5 Adjustments Green Bay Packers Must Make in Week 2 Matchup with Seahawks

The ends justified the means, as it were, in the Green Bay Packers' 31-23 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. 

While the Packers didn't play perfectly, especially in defending against the run and with 10 accepted penalties, they outplayed their opponent. The offense, missing top wideout Jordy Nelson, forged a new identity. 

Green Bay faces a tough challenge in Week 2, hosting the Seattle Seahawks at home. But Seattle showed enough cracks during its loss to the St. Louis Rams of which the Packers can plan to take advantage.

The following five adjustments could help the Packers earn a second consecutive victory to start their season undefeated—against two conference opponents, no less.  

Get TE Richard Rodgers More Involved

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The Packers have a second-year tight end ready to make a jump in Richard Rodgers, and he could have a breakout year if they give him that opportunity within the game plan. 

With the loss of Nelson, one of the team's biggest receivers at 6'3" and 217 pounds, Rodgers, at 6'4" and 257 pounds, easily becomes quarterback Aaron Rodgers' biggest target and presents an opportunity to create defensive mismatches. 

That fact becomes especially important because the Packers have to adjust the way the offense works its way down the field after losing Nelson. In 2014, Nelson caught seven touchdown passes of 40 or more yards and was a constant deep target for Rodgers. 

But on Sunday against the Bears, "Rodgers did not even attempt a pass that traveled more than 30 yards in the air, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and he tried just two that traveled more than 20," ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reported. 

So if the Packers offense is going to be taking longer to drive down the field with shorter passing attempts (a good thing, because it eats up clock), Richard Rodgers, with his athleticism and sure hands, should be a primary factor in that plan. 

On Sunday, the tight end had three targets and caught all three for 27 yards. Against the Seahawks defense, the Packers would do well to increase Rodgers' involvement. 

With the return of wide receiver James Jones, who caught three touchdown passes Sunday (though only two counted), there's less of an onus on Richard Rodgers to be a proficient red-zone target. Still, the Bears weren't quite expecting what Jones was able to do, but the Seahawks will be, so sending Richard Rodgers on end-zone routes into the red zone will give Aaron Rodgers options if Jones is covered. 

Limit Penalties

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The Packers committed 10 penalties for 74 yards against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, two of which either gave the Bears points or took points off the board for Green Bay. 

Two particularly egregious mistakes included an offside penalty on cornerback Sam Shields that allowed the Bears to score a touchdown rather than settle for a field goal and an offensive holding call on offensive tackle David Bakhtiari that negated an eight-yard Jones touchdown.

Penalties were an issue for the Packers in the preseason, as well. In the preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Packers had a whopping 15 penalties. 

Though there is some new youth on the team, experienced veterans—Shields, Bakhtiari—are committing many of the penalties. There's no excuse for preventable mistakes taking points off the board for the Packers, and against the Seahawks, the difference between a field goal and a touchdown could prove to be crucial to the end result.

Get RB Eddie Lacy More Involved as a Receiver

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First things first: Eddie Lacy is a powerful, hard-hitting runner operating inside a zone-blocking scheme, and using him that way is to the Packers' ultimate benefit. 

But after Lacy displayed what he can do with his hands Sunday against the Bears, snagging a flip toss from Aaron Rodgers one-handed and turning upfield to run with it, the Packers should plan to toss a few more passes his way against the Seahawks in Week 2. 

Lacy had four receiving touchdowns and 42 receptions for 427 yards in 2014, up from 35 catches in his rookie year. He averaged just under three receptions a game. 

The Seahawks defense will have a pick-your-poison game plan against the Packers, having to either commit to stopping the run or taking away the pass. Without Nelson, however, it's not likely the Seahawks go two-deep over the top at safety. 

Having Lacy built into the game plan as a receiver on certain plays will help the Packers march down the field against the first and second levels of Seattle's defense. His ability to shed tacklers and fight for yards after the catch makes him a good weapon against that front. 

Drop Clay Matthews into Coverage

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When Clay Matthews moved inside during the second half of the 2014 season, it was for the express purpose of improving the run defense.

It did.

In the first half of the season, the Packers were dead-last in the league in run defense. After Matthews moved inside, they improved to No. 6, per Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. 

Heading into this season, the presumption was that Matthews would continue to play inside next to Sam Barrington on run downs and would move outside to rush the passer on third downs, with Nate Palmer moving inside. 

However, Barrington left the game against the Bears with an ankle injury, as the team shared on Twitter, and Palmer had to take over for him full-time. Given the lack of depth behind them on the depth chart (with linebacker Jake Ryan the only other available option and playing only on special teams), Matthews remained inside on many third downs. 

As it turns out, though, Matthews was moved inside to defend the run, and he's good in coverage, too.

On perhaps the most memorable play of the day, Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler attempted to connect with Martellus Bennett on a short pass in the fourth quarter, and before Bennett even knew what was happening, Matthews had launched himself in front of the pass and came away with it. 

Matthews is one of the best edge-rushers in the game today. But with the Packers facing the prospect of going against Seattle's offense with a depleted middle, Matthews is needed more on the inside and not just in run situations.

Two words: Jimmy Graham. 

And it sounds like Matthews is having a little bit of fun in his new role, too. 

Per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky: "When asked what his responsibility was on that play, Matthews, while trying to keep a straight face, said: 'Get an interception. Drop into coverage. Make a pick. Be the hero.'"

Get DL Datone Jones Involved in Bringing Pressure, Run Support

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There's a silver lining for the Packers' front seven despite its less-than-stellar performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 1: defensive lineman Datone Jones, returning in Week 2 from a one-game suspension, can hopefully give the unit a boost. 

Though Jones ranked 39th out of 47 qualifying 3-4 defensive ends against the run in 2014, per Pro Football Focus, he was much better bringing pressure. Jones was the 13th-best defensive end in pass rushing, with two sacks, two QB hits and 15 hurries. 

Getting Jones back won't be a magic fix for all of the Packers' problems in run defense. He may not even start in the 3-4 base defense against Seattle, given that fast-rising Mike Pennel got that nod in Week 1.

But—especially if it's coupled with the return of Morgan Burnett—Jones is another body the Packers can use to bring pressure on Seattle QB Russell Wilson and disrupt him from taking off and using his feet against Green Bay.