One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Titans defeat Packers 27-17

The flash of hope that the Packers' overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10 could turn around the season may have just been a mirage.

A short turnaround for a Thursday night game against the Tennessee Titans had many of the problems plaguing Green Bay this season re-appear, as the Titans held on to a 27-17 win at Lambeau Field.

While the defense held the league's leading rusher in Derrick Henry to 87 yards on 28 carries, they allowed over 400 yards of offense- which was due in part to the play of Titans QB Ryan Tannehill.

The 34-year old had his best performance of the season, throwing for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns and finishing with a 127.3 rating. His top target, rookie Treylon Burks, caused problems for the Green Bay secondary with 7 catches for 111 yards- two of them going for 40+ yards.

Overall, the Packers struggled to contain on the crossing routes- giving up an additional 3 catches for 30 or more yards.

While Tannehill flourished, he did have some pressure on him. Quay Walker, Preston Smith, and Krys Barnes combined for 3 sacks and 5 QB hits, and Rasul Douglas had an interception in the 4th quarter (that ultimately resulted in a three-and-out).

The biggest moral victory for the defense was forcing a turnover on downs in the 2nd quarter at the Packers 4-yard line, as Tennessee came up empty on a drive that took 18 plays, 61 yards, and lasted 10 minutes.

With the opportunities to make up ground, the Packers never got the car running offensively- as if they had left the keys back on the kitchen table.

The offense for Green Bay made some great plays, but looked flat just a few days removed from overcoming a 14-point deficit against Dallas. Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 39 passes for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns, but struggled on third down with 6 incompletions. Rodgers has been dealing with the effects of a right thumb injury since it was injured on the final play against the Giants in Week 5, and it has notably affected the 38-year old QB's throwing mobility.

Randall Cobb, in his first game back from an ankle injury sustained in Week 6, led all Green Bay pass catchers with 73 yards on 6 catches and did not drop any targets. Rookie Christian Watson caught both of Rodgers's touchdown passes, bringing his season total to 5 touchdowns in the last 2 games and leads all rookie wide receivers in touchdown receptions.

Aaron Jones didn't do much damage against the league's top ranked run defense, only gaining 40 yards on 12 carries. With how limited the run game was, the play-calling shifted toward throwing the ball against a pass defense ranked 31st in the league.

Strong results weren't warranted, unfortunately.

The Packers had 3 drives in the 4th quarter and all of them stalled, two of them on fourth down. They gained only 45 yards offensively as the Titans' final stop came before the two minute warning and with Green Bay completely out of timeouts.

It has been a trying season for the 2022 Green Bay Packers. The offense has fallen under its own weight and the defense has been overworked. With the loss, the team's record sits at 4-7, third place in the NFC North and 3 games out of a Wild Card spot.

An upcoming road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, who own the best record in the league with a 9-1 mark, probably doesn't inspire much confidence. The Eagles also lead the NFC in points scored and points per game, and are 2nd in the league for total yards allowed defensively. The Packers defense will have their hands full for a unit led by emerging starter Jalen Hurts, and the offense will need some chemistry in the backfield and downfield to keep themselves from slipping off a platform that's already pretty icy.