Prior to Sunday’s game against Atlanta
Demetri Goodson Jersey White , the Green Bay Packers had tallied just a single game with a third-down conversion rate above 50% during the 2018
campaign. With Joe Philbin leading the team out of the tunnel for the first time
as interim head coach, the Packers quickly doubled that total.Green Bay’s last
game with such a feat was week four against Buffalo, when the Packers went
11-for-19 in a 22-0 victory. On Sunday, the Packers also burned the Atlanta
Falcons on third down, finding success on seven of 13 opportunities in the game.
Two of those six unsuccessful attempts came during the fourth quarter with the
game relatively wrapped up. Green Bay’s ability to sustain drives early in the
game played an instrumental role in building and holding the lead.It is worth
noting that the Packers had been especially miserable on third down the past
four games, posting marks of 4-10, 3-11, 2-10, and 3-14, respectively. In
Philbin’s first game playcalling in over 20 years, the Packers quickly rectified
a season-long issue under Mike McCarthy. But as many players alluded to after
the game, the only thing that changed significantly on Sunday was the offense’s
execution. Upon further review
Aaron Rodgers Jersey , that rather appeared to be the case. While the Packers did add a few new wrinkles as they converted third downs of varying distances, many
calls were ones fans have seen before. Here is a brief recap of some of those
successes.1st Quarter, Drive 1: 3rd-and-2 from the GB 45 - 21-yard pass to
Davante AdamsThe Packers lined up three receivers to the right with Adams in the
middle. On the snap, the innermost receiver Randall Cobb darted inside, while
Marquez Valdes Scantling on the far side ran a curl. That left Adams with a
one-on-one matchup down the field. Although the Packers have failed to get Adams
involved early in games and have far too often thrown deeper passes on
third-and-short that have fallen incomplete, they countered their struggles on a
lesser-seen play to extend the drive.2nd Quarter: Drive 3: 3rd-and-2 from the GB
33 - Aaron Rodgers scrambles for 7 yardsUnlike the first conversion, the Packers
indeed set up a play designed for a short chunk of yardage. Again with three
receivers to the right, the Packers asked Cobb and Adams to run short “in”
routes. Both found a crease in the defense, but Lucas Patrick was beat from the
right side and Rodgers was flushed out of the pocket. Rather than getting sacked
like he was on the previous third-down attempt, Rodgers was able to escape to
the left side and pick up the first down and more. Rodgers, however, may have
still had enough time to find Cobb or Adams without taking off
Clay Matthews Jersey , making the the playcall an effective one. Either way, the Packers earned a new set of downs.2nd Quarter: Drive 3: 3rd-and-1 from the ATL
28: Aaron Jones runs for 2 yardsGreen Bay’s troubles with running the ball on
third down for two yards or less have been well-documented. However, the
Packers’ first attempt to do so went according to script. Out of “11” personnel,
the Packers tried to run off the right tackle with Rodgers under center. Aaron
Jones made the most of the hand-off, finishing a tough run by bouncing off a
defender whose quick burst beat Marcedes Lewis off the snap. Jones’ individual
effort on a familiar play helped the Packers execute a play that once again
almost came up short.2nd Quarter, Drive 4: 3rd-and-6 from the GB 31: Rodgers
scrambles for 16 yardsAs mentioned above, the Packers have a propensity for
running routes far longer than the distance necessary to pick up the first down
and they did so again on this play. With three receivers to the left and Jimmy
Graham split by himself to the right, the Packers had all four receivers run
downfield. Not a single receiver could be found within a range of six to ten
yards, save Jones who had sprinted out from the backfield into the flat. A
typical long-developing play led to the Falcons getting pressure on Rodgers with
a five-man rush and Takkarist McKinley actually grabbing hold of Rodgers’
jersey. But an incredible escape from #12 to the left side once again opened up
a wide-open field. Sure, Atlanta was flagged twice in the defensive secondary on
the play and would have given Green Bay a first down regardless, but the
Packers’ curious third-down playcalling almost cost them again.3rd Quarter,
Drive 5: 3rd-and-10 from the ATL 24 - Touchdown pass to CobbDue to
injuries
Mike Daniels Jersey , Cobb has been a rare sighting this season. But back on the field for a second-consecutive week, he was used in a variety of ways. One was
on an out-and-up route in which Cobb snuck toward the sideline underneath a post
pattern from Valdes-Scantling and then cut up field. Rodgers was able to find
Cobb isolated one-on-one with an unsuspecting safety and delivered a strike for
six. Like he found Adams on the opening drive, Rodgers was able to locate a
trusted veteran receiver in single coverage and was afforded good protection
from the offensive line to complete the big play.4th Quarter, Drive 8: 3rd-and-6
from the GB 29: Adams catches 30-yard pass but called backThis play ultimately
did not result in a first down, but the design gets a solid grade. The Packers
have not run many successful pick plays this season, but they were close to
doing so Sunday. Lined up alone on the left side, Adams ran across the field,
meeting Jimmy Graham who had crossed the opposite direction from the right slot.
Unfortunately, Graham, who did not have a great day overall, made too much
contact with Robert Alford and Alford sold the contact in drawing a pass
interference penalty. Regardless, the Packers almost came up with a 30-yard play
on a medium-ranged third down attempt.Green Bay used plays both new and old
against Atlanta to solve their third-down dilemmas
Jaire Alexander Jersey , but the execution was what separated Sunday from past performances. Though Rodgers took three sacks on the down, some his fault and
some not, his comfort level and ability to scan the field appeared much
improved. It is also worth noting that Green Bay’s final three failed third-down
attempts were conservative play calls to wind the clock down. Traveling to
Chicago, the Packers’ third-down offense will receive a much bigger test this
week than the injury-depleted Falcons defense. But with another few tweaks to
the game plan as it made last week, and a similar level of execution, Green Bay
has a chance to carry over its Week 14 success. In the latest SB Nation mock
draft, the Packers add Iowa tight end Noah Fant and Kansas State offensive
lineman Dalton Risner."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers
Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL mock draft:
Packers land tight end, O-line help for Aaron RodgersMichael C. Johnson-USA
TODAY SportsWith pro days and top-30 visits almost over, the Green Bay Packers
and the rest of the NFL will soon have all the information available to make
their draft decisions. That also means that a few mock drafts remain before the
real selections occur in Nashville on April 25.As such, SB Nation draft guru Dan
Kadar has projected less variance over the past few mocks. That trend continues
this week, as the Packers land prospects at two positions long associated with
the team.In this mock, T.J. Hockenson
Kingsley Keke Green Bay Packers Jersey , Ed Oliver, Brian Burns, and most of the other top prospects linked to the Packers have come off the board. Iowa’s Noah
Fant fits a need given the age and deterioration of Jimmy Graham, though this
selections represents the perceived ceiling of his draft stock. Still, if Green
Bay feels it has to exit the draft with one of the top prospects at the
position, it has this option.The Packers should benefit from Dalton Risner,
whether immediately or in the near future. Risner could step in as a starting
guard should Lane Taylor fail to bounce back or recently signed Billy Turner
disappoint, or he could become the heir apparent to longtime starting right
tackle Bryan Bulaga. Risner doesn’t offer the top-of-the-class athleticism of
prospects like Garrett Bradbury or Chris Lindstrom, though he doesn’t grade too
far behind them. That could prove enough for Green Bay to select him here.
