clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

On The Packers Offensive Struggles

From Mike McCarthy's Monday press conference:

We were very productive on offense as far as moving the ball down the field. Our biggest issues were third down and dropping the football. I think that definitely would have changed our point total if we had been more productive in those two areas.

Looking back at my earlier recap, I realized I didn't talk about the drops or the 3rd downs. I was expecting the Packers to score 3 TDs, which is what they've been averaging on offense this season. The second drive of the game ended with a TD, but then they had the failed 3rd and goal at the start of the 2nd quarter that could have been their 2nd TD. They also had that late 3rd quarter drive when WR Donald Driver dropped a catchable pass on 3rd and 1 from the Redskins 29 yard line. They had to settle for a missed FG attempt by K Mason Crosby. If the offense had scored a TD on those two opportunities, something they had been doing earlier this season, they would have been right above their previous point average of just over 25 points per game. The players had to make a play in those situations, and it just didn't happen last week.

And it was really frustrating watching them get to within 3rd and 1 or 2 yards to go, and failing to convert. I counted that it happened 4 times during the game, and overall they were 2 for 13 on 3rd down. It hadn't been a problem going into this game, and neither had dropped passes, but both completely threw the offense out of any momentum they might have been building. 

I'm also not sure what happened to WR James Jones, who was open all day on short passes early, but then vanished later. Apparently the Redskins adjusted, and decided they needed to pay more attention to him.

Right now, it looks like one forgettable game, and none of these issues are true problems. The real problems remain the lousy special teams and all the injuries. I'm not hoping for a miracle on special teams, they've been lousy nearly every year under McCarthy, but hopefully the surgeries go well for TE Jermichael Finley and LB Nick Barnett, and they can return later this year.