Biggest Takeaways from Green Bay Packers' Week 12 Loss

The halftime ceremony for the retirement of Brett Favre's number was the high point for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. 

Things went downhill quickly from there. 

Despite jumping out to an early lead, the Packers fell behind the Chicago Bears in the second quarter and never overtook them again, despite having plenty of opportunities. 

But an Eddie Lacy fumble, multiple drops by the wide receivers and an Aaron Rodgers interception that was really the fault of Davante Adams, who stopped short on a route, were among the mistakes that doomed this matchup for Green Bay. 

It's hard to ignore the glaring reality that, 12 weeks into the season, there is something wrong at the core of this Packers offense, something that goes beyond player execution. While the Packers' mistakes continue to doom them, coaching and play-calling have also contributed to the poor play this season. 

Let's break down five takeaways from this week's game and look ahead to the Week 13 divisional matchup against the Detroit Lions. 

Davante Adams Is a Liability on the Field

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Needless to say, Davante Adams has not developed into the top receiver the Packers needed him to be in his sophomore season. 

After a breakout rookie season, the 2014 second-round draft selection has regressed in 2015. 

In addition to having multiple drops on the season—Pro Football Focus puts the number at seven heading into Week 12, but the film indicates it's much higher—Adams has also taken a step back in his route-running ability. 

Aaron Rodgers' interception was the direct result of Adams stopping short on his route and allowing Tracy Porter to step in front of the ball. 

And later, as the Packers took their final shots into the end zone to try to win the game, Adams stepped in front of a pass Rodgers had intended for Randall Cobb.

Eddie Lacy Making Rookie Mistakes, but He's Offense's Highest Performer

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Eddie Lacy's production has continued to trend upward since his breakout performance in Week 11, but that doesn't mean the Packers rusher has been free from mistakes. 

Lacy had to be benched twice Thursday for his transgressions. The first misstep came in the first quarter on the Packers' only touchdown of the game. As he ran in a 25-yard touchdown pass, showiness overcame common sense, and he flipped the ball as he crossed the goal line. 

Because it was ruled a touchdown on the field, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the call, but replays showed that if any part of the ball did cross the plane before Lacy flipped it, it was the very tip at most. 

The move landed Lacy on the bench for the next series, but he couldn't stay there long: He already had 54 rushing yards, 34 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown to that point. 

However, his next error completely changed the momentum of the game. At the beginning of the second quarter, Lacy fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by Chicago's Lamarr Houston. The Bears scored on the ensuing drive. 

James Starks was the only back to take the field on Green Bay's next drive, but given that the Packers needed to establish balance on offense, Lacy wasn't punished for long. He did end up with more than 100 rushing yards on the night, but his fumble was costly. 

Head coach Mike McCarthy got to the bottom line after the loss. "Eddie Lacy has played very well the last two weeks, but he needs to take care of the football," McCarthy said, per the team's Twitter account. 

Packers Need to Run the Ball More

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

On Thursday night, the Packers rushed 28 times. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball 43 times.

They should have attempted more carries, even while playing from behind—because the passing game was not, and has not been, working. 

Eddie Lacy averaged a whopping 6.2 yards per attempt on his 17 carries. James Starks averaged 5.6 on his seven. 

Meanwhile, Rodgers completed just 51 percent of his passes and averaged only 4.7 yards per attempt. 

As the Packers fell further behind the Bears and began running out of time, they went to the passing game almost exclusively in an attempt to score. 

On the final drive, Rodgers passed 12 times, and the Packers ran it just once. 

The most critical failure in balance on offense came in the Packers' final four shots in the red zone. Rodgers threw four incomplete passes from the 8-yard line; James Jones dropped the first one, and Davante Adams stepped in front of the final one, which was actually intended for Randall Cobb. 

"I don’t know the final numbers, but we would’ve probably liked to have a few more [rushing] attempts," guard T.J. Lang said, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. 

Jeff Janis Solidifying Job as Punt Returner, Making Case for Snaps on Offense

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

It's clear from his performance on punt returns over the last two games that Jeff Janis has the burst, vision and cutback ability to be a dynamic player when he has the ball. 

In Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings, Janis had a punt return of 70 yards, which he followed up with a 64-yard return against the Bears Thursday.

Janis earned an opportunity on special teams when receiver Ty Montgomery injured his ankle. But though he has impressed in returning the ball, his offensive opportunities have still been limited. 

It's hard to imagine how Janis' route running, hands or whatever else the coaches are concerned about could be that much worse than, say, Davante Adams, who dropped at least three passes Thursday night. 

"Jeff Janis is coming on, no doubt about it," head coach Mike McCarthy said in his press conference Friday, per the Packers' Twitter account. "Jeff is getting more opportunities. He's earned that."

Janis may be earning opportunities on special teams, and he was in to block on a few offensive plays, but he didn't have any targets in the receiving game Thursday. 

Given how poorly the offense has performed this season, perhaps that should change in the coming weeks. 

Defense Is Better with Quinten Rollins on the Field

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

Quinten Rollins hasn't had many opportunities to get onto the field this season with 99 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. 

Compare that to fellow rookie Damarious Randall's 557 snaps or Casey Hayward's and Sam Shields' 600-plus snaps. 

But with defensive back Micah Hyde out of the game and Randall exiting with a knee injury, Rollins was in on 28 plays and made the most out of them, per Pro Football Focus. 

When he wasn't getting pressure on Jay Cutler, including a sack and a hit, Rollins had a pass defensed and two tackles for loss. 

All in all, he ended up with the second-highest grade of the game among all defensive players by Pro Football Focus, just behind Mike Daniels.