Tuesday, October 21, 2025
TUESDAY TIDBITS: "there's always a will, and there's always a way"
Monday, October 20, 2025
Packers Force a Rare Turnover in Arizona
By Eric Goska
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Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley (photos by Eric Goska) |
Sunday in
Arizona, the Packers came away with a timely reminder of the game-changing
potential of takeaways.
In beating
the Cardinals 27-23 at State Farm Stadium, Green Bay forced a turnover for just
the third time this season. The Packers’ offense then turned that recovery into
a touchdown, getting seven crucial points in a game in which they did not take
the lead until the final two minutes.
Pending the
outcome of tonight’s games, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s defense leads the NFL in a number of
categories. According to the league’s Game Statistic and Information System, Green
Bay defenders ranks first in yards per play (4.48), rushing yards allowed per
game (76.5) and passing yards per play (5.34).
One glaring
weakness: the unit has been less than stellar in manufacturing turnovers.
The best
teams are often those that can separate the ball from their opponents. The
Bears (4-2) are again relevant because they have forced a league-leading 16
turnovers. The Jets (0-7) are again a doormat because they have but one
takeaway through seven games.
In its first
five games, Green Bay had but two. Safety Evan Williams picked off Detroit’s
Jared Goff in the opener and Xavier McKinney intercepted the Browns’ Joe Flacco
two weeks later.
Steal No.3 arrived
courtesy of Rashan Gary and Williams early in the third quarter in Glendale.
Gary knocked the ball from quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s hand and Williams, who
had been flagged for pass interference the play previous, swallowed up the
bouncing ball.
According to
ESPN, the forced fumble was the seventh by Gary in his 96-game regular-season
career. The recovery was a first for Williams, a fourth-round pick in 2024.
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Evan Williams |
Instead of
possibly falling behind 16-6 or 20-6, Green Bay pulled even thanks to the work
of Gary and Williams.
That this
was the first takeaway via fumble recovery of 2025 for the Green and Gold does not inspire confidence.
If this pace is maintained, Green Bay will come away with three which would
match the franchise low set in 1995.
Opponents –
Detroit, Washington, Cleveland, Dallas, Cincinnati and Arizona – had run 318
plays against the Packers without losing a fumble. A year ago, Halfley’s
defense had come away with five after that many plays by its opponents.
Turnovers
matter. They tend to go hand in hand with winning. The 1985 champion Bears extracted
54. The 2000 Ravens squeezed 49 from the competition.
Just don’t
expect Green Bay to approach those numbers. Turnovers are becoming more
difficult to come by as the average number per game has fallen from 4.5 in 1986
to 4.0 in 1992 to 3.5 in 2005 to 3.0 in 2014 to last year’s record low of 2.42
per game.
More than
ever, teams have to work to force the issue. In a results-based league, Green Bay
is lagging behind.
Its three
turnovers after six games are the fewest by the team in 105 seasons of play.
Further, that meager total fails to measure up to what playoff teams of the
past have done.
At their
present pace, the Packers would finish with eight or nine takeaways. In the
Super Bowl era, no team has reached the postseason in a non-strike season
without coming away with at least 14.
And the two
teams that did – the Lions (9-7) of 2016 and the Dolphins (9-8) of 2022 – were both
one and done in the postseason.
Turnovers
matter. Hafley made this clear a year ago on a Thursday before the Packers hosted
the Texans.
“I think
what’s always been really important to me, philosophically, is taking the ball
away. And I don’t think it happens by accident or by any luck. I think you
gotta talk about it, you gotta be about it and you have to go out and practice
it. And then it’s going to show up in games. And then once they believe in it,
it’s going to show up more and more.”
Last year the Packers forced 31 turnovers (fourth in the NFL). This year’s team has a
long way to go.
Since 1921, the fewest turnovers forced by the Packers through six games.
No. Year Final Record
3 2025 unknown
4 1995 11-5
4 2020 13-3
4 2022 8-9
5 2023 9-8
6 2004 10-6
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Rams' Linebacker Nate Landman Sets Franchise Record in Combined Tackles. Or Did He?
Of course, perhaps someone made more tackles in a game sometime in Rams' history, we don't have film or a gamebook for -- maybe Riley Matheson made 21 tackles for the Cleveland Rams at some point so perhaps Collins' 20 tackles in 1984 is not the true mark.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
TUESDAY TIDBITS: "Not Really Sure What I Just Watched"
Floyd Little |
Rich Jackson |
Monday, October 13, 2025
Packers Fence in Bengals for 30 Minutes in 27-18 Win
By Eric Goska
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(photos by Eric Goska) |
Invisible fencing can teach a family pet to stay within a
set boundary.
In a similar vein, stingy defense and ball-control offense can
prevent an opponent from straying too far.
Green Bay erected its version of an unseen wall during
the first half of its 27-18 victory over the Bengals Sunday at Lambeau Field.
In holding Cincinnati scoreless in the opening two quarters, the Packers allowed their visitors to run just one play from beyond midfield.
Allowing an opponent to run no more than one play from beyond the 50 during the
opening 30 minutes of play is not an everyday occurrence. The Packers have
turned the trick 24 times since 1952, going 22-1-1 in those games.
Green Bay is undefeated at Lambeau Field when playing this
type of game. Its record at the stadium, which opened in 1957, is 11-0-1.
Despite facing Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, perhaps the best receiving duo in the NFL, Green Bay allowed Cincinnati to run but one play from beyond the 50 prior to halftime. No easy feat when three Bengals drives began at their own 36-, 37- and 40-yard lines.
But starting so close to the 50 did nothing for the Ohioans. Green Bay forced three three-and-outs and surrendered all of four yards on nine plays.
Not until one minute, six seconds remained in the second
quarter did quarterback Joe Flacco marshal his teammates into Packers
territory. The bulk of Cincinnati’s first-half yards (44) came on this advance
which saw Flacco spike the ball from the Green Bay 49 to kill the clock with
one second remaining.
From there, Evan McPherson would have connected on a
record-setting 67-yard field goal that hit the crossbar and fell over, but the
Packers had called a timeout. McPherson came up short on his second attempt
from that distance.
While the Packers played stout defense, their offense
engaged in a game of keep away. In running 38 offensive plays, Jordan Love and
his teammates controlled the ball for 21:44. They possessed it for 13 minutes
in the first quarter alone.
The second half, as any nail-biting Packers fan will tell you, was a different story. Cincinnati ran 27 of its 40 plays in Green Bay territory and gained 109 yards.
Flacco completed 14 of 22 passes for 98 yards and two
touchdowns (104.0 rating) beyond the 50 in the second half. His scoring strikes
to Tanner Hudson and Chase pulled the Bengals to within one score in the third
and fourth quarters, respectively.
But Green Bay countered with 99 yards on 14 plays in Cincinnati territory. Jacobs scored on a 14-yard run and Tucker Kraft hauled in a 19-yard TD pass to keep the Packers out front until newcomer Lucas Havrisik all but put the game out of reach with a 39-yard field goal with 1:52 to play.
On Oct. 20, 1994, Green Bay permitted the Vikings but one play beyond the 50 in the first half in the Metrodome, but wound up losing 13-10 in overtime.
The 12 regular-season games at Lambeau Field in which
the Packers allowed their opponent to run either zero or
one offensive play from beyond the 50 in the first half.
Oct. 12, 2025 Bengals 1 GB won, 27-18
Sept. 15, 2024 Colts 1 GB won, 16-10
Dec. 4, 2016 Texans 1 GB won, 21-13
Oct. 2, 2014 Vikings 0 GB won, 42-10
Dec. 21, 2006 Vikings 0 GB won, 9-7
Nov. 10, 2002 Lions 1 GB won, 40-14
Sept. 24, 2001 Redskins 0 GB won, 37-0
Oct. 15, 1995 Lions 0 GB won, 30-21
Nov. 30, 1975 Bears 1 GB won, 28-7
Dec. 3, 1972 Lions 0 GB won, 33-7
Oct. 3, 1971 Bengals 1 GB won, 20-17
Oct. 5, 1958 Lions 1 GB tied 13-13
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
An Extraordinary Coincidence
Speaking of the Washington and Philly franchises - two players who began their careers in those locals are in a similar boat. The two top active pass rushers named Sweat (Montez, who started in D.C. and Josh who started in Philly - also no relation) are also tied with 48 career sacks.
And while these two are actually related, if TJ Watt managed 3.5 more sacks before the Smith's and Sweat's tally anymore we'll have a 3rd same-name tie on the Career Sack leaderboard with TJ and his brother JJ tied at a more impressive 114.5.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
TUESDAY TIDBITS: "Huge Character Win"
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Joe Perry carries against the Detroit Lions, 1952 |