Packers report card: Offense

That the Green Bay Packers are off to a strong start shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, during the first two seasons under coach Matt LaFleur, they went 26-6 in the regular season and advanced to two NFC Championship Games.

Nonetheless, to be in such a strong position following a lopsided loss to the New Orleans Saints in week one has been incredibly impressive.

All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith and Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins have been sidelined for significant periods of the season, as were big-play receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, rookie center Josh Myers and veteran cornerback Kevin King. Even outside linebacker Preston Smith’s 102-game ironman streak came to an end.

“I feel good about where we’re at,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Not many people would have expected this, maybe looking at our schedule starting the season – definitely not after week one. So, I’m proud of our guys, the way we’re playing, getting contributions from a lot of different guys who weren’t necessarily on the roster maybe to start the season or were add-ons this year.”

With that as a backdrop, here is our midterm report card for the Packers offense.

Quarterbacks

After a tumultuous offseason, it’s been standard operating procedure for the three-time MVP. Rodgers has performed with his typical efficiency. If you were wondering whether he was invested in the team, you got your answer in week thre at San Francisco with an emphatic fist pump after connecting with Davante Adams to set up the game-winning field goal.

If you still weren’t convinced, there was a similar reaction after Rodgers connected with Adams to set up another game-winning field-goal attempt at Cincinnati. Or, there was the iconic “I still own you!” celebration after clinching yet another win at Chicago.

If anything, given his still-uncertain future, Rodgers is more invested in winning this season.

Rodgers hasn’t been as dominating as he was last season. In 2020, he led the NFL in completion%age, touchdown%age, interception%age and passer rating. This year, he’s merely in the top 10 in each of those categories. With a revolving door of offensive linemen, he hasn’t been as sensational but he’s still the winning factor in most games.

There are two trouble spots that must improve if this team is finally going to get back to the Super Bowl. First, his long-ball accuracy is hovering toward the bottom third of the league. The return of his offensive linemen and Valdes-Scantling should help. Second, when pressured, only rookies Trey Lance and Zach Wilson have been less accurate, according to Pro Football Focus.

Grade: A-

Running Backs

The tandem of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon have been as-adverstised. They’re on pace to rush for more than 1,500 yards and top 2,200 yards from scrimmage.

In a surprise, the Packers were able to retain Jones in free agency. He’s just so elusive. He ranks 13th in carries but seventh in missed tackles. Maybe Jones will fall short of a third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season but he’s an elite receiving threat. He started the season catching 26-of-28 targets with four touchdowns in the first seven games.

Dillon is just so big and strong that he’s getting yards even when it looks like he’s been stalled. Rarely asked to catch the ball at Boston College or as a rookie, he caught four passes for 45 yards and one touchdown at Cincinnati.

Of the top 45 in carries, Dillon is 12th in average yards after contact on rushes and 11th in yards per pass route. Jones is 19th in yards after contact and 16th in yards per pass route. Both have fumbled twice. That problem has to be resolved ASAP.

Grade: B-

Receivers

It’s been The Davante Adams Show. The All-Pro receiver continues to dominate. Before being put on the COVID-19 list after the week seven victory over Washington, Adams had 52 of the 92 receptions (56.5%), 72 of the 133 targets (54.1%), 744 of the 1,230 yards (60.5%) and three of the eight touchdowns (37.5%).

Adams is unstoppable. Throw it short, he’ll make the first defender miss. Throw it deep, he’ll track it down. Throw it anywhere in the vicinity, he’ll catch it.

Through week seven, he was tied for second in receptions and third in yards. He had only one drop; of the 10 players with 40-plus catches, he was the only player with less than two drops.

There hasn’t been a consistent No. 2 receiver, much to the chagrin of fantasy football players, but there’s generally been someone to step up alongside Adams.

Allen Lazard, LaFleur’s “goon,” relishes doing the dirty work. More than just a blocker, he caught five passes for 60 yards and one touchdown on one series against Washington. Randall Cobb caught five passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh.

Valdes-Scantling missed a big chunk of time with an injured hamstring after catching three passes for 59 yards and one touchdown vs. San Francisco. Through seven games, the entire group had dropped only two passes (Adams and Cobb).

Grade: B+

Tight Ends

There were enormous expectations on Robert Tonyan following last year’s breakout season.

In 2020, he caught 52 passes, scored 11 touchdowns, failed to catch only seven passes and had zero drops. In the first six games of this season, he caught 11 passes, scored one touchdown, failed to catch nine passes and had one drop.

Perhaps a 25-yard touchdown vs. Washington will get him going. A healthy offensive line would help, too, so he wouldn’t have to help so much as a blocker.

Ageless Marcedes Lewis continues to block in the run game and run through defenders as a receiver. Amazingly, of the 47 tight ends with at least nine catches, Lewis is fourth in yards after the catch per catch. Defenders bounce off the 37-year-old like he’s a 27-year-old. More than the production, he is a wildly popular and respected team leader who is a model for everyone on the roster on how to do things the right way.

Josiah Deguara, a third-round pick last year, and Dominique Dafney, a former bouncer, need to stay healthy for this offense to hit its peak.

Grade: C+

Offensive Line

The best offensive lines are the ones that practice together and play together. That hasn’t been the case with his unit. In the first seven games, Green Bay lined up with five starting quintets.

At times, it was the double whammy of little continuity and little experience. For week three against San Francisco, this was the line: left tackle Yosh Nijman (zero starts), left guard Jon Runyan Jr. (one start), rookie center Josh Myers (two starts), rookie right guard Royce Newman (two starts) and veteran right tackle Billy Turner.

Bakhtiari is one of the great offensive linemen in the NFL. Rodgers has called him a future Hall of Famer. And yet the Packers have won with Jenkins and even Nijman at left tackle. Patrick won the starting job at left guard, only to suffer a concussion in the opener and be replaced by Runyan. When Meyers went down, Patrick moved in at center. At least the right side of the line played together, though it’s been a school-of-hard-knocks rookie year for Newman.

Generally, the group has been up to the task. Washington’s defensive line, with four first-round picks, dominated the first half before Green Bay’s blockers seized control.

Offensive line coach Adam Stenavich had big shoes to fill when he replaced James Campen and he’s done it. The good news is Bakhtiari will be back at left tackle and Jenkins will return at left guard. That will solidify that side of the line and, in turn, should mean more opportunities in the passing game.

Grade: C+

First-Half MVP on Offense: Rodgers

First-Half Surprise: Nijman

Second-Half Key on Offense: Bakhtiari