After the Green Bay Packers put the boots to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, most fans would probably rather move on to the next one (game, season, your pick). But since it was cornerback Jeff Okudah’s pro debut, we thought it might be worthwhile to go back, study the tape, and see what went right and what went wrong in his first taste of NFL action.
First quarter
Thanks to productive offensive series for both teams, the Packers only had a single possession in the opening frame — a 12-play, 50-yard drive that netted a field goal.
Hardly a surprise, given the Lions’ depth issues at cornerback heading into this one, it became clear early on that Okudah was going to play almost every snap. (He ended up playing all 73 on defense).
Additionally, the Lions showed a preference for playing Okudah to one side of the field — the right — as opposed to giving him the added responsibility of traveling with a specific receiver. With a little seasoning, and better production, don’t be surprised to see that role change in the future.
The majority of Okudah’s early snaps had him in man coverage — the Lions preference under coach Matt Patricia — playing tight at the snap. In the early stages, Okudah often played with outside leverage, encouraging the receiver to play his routes toward the middle of the field where the Lions had safety help for the young defensive back.
The Packers started the game with three straight runs. On their first passing play, they put three receivers to Okudah’s side, testing both his and the banged-up secondary’s ability to communicate in a high-traffic situation.
Okudah’s man, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, lined up as the wide man in the formation. The corner played several yards back and struggled to wade through the mass of bodies when Valdes-Scantling ran a shallow cross underneath the other two receiving options to that side, resulting in a 15-yard gain and third-down conversion.
Okudah wasn’t targeted again the opening quarter, but he had one positive play and two technique breakdowns worth noting. The positive came when he delivered a hard jam to star receiver Davante Adams, knocking him off his route on a failed third down for Green Bay. The Lions didn’t have Okudah jamming much during this contest, but might want to consider increasing its usage in future weeks.
As for the negatives, Okudah over-committed on Adams’ route on the ensuing fourth down, allowing separation even though the throw went elsewhere. Similarly, Okudah bit hard on an outside move by Valdes-Scantling, who got free cutting back inside, only for the throw to go to running back Aaron Jones, running deep down the opposite sideline.
Second quarter
Okudah started off the second quarter strong, effectively mirroring Valdes-Scantling on two early routes, but the cornerback’s footwork got away from him while playing press-man against Adams in the slot, resulting in an 11-yard gain on a quick out.
The Packers went right back at Okudah on the next play, taking advantage of pre-snap cushion. But he reacted quickly, driving forward and wrapping up Tyler Ervin for minimal damage. Okudah’s fundamentally sound tackling would prove to be one of his strong points throughout the day.
On another trips formation for the Packers, Okudah ran into safety Duron Harmon. The collision had no impact on the touchdown pass to Aaron Jones, but is just another example of some communication issues that will need to be ironed out in the coming weeks.
Okudah would get his first run stop on the next possession, but would give up 17 yards to Adams on the next play, getting thrown off balance by the receiver’s exceptional footwork at the top of his route.
On Green Bay’s final possession of the half, Rodgers’ attempted a deep shot to Okudah’s side, having Valdes-Scantling run a double-move against a Cover-2 zone. The corner played at a nice depth, keeping his eyes on Rodgers, forcing a wide throw that pulled the receiver out of bounds.
Okudah would get beat by Adams again on the next play, a shallow cross through traffic, which sent Okudah wide in pursuit and forced safety Will Harris to make the stop. If you watched the game, you’ll remember the play because Harris was flagged for a horse-collar tackle.
Third quarter
Okudah wasn’t really involved in Jones’ 75-yard touchdown run to open the second half. The one thing we can say from the play is the corner’s long speed shows on film. He didn’t catch Jones, obviously, but got within striking distance toward the end of the run, despite the initial size of the gap between the two.
Okudah also didn’t see much action his way on Green Bay’s next possession, an eight-play drive ending in a punt. The Lions tried to bate Rodgers’ into throwing to Adams by having Okudah play off in the slot and sitting a linebacker underneath to jump the throw, but the veteran QB didn’t bite.
On the Packers’ final drive of the quarter, Okudah struggled to shed blocks on runs plays his direction, even though they largely didn’t impact the result of the play. Still, it’s another skill that merits continued development on the practice field.
Additionally, he was lucky to not be beat by Valdez-Scanting for a touchdown. Playing tight man coverage through the initial portions of the route, the receiver suddenly broke his corner pattern back inside when Okudah turned to locate the ball before it was thrown. That put him badly out of position when Rodgers took the shot into the end zone, but the throw was off target, resulting in an incompletion.
Fourth quarter
After the Lions cut the Packers’ lead to two scores, keeping the faint hope of a comeback alive, Okudah gave up his biggest completion of the day, a 41-yarder to Valdez-Scanting.
Working out of the slot, the receiver ran a wheel route. Okudah was in his back pocket from the start, and it’s unclear watching the film how Valdez-Scanting got so much late separation. It could have been a slight stumble in coverage, or maybe even a under-the-radar push-off by Valdez-Scanting. Either way, it quickly went from no window to big window at the last second, leading to the massive gain.
Four plays later, none really involving Okudah, the Packers put the game away with another touchdown.
Conclusion
Obviously, it was a rough debut. While he had some promising reps within the 73 he played, Adams and Valdes-Scanting showed the rookie how much more polish is needed in Okudah’s game to consistently compete against NFL receivers.
Among the early positives are the tackling and his ability to play both outside and in the slot, hinting at Okudah’s advanced understanding of the scheme.
It’s too early to say whether Desmond Trufant will be available for the Lions this week, but if Okudah is called upon to play another full game Sunday in Arizona, it won’t get any easier with D’Andre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald on deck.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers