For a team that hadn't dropped a season opener since 2014, Sunday's colossal beatdown by the Saints came as utter shock to the Packers and their fans alike.
While many are calling it a side effect of the Packers' "veteran-lite" preseason, it's hard to chalk this loss up to pure lack of preparation. Despite having the more talented roster, the Packers were beaten badly by the Saints in all phases of the game, including coaching.
On Offense
The Packers O was about as functional as their last game in Florida. With this offseason's significant turnover on the offensive line, Green Bay entered Week 1 perhaps overly-confident with how it would fare against one of the NFL's premier defensive fronts. An interior o-line that included pro bowler Corey Linsley one year ago was backfilled by two rookies that were beaten badly in the trenches on Sunday.
The result? The problems up front cascaded to the entire offensive unit.
Tiny running lanes that led to hesitation and indecisiveness from Aaron Jones
A complete lack of rhythm in the passing game that left Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable, making throws that he almost never makes
Even injuries: h-back Josiah Deguara suffered a concussion when attempting to prevent a Saints defender from infiltrating the backfield
Thanks to the youthful o-line, the offense simply never got off the ground.
What's concerning is the inability for Matt LaFleur's offense to generate any kind of offensive production when losing the battle up front. The running game is immediately shut down and Rodgers becomes transfixed in the pocket, having to pay attention to defenders already in his face rather than read coverage downfield.
We saw this happen last season when the Bucs' front seven capitalized on David Bakhtiari's early exit during their Week 6 game and again in the NFC Title game. Without Bakhtiari until at least mid-October, Adam Stenavich and the Packers coaching staff will need to find a way for the newly-installed o-line unit to gel before meetings with the 49ers and Steelers.
On Defense
The Joe Barry era in Green Bay picked up right where former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine left off: soft in every aspect of the game.
In humid playing conditions, the Packers' front seven was worn down by a dominant Saints rushing attack. During all four quarters, the Saints' o-line was quicker off the ball, helping create plenty of running room for Alvin Kamara and second-year back Tony Jones. Highly-paid veterans Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry were bullied on both running and passing downs while the Packers' new addition at inside linebacker, De'Vondre Campbell, provided no visible improvement from years of mediocrity at the position.
Had this been the Drew Brees-led Saints, we could have made more sense of the damage done by the New Orleans offense. But, without Brees or WR Michael Thomas, the Saints came into the game one-dimensional, reliant on a run-first approach to control the game. While once must credit Jameis Winston for his mistake-free performance, he showed very little to keep the Packers' defense honest.
One would expect Barry and the coaching staff to come into Week 1 with this on their radar - opting for fewer five-DB packages and moving strong safety Amos into the box more regularly for added run support. Instead, the Saints executed on their blueprint brilliantly, using an efficient rushing attack to sustain long drives, chew up game clock and keep Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines.
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