Green Bay still searching for identity on offense

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers continue to win, but are still not clicking on all cylinders.

Green Bay’s offense is able to put together strong stretches of play, but has yet to put together a complete game.

The Packers’ defense has been nearly lights out in the red zone, but have given up plenty of yards in between the 20s.

Special teams has arguably been the team’s brightest spot over the past couple weeks, but that unit can only impact a game so much.

With all that being said, Green Bay is still in a great position to win the NFC North and a solid spot to lock down a first-round bye for the postseason.

After clinching a playoff spot last week, the Packers head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. With a win, Green Bay would win the division and guarantee itself at least one home playoff game.

“Our goal is to win the North. Right now that is still out in front of us,” said coach Matt LaFleur after Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears. “We know we’re going to go into a pretty hostile environment next week in Minnesota. That place is a tough place to go play against a really good football team, one of the top teams in the National Football League. They’re good in all three phases, so we’ve got a big challenge in front of us.”

While it might be the Packers’ defense that faces the biggest challenge as it tries to slow the efficient Vikings’ offense, it’s the Packers offense that’s still searching to find its way at the late juncture of the regular season.

There’s been flashes of a potent offense, but they’ve been blurred by extended periods of mediocrity.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on the back half of his career, but there is still enough talent left in the tank to keep opposing defenses up at night.

What makes the Pack’s struggles on offense harder to fathom is that the team has a big-time threat out of the backfield in running back Aaron Jones. While Jones doesn’t have the rushing numbers some of the top backs in the NFL have, he’s averaging a solid 4.4 yards per carry and has also become a threat as a receiver.

A big reason for the offense’s inconsistencies has been the play of the pass-catchers.

Despite missing several games with a toe injury, Davante Adams is still the team’s best receiver by a big margin. He’s caught 63 passes for 788 yards and four touchdowns.

Jones and fellow RB Jamaal Williams have combined for eight other touchdown grabs, with all other receivers, tight ends and backs have combined for just 12.

It seems that each week, the Packers can get some big plays from one of the receiving targets, but cannot ever get that type of production in back-to-back weeks.

Against the Bears, it was receiver Jake Kumerow who made a big play, hauling in a 49-yard pass. That was just Kumerow’s 11th catch of the season in 12 games.

The Packers first play on Sunday saw the team dial up a play-action deep ball for receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but the ball slipped through his hands on what likely would have been a 70-yard touchdown.

“The ball came out pretty good,” said Rodgers of his throw on that play. “I didn’t quite see the end of it, but I know there was probably an opportunity.”

The opportunities are becoming few and far between for Valdes-Scantling, who after a solid rookie season and decent start to this year has seen his production drop and snap counts dwindle.

Later on in the Packers first drive against the Bears, receiver Geronimo Allison dropped what would have been a first down pass, forcing the team to punt. Allison went on to make a couple catches, but hasn’t topped 25 receiving yards in a game since Oct. 20 against the Oakland Raiders.

Receiver Allen Lazard had a monster game (three catches for 103 yards and a touchdown) against the New York Giants on Dec. 1, but has caught just four passes for 33 yards over the past two weeks.

Tight end Jimmy Graham had one of his better games against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 8 (three catches for 49 yards), but failed to haul in his lone target against the Bears.

The inconsistent play from the pass-catchers has held the offense back from reaching its potential, but there are still two more weeks to try and get things rolling before the playoffs are here.

Way back in the second week of the season, inconsistent play was the name of the game in the first Packers, Viking matchup. The Packers jumped out to a 21-0 lead after a dominant first quarter before holding on late for a 21-16 victory.

Unsurprisingly, it was Jones (116 rushing yards) and Adams (106 receiving yards) that powered the Packers’ offense.

Expect more of the same this coming Monday, with the Packers trying to find ways to work some other playmakers into the mix.

sports@newmedia-wi.com