Packers: Analyzing all three facets of the win vs. Vikings

The Offense

One of the most common points of concern among fans and critics alike was how Matt LaFleur and Nathaniel Hackett would combine to create an efficient offense. They responded to these concerns with dedication to the run game, and balancing it with a healthy dose of play-action passes and pre-snap motions.

In Week 2, the main concern was the protection of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked five times in the 10-3 victory in Chicago in the season opener. The offensive line looked sharp early against Minnesota’s formidable front though, allowing only two sacks through four quarters, but started allowing a fair amount of pressure in the second half.

Relating to that, there was an emergence in the backfield that holds serious potential for the upcoming weeks. Aaron Jones showed his newfound promise as a pass blocker, and Jamaal Williams showed he could be relied on to make a play when needed.

Rodgers, at times, did appear to hold the ball for too long, which may be due to acclimating to the new offense in game situations. Rodgers’ reads were quick and sharp in the first quarter, leading to two passing touchdowns, one by way of a well-designed, delayed tunnel screen to running back Williams.

Overall, the run game was paced well, churning out 144 yards on 32 attempts for a 4.5 yards-per-carry average. This is a great improvement from last week in Chicago, where the Packers’ running backs couldn’t break 40 yards total on the ground, averaging 2.17 yards per carry on 39 attempts at Soldier Field.

Using just the eye test, Jones looked as good as ever in the run game, using his entire body and quickness to shake tacklers and pick up extra yards. Williams looked like he had begun to pick up on the things that made Jones successful, as he appeared to have some new moves in his arsenal, namely some quick steps and jukes instead of only trying to push through contact.

In the passing game, Rodgers looked like he was back to his old self, for the most part. His ability to put the ball anywhere he wants it is still intact, and his penchant for throwing his receivers open was very evident in the first quarter.

However, struggles appeared quickly once the Minnesota defense could adjust to the still-maturing offense. Rodgers completed 11 of his first 13 pass attempts, and ended the day at 22 of 34.

The tight ends did not have much action on Sunday, much less than last week, with only three targets in the direction of Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis, but zero receptions. Graham wasn’t overly impressive in pass blocking, but Lewis lived up to his reputation of being a solid blocking tight end, and Robert Tonyan saw himself in the mix on some run plays as well.

Since this offense includes a heavy amount of tight end action, we should expect to see LaFleur and Rodgers attempt to look their way more often against Denver and Philadelphia in the coming weeks.

The wide receivers, overall, had a successful day. Despite the sputtering of the offense after the second quarter, their efforts were necessary to ice the win in the late going.

Davante Adams lived up to the billing as he tallied 106 yards on seven catches. His biggest plays were bookends for the game, his first being a 39-yard deep sideline catch on the first play from scrimmage, and the final Rodgers throw of the day being caught for a seven-yard gain and a first down after the two minute warning in the fourth quarter.

Geronimo Allison showed that he had some chemistry still brewing with Rodgers, as he caught four passes for 25 yards, including a touchdown on the second drive of the game. However, his solid performance was marred by a fumble in the second quarter that helped the Vikings’ comeback effort along.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Kumerow combined for four catches for 39 yards. Not ideal, but still valuable to help the offense try to remain in rhythm in the late going.

Even with the uptick in rushing production, it’s quite clear that without the Rodgers-Adams connection on the field, this offense wouldn’t have stood a chance to succeed in the end. A lot of that stuttering can be owed to the defensive prowess of Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and his adjustments, but the Packers will not be able to reclaim the NFC North crown if they’re consistently getting shut out quarter by quarter down the stretch, regardless of the quality of the defense.