3 ways the Packers bounced back in Week 2 against the Lions
How did the Packers bounce back in Week 2?
After a disastrous performance against the New Orleans Saints last week, the Green Bay Packers did a complete 180-turnaround.
The Packers sought redemption in Week 2 and there were three ways in which they bounced back to defeat their NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions.
Aaron Rodgers back to form
After the catastrophic performance by Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, it was great to see him back in form in Week 2. Rodgers helped lead his team to victory, going 22/27 for 255 yards, four touchdowns, and a passer rating of 145.6.
Rodgers also passed John Elway to become the 10th quarterback of the all-time list of most passing yards.
Compared to a week ago, those are much better stats for the MVP quarterback. Rodgers also didn’t have any turnovers in Week 2 which made a huge difference.
When Rodgers lives up to expectations, the rest of the team will do so as well. It was nice to see Rodgers play like an MVP quarterback, and hopefully he will continue to do so throughout the season.
Excellent running game
Last week, Green Bay’s offensive performance was lousy, including the running game. Week 2 was a whole different story as the offense relied greatly on the running game to get the job done.
Aaron Jones had a much better game against the Lions with 17 carries, eight receptions, 115 total yards, and four touchdowns. Part of what made the offense click was Jones’ ability to pick up key first downs which kept drives going.
By incorporating a strong running game into their offense, the Packers were able to hit bigger plays, including Aaron Rodgers’ 50-yard pass to Davante Adams. Being able to run the ball effectively will increase production for the Packers offense going forward.
Major halftime adjustments for the defense
Defense continues to be a struggle for the Packers as shown in the first half. Due to the lack of intensity from the Packers defense, the Lions offense found a spark which allowed them to put up 17 points.
Thankfully, the Packers defense turned it around in the second half. The overall aggression level was much better in the second half, which allowed them to force a fumble and an interception.
With Eric Stokes in Kevin King’s place, the secondary played much better as Stokes broke up a couple passes on fourth-down plays. If Stokes continues to impress, he will replace King at CB2.
From that point on, the offense capitalized by adding three more touchdowns to make the final score 35-17.
Though the defense showed promise in the second half, they still have a lot of work to do before their next game against the San Francisco 49ers. We are hoping to see that defense from the second half come to play throughout the entire game on Sunday Night Football.