The Green Bay Packers' offense has reached a point in the season where it needs to take a long look at itself and assess what exactly is going wrong.
Coming into the season, this unit was expected to take a leap from being a young group full of potential to claiming one of the top spots in the league. That progression was always going to be headlined by quarterback Jordan Love. A little over halfway through the season, that hasn't happened.
Green Bay's offense has been thoroughly disappointing this year. The struggles came to a crescendo last weekend when the Packers put up just seven points in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky was brutally honest when discussing the reasons for the offense's shortcomings.
Dan Orlovsky states harsh reality about Jordan Love and the Packers' offense
On Get Up this week, Orlovsky laid out why the Packers have been less than dominant on offense this season. He claimed that Love has been too hesitant to make big plays, instead focusing on protecting the football at all costs. Orlovsky said, "I'm not paying you $55 million to protect the football... I'm paying Jordan Love to be great."
It's not just Love's fault, though, as Matt LaFleur's conservative play-calling has held the team back. Giving Love more freedom may help open up the offense. Regardless, the end result is the same.
The numbers back up what Orlovsky is saying. Love's average depth of target this season is the lowest it's been since he became a starter. Sure, he's raised his completion percentage and lowered his interception rate significantly, but it's coming at the cost of missed opportunities down the field.
This shift in play style is almost the opposite of what fans have come to expect from the young quarterback. Love is known for his creative throws, often standing in the face of oncoming pressure to hit receivers down the field. He's unafraid in all moments, doing whatever it takes to win. But many of those qualities have been dimmed this season in the name of limiting turnovers. LaFleur needs to unlock this version of Love.
The offense is less explosive than expected, and the Packers' losses this season have primarily come because they have been unable to score in key moments.
Seven points scored against a team you'd expect to face off with in the playoffs is unacceptable. As the season progresses, Love and the offense will have to match the level of play that their defense has been showing. It's on LaFleur and Love to find the answers.
If they can't, it could be the reason that they fall short of the Super Bowl.