Fans that wanted a game of offensive fireworks between Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson may have been disappointed with what were substandard performances by the two veteran quarterbacks in Week 10. But, for Packers fans that have grown accustomed to underperforming defenses over the years, there was nothing sweeter than a 17-0 shutout win over the Seahawks.
For a third-consecutive game, the Packers' defense humbled an elite quarterback, forcing two big interceptions that tilted the game's turnover ratio in Green Bay's favor. The defensive-led performance also helped Matt LaFleur avoid his first set of back-to-back losses as Packers head coach. Most importantly, the win helped sustain a 3.5-game lead over the Vikings in the NFC North.
On Offense
The offense's performance against Seattle can be summarized in one word: sloppy. Despite several long drives in the first half, the Packers failed to come away with more than three points. Where they were especially ineffective was on short-yardage downs, with LaFleur opting to go plain vanilla inside handoffs to A.J. Dillon instead of more intricate play design. Unfortunately, a developing interior O-line was blown up by the Seahawks' front seven in these situations.
With no direct participation in practice all week, Rodgers was understandably inconsistent all four quarters. Not helping matters were three drops by the normally-reliable Allen Lazard. With his big frame, Lazard has partially shouldered the passing game workload previously managed by tight end Robert Tonyan. In the two games since his injury, the impact of not having a true tight end on the roster has been magnified.
Sunday's game marked the seventh consecutive game where the offense scored 27 or fewer points while Rodgers posted his worst quarterback rating since Week 1 (75.5). Should we be concerned? There are some very valid excuses for the passing game's sluggishness, in particular. The unit has been missing its all-pro tackle David Bakhtiari all season and has endured a series of other absences, including Tonyan, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Dominique Dafney and Josh Myers.
On Defense
Just when you thought the Packers' defense had peaked, they turned in yet another immaculate performance against one of the best quarterbacks in the game. While Sunday was Wilson's first game back since injuring his finger in early October, it was Joe Barry's defensive scheme rather than physical ability that thwarted him and the Seahawks' passing game.
Game balls go to the secondary. Thanks to blanket coverage from the Packers' DBs, Wilson wasn't able to hook up with either one of his talented receivers until midway through the first half. Kevin King was highly-effective where he's best: using his size and physicality to hold D.K. Metcalf in check all game long. Eric Stokes may have played his best game as a Packer, tracking Tyler Lockett and Freddie Swain step by step in man coverage and preventing a home run touchdown. Finally, support from safeties Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos in the defense's second shelf led to at least one coverage sack.
Given the defense's many existing injuries - plus Rashan Gary and Whitney Mercilus's early exits on Sunday - one can't say enough about what Barry has accomplished with this defense, especially over the past three games. His coaching and scheme have helped rejuvenate the career of De'Vondre Campbell and accelerate the growth of Gary, Savage and Stokes. Where absences have created exposure at certain positions, Barry has found ways to mitigate the vulnerability. It's safe to say that this is the best defense the Packers have had since 2010, or perhaps even earlier.
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