Our 2022 NFL Preview takes a turn to the hallowed ground of Lambeau Field, where the Packers are set to embrace change in the both the short and long term. After a third consecutive NFC North title, Green Bay once again flamed out in the playoffs, this time largely due to a rash of self-inflicted wounds that could have very well slammed their championship window shut. Even though the lingering drama surrounding (reigning two-time MVP) Aaron Rodgers seems to be over (for now), there are a wealth of concerns all over the Offense as the franchise seems poised to transition to the defensive side of the football. What can we expect from Rodgers in the twilight of his career? Will a renovated supporting cast be up to par? Ready on, ladies and gentlemen…
Aaron’s Twilight
We’ve said it again and again: today’s NFL has never been more Quarterback-driven. If you have a good one, then you can compete, and if you have a great one then you can contend for championships, which is a luxury that the Packers have had for the better part of THIRTY years, particularly the last fourteen in which Aaron Rodgers has been their starter under center. During his time in Green Bay, Rodgers has led them to eleven postseason appearances, eight division titles, and five NFC Championship Games, securing the franchise’s last Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLV twelve years ago. His personal trophy case has been littered with hardware, including ten Pro-Bowls, four All-Pros, and four Most Valuable Player awards, owning each of the last two. However, over the last two years he has been embroiled in a veritable cold war with the franchise, making his frustrations known about personnel decisions and broken promises, even asking to be traded on more than one occasion. After last January’s bitter meltdown against the 49ers, there was a prevailing feeling that he would indeed be done at Lambeau, with his contract set to expire in one year and talks of an extension being frosty at best as the Packers were set to be well over the salary cap. Credit to (General Manager) Brian Gutekunst and (Head Coach) Matt LaFleur for mending fences with Rodgers, who eventually put pen to paper on a three-year, $150.8 million extension with an average annual salary north of $50 million that should ensure that the 38-year-old ends his career in Eastern Wisconsin. Unfortunately, this hefty payday came at the expense of much of his supporting cast, with (All-Pro Receiver) Davante Adams (more on him shortly) demanding to be traded, with the Raiders acquiring his services not long afterward. The reigning NFC North champs also parted ways with Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, meaning that they’ll be without a combined 149 receptions, 1,983 yards and fourteen touchdowns. With that said, any debate between Quarterback and Receivers is going to end in the signal-caller’s favor, though it will be up to the veteran to elevate those around him now more than ever. Granted, many would say that Rodgers has been doing that his whole career, but as he enters its latter stages it’s likely that he’ll have little choice to rely on them more so than ever before.
HELP!!!
For a Quarterback who has frequently criticized the quality of his supporting cast, the fact that Rodgers took all that money knowing damn well that in doing so he would have to bid farewell to his favorite targets is arguably the greatest irony of the offseason. Life without the aforementioned Adams will be the biggest storyline moving forward, for there hasn’t been a more prolific Quarterback/Receiver combination in the NFL over the last eight years, with the tandem accounting for a whopping 622 catches, 7,509 yards, and sixty-nine touchdowns in 108 games together. Last year alone, Adams hauled in career-highs in receptions (123) and yards (1,553), along with eleven scores. Coming into this season, the most prolific returning pass-catcher is Allen Lazard (pictured), who reeled in forty catches for 513 yards and eight touchdowns. Apart from that, there is (longtime teammate) Randall Cobb (28 REC, 375 YDS, 5 TD), free agent signee Sammy Watkins Jr., and (unheralded Rookies) Christian Watson (34th Overall) and Romeo Doubs (132nd Overall). Needless to say, somebody needs to step up if the passing game is going to continue to be the efficient machine that it has been with Rodgers pulling the trigger. However, there are other concerns away from the Receiving Corps that could spell trouble for the Packers, for the Offensive Line is littered with question marks. After tearing his ACL late in 2020, (former All-Pro Left Tackle) David Bakhtiari missed virtually all of last season before returning to play in just TWENTY-SEVEN snaps of the season finale, with LaFleur promptly shelving him for the playoffs. He hasn’t participated in OTAs or minicamps this offseason and was placed on the PUP list as training camp opened. Furthermore, (former Pro-Bowl Guard) Elgton Jenkins suffered an ACL injury of his own last November, joining his fellow Lineman on the PUP list. Mobility has long been a part of Rodgers game, and if the left side of the Line is in flux, then he’ll be seeing more pressure than he’s accustomed to, and at his age this is far from an ideal situation to be in.
Getting Defensive
Though they’ve certainly been the class of the NFC North and frequently found themselves in the conversation to represent the conference as a whole in the Super Bowl, a common theme in Green Bay’s last three postseason defeats has been an inability to get stops when they needed them. In January of 2020, San Francisco manhandled them in the NFC Championship Game, and in 2021 it was a few unfortunate breakdowns in coverage that ended their run on that same stage. This past January it was the Niners once again, who stormed into Lambeau and escaped due in large part to egregious gaffes on Special Teams. With both Gutekunst and LaFleur signing extensions in the Summer, it’s become clear that they feel the best way to maximize Rodgers’ latter years with the franchise and help ease the transition to his successor is to keep building the Defense, which has seen a wealth of investment over the past few years. Over the last four years, the Packers have invested FOURTEEN draft picks on the defensive side the football, with six of them being selected in the First Round. This is a franchise that has long championed drafting, development, and internal growth, and the time is now for them reach their potential. (Pro-Bowl Cornerback) Jaire Alexander (pictured) is among the best at his position, while (Sophomore Cornerback) Eric Stokes showed some serious flashes as a rookie. (Defensive Coordinator) Joe Barry will be counting on (Defensive Lineman) Rashan Gary to continue his growth, while this year’s pair of first rounders, (Tackle) Devonte Wyatt and (Linebacker) Quay Walker, who both featured heavily for (National Champion) Georgia, should be starters from day one. Green Bay ranked thirteenth in points allowed (21.8) and ninth in total defense (328.2) last year, excelling in takeaways (26) but struggled mightily in the red zone where they shipped a touchdown on a miserable 67.3% of their opponents’ opportunities. If this young Defensive Front makes a leap this season, then this unit has the makings of being a fringe top-five group, which would go a long way towards offsetting those losses and concerns on the offensive side of the football.
Projected Finish: 10-7
Though they’ve lost some serious firepower in the Receiving Corps and have concerns along the Offensive Line, there is really no reason to believe that the Packers won’t enjoy a fourth consecutive NFC North title, which is more of an indictment on the rest of the division, which is undergoing a good deal of turnover. Of course, Rodgers makes the difference here, but it will take a sizable leap in development from their young Defense to make Green Bay a true contender to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale this February.
