Packers: 5 takeaways from the win over Bengals in Week 5

The Green Bay Packers advanced to 4-1 with a 25-22 win over the Cincinnati Bengals – in what was one of the most bizarre football games in quite some time.

The Packers were once again riddled with injuries, and forced to play without six starters – three of which were All-Pros and one other who was a Pro Bowler. The Packers have shown early this season why depth is so important.

Here are five main takeaways from the week five win over Cincinnati.

Davante Adams is a blank check

The best receiver in football eviscerated the Bengals to the tune of 11 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown. Despite their best efforts they had absolutely nothing to offer Davante Adams – it was a classic pitch-and-catch game from the best 1-2 punch in the league.

Through five games, Adams now has the most catches recorded in Packers history. Should he somehow remain on this torrid pace, Adams is actually on pace to beat Megatron’s single-season receiving record as it stands.

Adams’ ability to be a focal point on offense, coupled with his ever-expanding release package makes for an expensive man come payday. Davante Adams will garner whatever compensation he’s asking for.

Lucas Patrick filled in admirably

Lucas Patrick was thrust back into a starting role on very short notice, this time at center instead of guard. The veteran held up well in protection and looked especially good in the run game.

He’s always been one to offer the guards help when playing center and he was active in that regard again against Cincinnati. He also was never over-matched when put on an island and forced to block the pass-rusher one on one.

It was an overall encouraging performance from Patrick, who helped mitigate the loss of promising rookie center Josh Myers. It’s a luxury to have a versatile/experienced backup the Packers can truly depend on should they suffer injuries on the interior.

Dean Lowry had his best game of the year

The Packers desperately need someone not named Kenny Clark to make an impact on the defensive line. On Sunday Dean Lowry turned in his best game of the year, bar none.

Lowry was quick off the ball and solid at the point of attack. Most notably he was an effective pass rusher en route to deflecting two passes and collecting a half sack.

It’s worth noting he wasn’t exactly going up against top-shelf interior linemen, but the Packers are going to need more from Lowry this season and this game was a step in the right direction.

Kevin King played great

I know Packers fans have a great distaste for Kevin King, but after getting the chance to watch the game again – King played great. With Jaire Alexander on the shelf, the Packers were going to need King to step up on the boundary and he did just that.

King only allowed three catches for 17 yards while lining up against the likes of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd – pretty impressive. It’s also worth noting that King tackled especially well in the open field, which hasn’t always been a strength.

Overall, it was an encouraging performance for the veteran because the Packers need him to maintain an adequate level of play until Jaire is able to return from IR.

Mason Crosby ends uneven afternoon with the game-winner

No need to rehash the rough afternoon Mason Crosby had, because in short it was terrible. Crosby was in his head and missed three field goals and an extra point.

Thankfully this didn’t cost the Packers the game, and when given another chance to send the Packers home with a W – he did. Even players as consistent as Crosby are entitled to a bad day.