Game Recap: Packers Beat Washington Football Team 24-10

Sarah Kelliher recaps the Packers’ week seven win against the Washington Football Team.

Another week, another win for the Green Bay Packers (6-1, 2-0 NFC North). The green and yellow topped the Washington Football Team (2-5, 1-0 NFC East) 24-10 at Lambeau Field Sunday, extending their win streak to six games after falling to the Saints in week one.

The Packers were the first to take the field and did not disappoint. To open the game, they went on an impressive 75-yard touchdown drive that consisted of 13 plays and shaved nearly eight minutes off the clock (ESPN stats).

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked sharp from the jump and connected with wide receiver Davante Adams for 15 yards and a first down on the game’s opening play. Just two plays later on 3rd and 4, Rodgers connected with running back Aaron Jones on a 4-yard pass play to keep the chains moving for the Packers. Then, Rodgers connected with tight end Marcedes Lewis for a 12-yard pass play on 2nd and 10.

But, it wouldn’t be that simple the entire drive for Green Bay. Just a few plays later, it looked like the Football Team may have finally slowed down the Packers after sacking Rodgers for a loss of 10 yards on 2nd and 1. However, 12 quickly bounced back and, on third and long, scrambled for 15 yards and a first down.

After three straight plays from Aaron Jones, the Packers still couldn’t move the chains and decided to go for it on 4th and 3. The gamble was well worth it after Rodgers danced around, escaped the pocket and threw it across his body while falling to connect with a wide-open Davante Adams for a 17-yard touchdown to put Green Bay up 7-0.

The Packers’ early lead would not last long though. On their opening drive, the Football Team converted on two consecutive 3rd and 1 plays, and then quarterback Taylor Heinicke connected with wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a 12-yard pass that resulted in another first down. From there, things went from bad to worse for Green Bay. On the next play, Heinicke somehow escaped what would have been a sack from linebacker Jaylon Smith and bombed one down field to McLaurin for 40 yards and the touchdown to tie this game at 7-7.

After a strong opening drive, Green Bay’s offense couldn’t find any sense of rhythm on their next. After a short pick-up from running back AJ Dillon and an incomplete pass that was batted down by Washington’s star defensive end Chase Young, Rodgers was sacked for the second time on Sunday – this time by defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for a loss of 13 yards on 3rd and 8 – and the Packers were forced to punt.

To open the second quarter, the Packers appeared to make a big stop on 3rd and 8 but the officials had other plans. They called a questionable pass interference penalty on cornerback Rasul Douglas and the Football Team was gifted with a first down to keep the chains moving. Then later in the drive on 3rd and 3, running back Antonio Gibson ran up the middle for 6-yards and the first down to push Washington to Green Bay’s 29. However, the tiny bit of momentum the Football Team started to build wasn’t enough; on 3rd and 5, Heinicke threw a deep pass downfield that was broken up by safety Darnell Savage Jr. Then, Washington’s kicker Chris Blewitt well...blew it and missed a 42-yard field goal attempt after it was blocked by rookie defensive tackle T.J. Slaton.

On the first play of their next drive, Rodgers connected with tight end Robert Tonyan for 12 yards to immediately give the Packers a fresh set of downs. Then, Rodgers connected with Jones and wide receivers Randall Cobb and Equanimeous St. Brown to convert three more first downs for Green Bay and push them into Washington’s territory. However, the newfound spark on offense wasn’t enough and the Packers were forced to settle for a 34-yard field goal attempt. In a strange case of déjà vu, Crosby’s attempt was also blocked, and this game stayed tied at 7-7 with just over five minutes remaining in the half.

With the ball back in the Football Team’s hands, the Packers defense finally started to come to life a little bit. After Heinicke scrambled for 38 yards on the opening play of the drive, the defense woke up and got four straight stops to force a turnover on downs and take over at their own 27-yard line. Savage and rookie cornerback Eric Stokes had key pass breakups on third and fourth down that contributed to the big defensive drive for the Packers.  

With 2:58 left in the half, it was time for the Allen Lazard show. During the final drive of the half, Lazard stepped up big and bagged 5 receptions for 60 yards – including three key first down pickups  – and a 10-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 14-7 lead at the half.

Whatever momentum the d-train started to gain on their last drive of the first half continued into the second as well. On the second play of the third quarter, linebacker Rashan Gary sacked Heinicke for a 3-yard loss, forced a fumble and defensive end Dean Lowry recovered it at Washington’s 27-yard line.

Just three plays later on 3rd and 3, Rodgers decided to celebrate National Tight Ends Day with Tonyan and connected with him on a 20-yard pass down the right side of the field to extend the Packers’ lead to 21-7.

From there, Green Bay’s defense continued to show up. The Washington Football Team gave them a run for their money on a 6:38 drive that stretched 76 yards and 11 plays (ESPN stats) and they battled the entire way. On 3rd and goal, it looked like Heinicke was going to get the best of the Packers after he scrambled 3-yards for a touchdown, but after further review he was ruled short at the 1-yard line. On 4th and 1, Heinicke tried to push through the pile, but Green Bay’s defense was there to make their FIRST red zone stop of the year and force a big turnover on downs.   

The defense didn’t get much of a break after their big drive though. Backed up into their own end zone, the Packers went three and out and just barely avoided a scare after center Lucas Patrick recovered a fumble from running back AJ Dillon on 3rd down.

After a 53-yard punt from Packers’ punter Corey Bojorquez, the Football Team would get the ball just shy of mid-field on their next drive. And, after quickly converting on 2nd and 4 with a 27-yard pick up from wide receiver DeAndre Carter, Washington was on the edge of the red zone in the blink of an eye. On 1st and 10, Packer’s linebacker De’Vondre Campbell forced Gibson to fumble and, despite multiple green jerseys swarming the ball, the Packers somehow couldn’t recover it and it was recovered by the Football Team. However, the defense would make up for it in a huge way later by getting three stops in a row and holding Washington on 4th and 2 at the 3-yard line to prevent them from scoring and forcing another turnover on downs.

On their next drive, the Packers offense still couldn’t find much of anything, even after a ridiculous 26-yard grab from Davante Adams. To open the fourth quarter, Rodgers connected with Tonyan on 3rd and 4 for a 25-yard pass pickup and a defensive pass interference call on the Football Team gifted the Packers another 25-yards. However, it still wasn’t enough to get six and the Packers turned to Crosby for a 39-yard field goal attempt. This time, there was never a doubt, and the Packers extended their lead to 24-7.

With time running out for Washington to make a comeback, Green Bay’s defense continued to fight. Despite moving the chains for five different first downs, the Football Team still couldn’t get points on the board on their next drive. On 3rd and 8 at Green Bay’s 12, cornerback Chandon Sullivan came up huge with a red zone interception to pretty much seal the deal for the Packers.

Ideally, Green Bay would have liked to run the clock out as much as they could but, on the second play of their next drive, Dillon fumbled for the second time on Sunday and this time Washington recovered it at Green Bay’s 37-yard line.

From there, the Packers got their fourth consecutive stop in the red zone and the Football Team had to settle for a 45-yard field goal. Blewitt’s attempt was good, and that would give us our final score of 24-10. Washington attempted an onside kick as a final Hail Mary toward the end of the game, but it was recovered by Lazard to seal the deal for Green Bay and help move them to 6-1 on the season.  

 

What we learned: Lazard and Tonyan are back

Everyone take a deep breath… Lazard and Tonyan are back. After a lot of talk about a “lack of weapons” outside of players named Davante Adams for Aaron Rodgers, Lazard and Tonyan proved that they can step up when needed for Green Bay.

Lazard finished the game with 5 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown and Tonyan finished the game with 4 receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown (ESPN stats). With MVS sure to re-join the Packers’ offense soon, it could be a dangerous site for the rest of the league if all Rodgers’ weapons start cooking at the same time.  

 

What went right: Red zone defense

After allowing 15 touchdowns on 15 red zone possessions this season, Green Bay’s defense finally showed up in the red zone on Sunday. In the second half, the d-train forced four consecutive red zone stops and, despite injuries, put on an all-around strong performance.

According to ESPN stats, the Packers tallied a team total of 6 pass deflections, 9 QB hits, 1 tackle for a loss, 4 sacks and 1 interception on Sunday.

 

What went wrong: The run

Oh Jones, Oh Jones, wherefore art thou Jones?

The Packers’ run game was essentially non-existent on Sunday, and it was a bit painful to watch. According to ESPN stats, the team’s rushing yards totaled a sad 57-yards and Jones had only 6 carries for 19 yards. To put it in perspective just how little the Packers ran the ball on Sunday, Rodgers was the team’s second-best runner on the day with 2 carries for 17 yards (ESPN stats).  

 

Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers sure played well for a guy that doesn’t care. 😊 

QB1 had a hell of a day on did what he needed to ensure the Packers got the W heading into a short week. He finished Sunday 27/35 for 274 yards, 3 TDs and with a 127.6 passer rating (ESPN stats).

 

Defensive MVPs: Rashan Gary and De’Vondre Campbell

Well, hello there, Rashan Gary! After a quiet start to the season, Gary has really started to turn it on for the Packers the last couple weTaeks and Sunday was another strong showing for the gritty linebacker. He finished the day with 7 total tackles, 3 of which were solo, 2 sacks and 4 QB hits (ESPN stats).

I’m starting to wonder if De’Vondre Campbell is just a permanent lock for defensive MVP in my weekly game recap because it seems like every week he continues to show up. He finished Sunday’s game with a team high 13 tackles, 10 of which were solo (ESPN stats) and was, once again, all over the field applying pressure.

 

Up next, it’s a short week for the Green Bay Packers as they hit the road for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Kickoff is set for Thursday, October 28 at 8:20 p.m. EST.

 

 

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Sarah Kelliher is a contributor for CheeseheadTV and a podcaster with Pack-A-Day Podcast. She can be found via Twitter @sarahkelliher4

 

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19 points
 

Comments (10)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
10ve 💚's picture

October 24, 2021 at 06:05 pm

ST MVP: Bojo. What at punt to the 1 inch line!

7 points
7
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Guam's picture

October 24, 2021 at 06:28 pm

I thought Mercilus had a good game, particularly since he just joined the team and probably couldn't drop into coverage and could just rush the passer. Give him more time with the scheme and he could be a very interesting addition. Jaylon Smith has a tougher position to learn from a scheme perspective, but he didn't look good again.

I was encouraged by the half time adjustments made by the O-line. The WFT D-line had their way with the Packer O-line in the first half, but that seemed to change in the second half as Rodgers had more time and less pressure,

6 points
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jurp's picture

October 25, 2021 at 09:45 am

IIRC (and that's not a given, given my age), Rodgers seemed to be getting the ball out quicker in the second half, which would be a function of play-calling. But yeah, good teams always make adjustments at halftime, so I was glad to see us change the pass pro and (and, maybe, the game plan).

1 points
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PatrickGB's picture

October 24, 2021 at 06:29 pm

It’s amazing what a good MLB can do for this team! Rodgers throwing across his body is a thing of beauty. Goal line stops were great. It’s good to see Tonyan and Lazard catching balls besides blocking. I sure hope that, at least, some of our injured players are available Thursday. Oh, and I hope Rodgers finds a comfortable bed.

5 points
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Alberta_Packer's picture

October 24, 2021 at 06:35 pm

Just had the feeling that the team was somewhat looking past the WFT - to the Thurs. night game with the Cardinals. Still a relatively entertaining game - with quite a few flash plays. Continued to be impressed by Rasul Douglas - despite the phantom p.i. call on him (King need not hurry back). And Campbell has to be one of the best free agent signings in the NFL this year. Also Mercilus showed well - while Stokes keeps getting better every week (although he and Savage may want to review their ball swatting notes). Now wondering what the D would like look like with the return of the Smiths and Alexander - given the added depth of Douglas, Mercilus, Smith etc.?

4 points
4
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canadapacker's picture

October 24, 2021 at 07:27 pm

Once again a win is a win. But from what I saw today - we are the worst 6-1 ( or better) team right now. Now I hope our luck will still hold up - but while I am loving the fact that we are where we are - seriously. Their first running play of the second half was almost a Touchdown our coverage was so poor. So we get a sack/fumble and go get a score. But then they march down and Heinicke makes a foolish dive on an easy touchdown and we get a stop - GREAT but shouldnt have needed to. My point being that if our Oline doesnt start blocking and opening holes and if Lafleur doesnt start calling a better game we will have 3 or 4 losses quite quickly. And when one looks at what Tampa did da Bears ( who still really suck) it makes me wonder why we let them hang around so long in that game, Now I am happy with the additions on D that we made = Mercilous looks great as does Smith and hopefully when our hurt guys get back we can fix what is missing in the interior of the defense. And if MVS gets back to playing maybe we can stretch the field and get Tonyon wide open as he has been covered pretty closely, People are complaining about the lack of running but when Jones is getting hammered in our backfield why keep giving it to him? Between him and Dillon under 3 yards a carry - no holes no push. Once we get through the Arizona trip - its going to be nice to have the mini-bye to get ready to go to KC. Okay glad I got that off of my chest

-5 points
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6
Lphill's picture

October 24, 2021 at 07:54 pm

It appeared that Washington had no trouble moving the ball downfield , this should be a concern , they had a lot of yards as well , Arizona could be another Saints type game if the Packers defense plays like this Thursday .

3 points
4
1
Packers1985's picture

October 25, 2021 at 12:12 am

Yes, this is what worrying a bit. Today mostly WFT shot themselves in the foot by coming up short in red zone with some poor plays. It wont be that easy against some good offenses that we are going to face in the coming weeks.

Though I see a lot of improvement from previous years things need to tighten up a bit against mobile qb's and also consistent pass rush.

0 points
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packer132's picture

October 24, 2021 at 08:04 pm

Great to get a win, and no game is easy. It would be nice to get King and Preston back on a short week against Arizona, and Bakhtiari for the KC game. Campbell continues to fly all over the field and make tackles. Stokes will get better the more he plays, and Mercilus is a good addition. Garvin and Gary are getting pressure, and the defense is getting it together. I am keeping my fingers crossed to add another player on defense with a trade in the next week.

2 points
3
1
croatpackfan's picture

October 25, 2021 at 04:02 am

I suppose Packers did not spend much time for either offensive or defensive plan for this game. Many of you are complaining why not running more, but, basically, I can see the plan was to avoid any possible injuries, so they decided to go over the largest weakness of WTF (sorry WFT) team. They decided to throw a lot, to explore bad secondary. They run the ball just as decoy of their plan. On the D side, they obviously did not paid much attention or running skills of Heinicke, and that was something, obviously surprised Packers. On the other hand they saw what damage QB (capable of fast and good running) can make to their D efforts, It would be better if they used Heinicke to at least simulate game experience what we can expect from Murray.

As I noted Douglas was little bit shaken after one of his hits and was replaced with Jean-Charles after that. That was not good sign, but lets hope he is all OK.

My impression is that Packers played sloppy game against WTF/WFT because they were looking already to the Thursday night game. Also, it looks like they a little bit underestimated opponent and played more relaxed than fans would like to see. When it was matter, they stiffed their game and it was very easy win by all measures. even with equal 7 to 7 score I have no doubts Packers will win, but I was disappointed by sloppy game played by Packers. Even in that mental state they won TO battle (I believe they are now at total +10 TO for the season) and got another win.

Next game is much more important and much harder than any of this season, and that is why, I believe Packers were not well concentrated on this game.

Only thing I was deeply disappointed was that the last set for offense Aaron Rodgers refuse to hand of to Love, and there was discussion with MLF who asked him to let Jordan that try, but he decidedly said no! It was on the camera while waiting for continuation of the WFT attack (I thought it was after WFT did not get 1st down on 3 and something!).

The man who was complaining of disrespect to him, showed huge disrespect to the organization and to his HC, which he reportedly greatly appreciates. That leave me some bad taste in my mouth. And the situation becomes more and more like Brett Favre/Packers divorce...

-3 points
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3