There are few things in football that sting quite like a clever design falling flat, and the Packers gave fans that exact feeling in Week 3. Early in that game, Green Bay dialed up a slick wrinkle off its Hank concept, with Matthew Golden running the outside route that turned into what I’ve been calling a Huggo.
Hank is a quick-game staple: the outside receiver takes the Hitch and the inside receiver works to the Flat. It’s not exactly fireworks, but it has been useful for Green Bay, producing 5.8 yards per attempt with a 50% success rate on the season.
The twist here is simple enough - the receiver on the Hitch sells it, then turns upfield into a vertical route. Hitch-and-go.
Slant-and-go is a Sluggo, so this one earns the Huggo label.
Against the Falcons, Golden was the man on that route, and the play ended with an incompletion that looked like a Jordan Love overthrow. It was the kind of snap that leaves you shaking your head because the idea itself was sound. The execution just never came together.
A week later, against the Cowboys, the Packers went right back to it and got the payoff. Midway through the first quarter, Golden ran the Huggo again from the outside. There was some contact as he came off the line, but he stayed clean, spun to the outside, and created separation from coverage.
This time Love put the ball exactly where it needed to be, dropping it over Golden’s shoulder with feather-light touch. The result was a 37-yard gain. A few plays later, Green Bay finished the drive with a touchdown to go up 7-0.
That scoring play mattered too, even if the route itself wasn’t the main attraction here. Golden was on a post, Love held the safety in place, and when the quarterback opened up and released toward the middle, the defender was still leaning to his outside shoulder. That left the center of the field open for Golden.
The bigger question, though, was whether the Huggo itself had changed from one week to the next. Was the difference simply Love’s throw?
Maybe not. In earlier versions of this concept, the receiver’s sell was quicker - a fast hitch, then almost an immediate spin and vertical burst.
Against the Falcons, Golden was more deliberate. He stopped, sat, and then turned outside.
That extra beat stood out in Week 3, and it raised a real question about whether Green Bay had coached the route differently or whether Golden had just taken his time. The Cowboys game offered the answer. This time, the route looked more like the quick sell that this concept has used in the past, and the timing lined up the way it was supposed to.
In other words, the concept didn’t fail the Packers. The execution did. And when Golden ran it the right way against Dallas, the payoff was there.
In Other News...
Packers Suddenly Have A Backfield Question Fans Didn't Expect
Green Bays 23-13 win over Dallas brought plenty of encouraging signs, from Matthew Goldens impact in the passing game to a secondary that helped keep the Cowboys in check. Jordan Loves offense moved efficiently enough despite a few drops, and Matt LaFleurs plan drew positive notice as the Packers continued to show a more balanced feel on that side of the ball.
The one unexpected wrinkle came in the backfield, where MarShawn Lloyd never found much rhythm and Pierre Strong Jr. ended up handling the bulk of the work early. For a team that left Week 6 feeling good about several key pieces, the running game suddenly looks like the place where Green Bay has to sort out who it wants carrying the load going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Offense Still Looks Broken After Another Brutal Loss
Dallas looked stuck in neutral again at Lambeau Field, where the Packers turned a promising afternoon into another rough result for a Cowboys offense still searching for answers. Green Bays defense bothered Dak Prescott throughout the day, and the game tilted quickly as the Packers built a lead that put Dallas in chase mode before halftime. Jordan Love did enough to keep Green Bay in control, throwing for 276 yards and accounting for two touchdowns as the Packers moved to 4-2.
The bigger concern for Dallas was how familiar the script felt, with the offense failing to find rhythm and the defense unable to keep the game within reach. Green Bays interceptions of Prescott were part of the damage, and the Packers never really let the Cowboys settle into anything comfortable on either side of the ball. For a team that came into the day at 2-3, the loss leaves another lingering question about how much better this offense can get before the standings start to harden around it. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Gannon Is Already Changing The Feel Of This Packers Defense
Six weeks into the season, Jonathan Gannon has already given Green Bays defense a noticeably different edge. The former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator has helped steady a unit that looks much more disruptive and organized than it did a year ago, with several players stepping up around him and making the group more competitive on a weekly basis.
The results have shown up even with key names missing from the lineup, which makes the early turnaround stand out even more. Green Bay has found a way to stay productive and force mistakes while waiting for pieces to get healthy, and the question now is how much higher this defense can climb once the full group is available again. [Read more 🡒]