8 stats the Green Bay Packers must improve in 2023

With an 8-9 record last season, the Green Bay Packers have a few aspects of their game they need to improve upon as the 2023 season gets closer.

Here are eight stats from last season the Packers need to improve if they want to get back on the winning side of the ledger.

Ball security: In 2022, the Packers were tied for fifth in the league for the most fumbles (lost or recovered) with 25; they lost 10, which ranked tied for 10th most in the NFL. They were lucky to only lose 40% of their total fumbles.

Long field goals: Green Bay tied for the fourth fewest field goals kicked in the league in 2022 with 29. Among the 32 teams, the Packers attempted only 11 field goals longer than 40 yards last season, fourth fewest in the NFL.

They attempted only four field goals from 50+ yards, which ranked tied for seventh in the league. The average number of field goals made by an NFL team last season from 40 yards or longer was 12.5; the Packers were 7-for-11 from 40 or more yards in 2022.

Kickoffs: Another kicking stat to consider… the Packers led the league with the fewest number of touchbacks on kickoffs with 19. Pittsburgh had the next fewest with 26. Only 22.5% of the Packers' kickoffs last season were touchbacks; the next worst was the Steelers with 33.8%.

Punting: One more kicking stat… Green Bay ranked 31st in the league in yards per punt with 42.8, just ahead of New England at 41.7. The Pack's NY/P (net punt yards per punt) was 38.5, the third worst in the league. Oh, and did we mention that the Packers had two punts blocked last season, one of only two teams to suffer that fate in 2022.

Fourth-down conversion: The Packers were one of six teams last season who converted on less than 40% of their fourth-downs. The Pack was 12-for-31, 38.7%. Ironically, they had the fifth-most fourth-down attempts in the league with 31. Looks like they need to come up with a better selection of fourth-down plays or just punt.

Red-zone TDs: Green Bay was in the bottom 10 in the league in red zone percentage. The Packers were in the red zone 54 times in 2022 but scored a touchdown in only 28 of those cases, 51.9%. New England was the league's worst red zone team with 42.2%. Dallas topped the league at 71.4%.

Sacks: The Packers defense had 34 sacks, two per game, which ranked tied for fifth fewest in the league. When Green Bay had three or more sacks in a game in 2022, the team was 4-1.

Rushing defense: Green Bay was one of five teams last season that allowed 5.0 yards per rushing attempts. They allowed opponents 139.5 average rushing yards per game in 2022, seventh most among the 32 teams. The league average was 121.6. The Pack was 3-1 last season in games when they did not allow the opposition to gain 100 or more yards on the ground.

Bottom line: Based on these numbers from 2022, the Packers need to improve their kicking game, become more efficient on fourth down and in the red zone, and shore up the rushing defense.

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