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[Green Bay Packers]

Jayden Reed Injury Update: Packers WR returns to practice Friday

The Green Bay Packers are poised to get some reinforcements for their banged-up wide receiver room. Currently, the team has six wideouts on the 53-man roster, and five of those were listed as limited in Thursday’s practice ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. The only receiver practicing in full was Malik Heath, one of the last men on the depth chart at the position, and even Bo Melton — who is formally listed as a cornerback — was limited as well.

When Friday arrived, however, the Packers got a welcome face back at practice. Jayden Reed, who has been on injured reserve since fracturing his collarbone in Week 2, finally rejoined the team for practice. The Packers now have a 21-day window in which to return Reed back to the 53-man roster or else he will need to be shut down for the season.

Head coach Matt LaFleur suggested earlier in the week that the Packers would prefer to have a player coming off injured reserve get a full week’s worth of practice before suiting up for a game. On Wednesday, he said the following:

“Generally speaking, you would open that window early in the week so we get the full benefit, even if it’s just to be able to participate in some of the walkthrough things where it’s all mental.”

LaFleur’s qualifier there, “generally speaking,” has turned out to be important for Reed. It does seem to suggest that Reed would be hard-pressed to be active and ready to go on Sunday against the Vikings, but perhaps a return on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions could be a possibility. At the very latest, Reed’s return today should put him back on the roster in time for the Packers’ game against the Chicago Bears in Week 14.

How Reed will be used in his return to the field will be fascinating to watch for. The Packers’ use of 11 personnel has increased greatly after tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL a few weeks ago, which suggests that there will be more opportunities for Reed to see the field as a slot receiver. Still, the Packers have used a heavy dose of Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks in the slot, and Reed’s return would likely cut into those players’ snaps somewhat.

In any case, Reed led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards each of the past two years, and he was the team’s leading wide receiver in yards after the catch each season as well. Reed simply provides a YAC ability that is unmatched among Packers wideouts, something that should be important now that the team’s primary YAC generator, Kraft, is out for the season.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...een-bay-packers-wr-returns-to-practice-friday

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers-Vikings Final Injury Report: Quay Walker doubtful

The Green Bay Packers dropped their final injury report of the week on Friday, which included that receiver Jayden Reed (shoulder/foot) was a limited participant in practice after having his 21-day practice window open up today. Reed is officially listed as out for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, but he at least got this extra practice in before the short week of preparation against the Detroit Lions.

Packers Players Ruled Out vs. Vikings​

• WR Jayden Reed (shoulder/foot)
• CB Nate Hobbs (knee)

Beyond Reed, the only other player who was ruled out on Friday was Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs, who has missed the last several weeks with an MCL sprain. Hobbs has yet to practice with Green Bay since the injury.

Packers Players Ruled Doubtful vs. Vikings​

• LB Quay Walker (neck)

Quay Walker left last week’s action with a stringer and hasn’t practiced at all this week. If Walker can’t go, look for Isaiah McDuffie to step in at the Mike linebacker spot. McDuffie was previously the team’s third linebacker, a role that Ty’Ron Hopper should backfill.

Unless the Packers call up rookie Jamon Johnson from the practice squad, the team will have only a lone backup linebacker, Kristian Welch, if Walker isn’t able to suit up against Minnesota.

Packers Players Ruled Questionable vs. Vikings​

• RB Josh Jacobs (knee)
• WR Matthew Golden (shoulder/wrist)
• WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf)
• WR Savion Williams (foot)
• DE Lukas Van Ness (foot)
• DT Karl Brooks (ankle)

The only two players in the list above who didn’t finish last week’s game against the New York Giants were Josh Jacobs (left after the second drive) and Lukas Van Ness (didn’t play in the game at all). Beyond them, the rest of the Packers’ players should be able to go.

If Jacobs is out, the replacement starter will be Emanuel Wilson. Practice squad running back Pierre Strong Jr. will likely have to be called up to the gameday roster on Saturday if Jacobs doesn’t play, so look for that as the canary in the coalmine tomorrow.

Vikings Players Ruled Questionable​

• C Ryan Kelly (concussion)
• OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder)

The Vikings only have two injured players who aren’t full goes this week. They are center Ryan Kelly, who was a full participant throughout the week but hasn’t officially been activated off the injured reserve to the 53-man roster, and pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard, who was a limited participant on Thursday and Friday.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...ings-final-injury-report-quay-walker-doubtful

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers-Vikings Preview: 5 Questions With the Enemy

Thank you to Christopher Gates of our sister site the Daily Norseman, which covers the Minnesota Vikings, for stopping by and answering a few questions about his team as they get ready to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. If you want to find the pairing piece to this article, where Gates asks me questions about the game, you can find it HERE.

We gotta talk about J.J. McCarthy. What is the temperature like in Minnesota right now?

The answer to the McCarthy question depends almost entirely on who you talk to. There are people in the camp of wanting to give McCarthy some leeway because he’s only had five NFL starts and that he needs time to develop, and there’s the crowd that’s already decided that he needs to be cast to the Spartan hillside and it’s already time to move on to another option at quarterback. I find myself quite firmly in the first camp, if only because I have faith that Kevin O’Connell can develop McCarthy into what he thinks he can be and, on a personal level, I’m tired of the Vikings having to rely on one and two-year stopgaps at the quarterback position and I want this to work out. I don’t know if we’ll have a definitive answer on the subject by the time of this season, but the job is McCarthy’s for the rest of this season and probably next season at a minimum.

Should the team have just signed Aaron Rodgers this offseason?

I wasn’t a fan of the idea of signing Aaron Rodgers, to be honest. Sure, the Vikings might have a couple more victories this season, but it’s not as if Rodgers has really been killing it or anything. He’s getting a lot of yardage after the catch in Pittsburgh and the Vikings’ offense has largely been structured around longer-developing plays and pushing the ball downfield, so I’m not sure if Rodgers would have been a great fit in this offense regardless. Plus, if you go the Rodgers route, you still have the same issue with McCarthy of not really knowing what you have because you haven’t put him out there in any live game action, so it’s just delaying the inevitable for another season. Getting an answer on your young quarterback sooner rather than later is probably the best way to go, so I’d lean “no” on the Rodgers question.

There are a lot of moving parts on the Vikings’ offensive line right now. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw was a non-participant on Thursday because of a knee injury. Right guard Will Fries went from a non-participant on Wednesday to a limited participant on Thursday because of a knee injury. Center Ryan Kelly is back to being a full participant in practices after suffering a concussion. How is it looking up front, right now?

The five players that the Vikings had envisioned being the starting o-line this season (Darrisaw, rookie Donovan Jackson, Kelly, Fries, and Brian O’Neill) have played a combined zero snaps together this season and we’re now into Week 12. That’s bad. Blake Brandel has stepped in at the center spot and done a surprisingly good job, and the Vikings have done what they can with what they’ve had on the injury front. Kelly isn’t really a guy you can rely on going forward, as he’s had a history of concussion issues and has already had two this season, the second of which landed him on IR. Darrisaw is still working his way back from last year’s torn ACL and has been getting one practice off each week. Given the circumstances, the Vikings’ offensive line has been solid enough, but still a bit of a disappointment given the expectations that we had for them going into the season.

Beyond McCarthy. What do you think the weaknesses of this team are right now?

Their inability to force turnovers, which is something they’ve been outstanding at over the past couple of seasons. Through ten games last season, this defense had generated 21 turnovers. Through ten games this season, they’ve forced a total of nine, and five of them came in one game when they crushed Cincinnati back in Week 3. They haven’t been getting the big splash plays that we’ve been accustomed to seeing them get in recent seasons, and they’re winding up spending more time on the field as a result. Last week, the Bears’ only touchdown drive of the day went for 10 minutes and was almost exclusively running plays because the Vikings just couldn’t get a stop. If this defense can’t find a way to start generating turnovers again, they’re likely going to keep struggling to get off the field.

The Packers are around touchdown favorites right now. Too much? Too little? What are you expecting out of this game?

It’s probably just about right, given the way these two teams are currently trending. I’m hoping that McCarthy is finally going to start finding some consistency, but this is not the best defense to hope that happens against. He’s going to have opportunities to make plays, but if he keeps airmailing receivers it won’t matter how wide open they are or anything like that. My guess is that the Packers win this one, but I think the Vikings find a way to make it closer than a touchdown.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...rs-vikings-preview-5-questions-with-the-enemy

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Jeff Hafley’s newest wrinkle for the Green Bay Packers’ defense

Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has a wide range of tools at his disposal that he can use to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. One way he can generate pressure is through the use of a concept called “hot quarters coverage.” It’s seldom used, and according to Sports Info Solutions, it has only been a tagged play call four times over one and a half seasons.

Nonetheless, it is a unique and interesting way to generate pressure because of how it forces offenses to add an extra layer of communication to their process before the snap. The goal for the defense is to get the offensive line to slide away from where the pressure is actually going to come from so that they can get a free rusher at the quarterback.

The pressure concept was made famous by Brian Flores, former Dolphins head coach and now the defensive coordinator of the division rival Minnesota Vikings. The defense has given opposing quarterbacks and offensive lines nightmares to deal with.

The front is designed to get the pass protection slide set to one side in the hopes that the defense can free up a pass rusher away from the overloaded side. Typically, there will be two defenders who pop out to underneath zone coverages by locating the second and third receivers inside in the pattern (the “hot” element).

With so many defenders stacked at the line, the offense is typically forced into full-slide protection, guaranteeing that one edge defender comes free. Any miscommunication up front—especially failing to account for a mugged linebacker—puts the quarterback in immediate danger.

With the idea being to stress an offense’s communication, this refers to a crowded pre-snap picture. The traffic the defense creates near the ball can disrupt blocking assignments and trigger mistakes as offenses try to decipher the front.

The coverage borrows from split safety/split field coverage principles. Instead of a traditional two deep/four under, the coverage defenders play match quarters principles and match receivers based on the route distributions, with the corners playing first out and vertical, and the safeties playing the first inside and vertical.

The pop-out defenders are looking to match #2 and #3 underneath. Here, Micah Parsons and Karl Brooks are the pop-out defenders with Brooks hot to 2 and Parsons hot to 3.

Packers hot quarters vs Giants pic.twitter.com/6Su1esbOpm

— Forbidden Tape (@forbiddenall22) November 22, 2025

The defense gets Edgerrin Cooper upfield as the free rusher, as the left tackle is occupied by the inside rush. The offensive line slides left as Brooks and Parsons pop out, taking the eyes of the linemen with them, and getting Isaiah McDuffie nearly free inside to get a hit on Winston. Winston ends up getting the dump off to the flat in time to avoid the sack, but the defense was there to limit the gain to three yards.

Here are all four clips since the beginning of 2024.

Packers hot quarters coverage 2024 and 2025 pic.twitter.com/npySKYgc5P

— Forbidden Tape (@forbiddenall22) November 22, 2025

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...est-wrinkle-for-the-green-bay-packers-defense

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers QB Jordan Love has a separated shoulder

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who broke the news that running back Josh Jacobs wouldn’t be playing today against the Minnesota Vikings, gave us an update on the status of quarterback Jordan Love on Sunday. According to Pelissero, Love is “still really sore” from the injury that he sustained against the New York Giants, which led to Love going into the locker room after just two drives and taking an X-ray. Love then returned to action, only having to miss a half a drive in that win.

Ian Rapoport, again of NFL Network, then added that Love’s injury has been identified for the first time: a separated left shoulder. Officially, it’s being called an AC joint sprain. Rapoport noted that if the injury had been to Love’s throwing shoulder, he wouldn’t be able to suit up for action.

+6 for Emanuel Wilson!

: FOX pic.twitter.com/rRN0t81GCb

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 23, 2025

Early on in the Vikings game, fans were able to notice that Love was only handing off with his right hand, rather than either hand, which creates some funky ball-security issues. You can see in the clip above, Emanuel Wilson’s rushing touchdown, that it doesn’t look like a natural handoff at times.

Love previously worked handing off with only his right hand earlier this year, when he was dealing with a torn UCL ligament on his non-throwing thumb.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...ckers-qb-jordan-love-has-a-separated-shoulder

 

[Green Bay Packers]

NFC Playoff Picture: Green Bay Packers win to stay in wild card position

The Green Bay Packers won on Sunday in very convincing fashion, so no matter what happens the rest of the weekend, they will hold onto a playoff spot. They were in line to take the NFC North lead by the Chicago bears pulled out a close game over the Pittsburgh Steelers to stay in first.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys late Sunday afternoon, knocking Philly from the top slot and the Los Angeles Rams followed through, winning Sunday night to remain atop the conference.

Tampa’s loss dropped them into a tie with the Carolina Panthers, but the Bucs hold the division record tiebreaker. The two teams face each other twice in the last three weeks of the season.

The Seattle Seahawks won to stay in fifth place in the NFC, ahead of the Packers for now.

The Detroit Lions also won on Sunday, but couldn’t get past the San Francisco 49ers on a tiebreaker. They remain on the outside looking in.

The San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers play Monday. It’s a huge game in the NFC playoff picture.

We will definitely update as results come in.

NFC standings during Week 12​

The Washington Commanders were on a bye this weekend.

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3, 7-2 AFC)
3. Chicago Bears (8-3, 5-2 AFC)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5, 2-0 NFCS)
5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
6. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1)
7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4, 7-2 NFC)
8. Detroit Lions (7-4, 4-3 NFC)
9. Carolina Panthers (6-5, 2-1 NFCS)
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1)
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-7, win over MIN)
12. Minnesota Vikings (4-7, loss to ATL)
12. Arizona Cardinals (3-8)
14. Washington Commanders (3-8)
15. New Orleans Saints (2-8)
16. e-New York Giants (2-10)

The New York Giants were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

NFC North standings after Week 12​

The three top teams in the NFC North all won on Sunday, so the teams and order all stay the same.

1. Chicago Bears (8-3)
2. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1)
3. Detroit Lions (7-4)
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...bay-packers-win-to-stay-in-wild-card-position

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Matt LaFleur staying conservative was the right choice vs. Vikings

I’m playing both sides, so that I always come out on top. Basically all season, and as recently as last week, I wrote that the Green Bay Packers need to lean harder into Jordan Love and a very efficient passing game if they’re going to be a threat in the NFC this year. And yet, there I was on Sunday and here I am today saying it was actually fine to just pop the football and go home.

The internet was ablaze, or as ablaze as it really can get in a game that never reached even modest discomfort in the second half, skewering Matt LaFleur’s playcalling in the second half yet again. It was a pretty typical script that we have become quite familiar with. Whether it was run, run, pass or run, run, run, or even in one case run, run, run, run, run, run, run, the Packers playcalling got about as conservative as it gets in the second half. And that was fine.

This game was over the moment Zayne Anderson recovered the muffed punt. The Packers’ win probability jumped up to 89%, per RBSDM’s model, and the nails were put in the coffin when the Packers punched in the touchdown a few moments later. The Vikings’ situation only deteriorated from there.

The entirety of the fourth quarter was garbage time, and frankly, from the moment the Vikings punted on the very next drive, the game was over.

This is because J.J. McCarthy royally stinks. As bad as you think McCarthy has been, he’s actually been worse. That terrible quarterback you have in your head right now… worse than him!

J.J. McCarthy now ranks 851 out of 852 in EPA per Dropback among qualified passers since 2000, per Tru Media. The only player below McCarthy is JaMarcus Russell.

— Danny Heifetz (@dannyheifetz.bsky.social) 2025-11-23T23:00:13.642Z

Eight hundred fifty-first out of eight hundred fifty-two.

Aside from McCarthy being the second worst quarterback the NFL has seen in the past quarter-century (while having a Hall of Fame-caliber wide receiver, mind you), the Packers’ own quarterback was operating at what was clearly less than 100%. It was reported before the game that Love sustained an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder when scrambling last week, and from the very first drive, you could see how it impacted the operation. It didn’t slow Love’s performance down, as he had perhaps the most ho-hum +0.32 EPA-per-dropback game you’ll see, but there was at least one time where he turned down the chance to scramble and pick up five-to-seven yards, instead just throwing it away to avoid contact.

Where it was most notable, however, was in the running game. To avoid any extra stress to the unstable shoulder, Love handed off pretty much exclusively with his right hand, regardless of which direction the play was run to.

And it’s not like this was breaking news to Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Flores, who is already known for his blitz-rates, posted a cartoonish blitz rate on Love dropbacks on Sunday.

Brian Flores blitzed Jordan Love 20 times on 24 dropbacks.

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 24, 2025

With Love banged up and a legitimate sicko on the other sideline and the game thoroughly in-hand — even moreso than the win probability model could properly calculate — it made all the sense in the world to me to just get the game over with as quickly as possible and expose your quarterback to as few hits as possible. The running game was also fine if not spectacular. Emanuel Wilson, who received the overwhelming bulk of the carries, was very workmanlike and definitely had his per-carry averages dinged by garbage time when everyone knew Green Bay was running, but he was adequate and keeping things moving along.

Emanuel Wilson averaged only 3.8 yards per attempt on Sunday, but his rushing success rate of 60.7 was the fifth highest by a player with at least 25 rushing attempts in a game this season.

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) November 24, 2025

With where the game-state was, and within the context of this specific game, I have no problem with LaFleur protecting his quarterback, getting the game over with quickly, and moving onto a pivotal short-week game against the Detroit Lions. It should help that Green Bay will be at a major rest advantage going into the Thanksgiving matchup in terms of plays defended this past weekend.

Detroit, in an overtime matchup with the Giants on Sunday, had their defense on the field for 79 plays. Whereas Green Bay, largely due to defensive dominance and partially due to keeping the clock ticking on offense, only had their defense on the field for 46 plays, a 33 play difference! We very well might see that come to matter in the second half of Thursday’s game.

The Packers should not want to make this a perpetual move, particularly against teams that have capable offenses, but given the context of how bad J.J. McCarthy is, Jordan Love’s banged up shoulder, Brian Flores’ penchant for blitzing, and the short week turnaround, playing it safe was the right choice. You won the game. Pop the ball. Go home. Get some rest.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...ative-offense-was-the-right-choice-vs-vikings

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Panthers vs. 49ers Game Info: Playoff contenders meet on Monday Night

Believe it or not, the winner of tonight’s Monday Night Football game will be sitting in playoff position. That’s a surprising situation for one of these teams in particular, as the Carolina Panthers have found some winning ways and are 6-2 over their last eight games.

The Panthers are in a tie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South division lead as Carolina heads into Monday night’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. A win for Carolina would put them a half-game up on Tampa Bay, who lost big to the Rams on Sunday night, and would place them in the 4th seed in the NFC playoff picture.

The 49ers, meanwhile, are 7-4 and tied with the Detroit Lions for the final Wild Card spot heading into tonight. If they win this game, they would hold on to that slot while keeping Carolina out of the lead in their division for the time being.

Still, San Francisco comes in as big favorites tonight, with the point spread sitting at just over a touchdown. Tune in and join us in the comments to follow along with this big NFC matchup.

WHO?​

Carolina Panthers (6-5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

WHERE?​

Levi’s Stadium
Santa Clara, California

WHEN?​

Monday, November 24, 2025
5:15 PM Pacific Time (7:15 PM Central)

HOW?​

TV Channel: ESPN
Commentators: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Online Streaming: ESPN app, NFL+

WHAT ELSE?​

Odds​

Point spread: 49ers -7.5
Over/under total: 49.5

Last Meeting​

2022 Week 5: 49ers 37, @Panthers 15

All-Time Head-to-Head​

Regular season: Panthers lead 13-9-0
Postseason: 49ers lead 1-0 (2013 Divisional Round)
Current win streak: 49ers 2

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-info-playoff-contenders-meet-on-monday-night

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Christian Watson looks like a new man in his return from a torn ACL

Today is the 325th day since Christian Watson tore his ACL.

I’ll be the first to admit I was among the doubters. Seeing Watson crumpled on the Lambeau Field turf, I thought the great experiment was at an end. Watson, the small-school prospect on whom the Packers had spent two second round picks, had been an exciting force during his first three years with the team, capable of blazing past any and all defenders with his mind-boggling speed. True, he’d struggled with injuries and inconsistency, but in year three he’d settled into a small but consistent role, putting up a career high 620 yards on just 29 receptions. He’d been fairly healthy that year, too, playing in 15 of the Packers’ 17 regular season games. Watson was making steps to becoming the player the Packers believed he could be.

But when he stumbled and fell and immediately grabbed for his knee, it seemed like those steps were all in vain. Given the timing of his injury, it seemed like his entire 2025 season was likely in jeopardy, especially considering the loss of speed that usually accompanies an ACL injury. How could Watson possibly get back to form in time to contribute for 2025? And how would it affect his pending free agency after the 2025 season?

The Packers resolved the latter question on their own, inking Watson to a one-year extension in September. Watson has resoundingly answered the former with his play.

In five games back from injury, Watson has racked up 17 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns — a full-season pace of 57 catches for 962 yards and six touchdowns. This is most consistently strong five-game stretch we’ve seen from Watson since he went nuclear as a rookie in 2022, and it might be even better than that because of what we’ve seen from him that we didn’t get back then.

Watson has improved two important areas of his game: contested catches and route running.

The contested catches are obvious — look no further than his two scores against the New York Giants. Both were contested, and Watson showed strong hands and good ball tracking on both, coming down with a touchdown both times for his trouble. According to Pro Football Focus, Watson has caught 66.7% of his contested targets so far this year, well above his career average of 57.9%

His route running is a more subtle change, but it’s no less important. The best description of Watson’s improved ability here might be this: he’s learned to play slow.

Anyone with great speed can be a one-trick pony deep threat in the NFL. And as far as tricks go, that’s a pretty good one! Speed is the NFL’s ultimate cheat code, and Watson has always had plenty. He still does, but he’s shown a new ability to throttle down and make clean, crisp breaks. Watson showcased this ability time and time again against the Vikings, coming up big for the Packers throughout the day on out-breaking routes.

Twice Watson ran tidy routes to the sideline on third downs, converting both catches to keep the chains moving. The first third down catch led directly to points for the Packers, giving them an early 7-0 lead over the Vikings. That kind of performance may not show up in the box score in a big way, but it’s a crucial step in Watson’s ongoing growth as a receiver.

Looking back at Watson’s injury, it’s easy to wonder what Watson himself felt in that moment. He was visibly emotional as he left the field that way, and why wouldn’t he be? All he’d worked toward could have gone up in smoke in a moment. But Watson has come back from his injury better than ever, and his ongoing improvement could unlock even more for the Packers as he continues to refine his game.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-like-a-new-man-in-his-return-from-a-torn-acl

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Dan Campbell thinks Jayden Reed is playing on Thanksgiving

On Friday, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed began practicing with the team after undergoing surgery to fix both a foot and a collarbone issue. Within 21 days of that date, the Packers have the make the decision of whether or not to call up Reed from the injured reserve, where he is currently, to the 53-man roster.

While Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has dodged the question about whether Reed will play on Thanksgiving, which is reportedly around the timeline of when the team was expecting Reed to return to action, one man made a proclamation on Tuesday: Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

Here was Campbell’s opening statement in his Tuesday press conference, which includes a prediction about Reed’s status:

“OK, Green Bay. Here we go. We’ve got three days. They’re playing good football. They’re winning. Finding ways to win, really good defense, a potent offense. (Packers Head Coach) Coach (Matt) LaFleur’s done a good job out there. I mean those guys are – they’ve been playing at a high level, and they’ve got a good roster. (Packers DL Micah) Parsons and (Packers DL Rashan) Gary coming off the edge, (Packers DL Devonte) Wyatt in the middle and (Packers DL Colby) Wooden. The backers – I know (Packers LB) Quay (Walker)’s hurt right now but (Packers LB Edgerrin) Cooper’s coming on. And (Packers CB Keisean Nixon) Nix got hurt last week but he’s been playing at a high level. (Packers S Xavier) McKinney’s a good safety. I mean they’ve just got a really good defense. (Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff) Hafley’s got them humming, scheme is difficult. Those guys rally, they run, they hit. It’s disruptive, they make you earn everything you get. And then offensively, it starts with (Packers QB Jordan) Love. I mean he’s just dynamic, gives his guys a chance, plays with poise, processes defense pressure quickly, sees the field very well and gives his guys a chance to make the play. And we’ll see if (Packers RB Josh) Jacobs plays – probably will. So, we know what kind of back he is. He’s a hell of a back. O-line’s playing good together. And then these receivers – they’ve got a whole crew of receivers out there. (Packers WR Christian) Watson, (Packers WR Jayden) Reed is probably going to be back. He’s a dynamic receiver. We’ll have some big play threat down the field, speed and (Packers WR Romeo) Doubs. So, it’s a good crew. It’s a really good team. But we’re looking forward to this. We’re looking forward to this a lot. And short week, our place, Thanksgiving and division rivalry and here we go, man.”

So, at least one person thinks that Reed is going to suit up for the Packers on Thursday. We’ll just have to see if Campbell’s call is correct.

Prior to his injury in Week 2, Reed had played 21 slot snaps to just 4 outside receiver snaps for Green Bay this season. The expectation is that Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson will remain the Packers’ starting outside receivers this year, while Reed plays the slot, when they’re all healthy. This should place 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden and third-year Dontayvion Wicks in firm backup roles, as hybrid outside and slot players.

It is worth noting, though, that the Packers only played one-third of their offensive snaps with three receivers on the field last Sunday. Maybe that changes when Reed and Golden are back in the mix, but the team has been playing much heavier offensive personnel over the last couple of weeks to try to get their run game going in the post-Tucker Kraft world.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...reed-is-playing-on-thanksgiving-injury-update

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Wednesday Cheese Curds: Can Micah Parsons wreck the Lions again?

The Packers did something pretty rare the last time they faced the Lions: they managed to catch an NFL team completely off guard.

The Lions were completely unprepared for the Packers’ defense in Week 1, and the Packers wreaked havoc on the Lions’ passing attack as a result. All they had to do to achieve that outcome was trade multiple first round picks and a keystone defender for one of the best pass rushers in the league and pay that pass rusher a king’s ransom for his services.

Simple, right?

I’m oversimplifying here, but I don’t think we can overstate how much Micah Parsons’ arrival just prior to Week 1 threw a wrench in the works for the Lions. They clearly didn’t have a plan for Parsons — but why would they? He wasn’t a member of the Packers until like five minutes before kickoff in gameplanning terms.

But now the Lions know what’s coming. Can Parsons produce the same results? Can the Packers get the drop on the Lions again, like they did in Week 1? If they can, the Packers probably cruise to a Thanksgiving victory. If they can’t, they’ll have to handle the Lions on equal footing, setting up a pretty serious battle as the Packers jostle for playoff positioning.

Double-teams don’t stress Packers’ Micah Parsons; he runs through them | Packers News

Parsons understands that facing multiple blockers comes with the territory of being an elite pass rusher.

Here’s Why Micah Parsons Believes He’s Got ‘Advantage’ vs. Lions | Sports Illustrated

Parsons made life hell for the Lions in limited snaps last time around. What’s he going to do on Thursday?

Packers CB Kamal Hadden stayed ready during long wait | Packers.com

Hadden had played a grand total of 0 defensive snaps in his career before getting shoved into the lineup on Sunday.

Time to learn if the Packers can run the ball against a good defense | Packers Wire

The Packers want to run the ball, but they’ve struggled to do it against anyone with any kind of run-stopping acumen.

Rookie cog emerges on Packers O-line as high-stakes showdown with Lions looms | The Athletic ($)

Belton finally got to play the position a lot of people have been asking to see him play since the day he was drafted.

World’s shortest horse measures just 21.1 inches tall | UPI

This might be the most important news of the day.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...curds-can-micah-parsons-wreck-the-lions-again

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers-Lions Preview: What does a Detroit, Green Bay win look like?

Thank you to Pride of Detroit’s Ryan Mathews, who stopped by to answer some questions about the Detroit Lions ahead of the team’s Thanksgiving matchup against the Green Bay Packers. If you want to read the sister article to this one, where Mathews asked me questions about the Packers, you can find that HERE.

Obviously, this game is going to be huge for both teams. They’re both fighting for their playoff lives right now, as only three of the Packers, Lions, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers are likely to make the postseason. The team that finishes the worst down the stretch will end up on the outside looking in, even if they have double-digit wins to end the 2025 regular season.

According to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, the Packers have an 83 percent chance to make the playoffs, but it jumps to 94 percent with a win over the Lions and drops to 73 percent with a loss. Detroit is in a very similar boat to Green Bay, boasting a 73 percent playoff chance right now. That goes up to 86 percent with a win and drops to 58 percent with a loss.

From a playoff leverage standpoint, this game and the two Chicago Bears games are the biggest remaining challenges on the Packers’ schedule for the rest of the season. Let’s get into previewing this head-to-head.

The first time around, the Lions were breaking out a brand new interior offensive line. Obviously, they hadn’t gelled yet. Has that unit improved?

From Week 1, yes, they have improved, but not nearly as much as anyone was hoping–and admittedly, it was an incredibly low bar for them to clear after the disaster that was the season opener. Christian Mahogany, Graham Glasgow, and Tate Ratledge–the team’s starting interior from left to right–allowed seven pressures that game, including a couple of sacks. There was miscommunication and missed assignments galore. You all saw it: it was ugly.

Mahogany’s promising finish to the 2024 season didn’t quite bear out in his sophomore year. He was injured and placed on injured reserve after Week 9’s game against the Vikings, but his shortcomings in pass protection (nine pressures allowed over his last three starts before injury) were becoming symptomatic of the Lions’ struggles to attack down the field in the passing game. He’s since been replaced by longtime reserve Kayode Awosika, and it hasn’t looked much better. Ratledge’s rookie season has been as expected–moments where he’s getting welcomed to the league by the likes of Jalen Carter or Vita Vea, but also some stretches of clean football, so that’s been encouraging. Glasgow’s at a position he hasn’t played full-time since 2018, and replacing Frank Ragnow’s level of play just wasn’t going to happen.

Truth be told, Ragnow retiring really exposed how important his elite level of play was for this offense to be as diverse and consistently good as it was. But yeah, technically, it has improved, just nowhere near the level of optimism they had in this group during training camp.

Green Bay desperately wants to run the ball. How has the Lions run defense been this season?

Death, taxes, and the Detroit Lions committed to stopping the run. It’s essential, it’s in their DNA on defense. The Lions keep three linebackers on the field more than just about any other team in the NFL because they trust all of them to fit the run, drop back in coverage, or even rush the passer. Detroit ranks sixth in run defense DVOA, allows the fewest rushing yards after contact per rushing attempt (2.45), and it’s gotten them into plenty of favorable down and distances on third down.

However, therein lies the defense’s great downfall as of late: their inability to follow through and get off the field on those third-and-long plays set up by stopping the run. Detroit’s allowing a 37.3% conversion rate on third-and-4 or longer, and it’s been absolutely demoralizing (see: J.J. McCarthy) or hilariously infuriating (see: Jameis Winston).

Offensively, the Packers are begging to see anything other than split-safety coverages. Are the Lions still aggressive defensively?

The Lions defense is still aggressive if you look around at the metrics from various outlets–10th in blitz rate at 30.1% of dropbacks per NFL Pro, 15th at 22.1% according to PFR–but it’s not nearly as aggressive as it was a year ago when Aaron Glenn’s cupboard was bare.

You see new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard pick his spots a bit more carefully–not necessarily strategically–when it comes to sending extra defenders at the quarterback. It’s primarily a lot of linebacker blitzes, here and there it’s safety Brian Branch who has gotten into the mix, but it hasn’t felt particularly effective. No free rushers are getting opened up, a lot of those defenders getting stonewalled, the “pressure” numbers say one thing, but it really feels like another thing is happening in front of your eyes.

What do you think a Lions win would look like?

A Lions win involves them winning the time of possession battle. Their running game needs to keep them in third-and-manageable because if they don’t, Micah Parsons and Co. will get to Jared Goff and put Detroit in a spot they don’t want to get into with Green Bay–trailing by multiple scores and/or in a shootout. Detroit’s ability to stay on schedule offensively, turn possessions into points, and limit Green Bay’s ability to convert on third down is the winning recipe–all much easier said than done based on the way they’ve played over the course of the last month.

What do you think a Packers win would look like?

Early pressure that turns into QB hits against Goff will set the tone and leave Detroit disjointed on offense. Something that’s been understated about Goff’s performance this season versus last, in my opinion, is how he responds to getting hit. He’s been hit 49 times this season, that’s compared to just 57 times through 17 games a year ago. If the Packers rattle him early, and the Packers’ offense is able to connect on a handful of explosives through the air, Green Bay stands a great chance at winning this game. The earlier they can jump out to a lead, the better.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...w-what-does-a-detroit-green-bay-win-look-like

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers vs. Lions Thanksgiving Game Discussion Thread

It’s time for kickoff. Today, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions play once again on Thanksgiving Day with NFC North positioning at stake.

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Both teams closely trail the 8-3 Chicago Bears in the division race, with the 7-3-1 Packers a half-game behind and the 7-4 Lions one game back. Should the Bears lose to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, the winner of today’s game would take the lead in the division, either outright or via head-to-head tiebreaker.

The last time these two teams played on Thanksgiving Day, in 2023, the Packers pulled off a memorable 29-22 victory despite being 8-point underdogs. Today’s game is expected to be a closer matchup, with the line at just 2.5 points in favor of the Lions.

Join us for today’s game to discuss in the comments, and Go Pack Go!

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-vs-lions-thanksgiving-game-discussion-thread

 

[Green Bay Packers]

NFC Playoff Picture: Green Bay Packers dump Detroit Lions

The Green Bay Packers won on Thanksgiving, toppling the Detroit Lions. That doesn’t change their NFC playoff picture placement at all and they remain in sixth, but they are poised to move up this weekend. If the Chicago Bears lose to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, the Packers move into first place in the division.

Detroit’s loss keeps them on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture. They are a game out of a wild card slot.

The Dallas Cowboys have played their way back in contention with three straight wins, putting down the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving. They are right behind the Lions and play Detroit next week on Thursday night. With games remaining against the Vikings, Commanders, and Giants, they are

NFC standings during Week 13​

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3, 7-2 NFC)
3. Chicago Bears (8-3, 5-2 NFC)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5, 2-0 NFCS)
5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3, 4-3 NFC)
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
8. Detroit Lions (7-5)
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
10. Carolina Panthers (6-6)
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-7, win over MIN)
12. Minnesota Vikings (4-7, loss to ATL)
12. Arizona Cardinals (3-8)
14. Washington Commanders (3-8)
15. New Orleans Saints (2-8)
16. e-New York Giants (2-10)

The New York Giants were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12.

NFC North standings during Week 13​

The Chicago Bears play on Friday afternoon, and a loss would shake up the division standings. The Minnesota Vikings may be playing their third-string QB after another J.J. McCarthy injury.

1. Chicago Bears (8-3)
2. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
3. Detroit Lions (7-5)
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-picture-green-bay-packers-dump-detroit-lions

 

[Green Bay Packers]

How the Green Bay Packers and Jordan Love won on 4th down vs. the Lions

If you look at the overall Team Stats for this game at Pro Football Reference, it tells an accurate story of this being an extremely close game. The difference? The Green Bay Packers were 3-for-3 when going for it on 4th down, while the Detroit Lions were 0-2. Today, we’re just going to take a quick look at those 3 converted 4th downs for the Packers’ offense.

Play 1: 4th & 3, 14:25 remaining in the 2nd quarter​

After the Packers scored a field goal on the opening drive of the game, the Packers and Lions went punt-punt-punt on their next 3 drives. The Packers started their 3rd drive on their own 23-yard line and put together a 9-play drive that got down to the Lions’ 22-yard line. Now on their 10th play, the Packers – up 3-0 – decide to go for it on 4th down rather than settle for a field goal.

Like any offense looking to attack a man coverage-heavy defense, the Packers arrived at Ford Field with some Mesh calls in their arsenal. Mesh is an Air Raid concept consisting of two shallow drag routes that cross each other in the middle of the field. This is one I typically tag as Mesh Stop, with Josh Whyle [81] initially running a crossing route, then pulling up in the middle of the field on a Stop route. That allows Christian Watson [9] to pivot out of his crossing route in search of space to the right.

While Mesh is a good man-beater – and a solid call in this situation – the Lions have a Rat player in the middle of the field, smack-dab in the mesh point. In addition to that, the initial vertical push from Watson is supposed to act as a kind of a wall for Romeo Doubs [87], but the spacing is a little off, and the defender over Doubs is able to release freely under Watson.

Love could keep his eyes on the middle to hold that linebacker and wait for Doubs to pop out the other side, but the coverage is good, and that would take a bit of time. The pocket is good early, but there are some outside rushers starting to break free.

Away from the action of Mesh, Dontayvion Wicks [13] is running an isolated vertical route on the outside. He slow-plays the initial release on a stalk block (likely looking to engage if it ends up being a quick pass underneath), then releases to the outside. With the single-high safety held in the middle of the field, Love throws this ball up the sideline, over the boundary defender.

A drop in the bucket, man.

Packers lead 10-0.

Play 2: 4th & 1, 2:16 remaining in the 2nd quarter​

The Lions had just scored a TD, their first points of the game. The Packers lead 10-7 with 7:54 remaining in the 1st half. The Packers put together an 11-play drive, getting the ball to the Lions’ 2-yard line. On the 12th play, the Packers once again opt to try to score a TD instead of settling for a field goal.

This is a play off a goal line passing concept the Packers love. The original concept is called Shield. It’s a two-man concept that calls for the point man in a stack to aggressively push vertically, while the underneath man cuts tight on his hip. If run right, it’s extremely hard to defend.

The Packers fast-motion Doubs under the formation, and he’s followed by a defender. That gives them a 3×1 look and creates a two-man stack with Watson and Doubs. The Lions’ defenders have a hand signal post-motion, which seems to signal Banjo coverage. Banjo is a technique where they’re playing man coverage, but, in the event of a switch at the line, the outside man will take the receiver who releases outside, and the inside man will take the man who releases inside.

Watson and Doubs switch off the line, triggering the Banjo. Watson pushes vertically, then cuts inside, drawing the outside man. Doubs hesitates off the line, gets the defender leaning in, then cuts to the outside.

Love throws a nice ball to the outside and the Packers pick up 6.

Packers lead 17-14.

Play 3: 4th & 3, 1:55 remaining in the 4th quarter​

The Lions ended their last drive with a field goal, giving the Packers the ball back with 2:59 remaining in the game and a 31-24 lead. The Packers gain 20 yards on 6 plays, forcing the Lions to use all their timeouts. After an incomplete pass on 3rd & 3, the Packers line up to try to win the game on offense. A conversion here allows the Packers to run out the clock. A failure to convert gives the Lions the ball back on their own 45-yard line.

The Lions come out with a single-high safety and everyone else tight to the line of scrimmage. The Packers are in 11 personnel in a 3×1 Trips Right formation, with the TE alone on the left. They’re running a Smash Fade variant with Watson and Doubs. They had been running vertical routes all day, and nearly hit Watson on a TD off Smash Fade early in the 2nd quarter (the play directly before the Wicks TD, in fact). As a team that is pretty well known for bombing the ball on 3rd & 4th down, they’re clearly trying to play off of that.

On that Smash Fade variant, Doubs is running a quick slant, while Watson releases vertically on a fade route up the sideline. They’re selling the vertical route, then Watson puts on the brakes and runs a comeback. The idea is to get the boundary defender to open up, then have room underneath once Watson cuts off the vertical route.

As the #3 man in Trips, Wicks is running a crossing route.

At the snap, Love scans the field. His first look is at Jack Campbell [46], checking to make sure he’s not dropping back into zone. Campbell initially releases to the line, down on Brooks. That tells Love that Campbell won’t be dropping into zone, so he will have room to Wicks on the crosser if he needs to.

After that, he checks on the safety – holding in place – then moves to work the Smash Fade concept. He gives it a brief glimpse, but it’s a slow-developing play, and the pocket is starting to break down, so he immediately comes back to the middle. Wicks isn’t quite ready for the ball yet, so Love fades in the pocket to buy a little extra time, then lofts a ball high to Wicks just as Alim McNeill [56] delivers a hit.

Wicks has a great release off the line to immediately get inside leverage on Brian Branch [32], gets a little separation at the top of the route, then fully extends to bring in the catch.

Packers kneel out the clock and secure a 31-24 victory.

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Albums listened to: Alvvays – Blue Rev; Christian Kjellvander – Ex Voto/The Silent Love; Rosie Thomas – When We Were Small

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-and-jordan-love-won-on-4th-down-vs-the-lions

 

[Green Bay Packers]

NFC Playoff Picture: Green Bay Packers fall behind Chicago Bears on Black Friday

The Green Bay Packers won on Thanksgiving, toppling the Detroit Lions. That didn’t change their NFC playoff picture placement at all and they remain in sixth, but they could have moved up with a Chicago Bears loss on Friday. Instead, the Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago is back in first place.

The Eagles fell from second to third in the overall NFC standings with the loss.

Detroit’s loss keeps them on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture. They are a game out of a wild card slot.

The Dallas Cowboys have played their way back in contention with three straight wins, putting down the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving. They are right behind the Lions and play Detroit next week on Thursday night. With games remaining against the Vikings, Commanders, and Giants, they are

NFC standings during Week 13​

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2)
2. Chicago Bears (9-3)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5, 2-0 NFCS)
5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3, 4-3 NFC)
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
8. Detroit Lions (7-5)
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
10. Carolina Panthers (6-6)
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-7, win over MIN)
12. Minnesota Vikings (4-7, loss to ATL)
12. Arizona Cardinals (3-8)
14. Washington Commanders (3-8)
15. New Orleans Saints (2-8)
16. e-New York Giants (2-10)

The New York Giants were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12.

NFC North standings during Week 13​

The Chicago Bears won to keep the NFC North lead after the Packers briefly pressured them on Thursday. The Minnesota Vikings will be playing their third-string QB after another J.J. McCarthy injury.

1. Chicago Bears (9-3)
2. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
3. Detroit Lions (7-5)
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...ers-fall-behind-chicago-bears-on-black-friday

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Amik Robertson and the True Spirit of Thanksgiving

Hi everybody! You may have seen this reel by Amik Robertson after the Green Bay Packers’ second easy victory of the season over the Detroit Lions.

Amik Robertson had this to say about Christian Watson’s touchdown catch against him on Thanksgiving

“Yall lets these soft WRs get away with too much… You clearly see the push off separation on this weak route. It’s all good though.” pic.twitter.com/mgfizvjnLP

— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) November 28, 2025

It reminds me of something you occasionally see fans do when their team is an underdog, and leading against a favorite: Chanting “Overrated!” It’s a terrible troll in that it actually undermines your team (“the team we are beating isn’t good, actually”) and Amik is basically saying, “Look how bad I got torched by this terrible route.”

Now, he is also saying that Watson broke the rules by pushing off, but if you watch the play, if there’s a push-off at all, it’s very light, and the kind of contact that happens on almost every play. What actually happened is that Watson is super-fast and Amik Roberston, less so, and he couldn’t keep up. It’s OK, it happens to the best of them.

But no one needs to worry about any lingering feelings of animosity between Watson and Robertson. They’re all professionals out there and respect each other, and we had a very touching moment with 9:22 remaining in the game, where the two were seen holding hands, in what I can only assume is a show of good sportsmanship.

It was good to see and brought some hope to a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. It also, importantly, was not flagged.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...robertson-and-the-true-spirit-of-thanksgiving

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Jordan Love and the Packers beat the Lions’ blitz plan through the air

As we do every week, we’re looking at how the Green Bay Packers’ passing game performed the previous week, so let’s fire up the analysis from the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day loss.

Now that’s a pretty chart. Coming into this game, one of the questions was how much the Lions would blitz. The Lions blitzed Love on 43.5% of his dropbacks in Week 1, and he excelled against it, going 6/10 for 122 yards and 1 TD (+0.58 EPA per Dropback per NFL Pro). On the season, the Lions blitz 31.1%, the 10th highest rate in the league, but they are gameplan specific in terms of its usage. Some weeks, they’re blitzing on nearly 50% of dropbacks, while other games will see them much lower. They only blitzed Jake Browning on 11.1% of his dropbacks and Patrick Mahomes on 5.1% of his dropbacks. So, with what Love did in Week 1, how would that approach change?

Not much, as it turns out. The Lions blitzed Love on 43.8% of his dropbacks, the 5th highest mark of the year for Love. Against those blitzes, Love went 7/14 for 70 yards & 2 TDs, good for a QB Rating of 104.2 and EPA Per Dropback of +0.32. Love’s ADOT (Average Depth of Target) when blitzed was 10.3 yards, up from his season ADOT of 8.7 when blitzed.

Of course, his numbers when not blitzed were even better. When not blitzed, Love was 11/16 for 164 yards and 2 TDs, good for a QB Rating of 141.7 and EPA Per Dropback of +0.59. When not blitzed, Love had an ADOT of 12.5 yards. In technical terms, Love was chucking that thing.

On the day, Love had an ADOT of 11.4 yards, his 3rd highest mark of the year. He also turned in an EPA per Dropback of +0.47. That’s the same mark he put up against the Cowboys in Week 4. All-in-all, a good day for Love, no matter if they sent extra bodies at him or not.

The Packers leaned heavily into the play-action game, going play-action on 40.6% of their dropbacks. That ties their highest mark of the season (they were also at 40.6% against the Bengals in Week 6). On those play-action dropbacks, Love was 6/11 for 62 yards and 1 TD (101.3 QB Rating, +0.17 EPA per Dropback, 11.4 ADOT).

As far as what the Packers were running in their passing offense, it was about exactly as you would expect when facing a heavy Man Free/Cover 1 team. Lots of Smash Fade & Verts, Mesh and High Cross. Concepts designed to either isolate coverage or create conflicts by running defenders through congested areas. All season, I’ve talked about how gameplan-specific LaFleur has been this year (since last year, really), and nowhere is that more evident than in games like this.

Before we get out of here, we’re going to take a look at a big play from Wicks. We already broke down his 4th down receptions, but today we’re going to break down my favorite passing concept of the day. The core play is called Arches, and it’s a great way to pick up an easy completion in short yardage. We’ve seen a fair bit of this in Green Bay on 3rd down over the last couple of years.

Arches is a two-man concept, with the inside man running a shallow drag (Eliminator) and the outside man pushing out initially, then cutting back to the middle (Arches).

The Packers had run this concept earlier in the game, but it wasn’t a clean throwing lane, so Love moved off of it and eventually threw it away.

Now, with 5:56 remaining in the 3rd quarter, they come back to something that looks an awful lot like Arches, but out of a different formation. They’re in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) in a 3×1 bunch look. Luke Musgrave [88] is in the front of the bunch, with Dontayvion Wicks [13] on the inside and Malik Heath [18] on the outside. Christian Watson [9] is isolated on the other side of the field.

At the snap, Musgrave releases inside on the Eliminator route, while Wicks initially bends slightly to the outside. On its face, this looks like Arches, but Wicks is running a Sluggo (Slant-and-Go), releasing vertically up the seam. It’s a really cool wrinkle to throw into a concept you are known to run.

The Lions are in zone, and Wicks just kind of slips through the cracks. The defender over Wicks widens at the snap, but when Wicks goes vertical, that defender settles in to cover the flat. The inside zone man is looking at Musgrave, and the outside zone man is widening with Heath, so the seam just parts like the Red Sea. With a single-high safety on the other side of the field, there’s nothing but grass and sunshine.

Love hits Wicks up the seam for a 30-yard gain

That was the 4th play in a 9-play, 72-yard drive that would ultimately end with a TD to Dontayvion Wicks, pushing the Packers’ lead to 31-21 in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter.

If you want to read more about how Wicks looked during the game, make sure you read Tyler Brooke’s terrific analysis.

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Albums listened to: Grouper – Way Their Crept; Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell; Margo Guryan – Take a Picture, Tom Waits – Heartattack and Vine

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...ers-beat-the-lions-blitz-plan-through-the-air