The Green Bay Packers offense finally clicked, looking its most competent all year in their Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For the first time this season, quarterback Jordan Love took zero sacks, a massive turnaround that signals a potentially dangerous shift in their offensive rhythm. This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement about how this offense can truly operate when things come together.
Love Is Feeling the Love (and Avoiding the Blitz)
Look, we’ve seen Love struggle a bit early, especially with pressure, but his Week 4 performance against the Bucs was a serious step up. He posted his best passing EPA per Play of the year at +0.14. Before this, his top performance was way back in Week 1 against the Vikings, where he was at -0.02 EPA per Play. The dude was getting the ball out lightning fast too, averaging 2.17 seconds to throw, which is a full half-second quicker than the NFL average. We know there were a couple of drops and maybe a few throws he’d like back, but the bottom line is clear: this was Love’s most efficient game to date.
What’s even wilder? He absolutely torched the blitz this week. That’s been a problem, no joke. For the first three weeks, a blitz basically meant automatic pressure. But against Tampa Bay, Love was 7/9 for 62 yards with a +0.14 EPA per Play when blitzed. You can bet that defensive coordinators around the league are already hitting the film, because that’s not the same Love they saw in September.
The New Offensive Recipe: 13 Personnel and Tucker Kraft
This week, Green Bay didn’t just play better; they played different. Last week against the Falcons, they were pass-heavy, leaning on 11 personnel a crazy 81% of the time because they were behind and couldn’t run. Against the Bucs, it was a totally different story. They found some balance, dropping to 47.3% in 11 personnel and cranking up their 13 personnel usage (that’s one running back, three tight ends, one wide receiver) to a season-high 29.1%.
And man, did that 13 personnel work! It was their best passing package, with Love going a perfect 5/5 for 76 yards, generating a crazy +1.04 EPA per Play and a 100% Success Rate. It wasn’t just for throwing either; it was also their best running group, chewing up 52 yards on 11 attempts. They still passed 56.4% of the time compared to 43.6% run, but that’s a world away from the 85.7% pass rate we saw previously. The passing game still outshined the run (+0.14 EPA per Play vs. -0.35), but having a viable run game, even from a pass-heavy package, opens everything up.
And we gotta shout out Tucker Kraft. The tight end had an encouraging performance, catching 6 of his 7 targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. He racked up +0.79 EPA per Reception and averaged a solid 6.83 yards after the catch. They weren’t asking him to stretch the field much, with his targets coming on hitches and quick outs, but when he got the ball, he got upfield and made things happen. That kind of short-yardage reliability, especially from a tight end, is huge for moving the chains and keeping drives alive.
This Packers offense just showed a new dimension, a balance we haven’t seen all year. If Love can keep delivering under pressure and they keep innovating with personnel, this could be the start of something serious. We’re looking at an offense that just found its footing, and it’s exciting to see what they build on from here.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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