WEEK 4 RECAPS

ARIZONA vs SEATTLE

SEAHAWKS WIN 23 – 20

• Story of the Game – Seattle survives a valiant effort in the 4th Quarter by the Cardinals 

After an up and down performance all game by this Arizona offense they finally settled in during the 4th Quarter and managed to put together a couple strong drives to tie the game but ultimately they fell short after giving Seattle a short field due to a penalty on a kickoff. All day long it felt like Kyler Murray was setting this Arizona offense back and while the connection or rather lack there of with Marvin Harrison Jr gets all of the attention it was really the lack of comfort in this offense and ability to process under pressure that worried me the most. I’m not saying this loss is completely on Kyler as he had an excellent 4th Quarter and this offense showed a number of flaws and on top of that this Seahawks’ defense looks to be on of the best in league but the way he dropped eyes and panicked every time he saw pressure was setting this team back and you could tell he was incredibly frustrated throughout the game which I think bled over into the rest of the offense. The play calling also felt scattered and lacking identity as they couldn’t lean on Trey Benson in the same way they do with James Conner and the screen game felt very predictable. All in all this Seahawks’ defense wreaked havoc on this Cardinals’ offense by dominating the LOS and swarming to the ball on the back end. This game felt much more lopsided to Seattle but the Cardinals continue to find ways to make every game difficult, whether that be them coming back and keeping a game close or blowing a lead and having to scratch out a win like they did against Carolina. This was a tough and ugly defensive game that also had some exciting moments and big plays by each respective offense and I think both teams will have some work to do moving forward as neither seemed to perform at the level that they hoped in some aspect. 

• Key Notes for the Seahawks 

This defense has built on last season and looked incredibly impressive through the first few weeks and this game was no different. The DL, especially Leonard Williams, was wreaking havoc all game and whether it was run or pass the Cardinals’ OL looked completely outmatched. Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu flew off the edge and made some really nice plays to blow the Cardinals’ screen game as well. The secondary had their struggles late as Kyler and MHJ started to find their rhythm but the only guy I would point to as having a bad game was Riq Woolen. Woolen had 3 penalties including a PI that put AZ in the redzone which ended in the first Arizona 4th Quarter TD. While Woolen had his struggles Witherspoon and Jobe had incredible days and I think you may start to see Coach McDonald find a new answer for Woolen if he continues to struggle the way he has early this year.

Overall I really liked what the Seahawks did offensively this game but they NEED to find a new answer at RG as Anthony Bradford set them back snap after snap this game. Everyone that lined up against him in pass pro found some form of success and in the run game he looked lost and even had a play where he ran into the back of Abraham Lucas and knocked him down one play. I thought the play calling really supported the OL this game and aside from Bradford they looked more than capable up front as they pushed the Cardinals’ around at times. 

I would like to see this Seahawks’ offense establish a bit more of a consistent identity as at times their run and play action game felt predictable. And as the game wore on they became more dependent on the drop back pass game and I just don’t think they’re built to have success if that’s the case. Still a really good game including a game winning drive with a big throw from Darnold to JSN but I think they’ll have another level they can reach moving forward.

• Key Notes for the Cardinals

While the pass protection was inconsistent at best for the Cardinals this game I thought Kyler could have managed the pressure better. By not checking into plays it seemed they were set up to fail at times and even when they had open looks the second Kyler saw pressure early on he would drop his eyes and try to use his legs. The problem with that is this Seahawks defense is far too disciplined in their rush lanes and as soon as Kyler was moved off his spot there were guys right his face which led to Kyler having to either take a sack or throw it away and it killed them nearly every time they got into 3rd down. Along with the inability to work through pressure Kyler looked flustered for the large majority of this game and he routinely sailed throws across the middle of the field. While there was a lot I didn’t love the way he rallied and kept fighting late to keep them in this game up until the last drive was very impressive. On top of that while the first 3 Quarters were rough for him and Marvin Harrison Jr as they missed both seemed disconnected they finally were able to get on the same page and have success late which ultimately led to them having a chance in this game. Hopefully that last quarter was a sign as to what’s to come for them and this entire Arizona offense but it’s been far too unpredictable and up and down for me to say that’s the case before they prove it on the field.

This IOL was awful and the fact they really made no moves this offseason to improve it is mind boggling to me. While Hjalte Froholdt is solid at C he’s not making up for or fixing any of the issues they have at G. The most disappointing part is I’m not sure they have any answers to this problem on roster or any way to address it outside of the building either as OL is scarce across the entire league. You combine this OL with the struggles of Kyler and I just don’t know that this offense is capable of being anything more than they’ve been in the past couple years, especially with James Conner out and the running game suffering because of it. 

As for this defense I thought the young secondary really started to shine this game. While the loss of Garrett Williams hurts as he has been on of the best slot CBs in the league I thought Kei’Trel Clark stepped up in this game and made some really nice plays in his absence. Max Melton and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson also stepped up in this game and when you pair that with the play their getting out this the DL (Josh Sweat, Darius Robinson, and Calais Campbell especially) they have one the more young and exciting defenses in the entire league. Jonathan Gannon also does a great job of coaching these guys up and I fully expect this to be the strength of their team moving forward as I have far less questions about this defense than I do the offense moving forward. 

• Standout Performers

SEA

Sam Darnold – 18/26  242  1/0 – 1/24 rush 

Jaxson Smith-Njigba – 4/79 – 3/11 rush

• Slow start but made timely plays 

AJ Barner – 3/32  1 TD

Josh Jobe – 5 Tackles (4 Solo)  .5 Sacks  1 PD

Leonard Williams – 4 Tackles (3 Solo)  1.5 Sacks  1 TFL  1 PD

Uchenna Nwosu – 5 Tackles (3 Solo)  2 Sacks  2 TFLs 

AZ

Trey McBride – 7/52

Greg Dortch – 4/35 – 1/4 rush 

• Impactful in screen game and had some big pickups to extend drives 

Marvin Harrison Jr – 6/66 1 TD 

• Rough first half and 3rd Quarter but stepped up in 4th 

Calais Campbell – 3 Tackles (2 Solo)  1 Sack  2 TFLs

Darius Robinson – 3 Tackles (2 Solo)  1 Sack  2 TFLs

Josh Sweat – 2 Tackles  1 Sack  1 TFL  1 FF

Kei’Trel Clark – 3 Tackles (2 Solo)  1 TFL 

NEW ENGLAND vs CAROLINA

PATRIOTS WIN 42 – 13 

• Story of the Game – New England brings Young and the Panthers back down to earth

After a very strong opening drive from the Panthers offense followed by their defense forcing a 3 & Out on New England’s opening drive the Panthers seemed to have full control of this game but that success and control was short lived to say the least. After forcing that 3 & Out the Panthers had to punt after their next offensive drive stalled and on said punt is where it all changed. Marcus Jones broke the angles of the entire punt coverage unit of the Panthers and after making the punter miss he ran it all the way to the house for the Patriots first TD. The Patriots were able to get another stop on defense and after a beautifully called and executed drive by Josh McDaniels and this Patriots offense they punched in another TD on a play action boot to get Maye on the edge. From then on it was really all Patriots as the Panthers beat themselves on offense with poor OL play, penalties far too consistently, and aside from a few nice plays from McMillan nothing going for Bryce in this passing game. The defense may have been even worse for the Panthers and their special teams units certainly were as they gave up multiple explosive plays on punt and kickoff coverage and their defense allowed New England to do whatever they wanted as they had no answers for any aspect. Drake Maye looked incredibly comfortable in the pocket as Carolina couldn’t get any pressure, unless the blitzed and even then it was spotty at best. Along with the New England OL dominating in pass protection they also pushed around a Carolina front in the run game that looks to be a much bigger issue than I had thought they’d be coming into the year. Overall it was dominant performance for a Patriots all on three phases and you hope they can build on that moving forward. As for the Panthers… you have to wipe the slate clean once again and somehow find a way to get this OL playing like they did last year as they look unrecognizable so far through 4 weeks and this young pass rush has to get going or else this team is going to have real issues moving forward.

• Key Notes for the Patriots 

While the DL got off to an uncharacteristic slow start by giving up some big run plays on the edge and really were unable to get pressure on the first drive or two something kicked into gear as they got out of the 1st Quarter. Harold Landry III started to fly off the edge and wreck the Panthers offense and IDL as a whole started to own the LOS in the run game. K’Lavon Chaisson also flashed a couple times but also had a penalty on punt coverage.

The Patriots special teams was phenomenal today and made the offense’s job easy by consistently getting them short fields and even punched in some points of their own. Along with that they also created some really tough situations for the Panthers with great punt coverage and even getting them pinned deep inside of their own territory after a great punt and recovering. 

By flipping the field consistently the Patriots were able to control the game on both sides of the ball but especially on offense as they were able to play safe ball control football by running the ball effectively consistently and using play action to create easy completions for Maye. The OL also benefited as the Panthers really had no beat on what was coming play to play and were struggling to affect the game in any way up front, whether run or pass. Overall it was a dominant performance as Maye was comfortable all day in clean pockets, Diggs and this receiving core as a whole carved up the secondary of the Panthers, and the OL owned the LOS all game. All three phases made a huge impact and really tied together for a great team win. 

• Key Notes for the Panthers 

First drive was well called and well executed for this Panthers offense but after they got out of their game script it became clear just how outmatched they were. The OL couldn’t get anything push up front and the run game was limited to unique touches to get guys on the edge and once again outside of TMAC there was no real threat in this passing game. Bryce wasn’t perfect and I’m not avoiding putting blame on him but with the way the rest of the offense played around him it’s hard to be that upset with what he was able to accomplish. It was pressure after pressure, ineffective run after ineffective run, and there was no where to go in the passing game… at least consistently that is. Just a brutal day after that first drive and it has to start up front with this OL in all aspects of they want to have a chance of winning moving forward. 

This DL once again couldn’t get anything going and it was clear coming out in the 2nd half that they recognized that as DC Ejiro Evero started to send blitzes and stunts nearly every play but even then the pressure was inconsistent. The worst part is I don’t know that they have an answer or way to fix this issue this year other than hoping for their rookie edge players to catch fire or drastically improve as it seems no one outside of Derrick Brown can consistently affect the game in the run or pass. Along with the DL it seems that their second level players are struggling as well and aside from a nice play from Rozeboom their impact went largely unfelt in this game and play action had them off balance all day. The middle of the field felt wide open whenever the Patriots wanted to attack it. 

The worst part of an already rough recap for the Panthers is their special teams units, especially the punt coverage. Marcus Jones broke off big return after big return for the Patriots and while he’s a great returner it felt disjointed to say the least on the Panthers end. They seemed to over pursue on Jones’ first cut every single time which allowed him to make a second move that would open up the entire field and leave him with not just a one on one with the punter but lead blockers as well. Just poor execution of keeping their lanes down field and even worse tackling as they had chances to shut down each one had they made a tackle. Along with the punter coverage issues they also had a 55yd Field Goal come up short and while it a long kick at 55yds you’d still like to see it at least have a chance distance wise. Just a poor day overall and it’ll be hard to win any game giving up short fields and points as often as this group did. 

• Standout Performers 

NE

Drake Maye – 14/17  203  2/0 – 3/11  1 TD rush 

Stefon Diggs – 6/101 

Entire OL – Dominant all day – Only 1 Sack given up

Craig Woodson – 5 Tackles (4 Solo)  2 TFLs  1 PD

Christian Barmore – No big stats this year but he continues to cause issues for opposing OLs – Disruptor 

Marcus Jones – 5 Tackles (3 Solo) – 3/167  1 TD – Punt return

Jack Gibbens – 9 Tackles (7 Solo)  1 TFL – Played great on special teams and made a few plays in run defense

CAR

Tetairoa McMillan – 4/62

Tommy Tremble – 5/42  1 TD

Tershawn Wharton – 5 Tackles (2 Solo)  1 Sack 

LOS ANGELES vs INDIANAPOLIS 

RAMS WIN 27 – 20 

• Story of the game – Stafford and the Rams’ passing game proves too potent 

While the game ended in a 27 to 20 win for the Rams I came just as impressed with the Colts as I did with this Rams team. While the Colts’ injuries coming into this week were aggressively clear throughout this game as Matthew Stafford and this dangerous Rams’ WR corp, especially Puka Nacua, tore apart their secondary their defense was able to stick around by speeding up the Rams offense with blitzes and in some ways allowing the Rams to make their own mistakes with penalties and miscues when they entered Colts territory. While the Colts’ had their flaws and struggles on the defensive side of the ball their offense presented just as many issues as they struggled with this dominant Rams’ front. The Rams controlled the LOS not just with their devastating pass rush but also standing stout against the Colts’ overpowering run game which forced Shane Steichen to find ways to create consistent yardage without the most reliable and explosive part of his offense through the first 3 weeks. But as the game progressed and got further into the second half the Rams continued to stall out on drives and the Colts were able to lean on a Rams defense that had been on the field for awhile at that point and in turn establish their run and play action pass game. Off the play action pass game you started to see some explosives pop and the middle of the field open up for the Colts who were starting to role with guys like Tyler Warren and Jonathan Taylor starting to find success. But once again the Rams DL and passing game took over and were able to force a stop and open up an explosive on the first play of their final 4th Quarter drive for an 89yd Tutu Atwell touchdown that ended up sealing the game for the Rams. All in all it was valiant effort from a banged up Indianapolis Colts team who managed to stick around in a game they were pretty clearly outmatched in.

• Key Notes for the Rams 

The Matthew Stafford Puka Nacua connection looks to be the best in league right now by quite a wide margin. While the Colts secondary was missing a couple key guys and they were forced to play Xavien Howard who had just signed with the team it was still incredibly impressive what Nacua was able to do against this secondary racking up 13 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown. Along with Nacua Tyler Higbee and Davante Adams also had a nice and Tutu Atwell broke off that huge play for the touchdown that put them up 27 to 20, just a unbelievable day from this Rams passing attack. 

The Rams OL had a fairly rough day as they were hit and miss in the run game and while I thought they held up fairly well against the four man pass rushes of the Colts they really struggled picking up the blitzes and stunts called by Colts DC Lou Anarumo. Along with the up and down play they also had a few penalties that cost them but moving forward I expect play to improve as they get everyone back on the field together. Certainly wasn’t the worst day imaginable but something that they’ll want to improve upon moving forward. 

This defense had yet another great performance by constantly wrecking the LOS against a talented Colts OL and for the most part holding up on the back end by forcing the Colts to work down the field in the short and intermediate pass game. Really the only explosive play they gave up was a deep shot to AD Mitchell on Emmanuel Forbes and luckily for them Mitchell fumbled the ball as he reached out the ball as he ran into the end zone which ended up rolling out of bounds and gave the Rams the ball due to a touchback. The only flaw I felt for this group other than a couple rough plays on the backend was their LB’s were struggling to cover ground in the middle of the field, especially off of play action. Overall this side of the ball had a great day but it’s hard to completely shutdown an offense that has a run game like this although they nearly did. 

• Key Notes for the Colts 

This Colts running game that has been dominant so far this year had a rough start to the game as this Rams DL was largely dominating the LOS and swarming to Taylor as he would bounce a run outside or fight through a tackle or two. Now with that being said you can’t stop this run game and Taylor was able to break off a couple nice runs all throughout the game but especially as the game wore on he was becoming more and more effective and if it were for a penalty in the 4th Quarterhe would have had an explosive run for touchdown that would have put them up 27 to 20 at the time. It may not have been a dominant day on paper but the effect Taylor had on the game was far beyond any stats as their entire offense is centered around him being effective in the run game as their passing game is largely predicated on his ability to influence coverage by allowing them to work out of play action. 

This OL group that hasn’t missed a beat so far this year after losing two of their starters from last season came back down to earth against this dominant Rams front. Taylor was having to make something out of nothing almost every run and when they weren’t able to work out of play action and slow this rush down they couldn’t stop this Rams’ DL, especially Jared Verse who was just phenomenal all game. It was a rough day but with the way this Rams’ DL has played so far this season it may speak to just how dominant that group is than it is an inditement on the Colts.

Defensively this group thrived when they were able to blitz and force Stafford to get rid of the ball before routes could develop downfield and get into the backfield before Williams could get to the LOS but when they weren’t able to quickly penetrate the backfield they were gouged by big play over and over. Nacua dominated when he got matched up against Xavien Howard, which was far too often, and this group couldn’t seem to consistently find find pressure when they weren’t blitzing. With that being said this group stood up against multiple strong drives from the Rams and were able to make the big play when they needed it most. Well… aside from the last drive where they gave up the 89yd touchdown to Tutu Atwell which ultimately lost them the game. Considering what injuries they had coming into the game it was a solid performance and when they’re able to get everyone back on the field and healthy I believe they’ll have a really solid group to complement this offense.

• Standout Performers

LAR

Matthew Stafford – 29/41  375  3/0

Puka Nacua – 13/170  1 TD

Kam Curl – 9 Tackles (3 Solo)  2 INTs  3 PDs

Jared Verse – 6 Tackles (4 Solo)  1 Sack  1 TFL  1 FF

Quentin Lake – 9 Tackles (5 Solo)  1 TFL 

IND

Tyler Warren – 5/70 – 2/3  1 TD rush 

Jonathan Taylor – 17/76 – 5/20 rec

Nick Cross – 14 Tackles (6 Solo)  .5 Sacks 

Deforest Buckner – 8 Tackles (4 Solo)  2 TFLs

Laiatu Latu – 4 Tackles (3 Solo)  1 Sack  1 TFL  1 PD

CHICAGO vs LAS VEGAS

BEARS WIN 25 – 24

• Story of the game – Bears scrape together an ugly win to get to .500

Despite repeatedly killing the chances of scoring nearly every time they crossed the opponents 40yd line by committing penalties, falling behind with negative plays, and Maxx Crosby wrecking the game the Bears were somehow able to pull together a win capped off with a blocked FG. Despite the offense managing to put 25 points on the board I thought it was one of the worst ways that game could have played out for the Bears considering how many short fields they had with the help of their defense pulling down three interceptions. Caleb Williams had his ups and downs but I thought the majority of his struggles were due to the fact that his OL was struggling all day with this Raiders’ pass rush. The Bears continue to struggle with putting together a full drive and despite being able to pull together another win they cannot continue to play at this level and expect to have sustainable success this season. The Raiders on the other hand just got in their own way with this one on offense and despite their defense playing one of the best games I’ve seen from a Raiders defense in a long time it’s hard to overcome your QB having 3 INTs. All in all it was a really rough loss for the Raiders as they largely outplayed the Bears and even had a real shot to win it at the end but the Bears on the other hand have to be feeling good going into next week knowing that they were able to sneak out a win despite not playing their best football.

• Key Notes for the Bears

Caleb Williams continues to struggle with consistency as he still seems to press when things are going poorly for the offense and his accuracy and decision making leaves you frustrated with how inconsistent it is play to play and drive to drive. Now while Caleb had his issues this game the lack of protection up front was alarming as Maxx Crosby and this Raiders pass rush absolutely wrecked the game and made Caleb’s life hell all game. 

Along with the lack of protection the run game was once again inconsistent at best as D’Andre Swift continues to struggle sorting through blocks and make the most of his runs. Swift is holding this running game back and while I thought he played a better game in Week 1 it’s been rough ever since and it’s clear they need to start leaning on rookie Kyle Monangai or second year Roschon Johnson as he gets back to full health. 

This defense struggled up front with this Raiders run game as Ashton Jeanty had his best game of his young career but their ability to make plays on the back end flipped this game. Kevin Byard had two interceptions on the same concept from the Raiders as Geno Smith was trying to hit a dagger route that was cleared out by a vertical route out of the slot. Along with Byard baiting Smith into making the same mistake twice Tyrique Stevenson also made a huge interception on a crossing route where he made a beautiful diving catch. This defense still has its flaws as they’re struggling to consistently create pressure and their run defense has been up and down at best all year but this game they stepped up enough to give their offense the chances they needed to pull out a win. 

• Key Notes for the Raiders 

Geno Smith had an alright game as he had moments where he looked really sharp and drove the Raiders down the field but the interceptions were back breaking. Because of those mistakes by Geno the struggling Bears offense got free chances in scoring position and with a great effort by their kicker they turned quite a few of them into points. It’s disappointing to see the offense struggle with turnovers the way that they have especially this game considering it was the first time they had gotten a real contribution from the run game as well. Ashton Jeanty finally was afforded some room to run and make cuts so he could show off what made him so special Boise State. Hopefully as the year moves on they’ll be able to find some success from both the run and pass game together and form a stable offense that this group has struggled to piece together so far this year.

Defensively I was really impressed not just by the superstar that is Maxx Crosby and the performance he was able to have this game but a lot of “castoff” players from around the league like Eric Stokes, Devin White, and even an aging Jamal Adams played solid football today. While Adams got exposed in coverage at times as he clearly is not the athlete he once was White and Stokes really stepped up and made plays for a Raiders defense that is not the most talented group on paper. They were even able to get a nice rep of Tyree Wilson who has struggled to even find the field throughout his young career. Overall it was great day for this group despite not coming out of the game with a win and giving up 25 points as they repeatedly put in terrible situations with short fields and having to play off their back foot nearly every drive. Crosby was phenomenal today and really kept them in by not just effecting the game as a pas rusher but his run defense was phenomenal as well along with him making some huge plays to swat balls down/up for incompletions and a interception at the LOS.

This Raiders team is mostly likely still a year away as they need another solid offseason of developing and adding onto what they started building here with this new regime but I think Raiders fans should be excited for what’s ahead even if it’s not resulting in a trip to the playoffs this season.

• Standout Performers

CHI

Rome Odunze – 4/69  1 TD 

• Continues his ascent into this teams #1 WR

Kevin Byard – 7 Tackles (5 Solo)  1 TFL  2 INTs  2 PDs

Tyrique Stevenson – 6 Tackles (4 Solo)  1 INT  2 PDs

Noah Sewell – 5 Tackles (1 Solo)  1 TFL  1 FF

Josh Blackwell – 1 Tackles (1 Solo) – Blocked the game winning FG

LV

Ashton Jeanty – 21/138  1 TD – 2/17  2 TDs rec

Raheem Mostert – 4/62 – 1/11 rec

Maxx Crosby – 5 Tackles  3 TFLs  1 FF  1 INT  3 PDs 

• Wrecked the Bears offense all game long

Devin White – 9 Tackles (8 Solo)  1 TFL  1 PD

Dylan Laube – Continues to shine of special teams

DALLAS vs GREEN BAY

GB and DAL Tie 40 – 40

• Story of the game – A shootout in Dallas ends in a disappointing way

Both offenses absolutely dominated this game and while they each had their own flaws neither defense seemed to have answer for anything they tried to do. The Packers defense aside from Micah Parsons, who was wrecking the LOS for Dallas, seemed to be playing on their back foot the entire game as Dallas used motion and unique ways of getting the ball out quick to keep Green Bay from being able to read and react on the back end and create havoc up front like they have all year. As for the Dallas defense they were actually able to step up as a pass rush against a banged up Green Bay OL but Jordan Love, Romeo Doubs, and the rest of this high flying Packers offense couldn’t be stopped as they gouged the Cowboys over and over and had it not been for poor clock management and/or conservative play in overtime the Packers offense may have been able to scrape together another touchdown to win the game. This was an exciting game but certainly nerve wracking if you were a Dallas or Green Bay fan as these teams were seemingly unstoppable on offense and both defenses seemed to break the second they started to find some success. With how this game started out you would have thought it would have ended 40-0 with how the Packers came out swinging but after a blocked and returned PAT by Dallas the momentum started to change and Dak Prescott flipped a switch after two rough drives to start out and absolutely dominated from then on. Once Dak got going it really just turned into a shootout between two really talented offenses and while you may expect that from Dallas you would love to have seen the Green Bay defense make a few plays or adjust their game plan as Brian Schottenheimer and this Dallas offense seemingly had the answer to everything Green Bay tried to do.

• Key Notes for Green Bay

The stars of this Packers offense, Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs, were incredible this game as they managed to work around the pressure and poor run blocking this Packers OL had for the large majority of this game. The passing attack was deadly as Romeo Doubs and Jordan Love couldn’t be stopped as the wracked up 3 TDs together and they had a wonderful complement from a number of guys including Matthew Golden, Tucker Kraft, Savion Williams, Dontayvion Wicks, and even Emmanuel Wilson and Josh Jacobs in the screen/dump off game were great. Truly a fantastic showing from this Packers offense who are struggling with injuries, especially along the OL, and should have their best football ahead of them as they get Christian Watson, Aaron Banks, Zach Tom, and Anthony Belton all back from injuries here soon.

Aside from Micah Parsons this Packers defense looked unrecognizable from the first 3 weeks of this season where they’ve been one of the best groups in the entire league. Parsons wrecked the game but it didn’t show on the stat sheet as Dak and this Cowboys offense was operating incredibly quick to mitigate this Packers pass rush. To me what was most alarming was the inability to rally and tackle the same that they have through the first few weeks and I thought this Green Bay secondary in particular just looked flat out there. Along with the secondary the LBs Quay Walker and especially Edgerrin Cooper struggled today as they couldn’t seem to read and react without second guessing themselves and seemed to be a step late every time they were getting to the ball. It seemed like once this team had Devonte Wyatt go out of the game with a knee injury everything started to go downhill and after two strong stops to start the game they couldn’t seem to get off the field to save their lives. Every single time this Cowboys offense needed a play they managed to find a hole in the second and third levels of this Green Bay defense who hopefully will have a much stronger performance coming out of their bye week. 

While I’m someone that believes Matt LaFleur is one of the best coaches in the NFL this was a rough game for him as he mismanaged the clock twice this game in crucial situations. While you can point to the lack of urgency on the field from the players at the end of the 4th Quarter I believe that has to start with LaFleur communicating and demanding exactly what he needs from his players in that situation and you could tell the looming threat of having to kick a FG and hand Brandon Aubrey a chance to win the Cowboys the game in OT was weighing heavy on his mind as they played very conservative down the stretch of that final drive. It felt like he was playing to not lose rather than to win in that situation and frankly when your offense has already put up 40 points I would have rather he leaned on them to end the game than choosing to play for the tie the way that they did. I’m not going to be drastic like many Packers fans seem to be online right now but the special teams and game management has to improve moving forward and that all starts with LaFleur.

• Key Notes for Dallas 

Dak Prescott played like an MVP today and while you can say it was a bad day from the Packers defense I’d point just as much to how phenomenal he play all game long. After two rough drives that went largely no where Dak came out and began picking apart every single mistake the Packers defense made and even at times when they didn’t he made them look wrong. Truly an incredible performance not just by Dak but this entire Cowboys passing attack which was incredibly well designed and game planned by HC Brian Schottenheimer. 

Along with this great passing attack they started to mix in runs that were incredibly well timed as it seemed to keep the Packers guessing just that much more and while the Cowboys OL had their struggles today I thought they overall did a really solid job considering the injuries they had up front coming into this game. Don’t get me wrong there were pressures given up but this offense as a whole did a great job of playing complimentary football and stepping up for each other when they needed to.

While this Dallas defense did give up 40 points I thought they played with an edge and attitude that they hadn’t played with throughout the first few weeks of this year. It was absolutely still a rough game and I think it’s clear that DC Matt Eberflus is most likely not the answer here long term nor is some of the personal of the field but it was nice to see them play with an effort and edge despite not having their best day. 

• Standout Performers 

GB

Jordan Love – 31/43  337  3/0 – 3/28 rush

Josh Jacobs – 22/86  2 TDs – 4/71 rec

Romeo Doubs – 6/58  3 TDs

Micah Parsons – 3 Tackles (1 Solo)  1 Sack

Keisean Nixon – 4 Tackles (4 Solo)  2 PDs

• Was the only reliable corner for GB all game

DAL

Dak Prescott – 31/40  319  3/0 

George Pickens – 8/134  2 TDs

Javonte Williams – 20/85  1 TD – 3/15 rec

Jack Sanborn – 11 Tackles (6 Solo)  1 PD

Donovan Ezeiruaku – 5 Tackles (4 Solo)  1 TFL

• Made a couple really nice plays including one on Josh Jacobs at the goal line that saved a TD

Marist Liufau – Couple dumb penalties and rough plays on defense but made a huge hit on Punt Return on Matthew Golden