Breaking down the game-winning drive vs. the Chargers, part 1

A film review looks at the Week 11 game winning drive, part 1.

The Green Bay Packers’ offense played one of their better games of the season and was able to put away the Los Angeles Chargers with a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Jordan Love found receiver Romeo Doubs for a 24-yard touchdown catch along the left side of the end zone with just 2:38 remaining. The Packers won 23-20.

There were three big plays on the game-winning drive, albeit two of them where they gained chunk yards on pass plays and a third being a 24-yard defensive pass interference penalty on a 3rd-and-20 after a strip sack on 2nd and 9 of Jordan Love on 2nd-and-9.

First play, 4th quarter, 1st and 10 @ GB-25, 5:24 remaining

Christian Watson gained one yard on a Shanahan coaching tree staple run play: Counter reverse. Watson could not beat the defender to the edge, aided in part by a poor block by the wide receiver.

Second play, 4th quarter, 2nd and 9 @ GB-26, 4:42 remaining

Quarterback Jordan Love was strip-sacked here when Rasheed Walker gave up the edge to Khalil Mack. Luckily, Zach Tom was there to recover the loose ball.

Love looked like he wanted to hit Watson on the deep crossing route but Walker got beat pretty easily by Mack on the left edge. Mack knocked the ball out of the quarterback’s hands as he hit the top of his drop to throw. There’s nothing really a quarterback can do when the left tackle gives up an easy rush to a blocker on the quarterback’s blindside.

There also appears to be a miscommunication between Josh Meyers and John Runyan where they let the defensive tackle go, which almost certainly would’ve gotten Love crushed here anyway.

Third play, 4th quarter, 3rd and 20 @ GB-15, 3:58 remaining

The offense gained the yards back on this third down play when Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. interfered with receiver Dontayvion Wicks as he tried to catch a deep in-breaking dig route 20+ yards downfield on 3rd and 20.

This is the Packers’ go-to long down and distance conversion play, a play that allows them to get chunk yards. The offense aligns in a 3×1 formation with the trips side of the formation running a deep scissors concept with Wicks on the deep dig route and Jayden Reed running the deep corner route and Watson from the #3 in trips running a deep crosser.

The Chargers are playing cover-1 robber shell. Wicks cuts inside and Samuel Jr. grabs onto him and jumps over him as the pass arrives to try and break it up. The flags come out immediately.

On the fourth play of the drive, a first down after the flag, Love threw a deep incompletion to Watson down the right side. The pass was too far inside and Watson never had a chance.

Fifth play, 4th quarter, 2nd-and-10 @ GB 39, 3:47 remaining

Love connected with Reed for a 35-yard gain here.

The play is one they’ve run a few times already in this game and is a play they’ve run quite a bit this season, dagger stick or “middle read dagger” with a backside stick flat concept. This time they’re running the stick/flat concept with a tight and receiver combination from the right instead of a two tight nub set.

Love hits the top of his drop and the ball is out to the stick route by Reed. The defender’s tackle attempt is unsuccessful and the defender bounces off Reed and then gets upfield for 35 yards.

The sixth play of the drive was a 1-yard gain off of a run-pass option to A.J. Dillon up the middle.

We’ll cover the touchdown play in part 2.