During the Packers’ four-game win-streak prior to Week 18, the defense had generated 12 total takeaways. The adjustments that Joe Barry made late last season, including more Cover-2, Cover-6, and allowing Alexander to line up across from the opponent’s top receiver, put the secondary in better position to make plays on the ball, which they often did. There need to be times when the Packers are doing the dictating, not the other way around.Īs noted in a recent article by Bill Huber, Rasul Douglas, and Jaire Alexander were two of only three cornerbacks in the entire NFL to record at least four fourth-quarter interceptions last season. I get not wanting to regularly run into heavy boxes, but the passing game also wasn’t effective enough to win regularly in a confined space. Oftentimes, defenses in 2022 would dare the Packers to throw the ball in this part of the field. Also, LaFleur needs to be more consistent with the run game in the red zone. This offense is just different when Jones has the ball and is firing on all cylinders. Last season, Jones had about 55% of the running back touches and Dillon 45%. But if healthy, I hope to see him have a little bit more of the workload. The Packers have always been mindful of Jones’ touches each year, which to a degree, has probably played a role in him being as productive as he’s been for an extended period. Both he and Dillon have also been important parts of the Packers’ passing game as well. From Week 10 through the end of the season, Dillon averaged 4.4 yards per rush after averaging just 3.9 through the first nine games. Although AJ Dillon’s overall numbers were down last season, he started to gain some traction during the second half of the season once the offensive line had some continuity. Aaron Jones still remains one of the game’s most effective ball carriers, averaging a league-high 5.3 yards per rush in 2022 while ranking eighth in rushes of 10 or more yards and seventh in missed tackles forced. With a number of players able to fill a number of roles, the Packers can run a variety of plays from just a few personnel packages, which stresses the defense, creates matchup problems, and makes it difficult for defenses to diagnose pre-snap what is going to take place.Īlong with an experienced offensive line, the Packers have a top running back duo as well. Most of the receivers can play from the slot or boundary, while the tight end group can play inline, from the slot, or out wide, while also impacting both the passing and running games as blockers.Īdd that speed and versatility together, and you get the illusion of complexity Matt LaFleur has often discussed. Look for these players, in particular, to stretch the field and be go-to targets over the middle where they can get the ball in space.įrom a versatility standpoint, the running backs can impact the passing game both from the backfield and the slot or even out wide. Tucker Kraft, meanwhile, brings impressive YAC potential. Luke Musgrave ran the fastest 10-yard split of all tight ends at the NFL combine in what was a very athletic draft class. Joining Christian Watson and his 4.36 speed is Jayden Reed, who the Packers clocked at 4.37 seconds during the pre-draft process. The Packers receivers and tight ends may be inexperienced - more on that shortly – but these position groups also possess speed, versatility, and big-play abilities. Looking back at last season, it’s not a coincidence that in Week 10 was when the offensive as a whole really started to produce, and that also happened to be the time that the offensive line was regularly healthy. If the run game is struggling, then that puts Love in predictable passing situations, which, again, isn’t ideal. If Love is under regular pressure on dropbacks, odds are that the first-year starter won’t fair too well. Naturally, a lot of the attention this offseason is on Jordan Love and the Green Bay pass catchers, but any sustained success for this offense begins with the offensive line. Competing at right tackle is Yosh Nijman and Zach Tom, two players who have shown they can be capable starting tackles. Then at center is Josh Myers, who played 99.7% of the offensive snaps in 2022, and Jon Ruyan at right guard, who played over 96% of the total snaps. The duo could very well form the best tackle-guard combo in football. On the left side is a healthy David Bakhtiari, who has played nearly 9,000 career snaps, along with Elgton Jenkins, who is nearing 4,000 snaps. While the overall offense may be young, the Packers have a lot of starting experience along their offensive line. Green Bay Packers guard Elgton Jenkins (74)
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