The Green Bay Packers did what they were supposed to do and got a win over the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins started the season fast, but they’re now 5-5. Just another pretender. We’re not actually sure what the Packers are yet, other than back to .500 at 4-4-1. The Packers haven’t won a road game yet though and they’re on the road this week on short rest.
The Seattle Seahawks await. And so do some bad memories for the Packers, but let’s get on with it.
Aaron Rodgers Isn’t Himself
My assumption is the knee injury Rodgers suffered in week 1 is still limiting him to some degree. Rodgers has set a high bar throughout his career. He isn’t playing like we expect him to right now, however. Rodgers had 199 yards, two touchdowns and no picks on Sunday. However, he mentioned that he is throwing the ball away more than usual. That’s a stat Rodgers leads the league in. The Packers put up 31 points and Rodgers did have a 112.1 rating on the day, but something has been off this season.
Defense Is Rounding Into Form
The Packers are 10th overall in total defense through nine games. They lead the league in sacks with 31. That’s crazy considering they are getting next to nothing from Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. Matthews has 2.5 sacks. Perry has 1.5. Kenny Clark and Kyler Fackrell are tied for the team lead with five each. The Packers had six sacks on Sunday and they got a couple of those from guys you would never expect. Guys like safety Raven Greene and thus far disappointing Montravius Adams. Matthews can still get after the QB. He had two QB hits on Sunday (although nothing else in the box score). Perry is, guess what? Injured.
Speaking Of Kyler Fackrell…
We’ve been hard on the guy, but Fackrell has proven himself a useful player this season. It looks like defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has helped Fackrell tremendously. Either that or he skipped the second-year jump and waited until his third year to get it together. Fackrell has 18 tackles and those five sacks in limited playing time this season. He’s also the Packers highest-rated edge defender at 71.2.
Trickeration
Of course Mike McCarthy breaks out a fake punt on Sunday. Raven Greene took it for 26 yards. While that’s swell, why use it against the Dolphins? This is a team you should beat. Why not break out the fake punt against a team where you’re not favored? Like in Los Angeles or New England or, probably, Seattle.
Josh Jones Is On The Uptick
Earlier this season Josh Jones couldn’t get on the field. With Ha Ha Clinton-Dix now missing tackles for Washington, Jones has gotten plenty of snaps. He had 61 on Sunday. Jones had seven tackles, second on the team to Blake Martinez. Jones has really only played in two games for the Packers this season, but he already looks better than he did as a rookie last year.