Reviewing the Pack

By: 
Bill Huber
Correspondent

With a 13-3 record, the Green Bay Packers posted the best record in the NFC. Their reward? A weekend on the couch and a free pass into the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. How did it happen? Here’s a position-by-position look at what went right and what must improve.

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers stole the show this season. The presumptive NFL MVP had one of the great seasons in NFL history.

“The MVP should be locked up. There’s nothing else to really talk about,” receiver Davante Adams said.

His 121.5 passer rating was the second-best in NFL history and led the league by more than nine points. His 48 touchdown passes tied Hall of Famer Dan Marino for fifth-most all-time. His 9.6 touchdowns per interception was the seventh-best in NFL history. He set a record with 14 games with 100-plus passer ratings. He led the NFL in completion percentage (70.7), passer rating, touchdown passes, total touchdowns (51), touchdown percentage (9.1) and interception percentage (1.0).

Showing complete mastery of Matt LaFleur’s offense, Rodgers has the team in its best position to get to the Super Bowl since 2014.

What must improve: Rodgers has to do it in the playoffs. In his seven playoff defeats since winning the Super Bowl in 2010, he’s thrown 13 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions. In his 10 playoff wins, he’s thrown 23 touchdowns vs. three interceptions.

Running backs

With Rodgers throwing touchdowns at a ridiculous rate, Aaron Jones couldn’t get close to matching last year’s league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns and 19 total touchdowns.

Other than touchdowns, Jones was better than ever. After rushing for 1,084 yards and averaging 4.6 yards per carry in 16 games last year, Jones rushed for 1,104 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry in 14 games this year. Among running backs, he finished third in yards per carry. Only Jones and the legendary Jim Brown have 3,000-plus rushing yards, 30-plus rushing yards and a 5.0-yard average in their first four seasons in NFL history.

With do-it-all Jamaal Williams and powerhouse AJ Dillon as backups, the Packers have the backfield clout to win games on the ground if the passing game isn’t clicking.

What must improve: Not much. In last year’s NFC Championship Game, Jones caught five passes for only 27 yards. His ability to make defenders miss, as was the case with his third-and-8 conversion on the opening series at Chicago in which he forced three missed tackles after catching a short pass from Rodgers, will be vital.

Receivers

As was the case with Rodgers, Adams had one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history. Despite missing about 2½ games with an injured hamstring, Adams caught 115 passes for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns. He broke Sterling Sharpe’s single-season Packers record for receptions and tied Sharpe for third-most receiving touchdowns in NFL history.

“I’ll tell you what I told Tae in the locker room,” Rodgers said. “I said, ‘13½ games and you just had the greatest season by a Packer receiver in history.’ And I meant it. And it got me emotional and it gets me emotional in this moment. I just have a ton of respect and appreciation for him and what he’s accomplished. It’s been an unbelievable year. He’s just such a special, special player.”

Adams had nine drops last season but only one this season. Among receivers with 55-plus receptions, Adams had the lowest drop percentage, according to Pro Football Focus.

For all the clamber about getting Rodgers another weapon – and it couldn’t have hurt – the Packers got enough contributions elsewhere to lead the NFL in scoring.

What must improve: With Adams catching everything in sight, drops haven’t been an enormous issue. However, in a playoff game in which the margin for error is slim, the Packers can’t let six points slip through their hands like what happened with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the opening possession of the second half vs. Chicago.

Tight ends

After using third-round picks on Jace Sternberger in 2019 and Josiah Deguara in 2020, Green Bay found its tight end with former college quarterback in Robert Tonyan. Tonyan was arguably the biggest Pro Bowl snub in the league. He caught 52 passes for 586 yards, tied for the tight ends lead with 11 touchdowns, led all tight ends with an 89.7 catch percentage and had zero drops. The No. 2 Pro Bowl tight end, the Giants’ Evan Engram, caught 63 passes for 654 yards but was toward the bottom with a 61.8% catch rate, scored only one touchdown and was tied for the dubious tight end lead with eight drops.

Marcedes Lewis has been his usual self as a blocker, leader and mentor. And with Sternberger out for a month with a concussion, the Packers have found a potential keeper in undrafted rookie Dominique Dafney, who like Tonyan played at Indiana State.

What must improve: Over the last three games, Tonyan has caught six passes for 55 yards. While he’s scored two touchdowns (and Dafney added a third), the Packers could use more production from their tight ends if opponents are set on taking Adams out of the game.

Offensive line

The unsung heroes for this prolific offense are the guys up front. Without ever really getting a set starting five due to injuries, the pass protection generally has been strong (fifth in sack percentage allowed) and Jones and Co. usually have had room to run (seventh with 4.78 yards per carry).

With Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari suffering a season-ending knee injury before the Chicago game, the latest rendition of the starting five — left tackle Billy Turner, left guard Elgton Jenkins, center Corey Linsley, right guard Lucas Patrick and right tackle Rick Wagner — gave up just one sack. With two weeks of practice time, this group should be even better. The loss of Bakhtiari can’t be overstated, but the Packers are fortunate to have a Pro Bowler in Jenkins, a Pro Bowl-caliber performer in Linsley, a versatile player in Turner and a reliable veteran in Wagner.

What must improve: Give Turner credit. Last year’s starting right guard and this year’s starting right tackle turned in a fine performance against Chicago. However, he also was the weak link with a handful of pressures allowed and a holding penalty. Again, practice time should help in an incredibly difficult transition.

Defensive line

When the run defense struggled through the first half of the season, it was easy to blame the defensive linemen. Now, this group looks almost formidable entering the postseason. In the nine games since being blown off the field by Minnesota, the Packers are 10th in rushing defense and held four opponents to less than 3.8 yards per carry. Chicago’s red-hot running back, David Montgomery, managed only 3.1 yards per carry on his 22 attempts. Stopping Tennessee’s Derrick Henry and Montgomery is a major reason for optimism considering the group of running backs in the playoffs.

Is the group of Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Kingsley Keke, Tyler Lancaster and former All-Pro Damon Harrison going to produce four sacks and a half-dozen tackles for losses in a playoff game? Probably not. But, especially with the addition of Harrison, this group is capable of taking care of business in the running game.

What must improve: The Packers are paying Clark a lot of money to be a three-down dynamo. Derailed by an early-season groin injury, Clark’s pressure count plummeted from 69 last year to just 28 this year, according to Pro Football Focus. For this defense to survive against the top quarterbacks, the up-the-middle pressure from Clark will be key.

Outside linebackers

Last year, the defense was fueled by the Smith Bros. and their combined 25.5 sacks. Za’Darius Smith has had a nice encore season with 12.5 sacks and an impressive four forced fumbles. Preston Smith, however, backtracked from 12 sacks to only four. Rashan Gary has had an excellent second season with five sacks and 39 pressures. That’s 23 more pressures than as a rookie.

One key to the improved run defense has been the work of the Smiths and Gary setting the edges and funneling the backs inside. Too often early in the season, playing run defense seemed like an unwelcome chore for the Smiths. That’s no longer the case.

What must improve: The run defense has been trending the right away. With Tampa Bay’s Ronald Jones (5.1 yards per carry), New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara (5.0), Seattle’s Chris Carson (4.8) and Washington rookie Antonio Gibson (4.7), there are some high-quality backs highlighting the playoff field. They will no doubt want to challenge Green Bay’s edge crew in hopes of getting around the corner and into the secondary. Stopping the run on first and second down means the Smith Bros. and Gary can attack the quarterback on third down.

Inside linebackers

Last season, Blake Martinez had 155 tackles. This season, the triumvirate of veteran Christian Kirksey (78 tackles), undrafted rookie Krys Barnes (78 tackles) and Kamal Martin (23 tackles) has combined for 179 tackles.

From that perspective, the Packers went backward at a position filled by some of the best of the best in this year’s NFC playoff field with Seattle’s Bobby Wagner, Tampa Bay’s Devin White and Lavonte David, New Orleans’ Demario Davis and Chicago’s Roquan Smith. However, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has found a winning combination with a mixing-and-matching of personnel. Barnes has supplanted Kirksey as the main man in the middle. He had a season-high 14 tackles vs. Chicago.

What must improve: Consistency. Barnes’ performances have yo-yo’d up and down. Kirksey has made some big plays in coverage. Martin gets into the backfield every game for a chance to make a tackle for loss. As Pettine likes to say, once a player is “caught on film” doing something positive, that becomes the expectation. It’s fair to say this group will be central to the team’s championship hopes.

Cornerbacks

Jaire Alexander was selected for his first Pro Bowl, a well-earned honor. Of the 84 corners to play at least 300 coverage snaps, Alexander ranked fourth with 0.64 yards allowed per coverage snap, according to Pro Football Focus. He paced the team with 13 passes defensed. He’s eliminated his man most weeks, providing Pettine an incredible luxury. For instance, Chicago’s Allen Robinson had 100 catches in his first 15 games but only two on Sunday.

His sidekick, Kevin King, has slumped. King ranked among the league leaders in yards per coverage snap early in the season but teams have attacked him down the stretch. According to PFF, he gave up 15 catches in his first seven games but 20 catches in the last four games. For the season, he has zero interceptions and five passes defensed – down sharply from last year’s five interceptions and 15 passes defensed.

Chandon Sullivan has done fine work in the slot. Of the 33 corners who have played 150 coverage snaps from the slot, he’s third in snaps played per reception. He had an excellent performance vs. Chicago.

What must improve: Between coverage and tackling, King must regain his mojo after missing a big chunk of games earlier in the season. He missed six tackles the last four games, frequently due to his penchant for throwing his shoulder into the ball-carrier but not wrapping up. The best offenses force the bad tacklers to make plays.

Safeties

The play of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage is the biggest reason for Green Bay’s second-half improvement on defense. At midseason, Amos looked like an upcoming salary-cap casualty and Savage a first-round disappointment. However, they were sensational down the stretch.

Amos made Pro Football Focus’ All-Pro team due to a dominant second half of the season. He matched his career highs with two interceptions and nine passes defensed and was one shy of his career high with 83 tackles. During the final seven games, he had 46 tackles, both of his interceptions and eight of his pass breakups.

After an all-rookie season of two interceptions and five passes defensed, Savage led the team with four interceptions and was second with 12 passes defensed. All four interceptions and 10 of his breakups came over the final eight games. He still misses far too many tackles.

What must improve: Nothing. Amos and Savage needed to step up their game and that’s exactly what they did. The play of Savage has been especially encouraging after he started the season trending the wrong direction.

Special teams

What a disaster. Other than Mason Crosby not missing a single field-goal attempt, the rest of Green Bay’s special teams is a hot mess. It finished 31st in kickoff-return average, 30th in punt-return average, 23rd in opponent kickoff-return average and 32nd in opponent punt-return average. The addition of veteran speedster Tavon Austin hasn’t done a thing to jump-start the return game. Worse, his fumble handed the Bears three points.

On the bright side, after a horrendous stretch, punter JK Scott had net averages of 40.5 yards vs. Detroit, 42.5 vs. Carolina and, after not punting at all against Tennessee, 43.5 yards against Chicago. His continued success will be absolutely critical.

What must improve: Everything. It seems almost impossible coordinator Shawn Mennenga’s units are going to become assets with a flip of the switch. So, the goal needs to be don’t lose the game. Don’t fumble. Don’t give up long returns. Happily take a touchback if the opposing kicker puts the ball in the end zone.

Coaching and personnel

LaFleur isn’t enough of a self-promoter or charismatic personality to win Coach of the Year. But after the Packers missed the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, he’s guided the team to a ridiculous 26-6 record and two division championships in his two seasons. Rodgers has gone from declining veteran to MVP favorite under his tutelage.

Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett doesn’t call plays, but his creative mind and infectious personality can’t be ignored. Pettine probably saved his job as his defense has allowed 20 or fewer points in six of the final nine games. What happens in the playoffs might tell the tale. On the other hand, whatever Mennenga has tried hasn’t worked on special teams. His group looks too much like a ticking time bomb.

Of the position coaches, offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, in particular, needs to be singled out for getting consistently strong performances from an in-flux group of blockers. He had big shoes to fill when he replaced James Campen and has excelled.

No different than Ted Thompson drafting Rodgers when he had Brett Favre, general manager Brian Gutekunst will forever be tied to drafting Jordan Love when he had Rodgers. Should Gutekunst have used his first-round pick on an offensive playmaker or linebacker Patrick Queen? Did he mistakenly believe Rodgers was at the finish line of his career? And will Love indeed be the latest franchise quarterback?

Green Bay’s regular-season success points to a GM who has found the sweet spot between building a roster for today and tomorrow. What happens in the playoffs, however, is what matters. If Rodgers exits Green Bay with only one Super Bowl ring, the finger will be pointed squarely at the man who traded up to draft a quarterback when he had the MVP on the roster.