Burgundy & Gold Reaction: Wasted Opportunities

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October 26, 2021

by David Earl

Packers Best Defense was Our Offense

This image goes a long way to describe a game in which the only roadblock for Washington’s offense was themselves. Washington’s near 200 yard rushing (including 95 yards by Heinicke) performance plus outgaining the Packers by 126 total yards was neutralized by 0 points with 4 trips into the red zone. To be fair it wasn’t necessarily Joe Barry’s dead last redzone defense stiffening up but an unneeded dive in which Heinicke was ruled down short of the goal line and a sure-handed McLaurin dropping a touchdown. On what was a typical drive of the day in which the team marched downfield with ease, Heinicke scrambled right on a 3rd and goal play, but was ruled down just outside the goal line under a ridiculous (but correct) call of giving himself up. On the following 4th and goal, Washington turned the ball over on downs after the unnecessary dive by Heinicke. Then, after a forced 3 and out, McLaurin dropped what should have been a touchdown on Washington’s 3rd drive of the second half. The shame of this drop was that McLaurin grabbed an earlier touchdown on a 50/50 ball for 40 yards capping off Washington’s opening drive of the game, but then dropped the easier catch. Ron Rivera went again on 4th down after that drop only to have an incomplete pass Ricky Seals-Jones.

While it was great to see Heinicke using his legs more and Scott Turner getting him more out on the edge, his arm is lacks consistency. In the first half alone he sailed 4 passes high with a notable pass high to McLaurin inside the 10 yard line on their second possession which resulted in a blocked field goal. I’m unsure if it’s bad mechanics or just Heinicke trying to process too much at once (paralysis by analysis), but the high throws are just too common each week. So, the Taylor Heinicke story has been fun to witness and he’s certainly proved to be a potentially reliable backup quality NFL quarterback, but Rivera will most certainly need to come away with a stronger solution next offseason. Regardless of the defensive line talent and offensive line depth, this team will continuously be limited and held back without a franchise quarterback.

Defense Was Improved BUT!!!

Aaron Rodgers faced continuous pressure by Washington’s defensive line and Jonathan Allen was again a force with 2 sacks; plus, Montez Sweat made a turnstile of the Packers’ left tackle all game. Landon Collins playing the “buffalo nickel” role (linebacker, in reality) was not a coverage liability, recording 7 tackles and being strong against the run. Taking away Benjamin St-Juste‘s pass interference that didn’t even require any contact on the wide receiver as he could have made a clean play on the ball, he played fairly well against one of the league’s best in Davante Adams. The front 7 played exceptionally well against the run, holding the Packers to 57 total rushing yards. Chase Young was disruptive in both the run and pass game. With that, all said Aaron Rodgers took advantage of Washington’s weak linebacker pass coverage and the inexperienced Danny Johnson. Prior to finally giving Johnson help, Adam Lazard’s only action came in Green Bay’s final first half drive, in which he had 5 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown against Danny Johnson. Of course, not to be outdone by Johnson’s poor series of plays, Robert Tonyan had his breakout game after what had been a quiet season to this point with two plays that stood out. On Green Bay’s opening drive of the second half, they isolated Robert Tonyan on rookie Jamin Davis for a 20 yard touchdown pass. Davis gave up inside leverage on that play and couldn’t recover. Then, on the Packers’ third drive of the second half, Cole Holcomb allowed a free release to Marcedes Lewis on 3rd and 4 up the seam for 26 yards. It’s no secret that Washington’s linebackers are a liability in coverage, but it’s something the fans have been too used to seeing over the past several years. Jamin Davis is young and could become that guy but right now the defense is not at a level at which they can be truly dominant down the stretch. One last thing: can we please NEVER see Chase Young drop back in coverage again? That 17 yard TD pass to Adams was just a pitch and catch against Young.

In Closing

In what was a good start in the first half, the defensive line showed why it was as hyped as it was heading into the season. I’ll admit to holding onto some optimism entering halftime, only to once again see this team continue to disappoint. This team cannot take advantage of miscues, offensively cannot get out of their own way, and is far away defensively to be considered a championship unit. While this all seems like regurgitated comments (yes they are by the way), it’s just the fact Washington’s fans have little reason to be confident and upbeat heading into each contest. The super fans aside, who find a way to overlook this team’s faults (God bless your resolve), the continued hype and false promises of the offseason just never translate as we enter November with yet again a losing record. To be honest, I am personally tired of Ron Rivera talking about the things he’s been impressed with and the positive strides they are making. This team is 2-5 and they are what their record says – BAD! No, I am not giving up on Ron Rivera, not even close, but the clock officially starts next offseason, beginning with a young quarterback to groom plus his moves to this point need to start paying dividends. I am personally tired of feeling so numb to these losses, and I’m aggravated that I find myself looking for the positives in a game or season, because I am not about the “Moral Victory.” Aside from RGII’s rookie season, last year’s performance against the Bucs in the playoffs, and the Gibbs 2.0 era with the great Sean Taylor, there hasn’t been much to be upbeat about while under Dan’s ownership.