Packers: Positives, negatives from Week 8 vs. Rams

Positives and negatives from the Green Bay Packers’ Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Packers came up just short against the undefeated Rams Sunday afternoon.

Here are some positives and negatives from the defeat:

Positive: Jaire Alexander

Jaire Alexander was an absolute stud on Sunday. Against one of, if not the slipperiest wide receivers in the NFL in Brandin Cooks, Alexander was connected to his hip all afternoon.

After missing the last two games due to injury, Alexander absolutely blanketed Cooks throughout the day. Even against some of the league’s fastest defensive backs, Cooks has been able to blow past them due to his unprecedented speed.

Alexander finally looks like a real hit at the cornerback position that the Packers haven’t had in years. The doubling down at corner between Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins went south fast, and the doubling down between Kevin King and Josh Jones has been less than stellar.

The Packers went that route again this past offseason, drafting Alexander and Josh Jackson in rounds one and two. So far, Alexander has been the best defensive back on the team.

Negative: Ty Montgomery

Ty Montgomery is lucky to still be on the Packers’ roster after Sunday’s performance. Not only has his role in the offense completely vanished due to the emergence of Aaron Jones, but his decision to bring out the kickoff with two minutes to go on the clock was absolutely inexcusable.

Not only did a Montgomery reportedly go against what his coaches told him to do, according to NFL.com’s Michael Silver, but fumbling the kick added to the debacle. The obvious football play would have been to take a knee and give the offense one play before the two-minute warning struck.

Not only did his decision to bring the ball out take time off the clock, but Montgomery hasn’t even been a good return man throughout his career in Green Bay.

Montgomery provides this team with absolutely nothing. The Packers would be wise to let him walk as a free agent at season’s end.

Positive: Kenny Clark

Kenny Clark might have had his best game as a Packer on Sunday. Time and again he was in the backfield disrupting things offensively for the Rams.

The Rams offensive line is no joke, but had absolutely no answers for the team’s biggest budding star. At just 23, the Packers might finally have found themselves a legitimate star at defensive tackle.

The Packers defensive front surprisingly showed plenty of resistance against the league’s best rushing attack featuring Todd Gurley. With Jaire Alexander breaking up passes left and right, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine felt comfortable sending extra rushers towards Jared Goff.

The defense still has miles and miles to go before they are at a championship level, but they have themselves several budding young starters to keep an eye on.

Negative: Mike McCarthy

It wouldn’t be a Packers game unless Mike McCarthy screwed up a few times in crucial moments.

Not only did he inexplicably call for a run without a lead blocker against Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald without his power back inside the one-yard line leading to a safety, but the Packers again wasted timeouts in both halves, one of which they desperately needed after Montgomery’s turnover.

McCarthy managed to put together a decent game otherwise, but the offense is still the easiest in the world to game plan against.

If the Packers are lucky enough to face the Rams again in the playoffs, Aqib Talib will be on the field, and the Packers will have themselves a much different challenge on their hands offensively.

Positive: Mike Pettine

The Packers showed signs of life Sunday. On the road, they finally didn’t look like the usual lethargic, half-asleep, unmotivated team that is banking on its star quarterback to lead them all the way back from an extreme deficit.

Mike Pettine’s defense was a big reason why against the Rams. Even with Cooper Kupp out with injury, the trio of Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Todd Gurley is a tough test for any defense.

Even though 29 points doesn’t sound great, the Packers defense was on the road against a great offense, repeatedly dealt bad field position by their punter, and had to overcome two points surrendered by the offense.

Pettine’s elaborate blitzing scheme was on full display against the Rams, and with more practice with the talented rookie defensive backs, the unit should only improve.

Negative: Josh Jones

The Packers must have very little faith in the former second-round pick. Jones made several nice plays on special teams on Sunday, but despite some turmoil at the safety position, the Packers haven’t been able to get Jones on the field with any consistency.

Jermaine Whitehead and Kentrell Brice are still playing in front of Jones, suggesting the coaching staff does not believe that he can play at a level worth investing in long-term.

This is especially concerning for the Packers considering there is growing doubt that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will be on the roster after this season.

There was even a report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that the Packers are open to dealing the former Pro Bowl safety before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The Packers are still trying to figure out the state of affairs at safety, and right now, it doesn’t appear as though Jones is the answer.