The Green Bay Packers laid an egg against the Chargers on the road in Week 9 but there’s no reason to worry about Aaron Rodgers and the Pack.
Nothing worked as it was supposed to for the Green Bay Packers in California on Sunday. Taking on the Chargers in Week 9, everything that seemed inevitable for Aaron Rodgers and the then 7-1 Packers to accomplish did not come to fruition. Instead, what resulted was an overall dominant win for the Bolts at home, 26-11.
Leading up to the matchup, it’s safe to say that the Packers appeared to be a leading contender in the NFC. Rodgers was playing at an MVP level, running back Aaron Jones was finally enjoying a breakout season, Za’Darius Smith and the defense were performing well and Davante Adams was set to come back. Then came the second loss of the 2019 season.
With Adams back in the fold, Green Bay laid a massive egg. Rodgers was efficient (23-of-35) but not productive as he averaged a paltry 4.6 yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Jones and Jamaal Williams had 10 carries for only 40 yards on the ground. And as the defense faced a Chargers offensive line that’s been awful for much of the year, they managed only two sacks, six quarterback hits and gave up 150 rushing yards on 32 carries to Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler.
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If you subscribe to overreactions and hyperbole, you might be saying that a loss to a Los Angeles club that was 3-5 entering this contest proves that the Packers are not the possible contenders many thought they might be. However, that’s nothing but noise at this point.
Matt LaFleur’s team losing on the road in Week 9 is simply one of those games that happens. Coming off of a big primetime win over the Chiefs and eyeing a crucial matchup with the Panthers in Week 10, the Packers traveled to Carson and were not locked in. You can criticize the coaching slightly but these are simply scenarios that play out for every team every season, even some of the best in the league.
This isn’t to say that the Packers are perfect and have nothing to address after the loss. The run defense remains suspect under Mike Pettine, Rodgers needs to get in sync with his receivers, especially with Adams returning to the lineup and the offensive line simply needs to be a better overall unit.
After nine weeks, though, there are no perfect NFL teams. Every group has their flaws and can offer up a letdown at any point. The Packers aren’t immune to that, which is what was on display on Sunday.
Where Green Bay should still inspire confidence, though, is that their highest heights are as good (or close to it) as any team in the league. As they leave California, they’ll certainly show more of that than the under-performance they did in Week 9. Put simply, don’t fret over the second loss of the regular season in a tricky spot. The Packers will be just fine.