Kings of the North: Why the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions

A New Passing Dynamic 

When it has come to the deep passing game for Green Bay, all we have heard said in recent years is either that Jordy Nelson is their deep weapon or they don’t even really have a deep attack. This appears to be morphing into some new exciting answers now, however.

While Jordy may not be the deep weapon he once was (Robert Mays of The Ringer noted that he has no TDs of 40+ yards, after he put in seven of those in 2014), the Packers may have found a duo capable of bringing out these big plays in Jared Cook and Geronimo Allison.

Cook is the more obvious answer of the two. His size is monstrous (6’5″, 254 lbs), and his athleticism is off-the-charts enticing; when properly utilized (which he was not throughout most of his career — especially the Rams portion) he can be a devastating weapon. When he has been healthy this year, he’s given Green Bay’s offense an incredible chess piece, and his impact of just being out there has an undoubtable impact (in fact, his return since the game versus Washington has coincided with the offense awakening from a calendar-year slumber of mediocrity).

He can line up anywhere for them (in-line, split wide alone or in trips/bunch formations, as an h-back), able to bust open routes up the middle of the field or cherry-pick over outmatched corners on the outside.

Allison’s impact hasn’t been as constant — mostly due to the guys in front of him seeing tons more snaps — but when he has gotten opportunities he’s been able to do what few Packers’ receivers have in the past couple years: force separation.

When on the field, Allison is able to actually add something to plays in the sort of way nobody did for Green Bay last year.

Someone like Davante Adams can make plays happen, but his main damage comes in close quarters, contested catches (and his mystifying penchant for drops dulls his positive impact and excitement some); Allison can actually break away to beat his man, and that can bring about the sort of big plays a player like Jordy should not be consistently relied on to do alone anymore.

On Sunday, Cook put up 4 catches for 56 yards. Three of his catches were for at least 11 yards, two for 15+ yards. Allison was even more impressive: 4 catches, 91 yards and a TD, with all four catches picking up at least 10 yards and two going for 30+.

This offense has already looked dangerous, but having legitimate deep threats in abundance (to go along with these two, Jordy has been adding back some of that deep ball magic again recently) will only make this team an even greater challenge for any playoff foes they come up against.