GREEN BAY – Each week during the NFL season, PackersNews reporter Pete Dougherty and Eric Baranczyk break down game film from the Green Bay Packers game, looking for significant developments.
The following is an excerpt from this week’s story. For the full story, click here.
Colston Loveland went off on Packers
The Green Bay Packers’ defense had a winning performance in keeping the Chicago Bears’ running game in check during their 31-27 wild-card playoff loss Jan. 10.
Chicago came into this game ranked No. 3 in the NFL in rushing yards per game and per carry but gained only 93 yards rushing and a measly 3.3-yard average in this game.
But the game got away from defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in the second half because he couldn’t figure out a way to stop rookie tight end Colston Loveland.
Loveland had only one catch in the first half but finished with eight receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown for the game. He kept getting open behind the Packers’ linebackers, who took relatively shallow drops even as Loveland started becoming a primary target.
Hafley presumably wanted to keep his linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage in case Caleb Williams escaped the pocket, which is when he’s most dangerous. Hafley also didn’t call a blitz-heavy game (12 total) to put pressure on Williams, which is a sign he didn’t think cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine would hold up with less help in coverage.
The other alternative would have been to mug up a linebacker on Loveland at the line of scrimmage to disrupt his routes, but Hafley did not try that either.
The alternatives aren’t great against Williams because he is so dangerous when he’s on the move. The Packers did a decent job keeping him in the pocket much of the night, and he was his usual hit-and-miss self from the pocket. He completed only half (24) of his 48 passes on the night.
But the Bears have a quality receiving corps with Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and rookie Luther Burden III, which also demands attention. Then when Loveland started gashing the Packers, Hafley had no answer.
No Trevon Diggs
It was surprising the Packers didn’t give Trevon Diggs some snaps to see if he could make a game-turning interception.
They claimed Diggs on waivers two weeks ago, and after playing him a half against Minnesota, it looked like they might have seen enough to rotate him or even start him at cornerback against the Bears. But raising that possibility during press conferences last week was apparently a ruse to force the Bears to waste some time preparing for him.
Diggs has only two interceptions since an ACL injury in 2023, and by all accounts has not been the player he was. But he was a ballhawk who had 18 interceptions in 47 games before that. He played only one snap against the Bears.
Diggs is under contract for next season, but there is zero chance the Packers will bring him back at $15.5 million in bonuses and salary. They might have brought him on just as insurance at the cornerback position in case they made a deep playoff run, though there’s also the chance they saw enough to like in practice the last two weeks to try to bring him back with a big pay cut.
Jonathan Ford helps out
Jonathan Ford didn’t do much to distinguish in his first game back with the Packers, at Minnesota in the regular-season finale. But he played much better in helping them hold running backs De’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai to 81 yards rushing and a 3.9-yard average per carry.
Ford, who played 18 snaps, had issues getting knocked off the line of scrimmage against the Vikings despite his 338-pound frame. But he held the point of attack much better against the Bears.
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers defense gets burned by Bears rookie tight end | Film review
Reporting by Pete Dougherty and Eric Baranczyk, PackersNews / Packers News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
