In the wake of their disheartening 19-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, it’s undeniable that the Green Bay Packers’ offense ranks among the NFL’s worst. The situation is a culmination of various issues plaguing the unit. The offensive line grapples with both pass protection and run blocking, Jordan Love’s accuracy appears to have plateaued in his 2023 development, Matt LaFleur’s play-calling is ineffective, and A.J. Dillon struggles to compensate for Aaron Jones’ absence. Meanwhile, the young tight ends are navigating the inevitable challenges of rookie life.
Everywhere you look, there’s a factor hindering the offensive performance, and a quick solution remains elusive. The offense has struggled to find cohesion, leading to one of the most lackluster offensive stretches in recent memory.
When asked about the team’s progress in overcoming slow starts, Matt LaFleur expressed frustration, saying, “Obviously zero… we just keep digging ourselves in a hole… it’s just disappointing to have no points at the half. I’ve said it before: I think anytime you hold somebody under 20 points in this league, I think we have to do enough to win from an offensive standpoint. And we obviously aren’t. It’s just way too fragmented and just not consistent execution.”
While growing pains were expected, so were glimpses of the talent and explosiveness that were hyped throughout the offseason. However, apart from Week 1, it’s evident that such chatter amounted to little more than a bait-and-switch.
The offense lacks identity, leaving it without reliable plays to turn to when times get tough. Matt LaFleur highlighted this issue, saying, “I think there are certain areas where you want to be able to hang your hat on something, right? Whether it’s go-to players and/or plays, that you can go to in tough times that you know you’ve got a pretty good chance to have success with.”
Despite some second-half performances showing promise, there’s always a caveat. Whether it’s the Falcons’ comeback or the late surge against the Saints, relying on these comebacks is an unsustainable strategy. Scoring points when the game is already out of reach, as seen against the Lions, and struggling to put up points quickly, as in the game against the Raiders, are issues plaguing the Packers’ offense.
As Love acknowledged, “There’s just too many critical errors right now, offense. We all have to do a better job. We all just have to lock in and do a better job.”
Playing this brand of football won’t lead to victories for the Green Bay Packers, especially with an extra week of preparation against a subpar defense. Relying on luck, such as tipped balls falling into the hands of rookies, is unsustainable. The Packers find themselves at 2-4 for the first time since 2006.
Sunday’s game was an opportunity for the Packers to demonstrate their ability to turn things around and play competent football on the offensive side. Unfortunately, it was more of the same, and regrettably, that may be the expectation moving forward.
