It is not often you see Green Bay get outplayed at Lambeau Field, but that was the case today. A strong, last-minute goal line stand, however, held off the relentless San Diego Chargers in the closest game of the year up to this point: Packers 27, Chargers 20. The Packers overcame a monstrous day by Philip Rivers who set a single-game Lambeau record for completions and pass attempts (43/65) to go with 503 pass yards as they improve to 6-0 heading into their Week 7 bye.
Game Summary
Green Bay’s offense looked like it was back to their usual high-scoring antics on their first two drives. The Pack utilized the up-tempo, no huddle offense on their first drive that has caused defense’s all kinds of issues. Aaron Rodgers moved the ball fast and efficiently down the field, going 5/5 for 49 yards on the first drive that ended with a James Starks touchdown on a shovel pass from the 5-yard line.
Following a San Diego field goal, Starks had the longest run of his career on a beautiful 65-yard touchdown where he reversed course after hitting a wall of lineman at the line of scrimmage. Jeff Janis never stopped playing and had a key block down the field on Eric Weddle that gave Starks enough room for his second touchdown of the game.
San Diego moved the ball all day against the Packers’ defense thanks to the connection Rivers and Keenan Allen had going before Allen went down with a hip injury (14 receptions, 157 yards on 15 targets). The Chargers third drive got them into the red zone, but missed a scoring opportunity when Gates dropped a guaranteed first down on 4th and 3. Rodgers found Jeff Janis on a 46-yard strike on the ensuing drive, leading to a Mason Crosby field goal and a 17-3 lead.
Green Bay finally puts points on the board with their final drive of the 3rd quarter after three straight three-and-out drives. Rodgers hit James Jones with a back shoulder throw for a touchdown, providing some much needed energy to the team and fans after very solemn second and third quarters. A couple drives and two field goals later, the ball was in Philip Rivers hands with 2:37 left, three timeouts, and the two-minute warning to work with.
The final Chargers drive was started by a slew of first-down screens, two to Danny Woodhead and one to Antonio Gates. San Diego moved the ball very effectively on these screens, com-batting the pressure Dom Capers was bringing on this drive. Rivers and company had four opportunities from the 3-yard line yet failed to convert the game-tying touchdown they desperately needed. A big stuff on Woodhead by Datone Jones on 3rd down gave the defense one more chance to hold the Chargers out of the end zone. And they succeeded. Damarious Randall made a great break on a flat route by Woodhead to break up the pass and seal the win. Packers 27, Chargers 20.
Offense ailing, but wins keep coming
For the second week in a row, we have seen an uncharacteristic performance by the offense at home. To be honest, it is hard to believe we are chalking this up as the sixth win of the year for Green Bay. Rodgers struggled for the better part of this game following his perfect passing on the first drive, finishing the game 11/24. Eddie Lacy (four rushes, three yards & one fumble recovered by GB) and Randall Cobb (two catches, 38 yards) were essentially non-factors in this game. It took big performances by Starks and Janis (2 catches, 78 yards) to kick the offense into gear and put points on the board.
I expected this week to be a big bounce back game for the offense. It started that way but, yet again, injuries continue to plague the Packers receiving core. Ty Montgomery went down in second quarter (ankle) and would not return for the game. Montgomery was one of our players to watch coming into the game and was making an impact early, but could not continue due to injury. As a result, Janis, Justin Perillo, and Jared Abbredaris saw more clock than usual but affected the fluidity and execution of the offense.
Clearly, the injuries the offense has had to deal with have greatly impacted the high standard of consistency and greatness. The rhythm hasn’t been there the last two and a half games like we are use to seeing. Rodgers hasn’t put up magnificent stats in recent weeks. And the run game has faltered with Lacy being limited. But the wins keep coming.
As a man who sees the glass half full, there should be a level of excitement when a team can win games without the utmost reliance upon one man to play at an MVP-level every single game. A great team is not founded on a great individual. Week after week, Green Bay shows the value of the ‘next man up’ philosophy and ability to win as a cohesive unit: through offense, defense, and special teams.
Game Balls
James Starks – Starks had a huge game on the ground and continues to prove his worth as he took over for Eddie Lacy today, finishing with 117 total yards and 2 TDs.
Datone Jones – One of our players to watch coming in, Jones continues to improve week-by-week as he had a big sack on 3rd and 8 in the 4th quarter, forcing San Diego to punt as they were driving into GB territory. He also made a key stop on 3rd and goal in the final drive, shedding a block to keep Woodhead out of the end zone and preserving the lead.
Coming Up
Green Bay gets a much-needed two week break going into Week 7 with a bye. This could not come at a better time as several key players are battling injuries. The break is well-deserved with a 6-0 record, yet the hardest part of the schedule has yet to come. The Packers are on the road for three of their next four games after the bye: at Denver, at Carolina, home against Detroit, and at Minnesota.
Key Stats
First Downs: SD 32 / GB 17
Total Plays: SD 89 / GB 49
3rd Down Conversions: SD 9-18 / GB 3-9
Total Yards: SD 570 / GB 370
Penalties: SD 9-76 / GB 6-50
Sources
http://espn.go.com/nfl/matchup?gameId=400791667
http://prod.static.packers.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/gamebooks/2015/151018-gamebook-chargers.pdf