Game Rewind: Offense and Defense Fall Short of Expectations as Patriots Stumble in Lambeau
 Bill Belichick's passive game plan allowed Aaron Rodgers to pick apart the Patriots defense. (USA TODAY Images) |
The New England Patriots lost to the Green Bay Packers 26-21 at Lambeau Field Sunday evening.
The Patriots had won seven in a row, looking to sweep the NFC North this season. The Packers had other plans, having success on both sides of the ball to extend their win streak to four.
Sunday's contest felt like a playoff game. Two great teams, slugging it out and one made a few more plays than the other. After reviewing the game, here are a few thoughts on Sunday's loss. --
Pats Outplayed in Trenches: Brady and the offense were held to only 21 points Sunday, their least amount of points scored since the team's last loss in week four at Kansas City. This may have something to do with the fact New England had the ball for only 23:25 in the game.
Brady was pressured consistently during the game -- to his credit, he did a good job maneuvering in the pocket at times -- which threw off his timing and derailed the passing game. The Packers secondary did not have to cover for very long.
On the flip side, Aaron Rodgers had all the time he wanted in the pocket, putting a lot of pressure on New England's defensive backs to cover for extended periods of time. Whether it was the team's game plan or not, the Packers offensive line kept Rodgers upright and Green Bay was able to sustain drives.
Too Conservative Against Rodgers: The aforementioned time in the pocket for Rodgers could have cost the Patriots this game. New England's game plan was pretty clear, keep Rodgers in the pocket and don't let his mobility extend drives. Well, the defensive plan backfired as the team failed to pressure and left their cornerbacks out to dry.
Were the Patriots too conservative? It seemed that way. Going into the contest, a game plan similar to the one used against Andrew Luck would have made sense. Pressure without losing containment, blitz up the middle and force the QB into waiting arms of the defensive end.
The few times New England brought pressure, it seemed to have positive effects. Obviously there's a risk when blitzing an elite quarterback like Rodgers, but letting him sit in the pocket for as long as he had wasn't working. The Pats did not have to send five or more players to attack, but there were times it seemed no player on the defense had the responsibility of pressuring, just keeping Rodgers in the pocket.
Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins could have been used more aggressively, but we've seen this Patriots coaching staff play too conservative against upper-echelon quarterbacks before.
Third Down Struggles: The Packers went 10-of-17 on third down Sunday, consistently moving the chains and sustaining drives. Whether it was gap containment, quarterback pressure, tackling or coverage, the Pats could not get off the field throughout the day.
While the Patriots should be applauded for their red zone defense, more stops have to be made without allowing opponents to control the clock and putting points on the board.
Two of the biggest plays in the game occurred in third down situations. With only :23 seconds remaining in the first half, Rodgers connected with Jordy Nelson for a 45-yard touchdown pass to give the Packers a 9-point lead (23-14) going into the break. At that point in the game, an absolutely deflating play in a critical spot.
Later in the contest, the Patriots were threatening on Green Bay's 20 facing a third-and-nine. With new England down by five points, a touchdown would have given them the go-ahead score. Instead, Mike Daniels and Mike Neal for the Packers sacked Brady, putting the Patriots in a fourth-and-18 situation.
In this game, third downs told the story. The Packers had more success and the Patriots failed to execute in key moments.
No Answer for Adams: Going into the game, there was a lot of talk about Packers receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson. Green Bay needed a third option to step up offensively in order to have success.
Rookie wide out Davante Adams had six catches for 121 yards, beating whoever New England lined up against him. With Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner tied up with Cobb and Nelson, Adams was able to exploit his matchup for his best game of the year.
Second-year cornerback Logan Ryan was paired with Adams for most of the evening, but was fairly uncompetitive with the rookie and gave Rodgers another option despite his two primary receivers locked up in tight coverage. Alfonzo Dennard also tried to defend Adams, but was unsuccessful as well.
While the cornerback position is considered a strength for New England, mostly because of Revis and Browner, this is an area of concern moving forward. Belichick seemed unwilling to put Kyle Arrington on Adams, given Arrington's past struggles on the outside, so other opponents may look to target them in a similar fashion.
All is Not Lost: While you can look at this game from a doom and gloom perspective, all is not lost. The Patriots still sit atop the AFC conference and are one of the best team's in the NFL. New England has beaten each of the other division leaders (Broncos, Colts, Bengals) and hold tie breakers that will come into play for playoff seeding.
At the end of the day, it was a disappointing loss, but not a season ending defeat by any means. Losing to a quality opponent, on the road, by one score does not make the Patriots a bad team. Keep it in perspective, make adjustments and finish the season strong.
What's Next: The Patriots now travel to San Diego, facing the Chargers next Sunday night. New England will stay on the west coast all week, preparing for a 7-5 Chargers team fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
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