PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Noonan
The best play of the Packers-Broncos game on a rainy Sunday was a play-action pass to the athletic fullback Danny Vitale. The Northwestern product first helped to sell play-action and burst upfield, taking care of Josey Jewell. Vitale nearly scored on the play, and Aaron Jones punched it in seconds later giving the Packers a 24-10 lead. It would get a bit too close for comfort as Denver would rally back, but ultimately this play helped to salt the game away.
Plays like this are supposed to be a staple of the LaFleur offense. His calling card is deception, running out of light formations to punish light defenses, and passing out of heavy formations to punish heavy defenses. Unfortunately, plays like this one have been few and far between, as Packer tight ends have been uniformly terrible. Seeing more of the little-used Vitale might not be a bad idea. While he listed as a fullback on the roster, there is a decent chance he is the best blocker, and fastest player among the tight ends. The Packers used a high draft pick on Texas A&M’s Jace Sternberger, and while rookie tight ends rarely contribute, he is the only tight end on the roster who is anything close to what LaFleur would prefer. Unfortunately, an ankle injury put Sternberger on injured reserve, and his return is uncertain.
The rest of the tight ends are poor fits. LaFleur wants his tight ends to be able to sell the run, and that requires at least some effort blocking. But for Jimmy Graham, blocking is just a passing interest. Graham no longer has a role on this team. He is too slow to simply dominate as a big receiver and too small (and in some cases, disinterested) to really benefit from the scheme. On the other end of the spectrum is veteran Marcedes Lewis. He remains an elite blocker, but as one of the NFL’s slowest skill position players, he is unable to do damage once he has the ball. Robert Tonyan has good speed and size, but he has been unable to capitalize on his opportunities.
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Last week against Minnesota, the tight ends caught zero passes. This week they combined for two catches, totally 23 yards, and Graham was shut out for the second week in a row. In the worst sequence of the game, late in the 3rd quarter, the tight end play was so bad that Rodgers simply threw the ball away immediately, as the Broncos were easily able to blanket everything.
There are plenty of reasons the offense has struggled early this year, from tough opponents to growing pains to Rodgers’ bad habits. Without functional tight ends, a large section of the playbook is simply unusable.
The Capers Defense
When Dom Capers was the defensive coordinator his defense was predicated on forcing turnovers and he didn’t really care about stopping the run. When his defenses were successful the Packers created an impressive number of interceptions. When they struggled, they were still generally in the top ten in takeaways. In many ways, this season shows a vintage Packer defense. The Vikings outgained Green Bay substantially last week and this week the two teams were about even with Denver dominating time of possession.
There is nothing wrong with turnovers. Generally, the secondary has looked strong and the pass-rush fierce. But eventually this defense will face a good, careful offense and it would be nice to see them force a few three-and-outs.
On the plus side, the Smith Brothers continued to put up impressive sack and hurry numbers. The duo, along with rookie Rashan Gary, notched six sacks, and their pressure was a major factor in several Bronco turnovers. Unfortunately, Denver continued a trend of doing damage on the ground as Phillip Lindsay accounted for 130 total yards and powered into the end zone on an important fourth and one late in the game. Dalvin Cook got them last week -- and while it’s better to struggle against the run than the pass, truly great defenses usually stop both.
The Packers may be better than last season, but they still have weaknesses, and at some point, a more competent opponent is going to capitalize. Luckily, they next face a very beat-up Eagles team on short rest, and the Packers will enjoy a significant talent advantage that should keep their undefeated record intact.
