The Green Bay Packers picked up their second straight win in Tennessee on Sunday without Jordan Love at quarterback and could be poised to welcome back their starting quarterback for a substantial matchup with the Minnesota Vikings next week at Lambeau Field.
Love can thank Matt LaFleur’s playmaking genius, Malik Willis’ composed, frosty demeanor and a swarming defense coordinated by Jeff Hafley for salvaging what could have been a nightmare start to the 2024 season. Instead of starting 1-2 or 0-3, the Packers are 2-1 and growing in confidence after taking care of business against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in back-to-back weeks. And Love could be back next week for a visit from the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly of the Packers’ win over the Titans:
Good
Defensive Dominance: The Packers’ defense rose to the occasion for the second straight week, helping their backup quarterback win the football game. On Sunday, Hafley’s defense allowed eight sacks, three takeaways, a pick-six and a fourth-down stop, and the Titans held the ball scoreless on nine of 11 possessions. The Packers stopped the run early, built an advantage and then harassed Will Levis for seven sacks in the second half.
Malik Willis at the start of the third down: The Packers knew they had to make some substantial plays against the Titans defense, and Willis delivered, especially in the first half. He found Christian Watson for 30 yards on third-and-6 on the opening drive, ran a pair of first downs on third down to set up a field goal and delivered strikeouts to Romeo Doubs and Watson to turn third-and-longs into field-goal drives before halftime. That was 13 points off Willis’ substantial conversions. The Packers won by 16.
Even more steals: Jaire Alexander had his first career pick-six, and Xavier McKinney had his third consecutive interception to start his Packers career. Alexander’s touchdown gave the Packers a 17-7 lead in the first quarter, and McKinney’s pick sealed it overdue. The Packers now have seven picks in 2024, matching the team’s 2023 total.
Winning with a backup: The Packers did everything they needed to do to play winning football with a backup quarterback. No turnovers. They won the line of scrimmage. Explosive plays by the quarterbacks. Defensive dominance. Conclusion. The Packers win with a formula that works regardless of who is playing quarterback.
Bad
Red zone: The Packers continue to have trouble converting red-zone drives into touchdowns. With just one touchdown in three trips Sunday, the Packers are now 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) in early 2024. Green Bay had a 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line on its second possession but ultimately settled for a 21-yard field goal. Late in the first half, the Packers got to the Titans’ 13-yard line with 1:27 left but eventually kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired on Malik Willis’ third-down pass. The margins in the scoring zone are slim, and the Packers haven’t executed well enough, especially in the running game. Willis scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown on his first drive. Meanwhile, the Titans converted both of their red-zone drives into touchdowns.
Ugly
Yellow flags everywhere: The Packers were penalized 10 more times on Sunday, not counting a few equalized or declined penalties. Rasheed Walker was assessed two penalties on one drive, Elgton Jenkins had two holding penalties that wiped out successful runs, and Zach Tom was assessed a procedural penalty. On the Titans’ first scoring drive, Preston Smith was offside on 3rd-and-8, thwarting what could have been a drive-ending sack by Rashan Gary. The Titans converted their second chance and soon scored a touchdown. Special teams also had two penalties, including one on a punt that ultimately cost the Packers 20 yards in field position. The Packers finished with 75 penalty yards, compared to just 15 yards on two penalties from the Titans. Matt LaFleur’s team now has two games in three weeks with 10 penalties.
