3 ways to fix Packers in 2023: health, defensive scheme changes, and first-round playmaker draft

The Green Bay Packers, who became the first team in NFL history to record three consecutive 13-win seasons, had a very successful fourth season under head coach Matt Lafleur. A loss to the Detroit Lions in “Sunday Night Football” saw Green and Gold earn his last NFC wildcard spot with a win in Week 18.

“Obviously, we’re going to end a very disappointing season that I don’t think anyone expected, but it’s here,” Packers head coach Matt Raffler said at his season-ending press conference on Monday. “We always have to get to the truth of the matter. The bottom line is that the way we did it this season wasn’t good enough. There’s a lot of room for improvement. There are a lot of things we haven’t done throughout the season that have brought us to this point.”

With that in mind, here are three things the Packers could fix or improve to get back to the lofty standard la rules they set in their first three seasons in Green Bay.

return to health

“We didn’t quite have the continuity we wanted, but that’s the game,” LaFleur said. It has to be possible and I hope they can get out there and perform to the best of their ability.We haven’t done it consistently enough.I’m excited I think there are a lot of young players in the locker room who can take the next step and show that improvement.

Two straight NFL MVPs, Aaron Rodgers had arguably the worst season since joining the Packers as quarterback in 2008. His 91.1 passer his rating was Brett’s worst in his 15 years as Favre successor.

This Season for Aaron Rodgers

Part of that could be attributed to rookie Christian Watson not finding a solid first option in the passing game until he scored three receiving touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. But much of the 39-year-old’s play is explained by a broken right thumb he’s played in since his last play in Week 5 – a 27-22 loss against the New York Giants in London.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott missed five games to recover from a similar injury. As I watched him throw each week, I noticed the laser-like accuracy that made Rodgers a staple of his Hall of Fame career. Keeping him clean is a top priority if he decides to continue playing football in 2023.

To keep Rodgers upright, two-time First Team All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari will need to field his blind side. continued to be one of He has only allowed one sack this season and has allowed a total of five sacks since December 2018. However, since tearing his ACL during practice on New Year’s Eve 2020, he has struggled to stay fit as he has missed all but one game of his 2021 season. increase. His weekly status was up in the air this season with him playing 11 games. The good news is that the Packers believe they can manage his knee more consistently going forward, with Bakhtiari showing off both against Minnesota in Week 17 against the Vikings and Detroit against the Lions in Week 18. Finished the season.

“Once you get [Bakhtiari] When we learned his best practices and how he learned to do it himself, I thought he played at a pretty high level.

Through the first nine weeks of the 2022 season, Packers linebacker Rashan Gary was one of the most devastating pass rushers in the league. His 38 pressures are fifth-most in the NFL, with Vikings linebacker Zadarius Smith (46), Patriots linebacker Matt Judon and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (41). , Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, 39. He then suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 with the Lions. The Packers’ defense didn’t recover from losing their best pass rusher until the team won his fourth straight from weeks 13-17 after falling to 4-8. He was the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft in 2019. Bringing back the 25-year-old would be a huge boost for the Packers’ defense.

Inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell missed four games with a knee injury that equated to a 1-3 stretch for the Packers in Weeks 9-12. The 2021 first-team All-Pro is the glue that holds the midpoint of Green Bay’s defense together, and his four-game winning streak in the team’s season-ending streak occurred when he returned to the lineup in Week 13 with the Chicago Bears. is no coincidence. .

Second-year cornerback Eric Stokes (29th overall), a team’s first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is a big part of plans for the second round after a strong rookie year. was Being able to place Pro Bowler Jaile Alexander and Ball Hawk Rasul Douglas is important to Green Bay’s defensive game plan.

Every team in the NFL has injury problems, but 2022 has reached its breaking point with the Packers’ top player’s illness.

defensive consistency

Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry appeared to be the center of attention after Green Bay’s 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on “Sunday Night Football,” giving up 363 rushing yards. Allowed in games since 1977 (against Hall of Famer Walter Payton’s Bears) — 500 total yards. However, Barry seems to be on his way to staying in 2023.

“That’s what I anticipate,” Lafleur said on Monday when asked about Barry’s return in 2023. I think there’s something about the people in this building. Certainly, there are many things that all of us, especially myself, can do better.

When asked about the details of why Barry would be the right coach to continue the Packers’ defense, Lafleur pointed to improvements in the final five games of the season, Green Bay’s 4-1 stretch.

“It wasn’t always pretty, but I think it started to improve as the years went on. I thought I saw more identity. [Week 18 against the Lions]”We played enough to win on the defensive side of the ball.”

Packers defense this season

A turnaround came when Barry leaned more into the Zone concept and blitzed at a lower rate. That probably contributed to more disciplined play when stopping runs, but also led to more takeaways as more players returned to pass coverage. After raging at the second-highest rate in the NFL, they’ve since dropped their usage rate into the bottom five, becoming the league’s most zone-heavy team from Weeks 13-18.

Packers defensive trend this season

Solidifying that identity has allowed the Packers to nearly enter the playoffs after a dismal start. Entering 2023 with similar confidence in the scheme, players whose front office has invested heavily, such as Alexander (4 years, $84 million), Campbell (4 years, $50 million), Douglas (3 $21 million), defensive tackle Kenny Clarke (4 years, $70 million) and linebacker Preston Smith (4 years, $52 million), along with Gary, linebacker Their potential, along with first-round picks like Key Walker, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, and safety Darnell Savage.

More Support for Quarterbacks

The Packers scored touchdowns on 50% of their goal-to-go drives. This is his worst percentage in the entire NFL this season. In the past two seasons (Rogers’ last two MVP campaigns), Green Bay has scored touchdowns on his 83.1% of goal-to-go drives. This is his third highest percentage in the league. Same story in the red zone, where the Packers scored a touchdown on 51.9% driven this season (24th in the NFL) compared to 68.5% (3rd) in 2020-21.

Lafleur, whether it has to do with the gaping hole left by All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams’ move to the Las Vegas Raiders, play design, or trying to take in two rookie receivers (Watson and Romeo Dubs). knows that can’t happen. Also.

When asked about the delay in Green Bay’s goal-to-go offense in 2022, Lafleur said, “This offseason has a lot to study, whether it’s poor play design, lack of execution, or all of the above. Enough.We did a piss bad job in the red zone.I’ve said it before,”Kick enough field goals and you’ll lose”.Like a lot [Week 18 vs. the Lions], we were able to move the football but in some critical situations we couldn’t convert and had turnovers. ”

In addition to schematic tweaks, the other elephant in the room is getting better talents. Rodgers walked arm-in-arm with receiver Randall Cobb, who he threw for 45 touchdowns, on Sunday night from Rambo’s field (third-most of any of Rodgers’ pass catchers in his career). . Close friend. If 2022 wasn’t Rodgers’ final season, it looked like it would be the case for Cobb as Rodgers’ one more recent security receiver, his blanket, Allen Lazard, is headed free to his agency. , which may belong to a different team. To Over the Cap.

He’ll be the 15th overall pick in the upcoming draft, so it makes a lot of sense to draft a pass catcher in the first round for the first time since picking wide receiver Javon Walker out of Florida in 2002. Draft top receiver (TCU’s Quentin Johnston, USC’s Jordan Addison, Ohio State’s Jackson Smith Niziba) or tight end (Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer). One of them pairs Watson with his fourth-round rookie Doubs, who showed some potential in his win over the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay early in the season. With Austin Ekeler of the Chargers, Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys, and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL in Weeks 10-18, they were able to give the Packers offense some much-needed diversity.

“[Watson] Give a legitimate home run threat and I think it shows perfectly [Week 18 against the Lions]said Lafleur. I think I saw it a little. …I think his own game still has room for improvement. He is a very intelligent player. As I said before, you can move him anywhere in the formation and know he will perform to the best of his ability. His release and route refinements, like most young players, still have some things to improve. he gets pretty excited He really believes that there is nothing this man cannot do. If he approaches the offseason the way I think he should, I think we’ll see an even better version of him next year. ”

Adjusted plans to ensure Packers maintain a healthier roster, maximize the strengths of their talented defense, and add a playmaker for aging Rodgers and former first-round pick Jordan Love. Or if you can add two people, there’s no reason Green Bay can’t. Find your way back in the 2023 postseason.