Strong run game and Christian Watson have sparked Packers offense
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers offense has been picking up momentum as of late, and that is in large part due to the combination of a successful run game and Christian Watson’s big play ability.
Although the Packers’ performance against Tennessee resembled the same stagnant offense that we have seen for much of the season, that game was sandwiched in between two of Green Bay’s best performances.
In Week 10 against Dallas, the Packers put up 31 points, totaled 415 yards, and averaged 6.8 yards per play, and for reference in regards to that stat, Kansas City leads the NFL this season with 6.5 yards per play. Then most recently against Philadelphia, the Packers scored 33 points and averaged 7.0 yards per play.
In both of these games, the rushing attack sparked these performances, along with the emergence of Christian Watson in the passing game. During that stretch, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon would combine to rush for 310 yards at over five yards per carry, while Watson logged 217 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
"“It starts with execution. It starts with the foundation of running the ball,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich via Packers.com. “We did a very good job versus Dallas with that, and I thought Philly, for the most part, we did a very good job of running the ball there too, and when you can do that, and you have a guy outside who can take the top off the defense, that’s how it all plays together. So, it is that simple as long as you’re running the ball effectively.”"
Complimentary football — in really all capacities — has alluded the Green Bay Packers for much of the season, but when the run and passing games can feed off each other as they did in these two games, it really stresses the opposing defense.
A strong run game can lead to more defenders playing closer to the line of scrimmage and the defense getting out of their cover-2 shell, which can then lead to more big-play opportunities over the top. The threat of the big passing play, meanwhile, can result in fewer box defenders and more cover-2, which is susceptible to the run. Basically, the defense is forced into picking one aspect to try to slow down, and the Packers are able to then lean heavily on the other.
This week against Chicago, the Packers offense will have the opportunity to build upon this momentum against a Bears defense that is allowing over 25 points per game. This is a Bears pass rush that has struggled to generate pressure and a run defense unit allowing 4.7 yards per carry. They will be without Eddie Jackson at safety, and the secondary is allowing 7.6 yards per pass attempt.
Injuries to the offensive line and, occasionally, a reluctance to lean on the run game have stifled the Packers’ rushing attack at times, while injuries to Watson had taken away that home run ability in the passing game. However, a healthy offensive line, a healthy Christian Watson, and a heavy dose of Jones and Dillon have provided the Packers with a very effective one-two punch. Now, let’s see if they can string together back-to-back impressive performances.