3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 7 Win

The world at large was not likely as panicked about the state of the Green Bay Packers following their 38-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6 as Packers fans themselves (or maybe just Packers Twitter). Many experts had the matchup circled on the schedule as an L before the season even began.

But the Packers reassured their backers in a big way Sunday with their decisive 35-20 victory over the Houston Texas, improving their away record to 3-1 and their overall record to 5-1.

A now-patented comfort and familiarity between Aaron Rodgers and his top target, Davante Adams, a statement game from running back Jamaal Williams and some marked improvements on defense stood out in Sunday's tilt.

It's not to say the Packers appeared flawless in their fifth victory of the season, but they proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the league's best teams.

Let's examine three takeaways from the Packers' Week 7 win.

When the Packers ruled out running back Aaron Jones on Sunday, fans were more than a little apprehensive.

And it's completely understandable; Jones is not only the team's leading rusher, as expected, with 389 yards on 75 attempts, averaging a whopping 5.2 yards per carry, but he's also been instrumental in the passing game.

Jones' 161 receiving yards are fifth among Packers pass-catchers, but when you account for the nature of his receptions and take into account his actual usage, it becomes clear how much coach Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers alike value his hands. Jones' 18 receptions are tied with tight end Robert "Big Bob" Tonyan for second-most on the season. 

Then there's Jones' red-zone prowess; his seven touchdowns (five rushing, two receiving) not only lead his team but, heading into Week 7, saw him tied for tops in the league. 

Without Jones in the lineup Sunday, however, it fell to Jamaal Williams to lead the multi-pronged attack. He was up to the task and then some. His 19 carries helped the Packers marry their run and pass games, so crucial to the LaFleur offense, and the only player Rodgers targeted more than him in the passing game was Davante Adams.

Speaking of Adams, he had high praise for Williams after the win. "His energy, just everything he brings to our team, is just positive," Adams said, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "We love him out there."

Adams himself has missed two games this season, but in the receiving corps as well, the next-man-up mentality has helped steer the Packers to a 5-1 record approaching the midpoint of the season. With Adams out in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, third-year wideout Allen Lazard recorded a whopping 146 yards on six receptions and a touchdown.

In Week 4's Monday night tilt against the Atlanta Falcons, with Adams and Lazard out, it was Tonyan who took up the mantle to the tune of 98 yards on six catches and a monstrous three touchdowns. 

Nearly every week this season, the Packers offense has been missing a top weapon. But almost comically at this point, the next man up has emerged to make national headlines. You can imagine an SNL skit in which the Packers keep losing weapons until they are plucking bystanders off the street who somehow put up 100 yards and a score in Green Bay's offense.

The Packers satisfied almost nobody with the moves they made this offseason to bolster the wide receiver position (because they didn't make any). Yet right now, general manager Brian Gutekunst and LaFleur sure deserve the benefit of the doubt. 

Coming up to halfway through the 2020 NFL season, a familiar, fear-inducing Packers narrative has been threatening to play out: a high-octane offense is kept from the chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy by a defense with too many flaws to overcome.

The Packers are seventh in yards per game (396.6) and third in points (32.4), but the defense is a different story. Green Bay sits in the middle of the league in yards allowed per game (347.4) and is giving up nearly 30 points per game (27.8).

They are also not creating opportunities; the Packers are tied with the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders for the least takeaways of any team in the league.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's desire for more pressure has been obvious in theory if not in execution, but he made strides in that direction Sunday. His unit was criticized for failing to ruffle Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, but against Houston, the Packers were able to pressure Deshaun Watson on 30 percent of his dropbacks.

Za'Darius Smith was a big part of it, with his sack and two quarterback hits. Adrian Amos and Krys Barnes got in on the sack party as well (after all, they do tend to come in bunches). Pettine also dialed up the blitz, something his detractors have been calling for all season.

In the backfield, Jaire Alexander effectively took Will Fuller out of the game; the wideout had only 35 yards on three receptions total, but none came against Alexander.

Pettine's unit may still prove to be a counterweight the Packers offense has to continue to balance out all season, but there's no doubt it made a step in the right direction Sunday.

There was a lot to love about the Packers' two-score win on Sunday, but anyone who watched Aaron Rodgers closely knows that the box score doesn't tell the whole story of his performance.

Sure, Rodgers' 283 yards, four touchdowns, 68 percent completion rate and zero interceptions for a near-perfect 132.4 rating seem like everything you would want out of a signal-caller. But for a team that has aspirations to be playing into February, quarterback play has to be consistent as well as dazzling, and there were a few plays Sunday that had fans (and, likely, LaFleur) wincing.

Rodgers made headlines during training camp when he intimated that he saw something in his tape from 2010 that he was planning to implement in his play this season. He thought it made a "big difference," and sure enough, he was carving it up at practice after that, unleashing long bombs left and right. His passes were so pretty that they could have filled a scrapbook.

Those who follow the team closely had two theories: Rodgers was tweaking his footwork and/or he was planning to attack the middle of the field more. Sure enough, as the 2020 season has gotten underway, Rodgers' fundamentals and discipline looked markedly different than in recent seasons, especially regarding his footwork.

By stepping into his throws and keeping his back foot planted, Rodgers has had better control over the ball, more often willing it where he wants it to go. His completion percentage this season (65.5) is as high as it's been in five years, and the spike in his average (7.9) yards per attempt also suggests he's getting a higher return on his attempts.

On Sunday, however, some of Rodgers' bad habits crept back into his play; on multiple attempts, he released the ball with one or both feet in the air. Of course, the absence of left tackle David Bakhtiari could have something (or everything) to do with the regression. We'll see what happens when Bakhtiari returns to the field.