The Green Bay Packers rolled over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, snagging a 23-13 victory, and if you weren’t watching, you missed Jordan Love absolutely carving up that defense. His play felt impossible just weeks ago, but the man is making it happen, especially with the offensive line finally settling in.
The Passing Game’s Sweet, Sweet Rhythm
What a shift in offensive strategy! The Packers are switching up their personnel groupings big time, keeping defenses guessing, which is exactly what we love to see. After easing off the 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) against the Bears in Week 5, where they were out of it 54.2% of the time, they cranked it up against Dallas. And guess what? That 11 personnel grouping was their absolute best when it came to both passing and running the ball. Seriously, who knew a solidified offensive line could make such a difference?
Love was dealing, averaging a quick 2.7 seconds to throw with an Average Depth of Target (ADOT) of 9.7 yards. That’s a *functional* passing offense, my friends. He just tore Cover 3 apart, going 10-for-14 for 142 yards and a killer +0.38 EPA per Play. And if Dallas tried to blitz him? Forget about it. He shredded that too, hitting 8-of-12 passes for 100 yards and an even better +0.52 EPA per Play when facing pressure. The pass rate for the game, 62.9%, felt just right, even with them taking their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, dropping to a 46.7% pass rate. If only Matthew Golden could sort out his hands, which is wild because catching used to be one of his strengths. He still balled out though, hauling in 6 catches on 13 targets for 104 yards and a touchdown, racking up +1.74 EPA per Reception. His ADOT of 15.62 yards was a full 4.9 yards above the NFL average. Imagine what his numbers would’ve looked like without those two dropped touchdowns!
Defense Brought the Heat, Run Game Still a Headache
On the other side of the ball, the Packers’ defense was a problem for Dak Prescott all game long. They kept the Cowboys’ offense totally off-balance by bringing the heat and generating pressure, showing a fresh look on defense week after week. They blitzed on a solid 35.71% of snaps and got pressure on a massive 41.07% of Prescott’s dropbacks. That stacked front was just bothering him, blitz or no blitz. Prescott was straight up not good, whether he was blitzed (-0.16 EPA per Play) or not.
Now, for the flip side: the run game. Man, it’s still rough. They tried a 50/50 split between zone and man/gap concepts, with 46.1% of their runs in zone buckets, but it just didn’t really work. Look, the blocking up front has shown some flashes of improvement, which is great, but the run game overall has just not been good this year. It’s a real head-scratcher when the passing game is cooking like this.
So, the Packers are looking like a pass-first team that can actually move the ball, thanks to Love’s killer play and an O-line that’s finally gelling. The defense is playing lights out, harassing opposing QBs. They’ve got to figure out this run game, though. It’s the one piece that feels out of sync. Looking ahead, if they can get even a decent rushing attack going, this team could be way more dangerous. Keep an eye on Love; he’s making plays that demand attention.
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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