prior kept the lethal Patrick Mahomes in check.
That, unfortunately, has changed.
Sunday, the Ravens were short-handed, as undrafted Tyler Huntley made the start for the injured Lamar Jackson but didn’t miss a beat for them—completing 28 out of his 40 passes for two touchdowns and rushing for 73 yards, while adding two rushing touchdowns.
The Ravens outgained the Packers, 354 yards to 346, gaining 24 first downs and executing 2 out of their four fourth-down attempts.
After going up 31-17 with about nine minutes left in regulation, most Packers fans took a seat back and likely assumed the game would coast to the end. However, the Ravens had other plans, marking a wild comeback to only fall just short on a failed, go-ahead 2-point conversion.
Hopefully, more reinforcements can help get this unit trending in the right direction once again.
Special teams. Again.
Each week, while I watch this special teams unit, I think to myself, “how can it get any worse?” and each week, somehow it does.
Although this week wasn’t as bad as last week’s historic debacle, it was still bad, and some of the same mental mistakes were on full display that we have been accustomed to all year long.
A fair catch interference. A botched kick-off. Penalties and a 40-yard punt followed by a delay of game penalty.
I’m not sure where it goes from here. Head coach Matt LeFleur remains consistent in the fact that he’s sticking with special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton despite his unit ranking dead last.
The Packers have a shorter week than usual, as they get set for a Christmas day clash with the Cleveland Browns.
The Packers will enjoy another NFC North title. Still, they won’t celebrate for long as they get set to face off with Baker Mayfield & Co. Cleveland, along with multiple other franchises, are currently dealing with a COVID outbreak.
Cleveland is coming off a heartbreaking loss, losing to the Las Vegas Raiders on a last-second field goal Monday afternoon.