GREEN BAY, Wis. — Sure, the Green Bay Packers are going to avoid their first 1-3 start in two decades, but it’s hard to walk away from Sunday’s victory feeling good about their outlook.
That’s compounded by the fact that they may have lost star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper for the remainder of the season to a torn Achilles. He exited the game in the third quarter after a non-contact injury, but he immediately grabbed the back of his ankle, which is typically a telltale indication of what the injury is.
The loss of Cooper is another devastating blow for the Packers, who already lost right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele and receiver Jayden Reed for the remainder of the year.
“I’m sick,” said Jordan Love after the game. “I don’t know exactly what it is—that’s probably for the best—but you never wanna see anybody injured. [Edgerrin Cooper] is such an impact player on our defense, so we’ll see what it is, but it’s definitely not good.”
Love finished the game completing 22 of his 30 passes for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also threw an interception late in the fourth quarter that provided the Buccaneers, who were trailing by three points, an opportunity to come back and win the game.
“I was late on the read,” Love said, crediting Jacob Parrish for leaping in front of Matthew Golden and playing the ball. “I can’t make a mistake in that area. We were in scoring position. I can’t turn the ball over there, plain and simple.”
The Packers were remarkably able to generate a rushing attack behind their reconfigured offensive line. It was the fourth different starting combination in as many games, but this one helped catapult a successful day on the ground. Kaleb Johnson ran eight times for 42 yards, including a 31-yard carry in the second half. Chris Brooks had a 27-yard run before exiting the game with an injury.
There was a stark difference in the offensive balance for the Packers this week compared to Thursday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, when they ran their running backs just eight times. It was nearly to their detriment, as both MarShawn Lloyd and Johnson fumbled. Johnson’s fumble occurred late in the fourth quarter at the one-yard line.
“A great teacher is the bench,” said a visibly annoyed Matt LaFleur after the game. “If guys don’t start holding onto the ball, they’re going to be sitting on the bench.”
Defensively, they were able to intercept undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels twice, with Cooper accounting for one pick and Evan Williams the other.
The Packers will go into their Oct. 11 meeting with the Chicago Bears at 2-2.
First Quarter
The Packers were flagged for an illegal formation penalty on the opening kickoff. It didn’t prove to be too detrimental, however, as the Buccaneers went three-and-out after a pair of Bucky Irving carries. Jalon Daniels attempted to evade pressure for a first down, but he was stood up by Cooper and company.
What looked like an encouraging opening drive from the Packers—complete with rare Tucker Kraft yards after the catch—they were unable to sustain it. Love fit a perfect ball downfield on third-and-3 for Bo Melton, but he didn’t survive the catch on the way to the ground.
Like the Packers, the Buccaneers were also putting together a promising drive. They picked up three first downs, including an 11-yard scamper from Daniels. The Packers didn’t get pushed around for long—Evan Williams leapt in front of a pass intended for Emeka Egbuka and snagged an interception along the sideline.
Once they were back on offense, Brooks, who began the season as the Packers’ No. 3 running back for his prowess as a pass protector, carried the ball for 27 yards. The Packers faced a fourth-and-1, but LaFleur dialed up a pass to the flat for Kraft, who picked up the first down.
Second Quarter
A 16-play touchdown drive culminated in an impressive snag from Golden in the end zone, but it wasn’t always pretty. Love targeted Kraft in the back of the end zone, and he dropped the ball despite being uncovered. Back-to-back run plays lost yards, and Love’s swing pass to MarShawn Lloyd still kept him two yards short of the end zone. After the Packers burned two timeouts during the entire painful goal-line sequence, Love finally connected with Golden.
Aided by a second-down drop from Cade Otton, the Buccaneers went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. The Packers didn’t capitalize on the defensive stand, either. A 24-yard completion to Christian Watson was wiped away by offensive pass interference, so first-and-20 was essentially a death sentence for an offense that has struggled this season.
Neither team had converted a third down up to this point. The Packers are 0-for-5, and the Buccaneers were 1-for-2 until Daniels connected with Ted Hurst for a 21-yard completion. They’d sustain the drive with a fourth-and-1 carry from Sean Tucker, who later found the end zone, too.
The Packers aren’t going to win very many football games if they’re repeatedly getting flagged for things entirely in their control. They’ve now played back-to-back offensive possessions where a penalty pushes them back into first-and-20. First, it was Watson’s offensive pass interference flag, followed by new left guard Laken Tomlinson getting called for holding. On third-and-5, Love connected with Golden over the middle, but the ball was knocked out of his possession. It was ruled incomplete rather than a fumble, so the Packers go three-and-out.
After the Buccaneers converted on fourth-and-1, Cooper leaps in front of a Daniels pass for an interception, allowing the Packers to possess the ball before the end of the half. They took over on offense with 34 seconds left and one timeout in their pocket. Love completed a pair of dump-off passes to Lloyd and managed to position Trey Smack for a 58-yard attempt, which, of course, he sailed through the uprights. They’ll at least go into halftime with a 10-7 lead.
Third Quarter
To say that the Packers needed some kind of spark coming out of the halftime break would be an understatement. They were in a dogfight with a winless Buccaneers team starting an undrafted rookie quarterback. A 25-yard completion to Mark Redman kickstarted the possession, followed by a 31-yard run from Johnson. On the doorstep of the end zone, Love found Kraft for a touchdown pass—Love’s eighth of the season and Kraft’s first since returning from his torn ACL. Love has at least two touchdown passes in every game this season.
The defense kept up the momentum. They forced a three-and-out, but it would prove to be costly for the Packers’ defense. After Xavier McKinney shot down to sack Daniels on third-and-8, Cooper sustained a non-contact lower-leg injury. He had to be carted off the field.
For the third time today, the Packers are pushed back into first-and-20 because of a penalty. Tomlinson was called for his second of the game—hands to the face. That’d prove to be too difficult a circumstance to overcome for the offense. A third-and-7 would turn into third-and-12 because of a false start penalty called on Anthony Belton, and the Packers failed to convert.
With Cooper out, Isaiah McDuffie replaced him at linebacker in the starting lineup. So far, the Buccaneers are taking advantage of it. A 21-yard scramble from Daniels on third-and-2 kept their drive alive. McDuffie’s substitution didn’t last long after he had to be briefly worked on by the Packers’ medical staff. He left the game, replaced by Ty’Ron Hopper to end the third quarter. The Packers are running drastically thin at linebacker.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter opened with points for the Buccaneers. After firing incomplete into the end zone, Daniels found Kenneth Gainwell in the flat. He was able to pick up enough yards after the catch to break the pylon and score the Buccaneers’ second touchdown of the game.
How do the Packers respond by being punched in the mouth? A first-down penalty, of course. Love gained almost all of that back with a 19-yard completion to Jonnu Smith, followed by another false start that made it second-and-7. The Packers were still able to convert with an 18-yard completion to Watson. A third-and-4 incompletion was negated by a defensive holding penalty on Alex Anzalone, so this one works out in favor of the Packers. Regardless, the flags have been flying all afternoon.
The Packers were in the midst of an eight-play drive and looked as if they were going to build on their lead. Instead, Johnson fumbled at the one-yard line, and the Buccaneers recovered.
The Buccaneers couldn’t capitalize on their stellar defensive stand. On third-and-13, Daniels fumbled while attempting to retrieve the snap—it’s unclear if he just wasn’t ready for it or if it was a downright bad snap. Either way, while attempting to recover the ball, he was grappled and pushed into the end zone by Brenton Cox Jr. It wasn’t ruled as a safety, though.
With a chance to put the game away, Love threw an interception to Parrish. The Buccaneers have four minutes left to erase a three-point deficit.
Irving picked up 14 yards on a pair of carries before Daniels hit Otton for a first down on third-and-3. Zaire Franklin was in coverage, but he was late getting to his spot. Daniels went right back to Otton on the next play, picking up 14 yards and another first down. McDuffie missed a sack on first down, but Williams made sure Daniels didn’t evade his grasp. On fourth-and-11, Williams once again blitzed off the edge and hurried Daniels into an errant throw. It fell incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs.
Zachary Jacobson is the author of The Packer Dispatch. He is entering his 12th season covering the Green Bay Packers after spending seven as the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zachjacobson or contact him via email at itszachariahj@gmail.com.