The Packers offense took necessary step during imperfect Week 6 performance

The Packers still have plenty of wrinkles to iron out, but their passing game showed signs of reclaiming its deep-shot identity against the Bengals.

On paper, the Green Bay Packers took care of business against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday.

Their offense controlled the game, generating an early lead that the team never relinquished. Jordan Love averaged almost exactly 10 yards a throw, while a rejuvenated Josh Jacobs delivered 150 yards and two touchdowns in his best performance of the season.

Meanwhile, the defense held the Bengals scoreless in the first half, forcing four consecutive punts and limiting quarterback Joe Flacco to a woeful 1.4 yards per pass attempt. That figure never cracked 5 yards, and Cincinnati managed just 18 points in a multi-possession defeat.

And, not for nothing, the Packers’ beleaguered special-teams units avoided a meltdown despite a backup kicker playing in place of the injured Brandon McManus.

However, the game looks much different upon even a slightly closer examination.

On the opening drive, Love forced a late pass on third down inside the red zone, resulting in an interception and effectively taking points off the board. Matt LaFleur chose to punt on a fourth-and-5 from the Cincinnati 42, a cowardly decision reflecting a conservative trend for the veteran head coach. And perhaps most concerning of all, the Bengals opened the third quarter with a 17-play touchdown drive that ate up over 10 minutes of game clock.

That the contest resulted in a two-score margin of victory says at least as much about Cincinnati as it does Green Bay.

Still, a look under the hood of Sunday’s win over the Bengals reveals some positives for the Packers as well. Despite the mistakes, the offense showed signs of reclaiming its deep-shot identity.