Despite giving the Jacksonville Jaguars multiple opportunities to compete, the Green Bay Packers held on for a 24-15 win in a game where it could be argued the Jaguars looked like the better team.
Blaine Gabbert outplayed Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ (5-3) run-game was non-existent against a Jaguars (1-6) team who’s one of the league’s worst at defending the run.
A win is a win, but it leaves you wondering if the Jaguars’ moral victory is slightly better than the Packers’ real victory.
What It Means: The silver lining in the ugly win is that the Packers know where they need to improve. It all begins with the running game which has problems that go beyond the guy carrying the ball. Alex Green had 22 carries for 54 yards and was far from effective. It would be a little premature to say he alone is the problem, but it’s also a possibility. Look for James Starks to receive a little more work in the upcoming week. Around the division; the Minnesota Vikings (5-3) dropped a game, but both the Chicago Bears (6-1) and Detroit Lions (3-4) made fourth quarter comebacks to confirm it will be a tough road through the NFC North.
Player of the Game: Safety Morgan Burnett (11 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery)
With Charles Woodson out with a broken collarbone, they will need another guy to step up in the secondary and Burnett could be that guy. Burnett has already been playing extensively and was playing better than Woodson before the injury, but being more of a leader will be huge with the amount of rookies playing in the secondary.
Highlight of the Game: In the second quarter, Davon House came completely clean off the line to block a Jacksonville punt which was recovered by Dezman Moses for a touchdown. It was Green Bay’s first blocked punt since 2003 and the first one blocked resulting in a touchdown since 1990.
Stat of the Game (2): The amount of catches recorded by TE Jermichael Finley. It was the third straight game where Finley has grabbed only two catches. It appears he has lost the trust of Rodgers and the coaching staff who did nothing but brag about his potential over the past couple of years.
Injury Report: WR Jordy Nelson, WR Greg Jennings, RB John Kuhn, LB Nick Perry, CB Sam Shields and S Charles Woodson were all inactive. DE Jerel Worthy left game with a concussion and DE Mike Neal left with an ankle injury. Not sure if the Worthy and Neal injuries are serious, but the Packers injury bug won’t go away.
What’s Next: Another home and noon game awaits the Packers as they welcome the Arizona Cardinals (4-3, play San Francisco on Monday Night) into the town. Green Bay better bring a better game against Arizona because they have a much better defense than the Jaguars, but probably a similar offense. With the division so tight, the Packers can ill-afford to lose any games they should win.
What did you think of the Packers and their win over Jacksonville? Is the lack of a running game a problem? Let me know by commenting below.
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice and pretend to be a Golf expert from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best. If social media is not your thing, shoot him an email at grays@uwalumni.com.
Pictures obtained from Packers.com.