5 Winners and Losers from Packers Week 11 Victory Over Chargers

The Green Bay Packers narrowly escaped Lambeau Field with a 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The win moved the Packers to 2-4 in one-score games this season.

It wasn’t always pretty–there were indeed some frustrating moments. However, Green Bay did just enough to win their second game in three contests. After struggling for most of the season, the young talent on the roster is finally showing progress from week to week. Take their rookie pass-catchers, for example. Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave combined for 13 receptions for 197 yards. Progress.

With the Packers feeling good, let’s check out five winners and losers from their Week 11 victory over the Chargers.

Here are five winners and losers from the Green Bay Packers Week 11 win over the Chargers, including Jordan Love, Jayden Reed, and more.

Packers Winner: Red Zone Defense

Green Bay’s defense took a bend but don’t break approach to the max against Los Angeles. The Chargers had no issue moving the ball all day–finishing the day with 244 passing yards and 150 rushing yards. Fortunately, the Packers stood firm where it mattered most. The Chargers only scored one touchdown on their four red zone attempts, including two field goals and a turnover at the five-yard line. It was nice to see the Packers’ defense come up with a big play.

Packers Loser: Special Teams

It feels like Green Bay’s special teams have taken a step back this season. Rich Bisaccia hasn’t been able to work his magic on this unit, and they’re struggling mightily in several areas. They lead the NFL in special team’s penalities. Anders Carlson is also in a funk. He missed an extra point and a field goal. It’s the second straight week he’s missed an extra point that potentially had game-altering implications in the final minutes. He now ranks second-to-last on extra point percentage at 90 percent and 25th in field goal percentage.

Packers Winner: Jayden Reed

Jayden Reed might be the playmaker the Packers have been looking for. Green Bay designed several plays for him against the Chargers, and he capitalized on the opportunity. He finished with three carries for 46 yards and a touchdown while also adding four receptions for 46 yards. His speed and burst were evident as he made play after play.

Packers Loser: Jonathan Owens

The Packers didn’t have great safeties to begin the season with. However, both Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford were out on Sunday, forcing Jonathan Owens to start once again. Owens may be an average backup, but he’s not meant to play significant snaps. At one point in the second quarter, Chargers’ tight end Stone Smart caught a wide-open pass near the middle of the field with only Owens behind him. Owens came up to make a tackle and barely got two hands on Smart as he squirted out of the way and ran up the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown. It was an embarrassing performance of coverage and tackling by Owens.

Packers Winner: Jordan Love

Love is taking the steps the Packers’ front office wants to see. He finished the game by completing 27 of 40 passes (67.5 percent completion percentage) for 322 yards (a career-high) and two touchdowns. He still left a lot on the table and should’ve had a 400+ yard passing day with at least another touchdown. Unfortunately, his deep ball leaves a lot to be desired. He also missed Luke Musgrave on a 20-ish-yard pass down the left sideline that had a chance to be an 80+-yard touchdown. Still, it’s progress.