The Green Bay Packers continue to grind out wins in adverse circumstances, securing a 23-13 victory against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys that was not as close as the Sunday Night Football scoreline would indicate. Despite a banged-up roster, this group persevered.
While this was far from a perfect game for Matt LaFleur and company, especially with how much meat was left on the bone from an offensive point of view, it's hard to complain too much about a 4-2 start given the tidal wave of curveballs thrown this team's way.
What stood out for Green Bay? Were there any concerning trends in a night where the Packers were in control for most, if not all, of the proceedings?
1. Matthew Golden remains the Packers' most frustrating player
Golden is the type of player who will make any coach and general manager lose their minds. He gets open and will make some amazing plays, as evidenced early in this contest when he ravaged Shavon Revel and the secondary. However, every great play is counterbalanced with a head-shaking mistake. Golden had two would-be touchdowns go right through his hands.
The Cowboys' defense allowed Green Bay the opportunity to rebound from these mistakes and still win in convincing fashion. As elite defenses like the Minnesota Vikings have shown, Golden's drops may mean more against better competition. Still, 104 yards and a touchdown in primetime is a solid day at the office.
2. MarShawn Lloyd is running out of road
While there isn't too much rancor to be passed around after this game, it seems like anyone who was expecting Lloyd to step up with Josh Jacobs sidelined for off-field trouble has egg on their face. Lloyd carried the ball just five times for four yards and lost out on touches to career backup and journeyman Pierre Strong Jr.
With no immediate cavalry coming, and Jacobs no sure thing to dominate when he returns to action, Lloyd's inability to develop may mean Green Bay needs to grit their teeth and stomach some overall below-par games on the ground in the immediate future.
3. Evan Williams and Brandon Cisse may not be underrated for much longer
The Packers pushed all of their proverbial Williams and Cisse chips to the center of the table, banking on both a Year 3 leap from the former and a rookie season full of immediate impact plays for the latter. So far, these bold investments have paid off, with both getting a moment in the sun against Dallas.
Both Williams and Cisse managed to pick off Prescott in this game, with Cisse nabbing the first such interception of his career. In a very impressive defensive showing against the Cowboys' offense, Cisse and Williams teamed with Javon Bullard to prove the overall depth and quality of this secondary.
4. Former Packers struggle
While Kenny Clark, who went to Dallas in the Micah Parsons trade, managed to uncork a solid revenge game against his former employers, both pass rusher Rashan Gary and Cowboys defensive assistant Mike Pettine could have had better days. Green Bay's decision to move on from both of them looks justified.
Gary's decent work setting the edge was offset by another sluggish night rushing the passer, bringing back some bad memories of his poor play near the end of his time with the Packers. Dallas' defense was prone to giving up big chunk plays in the secondary and failing to adjust, which were both hallmarks of Pettine's tenure. Christian Parker is still in charge, but Pettine isn't doing much to turn things around.
5. Jonathan Gannon was the right hire at the right time
Gannon's oft-maligned stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals diminished his reputation as a defensive mind, but he is quickly proving to be one of the better additions the team has made in any capacity. Gannon has a loaded Cowboys offense in a medieval torture rack for most of the game.
With Prescott throwing two interceptions (including another negated by a penalty) and the running game not getting out of first gear, Gannon's confounding style appears to have been the perfect addition to this unit. What still remains unanswered is the question of whether he will be able to replicate those performances when the chips are down.
6. The NFC North is firmly within reach
Even though the North looks like it will be perhaps the strongest division in football, every other team has a fatal flaw that could come back to bite them. The Vikings still haven't gotten out of their rut on the offensive side of the ball, the Detroit Lions' secondary is paper-thin, and the Chicago Bears have been wildly inconsistent on a week-to-week basis, even with Caleb Williams.
The Packers have plenty of holes, namely in the trenches on both sides of the ball, but games like this show that when Love is hot and Gannon can dial up some creative plays with a lead, they can get in a zone. A championship run may be too rich right now, but if they can hold down the fort until Parsons is back, things could be trending upward.
Add us as a preferred source on Google