The Green Bay Packers have a boasting safety, and they have also added a new cornerback. But neither of those things will be able to make up for a fatal flaw that will derail their hopes in the NFC playoffs.
Talking is one thing. Doing is another. And the Packers can’t hold up against the run. They also struggle against the pass in later downs.
Overall, their fatal flaw is defense. And that will hurt when they travel to face the Chicago Bears in a Wild Card game on Saturday at 8 p.m. (ET). Somehow, the Packers are still a 1.5-point favorite despite the defensive situation.
Packers’ defense hasn’t been the same without Micah Parsons
Yes, losing Parsons was a big deal. But it’s a fact, and the Packers have to try to live with it in the postseason. His absence hurts, especially against the passing game, according to ESPN.
“The Packers’ pass defense has been outstanding on first down,” Aaron Schatz wrote. “It ranks third in DVOA and allows an NFL-low 5.1 net yards per dropback. The problem comes on later downs. On second, third, and fourth downs, the Packers rank 26th in defensive DVOA and allow 5.9 net yards per dropback. It has been particularly bad since edge rusher Micah Parsons went down with a torn ACL, as the Packers have allowed 8.3 net yards per dropback on second through fourth downs in their past three games.
“This is going to be a problem in the playoffs. On second down, three of the four best passing teams in the league are the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers. And the league’s best passing teams on third down include the 49ers and Eagles.”
But as bad as the pass defense looks, the run defense is equally poor. The Packers’ horrible effort against the Ravens is hard to ignore. And they get a powerful run team right off the bat. The Bears are No. 3 in the NFL with 144.5 yards per game. There’s no Derrick Henry in Chicago’s backfield, but it may not matter. Can the Packers tackle anybody?
Head coach Matt LaFleur tried to absorb some of the problem within the coaching staff, according to PackersWire.com.
“Certainly, we have to coach our guys a lot better,” LaFleur said. “There was way too many mistakes in regards to misalignments and missed assignments. And when you do that against a good football team, you see the results. That was probably the most disappointing thing after watching the tape. It’s just how many times we weren’t playing the right technique or weren’t in the right position to make a play. And when we did have opportunities, when we were in position, there was some moments where we played really good run defense.
“But it was just too hit or miss. Stuff we’ve been calling since the preseason, throughout camp, throughout the course of the season, that — whether it’s a check or not getting the right adjustments. You can’t do that, knowing what type of back we were playing. If you give this guy a head of steam, he’s a tough guy to bring down. And he proved that last night.”
It’s hard to fathom some of those things happening this late in the season for a playoff-bound team. And that’s why it’s hard to imagine the Packers overcoming this part of their fatal flaw and winning even one playoff game.
Certainly, there’s no reason to think they can rack up three road wins and get to the Super Bowl.
Will the extra week of rest help the Packers?
A rested group doesn’t mean it will suddenly become stronger and tougher. Perhaps they will play a little better, according to Sports Illustrated. The Packers rested their starters in the Week 18 loss to the Vikings.
“For the guys that we were trying to rest, they did get a lot of reps” at practice,” LaFleur said. “We ran a lot of good on good, or our one offense vs. our one defense. I think we’re physically in a better place.”
Still, safety Javon Bullard said the Packers believe they can win.
“We’re starting out 0-0,” Bullard said. “You win, you keep going. You lose, you out. That confidence is instilled in us. We’ve been having that confidence. Our mind is on one thing, and that’s to beat the hell out of whoever we’re playing on the road. That’s what we focused on.”
It may not be an impossible task for the Packers to beat the Bears. But the defense will need to be light-years tougher than it was against the Ravens. But even if they beat the Bears, they can’t win three straight with that defense.
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