Packers vs. Colts: Full Report Card Grades for Green Bay
So far this season, we have seen the Green Bay Packers get ugly wins over teams they should have defeated soundly, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, and now we've seen them suffer an ugly loss to the same in the Indianapolis Colts.
Indianapolis defeated Green Bay 31-26 at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
The Colts came into Sunday's game with an offensive line that has allowed the most sacks and hits on a quarterback in the NFL and a secondary that was allowing opponents 287.8 passing yards per game, the third-most in the league.
However, the Packers couldn't capitalize on their matchup advantages against Indianapolis. The front seven managed just two sacks on Andrew Luck, and the secondary allowed gains of 20 or more yards to three different Colts receivers, including one to Donte Moncrief that put the nail in the coffin in the fourth quarter.
Though the Packers offense mounted a late-game rally to bring the final score to within a touchdown, the defense couldn't get the stop.
The Colts outplayed the Packers in all three phases of the game. Let's break down the performance of each individual position group.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Aaron Rodgers' stats didn't look so bad by the end of the game; he finished with 297 passing yards and three touchdowns to one interception.
However, Rodgers completed just 60 percent of his passes, and many of his yards came in the fourth quarter as the Packers attempted a late rally.
Rodgers was also lucky he only got credited with the one interception on the day; he threw two on successive plays, but the previous pick was called back because of offsetting penalties.
The receivers didn't always help him on Sunday. He had a beautiful and well-thrown deep pass to Jeff Janis that the receiver just couldn't bring in. And when Rodgers looked good, he looked unstoppable, such as on his touchdown strike to Randall Cobb.
However, the signal-caller continued to appear to give up easy, short completions in favor of the big play, which prohibited the Packers from marching down the field and taking time off the clock.
The Packers offense can't put together a consistent game, either coming out hot and disappearing in the second half or, as we saw against the Colts, only beginning to click when it's too late. And a lot of that rests on Rodgers and his ability to get the ball out quickly.
Grade: C
Running Back
2 of 10
For the second week in a row, the Packers' quarterback and wide receivers had more carries and rushing yards than any halfback on the roster.
Don Jackson did play, but he only carried the ball four times for 16 yards. The Packers totaled 116 yards on the ground on a mix of attempts from Ty Montgomery, Rodgers, Jackson and fullback Aaron Ripkowski.
The Packers need James Starks to return as soon as possible because their one-dimensional offense is making it difficult for them to win.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the Packers are expected to sign free-agent running back Joique Bell on Monday, and that could provide a boost this unit desperately needs.
We're not giving any more passes for wide receivers making plays in the backfield. This unit is broken.
Grade: F+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Finding the end zone just isn't going to be enough for the Packers pass-catchers to earn high grades if the game still ends in a loss.
Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Cobb all connected with Rodgers for touchdowns on Sunday, but the receivers didn't do enough to change the outcome of the game.
Cobb didn't even appear likely to play despite being active, as he didn't see his first snap until the second half of the game. Though he did connect with Rodgers on a crucial three-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Packers attempted to mount a comeback, he finished his day with just two receptions for 14 yards.
If Cobb were healthy enough to play, he should have made more of an impact in this game.
Nelson had a respectable 94 yards and the aforementioned touchdown, but seven receptions on 13 targets meant there were opportunities left on the field.
Speaking of missed opportunities, one of the biggest gaffes of the game was when Janis completely dropped a beautifully thrown deep ball in the second quarter that could have set the Packers up to score heading into halftime.
One of the only positive developments of the day for this receiving corps was the fact the Packers finally got tight end Richard Rodgers involved in the offense. He caught six passes for 64 yards and, to begin the game, was targeted more than any other player.
Grade: C-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Aaron Rodgers took more sacks (three) than Colts counterpart Andrew Luck (two) on Sunday, which flipped the script considering Indianapolis' offensive line has more most sacks and hits on Luck than any other quarterback in the league has taken.
The Colts also got four hits on Rodgers.
However, aside from the pressures on the quarterback, the offensive line continued to perform admirably overall given the strain the Packers', and specifically Rodgers', style of play puts on them.
Rodgers clung to the ball as he continually searched out the big play rather than using quick checkdowns to move the ball down the field and limit the amount of time the linemen needed to hold their blocks.
It wasn't a stellar performance, especially given David Bakhtiari's offensive holding penalty that brought about a 1st-and-20 at the Colts' 32-yard-line. But it could have been a lot worse.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Perhaps the single greatest failure Green Bay had on Sunday was the defensive line's inability to pressure Andrew Luck against one of the league's worst offensive lines.
The Packers managed to sack Luck just twice on Sunday. One was split between safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and outside linebacker Nick Perry. Safety Morgan Burnett recorded the other.
That's right: None of the Packers' defensive linemen were able to bring Luck to the ground despite the fact that heading into Sunday's game, the Colts had allowed 31 sacks on Luck—the most in the league.
Mike Daniels, who should have had a field day against the leaky Colts offensive line, managed just one hit on Luck. It was the same case with Mike Pennel. Letroy Guion did not touch the quarterback.
The Packers' fitness to beat the Colts hinged on their ability to take advantage of this particular matchup, and the defensive line did not deliver.
Grade: F
Linebacker
6 of 10
It's perhaps not fair to judge a unit based on the players who were not on the field, but one of the biggest takeaways for Green Bay's linebackers versus the Colts was how much the unit missed Clay Matthews.
Like their teammates on the defensive line, the linebackers weren't able to get the job done against a Colts offensive line that has been underperforming all season but somehow managed to look stout against the Packers.
Perry teamed up with Clinton-Dix for half a sack, but he's the only linebacker who managed to take Luck down.
Kyler Fackrell came up with a pass defensed. As did Datone Jones. And Jake Ryan had a clutch play in coverage when he prevented a Dwayne Allen touchdown. But that was pretty much the entire list of positives for this unit on Sunday.
Grade: D+
Secondary
7 of 10
The Packers secondary has been ravaged by injuries, and the unit needs to rely on defensive coordinator Dom Capers' guidance in order to get the most out of the players it does have available.
Still, even a week that saw cornerback Quinten Rollins return from injury didn't produce great results on the field.
Burnett was all over the place, sacking Luck off the edge and getting a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. But he was more instrumental at the line of scrimmage than downfield.
When it came to the Colts' pass-catchers, the Packers didn't have many answers. T.Y. Hilton had 82 yards to his name; tight end Jack Doyle finished his day with 61.
Moncrief added 55 yards and a touchdown, 39 of those yards coming off a huge play in the fourth quarter that set up a Frank Gore rushing touchdown. LaDarius Gunter, who shut down Julio Jones last time out, looked lost.
Three Colts receivers had completions of 20 or more yards. The final kick in the gut was on the last drive of the game, on which the Packers needed to get a stop in order to get the ball back. But on 3rd-and-2, Luck connected with Hilton for a 27-yard gain that sealed the deal.
The loss does not rest squarely on the shoulders of the defense, but the unit failed when the team needed a big stop.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
One of the only bright spots on special teams for the Packers was punter Jake Schum, who averaged 48.3 yards on four punts with a long of 65.
But it was an ugly day overall for the unit, which began its blunders on the opening kickoff, when the coverage unit allowed Colts running back Jordan Todman to return the kick 99 yards to go up 7-0 mere seconds into the game.
Mason Crosby also missed only his second field goal of the season, in a game in which the Packers desperately needed any points they could get.
Grade: F
Coaching
9 of 10
The Packers did not go into Sunday's game with a winning game plan. Nor did they make the necessary adjustments to defeat an opponent that shouldn't have been a difficult test.
Once again, it was not a halfback but a wide receiver and quarterback who led the team in rushing. Jackson was an afterthought.
The Packers activated Cobb but didn't get him involved until the second half. They also waited about that long to target Montgomery on a pass out of the backfield, something that has sparked the offense previously this season.
Capers couldn't help the defensive line take advantage of a poor Colts offensive line, and his secondary was unable to contain the Colts receivers, especially when it mattered most, such as on the last drive of the game.
Injuries are not an excuse because the Packers have won other games with more players sitting out. On Sunday, this team was poorly coached and had poor execution to boot.
Grade: D-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Quarterback | C |
| Running Back | F+ |
| Wide Receiver/Tight End | C- |
| Offensive Line | B- |
| Defensive Line | F |
| Linebacker | D+ |
| Secondary | D |
| Special Teams | F |
| Coaching | D- |
| Final Grade | D- |
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