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The Green Bay Packers are still capable of being a good football team. That fact may have been lost on some fans after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but it remains that: a fact.
What viewers of Sunday’s game saw certainly was not reflective of that, however, and much of that blame lies with the offensive line. For a unit that has largely played well this year, the starting five were a mess. From consistent pressure on Aaron Rodgers without blitzing to an ugly running game that never had a chance to get off the ground, the line was the primary reason for the embarrassing defeat.
Meanwhile, the Packers’ defense struggled to keep the Chargers from moving the football. They did get some big red zone stops to keep the score at least somewhat reasonable, but the big plays in the passing game and giving up six conversions on 12 third- or fourth-down attempts proved to be a killer. Making matters worse, the D was on the field for almost 36 minutes of game time, as the Packers recorded just three first downs in the first half and six through 45 minutes of play.
The Packers have an NFC team fighting for its playoff life heading to Green Bay next week, and one with a dynamic dual-threat running back. Mike Pettine will need to figure some things out on defense before Sunday if they want to have a hope of containing the Carolina Panthers and Christian McCaffrey. Here’s hoping he comes up with some answers.
Green Bay Packers' line no match for Los Angeles Chargers' pass rushers | Packersnews.com
Bryan Bulaga and David Bakhtiari put up one of the worst tandem performances of their careers on Sunday, as they failed to keep Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram in check at any point in the game.
‘Incredible Green Bay crowd’ fails to inspire Packers at Los Angeles | Packers Wire
The game didn't fall on the shoulders of a strong home-field advantage for the Chargers, either -- not with an estimated three-fourths of the fans in the stadium wearing green and gold.
Packers manhandled in missed 'road' opportunity at the Chargers - ESPN
To make matters worse, the Chargers didn't even need to bring extra rushers. They sent more than four players just once all game, keeping Rodgers under pressure while having seven men in coverage on essentially every play.
Davante Adams felt good in return from toe injury | Packers.com
If there's a silver lining from this game, it is the fact that Adams made it through his return game with no issues. He ended up playing quite a bit -- 45 out of a possible 54 snaps -- but perhaps that was due to the team going so long between offensive possessions.
Jets asked for Zack Martin in Jamal Adams trade talks - NFL.com
Not only Martin, but the Jets then asked for left tackle Tyron Smith afterwards. Not surprisingly, the Cowboys said no and their offer only went up to a first-round pick and a backup cornerback. It's no wonder the two sides couldn't get a deal done.
Krispy Kreme orders Minnesota student to halt doughnut resale service | FOX 9
What is it with people from the Twin Cities driving across state lines to resell products that aren't sold there? Three years ago, a bar in Maple Grove got busted for selling New Glarus beer (which is at least understandable), but now it's not-very-good donuts. Why anyone would be willing to spend over $100 on a box of room-temperature Krispy Kremes is beyond me.