Snap Judgments: Week 6
After rethinking about Sunday’s game against the Jets, here are three things worth discussing:
1) I first mentioned the offseason coaching changes on offense after the week 1 debacle in Minnesota, and it’s probably worth revisiting the topic after an even worse performance by the Packers on Sunday. Nathaniel Hackett had nearly a decade’s worth of experience as a coordinator before leaving for Denver in January. His replacement, Adam Stenavich, was an O-line coach for only three years before being promoted. Is the job too big for him? The offense hasn’t been good all season and made the ‘22 Jets look like the ‘85 Bears. The same could be wondered about his replacement, Luke Butkus. There’s a massive difference between being the man and being the assistant to the man. Seeing the guards and center continually fail to pick up stunts was unbelievably frustrating, and something rarely witnessed when Stenavich was in charge. Butkus apparently made no adjustments aside from replacing one awful player (Royce Newman) with another awful player (Jake Hanson). And why the heck isn’t Yosh Nijman playing? Starting him at right tackle, moving former Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins to his natural position, and keeping Newman and Hanson on the bench should be a no-brainer.
2) The offense was inept all day, but the defense failed on the biggest drive of the game. After Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard connected on a touchdown to pull the Packers within seven points and recapture the momentum, Joe Barry’s unit folded like a cheap suit. The Jets effortlessly moved 66 yards and scored a touchdown to essentially put the game away. The defense was terrific for the first 30 minutes, but offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur – the only competent LaFleur on this day – made some key adjustments at halftime, and the Jets took flight in the third quarter. The blitzes that confused young quarterback Zach Wilson early were no longer much of a problem, and all of a sudden, explosive rookie Breece Hall was finding room to run, and receivers were getting open. To his credit, Barry at least tried new things on Sunday. He kept All-Pro Jaire Alexander on talented No. 1 pick Garrett Wilson and brought pressure with corners and safeties. Unfortunately, once the Jets figured out what the Packers were doing and adjusted accordingly, Barry was fresh out of ideas, and the defense got sliced and diced for 17 points and nearly 200 yards in the decisive second half.
3) Do all the people who thought the Packers had enough talent at wide receiver and tight end want to reconsider? The theory that spreading the ball around would make up for the loss of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling was always ridiculous. Talent matters, and it’s why the best offenses in the league are loaded at those two positions. Allen Lazard, Randall, Cobb, Romeo Doubs, and Robert Tonyan scare nobody. The Jets played tight man-to-man coverage, and with no fear of getting beat over the top, crowded the middle of the field and made finding open targets extremely difficult, especially with Rodgers under pressure on almost every throw. This is how every defense will play against the Packers until GM Brian Gutekunst does what he should’ve done months ago and acquires a legit top-tier wide receiver. Whether such a player is available is a fair question to ask. So is wondering whether it even matters. The way this team has performed in five of the past six games, even the return of Adams and Valdes-Scantling might not make much of a difference.
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