Jordan Love took a pounding against Dallas, and Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich made it clear Tuesday that Green Bay has to clean up its side of the bargain before facing Detroit.
Love was hit often in Sunday’s 23-13 win over the Cowboys, even while putting together a sharp stat line: 276 passing yards, a touchdown through the air and another score on the ground. Matt LaFleur took issue with the officiating afterward, but Stenavich put the spotlight on protection issues that fell on both the offensive line and the running backs.
“He’s definitely getting hit way too hard,” Stenavich said. “You know, it’s some things I think we’ve got to do a better job in protection with the O-line and with the backs.
There was a couple plays where we were not on the same page last week, so we’ve got to make sure we clean that up because you can’t have free runners at the quarterback. You’ve got to make sure you protect them.”
He added that Green Bay also needs to sharpen up against twists, and he knows exactly what’s coming next.
“And then, again, doing a better job with our twist mechanics and stuff like that, and the Lions, I think, do a really nice job with their twist, so we’re going to have a big week of working on that this week for sure,” Stenavich continued.
For Stenavich, Love’s ability to keep standing in there even when the rush gets home comes down to one thing.
“It’s just courage,” Stenavich said. “That’s all it is.
It’s just courage to stand in there and deliver it. Yeah, it’s a rare quality, but he definitely has it.”
Now comes a Detroit front that Stenavich clearly respects. The Packers coach said the Lions throw a lot at opposing offenses and have disruptive pieces up front, even though Detroit ranks 30th in points allowed and sits last in total defense and passing defense, according to Bill Huber of Packers On SI.
D.J. Wonnum leads the Lions with five sacks, and Aidan Hutchinson has four.
“The one thing about these guys is we’ve got to be ready for everything,” Stenavich said. “They bring a lot of different fronts.
They bring a lot of different pressures. I think their D-line is really good.
Obviously, Hutchinson and McNeill are excellent players. Wonnum’s got a lot of sacks.
So they’re playing really well up front. Their linebackers are athletic and aggressive.”
He didn’t exactly sugarcoat the challenge.
“So that’s one thing, their front’s salty,” Stenavich added. “So we got to make sure we do a nice job handling those guys, ’cause it’s going to be a tall task for sure.”
Detroit is coming off its bye week, which gives defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard extra time to get ready for Green Bay. Huber also reported that Lions safety Brian Branch is expected to make his season debut after tearing his Achilles last season.
Stenavich said the Packers have to stay sound rather than chase every new wrinkle Detroit might show.
“You know, anytime you get that extra time to game plan people, you’re going to have some new things that you got to deal with,” Stenavich said. “One thing you can’t go, you know, grasping at straws or anything. You just got to trust your rules and then whatever new they bring at you as the game unfolds, you got to make sure you adjust.”
The Packers and Lions meet Sunday at Ford Field, with kickoff set for 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.
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