January
Green Bay Packers: An Early Look at the Week Ahead
Harris has emerged as Green Bay’s offensive X-factor over the past month
The Green Bay Packers finally won a home playoff game, their first since 2008. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings and they’re now moving forward to the Divisional Round of the playoffs and will travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers.
That the Packers beat Minnesota should still be front of mind and reason to celebrate. I say “should” because while I believe in the “24 hour rule” (whereby you give yourself 24 hours to revel a win or wallow in a loss), for some reason I have already moved on and am thinking critically about next week’s game.
Since there is no NFC North Preview this week (and I am ecstatic about which team in the division is the only one left standing!), I’ll focus on an early look at the week ahead and what the win over Minnesota told us about what to expect.
One Big Positive
The Packers have found a running game. DuJuan Harris, who was claimed off waivers just a few weeks ago, has sparked the ground game and also added a valuable check down for Aaron Rodgers. Time and time again, Harris was not only a safety valve for Aaron Rodgers but the Packers got a ton of production from him in the passing game.
How scary is the thought that an already-potent Green Bay offense may also have a formidable screen game? Technically it’s part of the passing game but a well-timed screen can act just like a run. It draws in an active defense like San Francisco’s and can burn them if they over pursue.
