Packers bask in energy of full Lambeau Field for first time since 2019
GREEN BAY – After a year with no fans or very few of them in the Lambeau Field stands – not including preseason games, which most of the Green Bay Packers’ starters spent watching, just like the fans who were there – Monday night’s 35-17 victory over the Detroit Lions certainly felt different.
“(We) definitely felt the fans’ presence,” said head coach Matt LaFleur, whose team played poorly in front of a largely pro-Packers crowd in Jacksonville, Fla., last week in a 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints. “It was long overdue.”
The official attendance Monday night was 77,240, and the offense even got through the game without a single “Go Pack Go!” chant or the crowd doing “The Wave” while they had the ball.
“It’s special. It’s what you miss,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “An entire year without this type of atmosphere, you miss everything from the intro … to the (fighter jet) flyover. Yeah, it’s special. There’s nothing like that feeling – ‘Jump Around’ in the fourth quarter when you’re ahead, ‘Roll Out the Barrel,’ the beer (bottle) races (on the scoreboard). With the crowd, it’s way different.”
Cobb gets involved
Wide receiver Randall Cobb probably wouldn’t have predicted that his first reception on his second stint with the Packers would come on a pass from Jordan Love, but that’s exactly what happened last week against New Orleans.
On Monday night, Cobb was more involved in the game with the guy who wanted him here – Rodgers, who is hoping it’s the start of more contributions from his BFF.
“I think we need to get him some more opportunities, some more reps. It seemed like in the second quarter, I kind of noticed he hadn’t really been out there much at all,” Rodgers said of Cobb, who finished the night with three catches for 26 yards. “But we’re trying to get him all 17 (games). But we need him at various points, so I’m glad he was out there in those moments on third down. Hit a couple nice reaction plays on trying to catch them with too many on the field.”
Kicking himself
While Rodgers had an efficient night, completing 22 of 27 passes for 255 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 145.6 passer rating, three of his incompletions – all potential touchdowns to speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling, including a pair that would have been long TDs – were bothering him afterward.
“Marquez is such a weapon for us, and it kills me that I missed him tonight because he does so many things to open up stuff for other guys,” Rodgers said. “He’s a very selfless guy, so I’m bummed out.”
Line dancing
With veteran left guard Lucas Patrick having sustained a concussion on the final play of last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Packers started their second different offensive line crew in as many weeks, with second-year man Jon Runyan getting the call in Patrick’s place.
That meant the Packers started Elgton Jenkins at left tackle, Runyan at left guard, Josh Myers at center, Royce Newman at right guard and Billy Turner at right tackle. With Runyan, Myers and Newman comprising the interior of the line, it meant the Packers had two rookies and a second-year lineman protecting Rodgers.
Patrick was active for the game, but LaFleur said he went with Runyan because Patrick had scarcely practiced while in the concussion protocol.
“It’s going to be a competitive situation throughout the course of the year and we’re going to always, as cliche as it sounds, we’re going to put the best five out there,” LaFleur said. “We’ll continue to compete throughout the course of the season.”
Extra points
On his 50-yard completion to Davante Adams, Rodgers passed Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway for 10th place on the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list. … Before the game, the Packers called up wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown from the practice squad, and he did see action during the first half. St. Brown’s brother, Amon-Ra, is a rookie receiver for the Lions. … The Packers’ inactives were tight end Josiah Deguara, who suffered a concussion against the Saints; safety Vernon Scott, who has been out with a hamstring injury; and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles, outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton, center Jake Hanson and defensive tackle Jack Heflin, who were healthy scratches. … LaFleur said the team will not travel out to California early for Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers and will travel on Saturday, as usual. LaFleur said the team did consider staying in northern California all week before returning home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 3 but decided against it.
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