The Packers have found their punter.
Last year, it was Corey Bojorquez, from 2018-2020 it was JK Scott and in 2017 it was Justin Vogel.
Green Bay has been through three punters in the last five years. So who would’ve thought that the next quality punter in Green Bay was a former Bears castoff?
But that’s exactly what Pat O’Donnell is. And he’s a perfect weapon for a team that will be built around its running game and defense.
“That was the story of the game,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur. “This game was won by our defense and on special teams. That was the difference for us.”
How good was O’Donnell? He tallied seven punts on Sunday between two of the NFC’s heavyweights and five of those were inside the 20. That amount is the most for a Packers punter since 1976.
The Packers won with old-school football against the Bears and it continued on a steamy afternoon in Tampa. Whether you like it or not, this is going to be the winning script this season.
The Packers must play excellent defense and value the ball on offense. But in order to play good defense, they must win the field position game.
The Packers offense had three 3-and-outs and three 4-and-outs. I didn’t see a lot of “All gas and no brakes” in the second half. I saw an offense just gasping for breath to get to the finish line.
And the person that broke the tape first was of all people, a punter. Now, normally when people talk about punters it must be because of something bad. A shanked punt, (shankapotaomus perhaps), a blocked punt or the butt punt like we saw from Miami punter Jason Vinlove.
Is that exactly how LaFleur wanted to win? I doubt it. The offense looked good at times but when they got a lead, they started to get timid. The defense continues to prove why it was billed as one of the better defenses in the league.
Could the 31-year-old O’Donnel be the hero of Green Bay? A place where there will be back-to-back first ballot Hall of Fame quarterbacks under center? Why not? It’s not like there is just one way to win a football game. There are many ways to win through special teams, defense, offense and coaching and clock management decisions.
So have confidence that the Packers can win in a lot different ways. Know that the defense held Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense to four 3-and-outs. Don’t focus on the 13-play, 89-yard drive at the end of the game. Focus on how that unit stifled that offense and all-time Super Bowl winner throughout much of the game.
Right now, the MVP of this team is O’Donnell. He is continually putting the opposition in tough spots, leaving the defense with plenty of room to work.
So don’t be worried about a 14-12 road win over a Bucs team that is expected to go deep into the playoffs. Be hopeful about a team that now has more layers than just a quarterback.
The special teams are special once again.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on “Clubhouse Live” and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn