Tuesday Cheese Curds: Packers offense found some explosiveness in Sunday’s loss

Green Bay set season highs in total yards and passing yards on Sunday, so the loss to Minnesota comes with some added frustration.

For much of the 2021 season, the Green Bay Packers’ defense has been carrying the offense. The team went seven straight games between 30-point outings, but they went 6-1 in those games thanks to a defense that had allowed no more than 22 points in that stretch.

But on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the offense found their groove on the final drive of the second half. In the first 28 minutes of the game, Rodgers was just 8-of-15 for 111 yards. After the two-minute warning of the first half, he completed 15 of 18 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns (h/t to our own Matub for looking up the stats).

It wasn’t enough, though, due to the defense’s collapse. Rodgers would post a passer rating over 130 in a loss for just the second time in his NFL career, dropping his record in such games to 34-2. And guess which team beat the Packers in the other such victory? Naturally, that was the Vikings in a week 17 game at the Metrodome back in 2012.

Hopefully the Packers can maintain this hot performance into next week when returning home to play the Los Angeles Rams, and then in through the bye week. But Elgton Jenkins’ injury certainly puts a damper on the outburst and it will surely be one of the team’s biggest losses all season.

Let’s look at all things offense in today’s Curds.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling leads big-play day for Packers’ offense | Packers.com
After reaching the 30-point mark only twice and 400 yards just once this season (the latter coming in an overtime game), the Green Bay offense exploded for a big game and season highs in several categories on Sunday. The team posted nine plays of at least 17 yards, a sign that the unit is starting to figure some things out.

Rodgers commends St. Brown’s resurgence in Packers’ loss: ‘I’m really proud of EQ’ | Packer Report
Some of us still believe that Equanimeous St. Brown can be a big contributor, and this writer is among them. He had a big game on Sunday, with two catches for 43 yards and a carry for another 11.

‘It’s still surreal to me’: Davante Adams’ journey from sleeping on couch to top of NFL had bumps – The Athletic
Adams had a rough go at times early in his career, and he now admits that the “Janis over Adams” tweets got to him in 2015. But that was nothing compared to what he saw during his upbringing in rough East Palo Alto, California.

Resilient Packers have overcome injuries, but losing Elgton Jenkins could be their biggest test – ESPN
The offense started clicking just in time to lose another offensive lineman, with Jenkins officially done for the year.

Yosh Nijman Becomes Next, Next Man Up for Packers with Elgton Jenkins’ Out – Sports Illustrated
Now it’s on Nijman to keep the line afloat against the Rams and hopefully get the Packers into their bye week, when they might be able to heal up a bit and get some key players — like David Bakhtiari — back.

Matt LaFleur wants clarification on two calls made during loss to Vikings | Packers Wire
The Packers coach wants clarification from the NFL on a false start penalty on Lucas Patrick and Darnell Savage’s overturned interception late in the game.

80 turtles rescued on the Las Vegas Strip, downtown area | KLAS
Turtles don’t move quickly, but they might be faster right now than the Raiders, who have lost three straight games.