Green Bay Packers: 3 Takeaways vs Falcons in Week 2
By Nick Sparrow
2. The Packers defense has a mirage in Week 1
At the end of Week 1, it appeared as though Green Bay’s defense had become an elite unit in the league. The Packers held Seattle to only nine points in their opening game, preventing them from scoring a single touchdown. Green Bay also recorded three sacks against the Seahawks and consistently harassed quarterback Russell Wilson throughout the game.
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The defense was significantly less effective in Week 2. The Packers allowed the Falcons to score 24 points in the first half alone. By the end of the game, Green Bay allowed the Falcons to rack up 364 total offensive yards.
There were some bright spots for the Packers defense, however. The Packers only allowed three offensive points to the Falcons in the entire second half (Atlanta also scored a defensive touchdown at the start of the half, but there is nothing the Packers defense can do about that). This game was also the debut of Kevin King, the Packers second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. King performed well for his NFL debut and looks like he will be a talented addition to Packers secondary as the season progresses and he is able to gain experience.
Some of the Packers defensive woes can be contributed to the loss of Mike Daniels. Daniels was responsible for much of the pressure Green Bay was able to apply to Seattle in Week 1, as Daniels had a career day recording five tackles and 1.5 sacks. Daniels was constantly in the backfield in Week 1, but a hamstring game took him out of Sunday’s game early and he was unable to return.