After a big road win in Tampa Bay by the Green Bay Packers, it is time to go Behind the Numbers with the stats and figures that you need to know about from Sunday’s game.
24
Running the ball certainly didn’t come easy for the Green Bay Packers, who averaged just 2.7 yards per rush against a very good Bucs front-seven. However, Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers stuck with it for the most part.
In the past – and most recently, during Week 1 of this season – we’ve seen the Packers abandon the run game quickly when they either fall behind or aren’t picking up consistent yardage. This leads to a pass-heavy offense as well as a unit that really struggles to move the ball. In many of the Packers’ losses during the LaFleur era, this has been a big part of the equation.
In order for the defense to respect the run game, it doesn’t necessarily require averaging 6.0 yards per carry, but rather the defense has to believe that the offense is willing to run the ball in a given situation. This can, in turn, open up the passing game, as well as the playbook, and slow the pass rush just a bit.
5
During the Packers’ long stretch of not being able to convert third downs in the second half, we saw a lot of punter Pat O’Donnell. But despite being on the field often, and at times not in the best situations, O’Donnell and the coverage unit didn’t let the field position battle flip.
Of O’Donnell’s seven punts, five of them were inside the Tampa Bay 15-yard line. Gunners Rudy Ford and Keisean Nixon did excellent jobs of consistently beating the jammers downfield, which resulted in several fair catches, with the Bucs only returning three punts, and Nixon downing the ball inside the two-yard line.
Given how close this game was, it only would have taken one miscue from the punt unit to put Tampa in scoring position, which could have decided the outcome. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that in a similar game with last year’s special teams unit, the Packers don’t win.
1
David Bakhtiari made his return, alternating series with Yosh Nijman, and totaling 35 snaps. Against a Bucs’ defense that was among the best in pressures generated and sacks, Bakhtiari held up very well in pass protection, allowing only one pressure, according to PFF.
Nijman was credited with giving up only one pressure as well, and overall, I was really impressed with the play of the offensive line unit. Following the game, Aaron Rodgers called their performance “great,” and for a Bucs team that loves to blitz, the Packers offensive line handled those situations very well.
14/17
Speaking of blitzing, Rodgers was really good on Sunday when the Bucs sent pressure. Rodgers was blitzed by Tampa Bay 17 times, per PFF, and completed 14 of those passes for 160 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. One reason why the offense may have struggled moving the ball in the second half was that Tampa stopped blitzing as often, which left an extra defender in coverage to take away those quick passing options.
2.9
The Buccaneers haven’t had a super-efficient rushing offense this season, but it’s been a big part of their game, with Fournette averaging 4.3 yards per carry prior to Sunday’s game while having the fifth-most rushing yards. The Packers, on the flip side, have struggled to stop the run, but the front seven did an excellent job on Sunday, holding Fournette to just 2.9 yards per rush.
This forced Brady, who was without his top three wide receivers, to pass the ball 42 times, and put the Bucs in several second and third, and long situations, which allowed the pass rush to force some pressure. While the Packers were able to remain somewhat balanced on offense, the Buccaneers had just 13 rushing attempts the entire game.
2.17
Brady entered Sunday’s game with an average time to throw of 2.26-seconds, the second-fastest rate in the NFL. Then against Green Bay, he got the ball out in an average time of 2.17-seconds – which was the fastest rate in Week 3.
Getting the ball out that quickly makes getting home for the pass rushers a nearly impossible task. This is why the Packers don’t have gaudy pressure numbers, just 10, according to PFF, but it also makes the three that Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark each recorded all the more impressive. The best way to beat Brady is with pressure up the middle, which is why after not blitzing once during the first two games, we saw Joe Barry blitz 18 times on Sunday, per PFF, in an effort to disrupt the quick passing game.
8
Romeo Doubs had a major opportunity in front of him and he took full advantage, catching all eight of his targets for 73 yards and a touchdown.
The same versatility and skill-set that we saw from Doubs while at Nevada was on display in Tampa Bay. The Packers lined him up both in the slot and out wide. He made a catch over the middle in traffic, and we saw his YAC ability as well. Doubs was also impactful in all three levels of the field, even if he wasn’t thrown the ball. As the Packers’ deep threat on Sunday, he helped create space and opportunities underneath for others.
But perhaps most importantly, is that there were several plays designed specifically for him, and when his number was called, he was in the right place at the right time and made the catch – and we all know how important that is to Aaron Rodgers.
2
Through two games, the Packers had PFF’s second-worst tackling grade, and they were on pace for nearly 70 more missed tackles in 2022 compared to 2021. But this week, they were responsible for only two missed tackles. Earlier in the week, LaFleur emphasized the importance of getting all 11 hats to the ball, and this sound tackling played a big role in limiting the Tampa run game.
3
Something to watch moving forward is that the Packers have three lost fumbles this season – one each week so far. Rodgers also has a pair of interceptions, and the Packers’ five giveaways are tied for the ninth-most this season, while they are negative in the turnover differential. In terms of protecting the football, it has been an uncharacteristically sloppy start to the season for the Packers.
45
It’s not always pretty, but the Packers’ defense is keeping opponents out of the end zone, allowing just 45 total points through three games. Their 15.0 points per game allowed average is the sixth best in football – although it’s important to note that 17 of those 45 points have been scored on the opponent’s opening possession. This is something that will have to improve becasue this isn’t a Packers’ offense that is as well equipped this season to be playing from behind.
