After re-watching the Packers game, here are three plays that made me go hmmm, for various reasons. In general, I either focus on a theme, more nuanced observations, or just things I didn't notice watching live. These can be but are less likely to be "highlight" plays. I present these to you with a short explanation why I picked them and then let you readers discuss the plays.
Rashan Gary - It was not a good day for Rashan Gary. Perhaps he was battling something, but the energy level just wasn't there. Our old friend Yosh Nijman didn't have much trouble at all handling Gary throughout the game. The Panthers also had a specific plan and took advantage of him at least four times with plays similar to this one (including the 29 yard Dowdle run). They simply let him charge inside and then had a wide receiver or tight end wall him off as they quick-pitched the ball to the running back. This quick pitch was one of my favorite plays in high school, where I was either the tackle pulling or the tight end blocking down on the DE. I especially enjoyed the pulling part where I got to head downfield and bulldoze a defensive back, as Nijman does to poor Nate Hobbs here. But I digress. As for Gary, as soon as he sees Nijman pull out of his stance, he should stop his inside rush and head outside. Maybe easier said than done, but his effort level seems a bit sub-par and if you notice at the end of the play, he puts his hand up asking to come out. Over the last few seasons, I've often noticed Gary asking to come out of games for a breather and honestly, I can't say I've seen any other player do this as consistently as Rashan (maybe why his snap counts always seems a bit low). I also used to see Gary hitting the smelling salts during games, but that was outlawed this year in the NFL. I don't want to imply it's a conditioning issue, as by all accounts, he's a hard worker. So maybe he just wasn't feeling it today - kind of like the rest of the team.
Quay Walker - Speaking of not feeling it, Walker has some splainin' to do on this one. As the ball gets knocked out of Bryce Young's hand, The Panther's running back immediately sprints to the ball and picks it up while Walker just kind of watches. Obviously, Walker assumed it was an incomplete pass, but why? You're taught to treat every such situation as a possible fumble regardless of what it looks like to you. Also interesting is how at the end of the play he looks over to the Packers' sideline and throws his hands up in a "what could I do" kind of gesture. Well, it's obvious what you could have at least tried to do and maybe he was getting grief from a coach on the sideline for his inaction.
Kickoff Penalty - An illegal formation penalty on a kickoff? Just when you thought the Packers' special teams had exhausted all possible mistakes, they pull another one out of their bag of tricks. Having said that, someone please explain where the illegal formation is? Javon Bullard was the player flagged but what is he doing wrong? Bullard is the second player from the right sideline in the first video view (he has a long white wrap on his right arm). The Packers have four players to each side of the kicker and two players in the middle. It looks perfectly symmetrical to me. So where is the illegal formation on Bullard? Someone please solve this mystery for me!