The Green Bay Packers pulled off a 23-13 victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, but if you look past the score, their first down offense was an absolute train wreck. Seriously, it was almost half of their first down plays ending up with zero or negative yardage, forcing Jordan Love into hero mode over and over again on second and third and long situations. The crazy part? He actually did it, proving he is a legit dude under pressure.
Jordan Love Dragged This Offense to a Win
Love absolutely balled out when it counted, throwing for 276 yards and a touchdown, plus adding another score on the ground. Think about that: he was pressured on nearly 50 percent of his dropbacks, with the Cowboys’ defense teeing off on him, hitting him multiple times and racking up three sacks. The fact the Packers still managed to score 23 points, a number that honestly should have been closer to 30 if their receivers could have consistently held onto the ball in the end zone, is mind-blowing considering how bad their first down plays were. This dude had to be flawless just to get them in scoring position.
On first downs, Love was a brutal 2/7 passing for just nine yards. On literally every other down, he was 22/34 for 269 yards and a touchdown. That contrast tells you everything you need to know about the holes he was digging out of. His lone rushing touchdown, a quarterback sneak, did come on first down, but that’s about the only bright spot for the offense starting a drive.
First Down Fails Were Off the Charts Bad
We are talking about some historically bad numbers here. Out of 27 first down plays (not counting one defensive penalty), the Packers failed to gain *any* yardage on 13 of them. That’s almost half the time they were still staring at double-digit yards to gain after their very first snap! The official “success” rate, defined as picking up at least 40% of the required yards, was a flat-out hilarious 18.5% on first downs. You read that right: eighteen point five percent. That is awful, and it meant Love and the offense had to pull off a 65% success rate on third and fourth downs just to keep drives alive.
The run game was no better than the passing game in these critical early situations. MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong, and Kaleb Johnson combined for a measly 25 net yards on 15 first down carries. Because of those consistent long distances, the team ended up with only six true running plays on other downs. They even had as many plays go for no gain or negative yardage on first downs as they did gains of four yards or more. Toss in three first-down penalties and a sack on first down, and you’ve got a recipe for offensive disaster. It was tough to watch, with plays like a Love incomplete pass followed by an ineligible man downfield penalty, or early runs for negative yardage. Seriously, if you looked at the play-by-play for first downs, you’d need an eyewash station.
If the Green Bay Packers want to keep winning, they absolutely HAVE to get their act together on first downs. Relying on Jordan Love to constantly bail them out of 2nd-and-12 or 3rd-and-15 isn’t a sustainable path in this league. They got away with it against Dallas, but that kind of offensive start is just asking for trouble down the line.
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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