5 Takeaways from Packers v. Steelers Matchup

The Green Bay Packers are coming off a 23-19 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers this past week. After going back through the film, here are five takeaways from the game.

The Offense Got Going

For a team that came into this game only averaging 4.5 points in the first half, they got going early. Putting up two touchdowns in the first half showed improvement for the Packers this past week. While Aaron Jones couldn’t get going as much, Matt LaFleur kept returning to him and AJ Dillon, which will need to continue for this offense to succeed.

The opposite happened in the second half, and the offense went quiet for the most part again despite two field goals. Every stop the defense had, the offense didn’t answer, and when the offense got going, the defense couldn’t hold up. The scheme is slowly improving; while there are still plays that don’t make sense for the situation being called, LaFleur has realized they need to use Jones and Dillon to help jump-start the offense.

The Defense Took A Major Step Back

While the defense saw an awful review call, there should’ve been a touchdown that was called back; the defense outside of that got run all over again. After two games back-to-back of only allowing 70 yards or fewer in the run game, the defense gave up over 70 yards to not one but two running backs this week. Jaylen Warren had 101 yards on fifteen carries, and Najee Harris had 82 yards on sixteen carries as the Steelers did anything that they wanted for the most part in the run game.

The secondary, while depleted, actually held up well, but it doesn’t look like it when you are getting shredded in the run. There were multiple occasions where the running back had two holes to pick from, and that’s due to the scheme of Joe Barry asking certain guys to take on roles that they should not have to take. For example, early in the game, you can see Jonathan Owens trying to take on the left tackle, shed him, and try to tackle Harris coming right at him. That is something that you should never ask of your safety, and it is almost a sure win for the offense, no matter who the safety is. Overall, the scheme of the Steelers ate the Packers’ defense up early in this game, but they adjusted to it in the second half.

The Rookie Pass Catchers Stood Out

Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Luke Musgrave all made huge plays for the Packers in their game. While the offense wasn’t perfect, seeing your top three receiving leaders all be rookies should excite Packers fans for the future. While they didn’t win the game, Reed, Wicks, and Musgrave continued to get open, and all are showing improvements week in and week out, which is all you’re looking for, especially in the rookie year.

Reed would go on to score another touchdown to add to his rookie campaign, along with 84 yards, a team-high. Musgrave was second of the three with 64 yards, and Wicks would tack on another 51 yards. While they have receivers with more experience in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, the emergence of these rookies will be huge for the Packers going forward.

The Little Things Hurt This Team The Most

The Packers’ youth starts to show when the little things hold them back. As a team that is tied for the second most penalties this season, it’s the little things that are setting them back. Whether it’s holding, illegal formation, or offsides, the scheme is partially to blame for this as well. If there are plays that are being called as illegal formation, that goes straight back to play design, which needs adjusting.

One penalty like that might not lose them a game, but the problem is when those penalties start adding up instead of one or two to eight, nine, or ten. That change of field position due to not cleaning up the little things affects this team every week, and it will need to be toned down in order for the offense to keep progressing.

Zach Tom (Yes, That Is The Takeaway)

If you were looking for a bright spot, look no further than Zach Tom in this past game. While TJ Watt wasn’t completely limited, Tom did the best of any tackle to face off against Watt this year. Great players are never fully shut down, but they can be contained, and that’s exactly what Tom did. There were multiple reps where Tom won and did his job, and performances like the one he had are what the Packers are looking for every week.