Why the Packers offense should worry the rest of the NFL
The NFL should be worried about the Packers offense.
Two weeks into the season, the Green Bay Packers are playing some of the best offensive football we’ve seen from them in years.
Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones are at their absolute best and in the opening two games, defenses haven’t had a clue how to stop them.
Before the season, I predicted a second-year jump from Matt LaFleur’s offense, drawing parallels to the Atlanta Falcons’ year-two jump in Kyle Shanahan’s system back in 2016, an offense LaFleur was the QBs coach for.
Through two weeks, that’s absolutely what we’re seeing. Where we saw moments of great play from this team in 2019, it’s now becoming consistent and relentless for opposing defenses.
Entering Week 3, the Packers lead the NFL in offensive yards per game, the only team averaging over 500 yards. They also lead the league in scoring offense, averaging an impressive 42.5 points per game. Green Bay is fifth in passing offense, and most notably, first in rushing offense, averaging 208.5 yards per contest.
Some of those numbers will come down, of course. It’s only a small sample size.
However, beyond the numbers, the play of this offense is particularly exciting.
The Packers’ trio of Rodgers, Jones, and Davante Adams looks unstoppable. Let’s just hope Adams’ hamstring issue isn’t a long-term concern, and the good news is that it seems to be a minor injury.
Jones has been outstanding. He leads the NFL in rushing yards with 234, and he leads all qualifying running backs in yards per carry, averaging 6.9 per attempt. Nice. There have also been no signs of Jones’ touchdown numbers coming down from last season; he’s already found the end zone four times.
Rodgers has been on fire, too. He’s completed 50 of 74 passes (not helped by a few drops) for 604 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. Over a full season, he’s on pace for 4,832 yards, 48 touchdowns, and no interceptions. #MVP.
However, it’s not just the top three making the offense reach this level of play.
The offensive line has been outstanding despite being constantly reshuffled due to injuries. The line has only allowed one sack this season. According to James Fragoza of Pro Football Focus, the Packers only allowed one pressure against the Lions. Incredible.
Jamaal Williams looks more explosive and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. AJ Dillon has impressed on limited carries.
Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have seven catches each on the season, forming a strong receiving trio with Adams. They both have a touchdown catch, and MVS is proving to be a problem for defenses with his speed, averaging 22.9 yards per reception.
Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. The Packers need to clean up a few mistakes such as drops, and they also need more production from the tight ends.
However, it’s hard to be too critical of an offense that has been close to unstoppable through the first two weeks of the season. If they can keep this up, the rest of the league should be worried.