Always love your work Al. Thanks.

I never like those pitch back plays on 3rd and short. Jones needs to get 6 or 7 yards just to get to the original line of scrimmage. I scratch my head often at our continual unwillingness to do the obvious and use our big running back in this scenario. Getting too cute often just causes us to outsmart ourselves.

This week you could have tripled the amount of plays that make you go hmmmm. This should have been a loss similar to what we have seen some other good team suffer. However, it's another sign that we are on the precipice of a great season.

That pitch play really pissed me off. We're three yards from the first down. Dillon can get two yards just falling forward. Our line has been run-blocking pretty well at that point in the game. You run Dillon twice if you have to. Duh. Maybe run a mis-direction play - let's use the "illusion of complexity" guys!

So, since MLF and AR thought the runs were too conservative, I assume that they thought that the next series (IIRC) where they passed three times instead of running and leave Cleveland with over 2 minutes left and all three timeouts was better? If MLF truly thinks so, then he's not the coach I thought (hoped) he was. Run twice, pass once if you must, but the two incompletions left way too much time on the clock. Honestly, if Cleveland had a decent QB, we should've lost by one when they kicked their FG with no time remaining.

4 days later. Hmmm!

I liked Braden in preseason. He battles, and he didn’t get pushed around.

Cleveland played the Lazard end-around pretty well, but the execution was just too good. Kudos to Jones.

The Packers do give up a lot of TD passes……they’re near the bottom of the league. Obviously, when you lose a guy like Alexander and you have to play rookies a lot, you’re gonna have some breakdowns.

“ When Jones gets you seven yards on first down, and putting together a clock killing drive is a logical goal, why isn't Dillon brought in with two chances to get three yards? Seems like a no-brainer to me.”

Yes! LaFleur seems to struggle with how to best use these two and when (never mind together). They are different and not interchangeable. He needs to be better at how and when to deploy them. This has been a recurring issue along with the general one if moving away from the run (as you correctly imply here—the wrong lesson to take from that drive).

I thought there was a good chance Play 1 would make it here. Superb job by Jones, as it netted Lazard about 12 extra yards.

Couldn't agree more about the pick play. The defense feels like it needs to get back to fundamentals. Hopefully some self-scouting and correction will occur.

Anyone else notice the socks Rodgers was wearing?

I thought Braden was going to be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for that high horse collar. An extremely dangerous play in today's NFL. This crew really did let both teams play. And Mayfield turned two possible touchdowns into interceptions. The first was nothing but a flatout overthrow on a deep dig route. (I thought at first that the WR was making a stop and go. But that's the WR option on the route with the cover package the Packers were running. Mayfield misread his own man. The off balance throw is inexcusable. Mayfield had time and his WR ran a pick that freed him up in the scheme. Not only did Mayfield make a bad read and a rotten throw, his primary was wide open and in stride for a clear 30 yard TD. Not only was the pass rotten, but his WR slipped and fell trying to come back to a bad pass that should have been a touchdown. While Douglas misread the route, Mayfield's bad decision fixed everything for the Packers. Against a QB (Brady) who's been there, those are two TD and this game is over. As you say Al, Packers got to clean this up, fast.

I'm with you AL on the Dillon run combos. I would love a change-up and for the OC call plays in a game, I think it could get pretty interesting. ML does a lot of odd stuff calling plays...real head scratcher stuff...and for me...choice word replies to a TV. I would also like our #3 RB used a little so things move smoother in case of injury to our 1-2 RB, God forbid. I will also say I wondered over a year ago why Yosh had not entered any injury sub or rotation on the OL. I just don't get it sometimes.

This was an interesting game where the officiating crews let the players play (calling only the most egregious penalties). it makes for much better viewing (for those that can only watch on tv) and this should be compulsory viewing for the various "blow for anything" officials.

I remember that Jones blocking for Lazard play, from when I was seeing it live. At first i though it was Jones blocking for Dillon, then realised it was Lazard. Good choice of a play to mention, Al.

If there is one thing you absolutely must do, it is to keep on evolving your playbook, showing new wrinkles and sneaky variations on plays that the other side has already seen. It's great cat-and-mouse stuff.

Nice pick of plays again, Al.

"WIth a nine point lead and seven minutes left in the game, I didn't mind the runs at all."
It is logical, but I believe MLF was reluctant to go running because Browns D is really good against run (2nd or 3rd in NFL). But, we saw several times that, either Aaron or Dillon went through that line for at least 4 if not more yards. The only question which play call to chose. My opinion is that MLF and AR wanted to score another TD or at least FG, to ice the game.

"My complaint? When Jones gets you seven yards on first down, and putting together a clock killing drive is a logical goal, why isn't Dillon brought in with two chances to get three yards? Seems like a no-brainer to me." If you are in the mode of killing the clock, you are absolutely right. But, as I already wrote, I believe MLF (and AR) was trying to reach at least FG level. From my perspective (and that does not have nothing with what happened after all), this idea was mistake. You have 2 possession lead and only worry you have is to kill the clock as much as you can. If you score additional points during that "killing" - excellent, but the primary goal should be to spare time. Intention to score another points make sense why they kept Aaron Jones in the game and not bringing AJ Dillon in. But, again, they might have 2 RB on the field, just to keep guessing Browns D, which one will get the ball.

"We've seen teams do this to the Packers before, and often in the end zone with disastrous results."

I agree with you that it is to much often some of the players on D looks lost in the space and time. I remember one play where Rasoul was covering 2 WR in the end zone, both at distance of 10+ yards, while Savage was walking alone covering no one. Rasoul was yelling at him to take inside WR under the control, but was to late. The ball was thrown to the inside receiver. Rasoul tried to cover that mistake, but was to far away. Savage looks like he is somewhere else with his mind and that brings himself to the game when his reaction comes to late for successful play.