The Green Bay Packers had a golden opportunity to improve their playoff odds in Week 14 against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. After seeing their offense struggle to consistently move the ball all evening, Jordan Love orchestrated a go-ahead touchdown drive to help the team take the lead with 1:33 remaining in the game.
All the Packers needed was for their defense to step up and stop undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy Devito and the Giants’ offense. That was too much to ask for, as DeVito drove the Giants right down the field for a game-winning field goal as time expired.
The 24-22 loss significantly dropped the Packers’ odds of making the playoffs, as their record now sits at 6-7 on the season. Week 15 is a must-win game for Green Bay against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, otherwise, they can pretty much kiss the postseason goodbye.
For the Packers to make that playoff push, defensive coordinator Joe Barry has to make some adjustments to his game plan. The final drive was something fans have become all to accustomed to seeing as Barry dropped his defense into a soft zone and watched New York pick it apart.
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The Giants gained 57 yards on five plays before Devonte Wyatt stopped Saquon Barkley for a three-yard loss. However, by that time, the damage was already done as New York was deep in Green Bay territory. It was something that ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes ripped the team apart for.
“We’ve seen them, at the end of the game on that final drive, the enormous cushions that they were ceding, despite the fact that the Giants only needed to get into field goal territory. I don’t know what it’s going to take what it’s going to take for Green Bay to stop playing that style of passing defense in big moments, but if it’s infuriating for you and me to watch it and say the same things; I can only imagine how infuriating [it] is [for] that fan base, to see this unit continue to have the problems season after season despite their talent.”
The Packers struggled to get pressure on DeVito all night, as he wasn’t sacked once in the game. However, dropping into a soft zone certainly was not the answer in stopping him, as it gave him time to scan the field and find holes on the defense to move the ball down the field.
Had the Giants needed to score a touchdown, it would have been one thing. Soft zone keeping the plays in front of you and making tackles to keep the clock moving would have made a little more sense. But, knowing they only needed a field goal to win the game, opting for that kind of defense was a major gaffe on Berry’s part.
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