Packers' Defense Goes Falling Down in London

 By Eric Goska

(screen capture from NFL Game Pass)

Let’s stop already.

Let’s cut the talk about Green Bay having a Top 10 defense. Let’s cease and desist with the notion that the unit will carry the team until Aaron Rodgers clicks with his young receivers.

In London, for all the world to see, the Packers’ defense was exposed for what it is: an average aggregation that could easily prove to be more of a liability than asset.

The Green and Gold blew a 14-point lead at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Sunday in losing 27-22 to the New York Giants. Unable to deal effectively with repeat offenders, the Packers’ defense functioned more like a traffic cop, waving vehicles through a busy intersection.

This was supposed to be the year, we were told, the season in which Green Bay would excel. How could it not with seven first-round picks on the defensive side of the roster (Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt) as well as free-agent acquisitions Preston Smith and Adrian Amos?

And yet those very same players failed to halt the Giants’ comeback. They looked a step behind even when New York’s top threat, running back Saquon Barkley, was sidelined for 14 plays.

The Giants only had eight offensive possessions. But that’s three more than they needed.

After falling behind 17-3 midway through the second quarter, New York scored on five straight drives. They would not, could not be stopped.

Tight end Daniel Bellinger got the onslaught under way with a 2-yard TD run shortly before halftime. Barkley capped it with a 2-yard sweep out of the wildcat formation with six minutes, eight seconds to play.

How effective were those five advances? New York chalked up all 24 of its first downs during that time. It gained 341 yards – three more than it did for the entire game.

New York uncorked 49 plays. It took 28:04 off the clock.

Quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants converted six of eight third downs. The two times the team came up short, Graham Gano booted field goals.

With New York running amuck, Green Bay committed four defensive penalties. Two – holding calls on Rasul Douglas and Savage – erased sacks by Jarran Reed and Rashan Gary, respectively. Two others – holding and unnecessary roughness on Douglas – also resulted in first downs for New York.

After surrendering scores on five straight possessions, it’s no surprise Green Bay lost. Since 1921, the team is 3-22 when doing so, and those three victories – over Washington (48-47 in 1983), Detroit (44-40 in 1986) and Atlanta (43-37 in 2014) – required points, lots of points.

Points were not forthcoming in England. Not after New York began to play in earnest.

Allowing scores on five straight is also no way to protect a lead. Prior to Sunday, Green Bay had been 307-15-2 (.951) in regular-season games in which it led by at least 10 points at the break.

Even the Packers’ highly-publicized area of strength – stymying teams on third down – fell by the wayside. Through four games, Green Bay had permitted just 10 of 42 conversions (23.8 percent), its best start since 1967 (9 of 48; 18.8 percent).

So, let’s stop. Let’s quash this idea that Green Bay can dominate on the other side of the ball.

Let’s stop because the Packers’ defense can’t.

Extra Points

• The Lions were the first team to score on five consecutive possessions against the Packers. Bobby Layne presided over five straight to close out a 34-15 victory on Thanksgiving Day 1953.
• The Bears hold the record of having scored on eight consecutive possessions when they manhandled Green Bay 61-7 on Dec. 7, 1980.

High Fives
Teams that scored on 5 consecutive (or more) possessions in a regular-season game against the Packers.
No.     Team              Record
3          Cowboys           3-0
3          Lions                 2-1
3          Rams                 3-0
2          Bears                 2-0
2          Colts                  2-0
2          Giants               2-0
2          Vikings             2-0
2          Redskins          1-1
 
The Buccaneers, Falcons, 49ers, Jets, Saints and Steelers all did it once.