What do the Packers do to punish their kicker for missing a chip shot 28 yard field goal? Apparently they make him the punter. Mason Crosby hit a 41 yard punt with 4 seconds of hang time to put an exclamation point on the Packers apathetic display in Highmark Stadium Saturday.
Players who should have been playing for their football futures seemed to play well in spurts, but could not display starter skills when needed. Jordan Love looked like the clean cut kid at a fancy restaurant in the valet uniform. You know he has a drivers license but you’re afraid to hand him the keys to your car. He has skills, but he’s reckless when he can’t afford to be. Some kids learn responsibility early, some need to wreck your car to learn the lesson. In limited play, Love looked like the car wrecker child all parents fear on Saturday. When the play breaks down and pressure came against the Bills the good decisions and accuracy waned. Let’s hope it is part of the process of growing up in the NFL.
The offensive line played decent football against a good Bills team. The second string defense played against an elite NFL QB and except for cornerback coverage and cornerback tackling they acquitted themselves well. The young receivers will make the choices tough on cutdown day. Still, it is hard for any Packer fan to watch their team be picked apart by a potential Super Bowl opponent.
In 2018 Packer fans watched an overwhelmed Josh Allen fold under a decent defensive rush in his first and only game in Lambeau Field. His final line: 16 of 33 for 151 yards and 2 interceptions produced a 33.5 rating and no points. Love played better on Saturday than Allen in 2018, but the issues were strikingly similar. Love will survive cutdown day. Some who played Saturday will not. But if Love wants to be the next Packer HOF QB, the leaps Josh Allen has made are a path to follow. The preseason was interesting for Packer fans, but the “meaningless” games are over. Next up, New Orleans and this game really will count for everyone.