The Green Bay Packers are usually one of the best, most consistent teams in the NFL. However, they are off to a rocky start this season at a record of 3-4. They have lost their last three games, while only averaging around 18 points per game.
There are a few glaring reasons for this, one of them being that they lack a true top wide receiver, making things harder offensively for longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers’ passer rating this season is only 94.9, which is about 10 points off his career average of 104.2 points.
For the previous five years or so, his number one receiver was Davante Adams who left after last season to play with the Las Vegas Raiders. From about 2016 until last year, he finished each year except one with at least 10 touchdowns and well over 900 receiving yards.
Also, in three of those seasons, he finished with over 100 catches and over 1,300 receiving yards. Packers’ fans miss him and the production he brought to the offense.
So far this season, Aaron Rodgers has an unclear and unproven top wideout. So far Allen Lazard leads the way with 340 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. But to put things in perspective, that amounts to almost 49 yards a game to this point.
This is a bad thing when your leading wide receiver does not even average 50 yards a game. This offense is just not as explosive as we are used to seeing it.
Another reason they will fall short is that the offensive line just is not good enough or available. This could be mainly because there are many young players on the offensive line, but also because their best lineman has not seen the field enough.
Left Tackle David Bakhtiari has gone through injuries since he got hurt at the end of 2020 and has missed 20 games since. There is a durability problem there and they always reshuffle that position, which is simply not consistent enough.
The Packers’ strength of schedule going forward is not easy, starting with their toughest opponent coming up this Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. If Green Bay somehow, someway wins this game then obviously there is a lot of hope.
I do not see that happening. Buffalo is considered one of the best teams with no glaring weaknesses. To put things in perspective, they lead the NFL in total yards per game offensively and lead the league defensively with the fewest yards given up per game. This could be ugly if Green Bay fails to make necessary adjustments soon.
Unless the Packers make a move for a big-name wide receiver, fix that pass protection, and start performing better on offense they will miss the playoffs. This could also mean the end of Aaron Rodgers’ career if he chooses to retire. I can see that happening along with many other Packers fans.
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