Green Bay Packers: Under the Scope (Week 4)

The Green Bay Packers took care of a relatively recent rival Sunday afternoon in the San Francisco 49ers. The game was highlighted by a huge defensive effort all game long, as the Packers were able to limit San Francisco to just three points total. The Packers forced Colin Kaepernick into some uncomfortable positions after muffling the run game, forcing him to air it out.

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On defense, stopping the run was crucial to the game plan and the Packers were able to do just that. Carlos Hyde was limited to just 22 total yards, making him the third running back in as many weeks to stumble against the Packers’ D. Even Aaron Rodgers expressed amazement and gratitude for the defense stepping up. Of course, forming an identity on defense is something that is molded over a season’s length of time so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

In any case, this game proved that even when Rodgers does not throw for colossal numbers, the defense can step it up and bring home a win. That’s one of the most important qualities of a championship-caliber team.

So let’s take a look at the tape to identify some key plays and players that pushed Green Bay to 4-0 this week.

Editor’s note: Every week, we will feature a series titled “Under the Scope” where we discuss the more subtle plays observed in the team’s most recent game. These may include specific performances that had a direct impact on the outcome of the game. Perhaps they do not show up in the stat sheet with much fanfare but these parts of the game must not be ignored. Tune in for the weekly column where we put the Green Bay Packers “Under the Scope”.

October 4, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery (88) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) during the fourth quarter at Levi

Backfield Musical Chairs

The Packers were getting awfully creative in the run game early on against the 49ers.

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On the team’s second drive of the game, rookie receiver Ty Montgomery found himself in the backfield. With 6:37 left in the first quarter, he took a handoff from Rodgers for nine yards. Interestingly enough, Randall Cobb also had his share playing the role of halfback. Two plays later, he lined up next to Rodgers in shotgun formation and caught a swing pass for six yards.

The very next play, Montgomery again took a carry, this time for no gain. The logic behind this play calling is not only to utilize talent in many facets of the game and getting the ball into the hands of serious playmakers, but to create mismatches with the defense. It creates confusion for the linebackers, often forcing one of them to step up and cover the speedy receiver coming out of the backfield.

Montgomery was described as a bigger version of Cobb in training camp by Packers coaches and it looks like their roles are meshing as well. As you may recall, Cobb used to dabble in some return duties earlier in his career, something he has since been relieved of. Montgomery is following a similar path to making an impact on the team, as he is now the team’s full time kick return man.

For the game, the Packers rushed for 162 yards total, above their season average of 136.2 yards (third in the NFL). Eddie Lacy led the team in carries with 18 but the Packers also saw contributions from Aaron Rodgers (three carries for 33 yards), James Starks (nine carries for 28 yards), Ty Montgomery (two carries for ten yards), and John Kuhn (one carry for a one yard touchdown) in the run game. The team knows how to spread the ball and they do it well.

James Jones at it Again

October 4, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (89) runs with the football against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker (20) during the second quarter at Levi

So far in this very young season, James Jones has been a diamond in the rough. Cast off by two other teams in the span of several months, he has been critical to Green Bay’s success on offense.

True enough, his success hasn’t just been a product of the system either. It’s a given fact that Rodgers behind center makes receivers that much better but even still, much of that relies on the wideouts making plays with the ball. Jones, for one, does have incredible hands that every quarterback appreciates.

One play in particular highlights Jones’ ability to connect with Rodgers and skill to bring down a tough grab down the sideline. With under nine minutes to play in the third quarter, the Packers have the ball and are threatening to score.

Jones finds himself one-on-one with a defender deep down the field, who in fact is in better position to make a play on the ball if it is thrown towards in the middle of the field. Rodgers sees this, however, and throws a pass to the outside and well out of bounds, giving only Jones a chance to make a play. Jones sees the ball in the air, spins off the defender, snags the ball, and drops two feet down to complete the catch.

The play is good for 38 yards and eventually led to a touchdown a few plays later. So of course, Rodgers creates these plays out of thin air but relies on the receivers to uphold their end of the deal. I guess the Packers are lucky that Jones makes incredible catches on a regular basis.

October 4, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) sacks San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the third quarter at Levi

Clay Makes Plays

By now, Packers fans must be sick of hearing about Clay Matthews’ move to inside linebacker and its impact on the team. But what exactly does that mean? It’s important we make a distinction here regarding the categories of position versus function.

Matthews did not move inside because he is a “prototypical” inside linebacker. He plays inside because it allows the Packers to play the best 11 players on the field at the same time. Green Bay has more depth in pass rushers than inside linebackers and this is way to showcase that Matthews is the most important piece of this defense. Let’s examine how this plays out in a real game and what we can expect moving forward.

With 6:20 to play in the second quarter, the 49ers looked ready to score when they had a first and goal situation. On this play, Matthews was lined up towards the middle of the defense next to Nate Palmer, allowing for Nick Perry to get some reps on the outside. Perry really stepped up and was able to beat his man and sack Colin Kaepernick. On the very next play, Matthews was alone in the middle of the defense. This allowed for Jayrone Elliott to rush from the 4-3 look, cut off Kaepernick’s running lane in the middle, and burst up the middle for another sack on the quarterback.

The 49ers were forced out past the 20-yard line and on the ensuing third and goal, had to settle for a throw underneath that went for a minimal gain. The defense held its ground and kept San Francisco out of the endzone like it has all game long.

Having Matthews play inside allows for creative play calling on the part of Dom Capers. But it is not all about setting his teammates up, let’s not be mistaken. Matthews gets his fair share of opportunities rushing the quarterback also. Midway through the third quarter, Matthews was given the green light to go after Kaepernick on third down. He shot the gap over center on a blitz and sacked the quarterback for a big loss (with a little kiss on the biceps for good measure).

Matthews is the star of this defense and the whole unit seems to be clicking from where he is playing. In my book, that’s cue to keep up the good work.

Next: Green Bay Packers Experimenting in the Backfield

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