Why they lost: Green Bay Packers fall to Lions at Lambeau

Nov 15, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver

(17) reacts after dropping a pass on a two point conversion attempt during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Detroit won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Failed Connections

Sticking with the offense’s problems, today saw a ton of passes thrown. Unfortunately, many were not quite on target.

For one reason or another, Aaron Rodger’s career-high 61 pass attempts only managed to find their mark on 35 passes (57.4% completions percentage).

Nov 15, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) cannot catch a pass while defended by Detroit Lions cornerback

(28) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Some of those undoubtedly have to be blamed on the blocking (they let up 3 sacks and 7 QB hits), some on the receivers (yet again unable to force any separation from basic man coverage). Even still, Rodgers must bear some blame here; he missed the mark on open receivers on multiple occasions throughout the game, receivers he would usually hit in stride for major gains.

The biggest example of the consistent inconsistency in the passing game would be the day Davante Adams had.

Adams was targeted 21 times in the game — one of just a few players targeted 20+ times league-wide this season — but he only managed to collect 10 catches on all those passes sent his way. He also didn’t produce much in those passes he did catch (79 yards; 7.9 yards per catch).

The two-point conversion was the perfect microcosm of this problem, not only in this game but recently with the offense as a whole.

In what was the biggest play of the game at the time, Rodgers dropped back to pass. Immediately, he has at least one guy on him, causing him to loft the ball instead of stepping into his motion. The ball is ever so slightly short of where it should have been, causing what would have been a simple pitch-&-catch to the outside to be a highly-contested drop that should have ended any chance of a comeback.

Despite the obvious struggles, this team has still been very close to stealing wins in two straight weeks; if Rodgers has a single second more across two late plays in the past two games (the INT vs Carolina, the 2pt-conversion vs Detroit), we likely see this team at 8-1 and have no worries.

Even if Green Bay had managed to win one or both of those games though, this issue would still be there.

The only difference is we might not realize it.

Next: Surrendering Points Late