The Packers offense turned it on in the second half as they took down the Cincinnati Bengals 27-18.
Quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers were moving the ball well in the first half, but had trouble finishing, as their first drive ended with an interception.
They did enter the half up 10-0, but they really came out swinging, scoring 17 in the second half.
There was some concern entering the game as Kicker Brandon McMannus was ruled out with an injury, but newly signed Lucas Haversik was a perfect 2/2 on field goals and 3/3 on extra points.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur admitted he was a bit nervous when Haversik went out to kick the dagger field goal towards the end of the game.
“You are just holding your breath,” he said with a smile. “We all know the issues we have had up front too, in those situations. That’s where my focus was. It was more on just the protection, which I thought our guys did an outstanding job.”
Love had a great day, completing 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 259 yards and a touchdown, but he also kept several key plays alive and scrambled for 26 yards on 7 carries.
That is a part of his game that he said adds another level of difficulty defending this offense.
“It’s something I had a focus on coming into this season,” he noted. “Last year, I was dealing with some things, so I wasn’t moving around as much. It’s definitely been a big emphasis for me, and I think it’s been huge to be able to extend some of these plays.”
Rookie Matthew Golden put his stamp on the matchup, securing a pair of catches for 55 yards, including a key third-down conversion late in the game, and had a pair of runs for 16 yards.
The offensive line is at full strength, with Zach Tom and Aaron Banks returning from injury.
Jordan Morgan played all but one drive at the right guard spot, a position LaFleur said is always in flux.
“It’s gonna be a competitive situation from here on out,” he explained. “Those guys have played a lot of ball. Sean Rhyan has played a lot of football for us, and he has been available each and every week. We have confidence in all of those guys to go out there and get the job done.”
Morgan was happy to have been given the opportunity to play a full game.
“It feels good to complete the game the way I want to,” he said. “Getting out there, getting those reps, and getting my confidence out there.”
We asked Rhyan if he knew why he only played the one series, and he said he wasn’t sure.
Defensively, the Packers were stout in the first half, allowing under 100 total yards and no points, however, as Safety Evan Williams admitted, the second half wasn’t their best.
“I feel like it was partly the run game, at least that first drive of the second half,” he said. “We gotta be able to knock some of those runs back. They were bleeding us for 3, 4, 5 extra after contact.”
However, he did make a rather bold statement.
“I feel like when we are on our p’s and q’ as far as details go, we can’t be stopped. We are the best in the league,” he told us bluntly.
On the D-Line, Micha Parsons continued to attract double teams, but still made 3 tackles on the day, while Lucas Van Ness got the lone sack of the day for the Green and Gold before coming out of the game with an injury.
He was seen in the locker room with a boot and crutches; however no update was officially given.
Colby Wooden may not have had one tackle and an assist, but he was a key part of the run defense, absorbing double teams to allow his backers to flow into the hole.
He told SeehaferNews.com that playing that role is all about mentality.
“You gotta have that mindset. It’s more about the team rather than yourself,” he explained. “You can’t think ‘I’m gonna make this play.’ It’s truly a team game. I’m gonna knock this back, take up two for one, so my partner in the back can be free.”
He also said the only two stats he cares about are the rushing yards allowed and the win.
Green Bay will be back on the road next weekend as they travel to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals.
