Packers at Commanders: Three Reasons to Worry

The Green Bay Packers (3-3) need to get on track by beating the Washington Commanders (2-4) on Sunday. Despite their record, it won’t be easy.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Can the seventh game of the season be a must-win? That might be the case for the Green Bay Packers, who will kick off a three-game road trip at the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The Packers are 3-3, having dropped back-to-back games against the Giants and Jets. After this game against the Commanders (2-4), the Packers will play at Buffalo (5-1) and Detroit (1-4), return home to face Dallas (4-2) and Tennessee (3-2), then visit Philadelphia (6-0). If that’s not enough, the Bills and Cowboys will be coming off their bye weeks.

“Certainly, the last two weeks have been disappointing, no doubt about it,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “But that has no bearing on the future, and you’ve got to take it one day at a time. Nothing is ever given to you in this league. You have to earn everything you get, and each week has its own set of challenges.

“I thought the mood, the vibe around the team is as good as it can be, and just challenge them to go out and compete at the best of their ability, put in the work throughout the course of the week and go out and enjoy this. We’ve got to have fun playing ball. This is such a great opportunity for everybody. Every time you step out on that field you’ve got to enjoy it.”

The Packers would enjoy life a lot more with a get-back-on-track victory. It won’t be easy. Here are three reasons to worry against the Commanders.

1. One-Two-Three Backfield Punch

Green Bay’s run defense stinks. The Packers rank 25th with 4.89 yards allowed per carry, the second-worst mark in franchise history. The 1956 team allowed 5.12 yards per carry. At least that group had the excuse of not having seven first-round picks on the defensive roster.

The Packers have given up 125-plus rushing yards in five of six games, including 179 last week against the Jets.

Washington might have found its offensive identity vs. Chicago on Thursday night. Hard-charging rookie Brian Robinson, who missed the first four games after being shot, provided the thunder. Dual-threat Antonio Gibson, who started his career with back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus total yards and 10-plus total touchdowns, provided the lightning. J.D. McKissic, who like Gibson played receiver in college, provides the pass-catching option.

“All three of them are pretty unique,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “Of course, that factors into the way you look at what personnel is on the field and what you’re going to deploy to stop it.”

Gibson is the established standout but the Commanders rode the 225-pound Robinson, a third-round pick from Alabama, against Chicago. Coach Ron Rivera liked how that looked.

“That’s where we got to get to is now, all of a sudden, they go from getting this guy between the tackles to now we’re getting this guy around the end, we’re getting this guy out into the routes,” Rivera said. “Then you come back and you pound a little bit more and now, all of a sudden, it’s a little softer, and those 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-yard runs now become 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-yard runs. That’s what we’ve got to find.”

2. Fleet-Footed Quarterback

Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke rushed for 95 yards against the Packers last year. (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)

LaFleur wouldn’t touch the question with a 10-yard pole. Are the Commanders more difficult to prepare for with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback rather than Carson Wentz?

“I’m not even going to entertain that,” LaFleur said. “That’s who we’re playing and that’s who we’re going to prepare for.”

The question wasn’t meant as a knock on Wentz. Rather, it was an acknowledgment that preparing for a dual-threat player such as Heinicke presents some challenges. In six games this season, Wentz rushed for 79 yards. Heinicke had 95 yards against Green Bay last year alone.

“He is a great competitor, that’s first and foremost,” LaFleur said. “When I was with the Falcons, we worked him out coming out of the draft and really enjoyed being around him and watching him compete. You could see he is a scrappy dude, and it was evident last year when we played him. He is scrappy, competitive, can make all the throws and then can beat you with his legs. So, we’re going to have to do a very, very, very good job of trying to contain him within the pocket and can’t let him get loose.”

In 15 starts last season, Heinicke completed 65.0 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, good for a passer rating of 85.9. In six games this season, Wentz completed 62.1 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, good for an 84.1 rating.

When cornerback Jaire Alexander talked to Barry this week, it wasn’t about going up against star receiver Terry McLaurin. It was wondering about the game plan to deal with Heinicke.

“What I like about Heinicke is he has a bunch of confidence,” Alexander said. “He’s a savvy vet. He’s confident and I’m confident, so let’s do it.”

The Packers have allowed 57 rushing yards to quarterbacks, fourth-best in the league. In their only meeting against a big-time scrambler, they limited Chicago’s Justin Fields to 20 yards, a 2.5 average and a long of 7 – all season lows for Fields.

3. Reason for LaFleur’s Nightmares

Daron Payne sacks Aaron Rodgers during last year's game. (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)

As if watching Aaron Rodgers get sacked four times and hit on nine occasions against the Jets wasn’t bad enough, LaFleur had to turn on Washington’s film.

Talk about going from the frying pan to the fire.

Even with Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, out with a torn ACL, the Commanders are fourth in sacks and sack percentage. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, a first-round pick in 2017, has 3.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Daron Payne, a first-round pick in 2018, has 3.5 sacks. Defensive end Montez Sweat, a first-round pick in 2019, has three sacks and ranks second in the NFL with 14 quarterback hits.

“It can give you nightmares if you let it,” LaFleur said. “If you watch the sack reel or just the pressure reel, their third down [pressure package], you’ve got to have a plan for it. And even when you have a plan for it, it still might not go the way you want it to go. They just wreak havoc on an offensive line. A really talented group, I think they’re well-coached, they give great effort. It’s going to be a great test for us.”

While its secondary is vulnerable, Washington ranks third on third down because of its pass rush. According to SportRadar, the Commanders rank No. 1 with a pressure rate of 30.1 percent.

So, it won’t be easy for Green Bay’s offensive line to bounce back – whatever the starting five.

“I don’t give a [crap] who you are. If you’re going to be in the starting lineup for the Green Bay Packers on the offensive line, we’ve got a standard and we’ve got a reputation and, if you’re going to get your ass beat, you better go down swinging,” left tackle David Bakhtiari said. “That’s just something that we’ve had a couple conversations about that we’re going to keep in our room, and that’s where we’re at with our mentality and what we’ve got to do. But, yeah, I can’t say I’m pleased with what I saw across the board as a unit.”

More Green Bay Packers News

#Packers CB Jaire Alexander dominated his matchup last week while soaking up the power of Lambeau Field. He hopes to get a shot against Washington's Terry McLaurin on Sunday. Lambeau won't be there to help.https://t.co/ta0bDff1Rrhttps://t.co/ta0bDff1Rr

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 22, 2022

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