Green Bay Packers v. Ravens: Behind the Numbers
It was a chaotic fourth quarter, but the Green Bay Packers secured the win in Baltimore. Here are the numbers you need to know from their performance.
By Paul_Bretl
The game ended up being a little too close for comfort, but in the end, the Green Bay Packers secured their 11th win and clinched the NFC North in the process.
As we do each week following the Packers game, it's time to go Behind the Numbers, taking a look at the stats and figures you need to know from Green Bay's performance.
98
This was a very impressive performance by Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who finished the day with 98 yards on five receptions and with a touchdown. But what really made this performance standout, was that a few of those receptions came in big moments, either in the red zone or on third down, and he was able to win in multiple ways as well--both out wide and in the slot, along with making plays in different parts of the field.
With the speed that he possesses, there isn't another player on this Packers team who can win downfield quite like MVS can. But Valdes-Scantling has also been incredibly effective from the slot in his limited action, averaging 3.53 yards per route run, according to PFF. For reference, Davante Adams is averaging 3.56 yards per route run from inside.
As Aaron Rodgers said after the game, "that's the Marquez I know." When MVS is playing at that level, this offense is much more potent.
I lost count
Now, if you're looking for a slight positive, the special teams errors this week weren't nearly as bad as a week ago--although the bar was set incredibly low. Also, this Ravens special teams unit is considered by many the best in football with Justin Tucker, Devin Duvernay, and some stout coverage units, but fortunately, there weren't any game-altering plays.
With that said, there were still too many special teams miscues by Green Bay. Duvernay still averaged over 25 yards per kick return; there was a holding penalty on a kick return by Amari Rodgers, Isaac Yiadom ran into the return man, as well as a delay of game penalty at a crucial point in the fourth quarter. Green Bay would also utilize four different kick returners.
I'm sure I've missed something, but you get the idea. At this point, this is who this Packers special teams unit is. There isn't going to be a magic fix; we just have to hope these miscues don't become too costly.
27
It became pretty obvious early on what the Ravens' plan was on offense--utilize the quick passing game while heavily featuring Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown. Of Tyler Huntley's 40 pass attempts, Andrews and Brown were targeted on 27 of them.
However, even with that being the case, we saw few adjustments from this Green Bay Packers' defense. There were no double-teams, there wasn't more aggressive coverage being played to limit the quick passes, and the end result was Huntley pretty much doing whatever he wanted in the passing game.
7
I mean, should we be surprised anymore? Despite being down four of their five preferred starters on the offensive line, the Green Bay Packers once again held up well. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon were effective enough and would average 4.0 yards per rush against a Ravens' defensive front that was without Calais Campbell. Meanwhile, according to the PFF game recap, the offensive line allowed only seven pressures the entire game.
73
If finding a way to limit Mark Andrews was one key, the other was the edge rushers and defensive front containing Tyler Huntley. Now, this is far from an easy task given his mobility, but the Green Bay edge rushers didn't exactly do a good job either.
Too often they would find themselves either too far upfield or crashing towards the quarterback way too hard. Either way, it resulted in running lanes for Huntley or a way out of the pocket for him. He finished the game averaging almost 6.0 yards per rush on 13 carries.
9
One reason that this Green Bay Packers offense was so potent in 2020 was that they were able to get off to some very fast starts. However, that has been far from the case this season.
In nine of the Packers' 14 games this season, they have trailed after the first quarter. Why, you ask? Well, I'm not sure. Perhaps a lack of practice time has been a contributor, and as I wrote a week ago, the opening script hasn't been nearly as effective either.
“At times the last couple years we’ve been so good in the first 15 to 20 plays that we script, and scoring on opening drives, touchdowns,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers via Packers.com following the Vikings game. “Hasn’t really been the case this year. We’ve been a lot slower starting, so we gotta look at that.”
97
It goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway, the Green Bay Packers really missed having No. 97, Kenny Clark, in the middle. As a team, the Ravens were able to average 5.5 yards per rush, and there was little push up the middle from the interior defensive line.
Of course, Clark can do plenty of damage on his own, but his presence makes life easier for everyone else on the defensive side of the ball as well--against both the run and the pass. There are a lot of key players on this defense, but Clark is by far the most important to the unit's overall success.
9
Against a banged-up Ravens' secondary that ranks 31st in passing yards per game given up, 30th in yards per attempt allowed, and 31st in explosive pass play rate, we saw Aaron Rodgers throw the ball around the yard a bit on Sunday.
At the end of the day, Rodgers targeted nine different pass-catchers at least once, with eight of them recording at least one reception. Rodgers finished 23/31 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. According to PFF, Rodgers was aggressive in trying to push the ball downfield, with 54.8 percent of his attempts traveling past the first down marker--which was a season-high for him.
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__________________________
Born and raised in Green Bay, WI and I still call it home. After my family, watching the Packers, sharing my opinions on the team through my writing and interacting with other fans is my greatest passion. You can find me on Twitter at @Paul_Bretl.
Comments (36)
packer132
December 20, 2021 at 11:58 am
You are happy with a win, though it was too close for comfort. Packers defense put pressure on Huntley, but did not contain the edges and I didn't see blitzes or stunts. Clark should be back for Cleveland. Also, they did not hit Andrews off the line and did not double him. The patched OL held up again, and good play calling to get the ball out early. Rodgers hit 8 different receivers, as Ravens were doubling Adams. Expect more of the same in the playoffs, and MVS and Lazard will be needed. I like throwing to Dillon or Jones out of the backfield, and Deguara and Lewis made some good plays. Hopefully Alexander and Bakhtiari come back in a week or two, and its home cooking on Christmas day against the Browns. Anything can happen in the NFL, as we saw the Lions beat 10 win Arizona and Tampa getting shut out at home.
Alberta_Packer
December 20, 2021 at 12:28 pm
Adding "10" - the no. of players on D while the Ravens were on offense. It was reflective of the Ds overall performance - save a few heroic plays.
NickPerry
December 20, 2021 at 12:24 pm
Nice piece Paul but you forgot just one number...ZERO (0)...
As in the Packers Special Teams players who now have ZERO confidence in the scheme or themselves. They have ZERO confidence in Mo Drayton nor should they have any confidence.
Drayton worked under a HORRIBLE ST coach and has even been worse himself. This has already gone on for far to long and MLF NEEDS to FIRE Mo Drayton. He HAS let him other coaches and his players know THIS WON'T BE TOLERATED!
This is no longer on Mo Drayton. This is now on Matt LaFluer. This is the best football team in the NFL right now but it has a MAJOR HOLE on ST. It's not a once in a while thing anymore or even a once every game thing. This is a EVERY GOD DAMN TIME THING. EVERY kickoff, EVERY punt whether it's on coverage or the Packers are receiving the punt or kickoff, IT DOESN'T MATTER!!
Yesterday I found myself leaving the room on ANY ST play. I can no longer watch. At least in 2012 when Crosby was struggling I would close my eyes but still listen. But this, this is friggen torture and it would be a SHAME if one more time we lose a game because of ST, especially in late January or February.
Matt you have ZERO time left to address this Mo Drayton MUST BE REPLACED.
LambeauPlain
December 20, 2021 at 01:04 pm
Agree, Nick. Drayton was actually the top assistant for two awful Packer ST coaches: Zook and Mennenga. How Matt determined Mo would suddenly become a great coach when mostly failing under those two guys is perplexing.
However how Drayton is coaching and communicating is obviously poor and Matt has to know that.
Drayton "auditioned" 4 different players as kick returners yesterday. FOUR! Isn't that what last week of practice is supposed to decide? Not knowing who can return by the 14th game of the season is ridiculous.
Make a change Matt!
LeotisHarris
December 20, 2021 at 04:32 pm
I respect and enjoy your posts, Nick, and this rant is no exception. If we take the emphasized words in ALL CAPS, we have spoken word poetry that rivals anything stockholder as dropped on this site to date. If we need a title, I'll humbly suggest DRAYTON.
...ZERO (0)...
ZERO
ZERO
HORRIBLE ST
MLF NEEDS
FIRE
HAS
THIS WONT BE TOLERATED!
MAJOR HOLE
ST
EVERY GOD DAMN TIME THING
EVERY
EVERY
IT DOESNT MATTER!!
ANY ST
SHAME
ST
ZERO
MUST BE REPLACED
NickPerry
December 20, 2021 at 06:25 pm
Thank you Leotis, I enjoy yours as well. You're absolutely right, that was a RANT!!
I like your title suggestion too. I think it's quite fitting myself. Thank you for pointed out all the words in CAPS...
Whew... I guess I was REALLY on one with that comment. But it certainly is getting tough to watch. 2014 broke my heart, like it did for many of us. I have a horrible feeling unless this is addressed and done so NOW, this magical season could end much like 2014. In CRUEL comedy of errors by the ST team units.
BTW... On a podcast or sports radio show (Don't remember which now) they were talking about the camera being on Rodgers when the coverage unit was lining up for a onside kick after the Ravens closed it to within 7 points. What they said was Rodgers mouthed the words "What is he doing?" If you recall there were still 4 minutes left and the Ravens had all their timeouts. WHY in the hell would they do a onside there? Clearly the idea never occurred to Rodgers since it didn't make much sense and it didn't occur to Harbough either.
The ONLY one it made sense to was Drayton...Point made!
BradHTX
December 21, 2021 at 10:10 am
I only regret that I have but one upvote to give this comment. Well done, sir.
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:39 am
I closed my eyes on every ST play (already had the sound offf cuz of the announcers! lol)
NickPerry
December 21, 2021 at 06:43 am
I hear you friend...I would do the same thing and listen to it on XM-Radio but I'm always a few minutes behind in a game. I'm always pausing the game to do whatever I need to do so sometimes I'm watching the recording instead of the live game....LOL... I HAVE to listen to Buck and Aikman.
Since'61
December 21, 2021 at 08:52 am
Nick as I posted a week or 2 ago when MLF said he was not firing Drayton in one of his pressers he has taken on the STs for himself and its making him look bad. He needs to get this fixed before a great season is ruined for what should be very fixable problems.
14 games in and like you our STs have become unwatchable for me. It's an embarrassment for a professional football team. Something needs to be done yesterday. Actually it should have been addressed during the bye week. Thanks, Since '61
ricky
December 20, 2021 at 12:25 pm
Thanks for the info, but in the end, only one stat counts: who has more points at the end of the game.
LambeauPlain
December 20, 2021 at 01:07 pm
During a very high scoring back and forth game years ago on MNF, late in the 4th quarter, John Madden exclaimed: "You what Pat? The way this game is going I think the team that scores the most points is probably going to win this thing!"
Pat Sommerall, after a long pause: "Uh huh."
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:44 am
But doesn’t bode well for future games if they keep on making st errors… what happens if ar doesn’t have a great game? There goes the season!
stockholder
December 20, 2021 at 12:47 pm
You can't fix stupid. There is "No magical" in special teams. These guys just are not ready coming off the practice squad. Best run this year by Rodgers. Keep him on the KO returns. St Brown did not want to play Special Teams when they drafted him. It's obvious some have that same feeling. Earn your pay check first. Worry about your pride later. Don Beebe made a lot of money on special teams. Thats the MVS I know. Sign him. Adjustments- Not happening until Clark comes back. Plug the middle. I don't care how they pressure the QB. Just do it. Hunley was Fast. And he was better then anyone we've faced so far. BUT HE WASN'T BETTER THEN RODGERS. Never Liked PFF grades. They'll wreck your team. Coaching. And we already know how they'd draft.
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:46 am
Okkkkk…
Lphill
December 20, 2021 at 12:51 pm
Special teams fix, fire Drayton and move Chris Gizzi from strength and conditioning to special teams is a start.
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:46 am
Who?… and why him?… isn’t there a real st coach out there?
LambeauPlain
December 20, 2021 at 01:03 pm
Everyone in the NFL knows the Packers play terrible STs.
Teams are going to continue to exploit Packer ST comedies of boneheaded errors until it stops. Opponents are kicking more to force a returns that mostly fail. And they are designing excellent blocking schemes on their returns to capitalize on the undisciplined pell mell jail breaks kick coverages the Packers play.
If ever there was a need for Matt to coach the entire team and not just the offense, this is it!
The Packers have a legacy of not drafting players who were excellent at STs in college as some teams do. And they have a long history of hiring unaccomplished ST coordinators: Novak, Slowik, Zook, Mennenga, and now Drayton.
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:48 am
Why the down thumbs? Reasons please?
BAMABADGER
December 20, 2021 at 01:05 pm
6 ST errors... That does not include every kick-off by Crosby, none of which were kicked deep in to or out of the end zone.
Leatherhead
December 20, 2021 at 02:26 pm
And how many errors on offense? Or defense?
BAMABADGER
December 20, 2021 at 02:59 pm
Agree with O and D mistakes, however not counting extra points, ST had 18 plays. 6 major errors. That's 33% of the ST plays. Add Crosby's 6 KO (none that were deeper than 1 yard into the end zone)... 66% of the ST plays had errors. As HC, MLF should not accept that. It has been going on all season, and only gotten worse. Make a change before it costs a playoff game or SB.
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:48 am
Agree… sloppy play… head coach?
Alberta_Packer
December 20, 2021 at 03:10 pm
It seems that Crosby's leg strength is diminishing - leading to more returns - including yards given-up and the potential for injuries.
Meanwhile, opposing teams are opting for shorter kick-offs - knowing how bad the GB KRs are - now pinning the offense at less than the 25 yd. line.
Either way, Kick-offs or KR returns, are somewhat awful.
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:49 am
Bingo!
PeteK
December 20, 2021 at 01:46 pm
I thought that penalty on Yiadom a bit unfair as the returner put his hand up at the last second. However, I get that a player covering kicks has to be under control.
LambeauPlain
December 20, 2021 at 03:39 pm
No, that was a boneheaded, stupid play by Yiadom. Geez...that's the first thing you learn when on ST coverage. Was not unfair...it was a blatant penalty. You can call fair catch at anytime the ball is in the air. Yiadom was incompetent.
Thegreatreynoldo
December 20, 2021 at 05:26 pm
Yes, the fair catch signal was late. However, even if the returner had not signaled for the fair catch, he cannot be hit before the ball arrives. I think it was a penalty either way.
ImaPayne
December 20, 2021 at 10:14 pm
he played on three teams in a year and a half. Ya Dumb stuck here, shows how despite the pack are for cheap players.
frankthefork
December 20, 2021 at 02:40 pm
Heck, the Packers limped in and crawled out with a win. Good- not pretty all-around cept...MVS.
Bak t and J air are working back and will be ready in January. Better- Vikings are coming to town.
K Clark is coming back and AR 12 Mr. MVP is just warming up. Best plan for the playoffs at home.
croatpackfan
December 20, 2021 at 03:47 pm
Do you know that QB who won MVP award in the year to reach SB (or better to say - season) NEVER WON SB!
So, I would like to stop asking for MVP awawd, ask for win the SB!
dekan51
December 20, 2021 at 03:56 pm
"There were no double-teams, there wasn't more aggressive coverage being played to limit the quick passes, and the end result was Huntley pretty much doing whatever he wanted in the passing game. "
Yes. Our D made him look way better than he really is.
"Too often they would find themselves either too far upfield or crashing towards the quarterback way too hard. Either way, it resulted in running lanes for Huntley or a way out of the pocket for him."
Our D line played zero discipline.
"Against a banged-up Ravens' secondary that ranks 31st in passing yards per game given up, 30th in yards per attempt allowed, and 31st in explosive pass play rate, we saw Aaron Rodgers throw the ball around the yard a bit on Sunday."
So why weren't we passing on our last possession? We could have iced the game with a 1st down or 2, but instead, did the predictable run run, which is exactly what the Ravins were expecting/hoping/defending. We played into their hands instead of playing against what their D was showing. If they lined up to stop the run....PASS!!!!!
We won. GPG!!!!!!
bjkdad44
December 21, 2021 at 05:53 am
What did we see against… oh say.. the bares? Dillon Dillon Dillon!!
Swisch
December 20, 2021 at 07:18 pm
As for the special teams, it seems the coverage on kickoff returns by the Ravens was good. I'm not sure, but Rasul Douglas may have made a nice tackle after a kickoff.
***
Also, I saw a burst from Amari Rodgers on a kickoff return that seemed promising. For the first time this season, he looked fast to me. Although the play was negated by a penalty, and it was just one play from Amari, it was a sign of encouragement to me.
Maybe for now, kickoff returns are the way to go with Amari rather than punt returns. With the kickoffs, the ball is easier to catch because it isn't as high in the air, and the defenders aren't flying at you at the time of the catch. The returner has more of a head start to get some speed and see the field.
When we drafted Amari, I was excited about getting an explosive playmaker. I'm still hoping he is going to flash some of that even this season. I like him touching the ball on kickoff returns and jet sweeps at least a couple of times per game.
As a rookie, he may just be getting a feel for the speed and impact of the NFL enough to more or less bust out with some more bursts.
ImaPayne
December 20, 2021 at 10:20 pm
he is slightly smarter then a Chia pet. why would you field the ball in the end zone and run it out when you get the ball on the 25? No he isn't taking Cobb's job anytime soon, or ever
Grimbo
December 21, 2021 at 05:05 am
Coaching makes a huge difference. Compare the performance of Packers coaches. Offensive line coach vs. special treats coach. Based on performance, MLF has to make a personnel decision and take action. Personnel actions are never easy, but this team will not make it to the super bowl with the current ST coach. Players are not being coached and opponents are eating us alive.