24 Days Until Training Camp: Gold Zone Becomes Fool’s Gold

It seems like forever ago when the Packers were practically unstoppable in the red zone. Can Jordan Love fix what’s become a flawed attack?

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 2, 2023 11:56 AM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 2020, when the Green Bay Packers led the NFL in scoring, they didn’t just field the best red-zone offense in the NFL. They might have fielded the best red-zone attack in NFL history.

In 2022, they finished a mediocre 14th in scoring. There were a myriad of reasons, including one big one: They finished 24th in red-zone efficiency. Their touchdown rate of 51.9 percent was a far cry from their 80.0 percent from two years earlier, when offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s attack was 14-karat awesome in their beloved gold zone.

Aaron Rodgers had been the reigning King of the Red Zone. From 2008 through 2021, his first 14 seasons as the starting quarterback, Rodgers threw 302 touchdowns vs. only 13 interceptions, a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 23.2 to 1. Plus, he added 32 rushing touchdowns.

During his MVP seasons of 2020 and 2021, when the Packers won 13 games each year to earn homefield advantage, Rodgers threw 63 touchdowns vs. two interceptions – 31.5 touchdowns per interception – for a ridiculous 105.4 passer rating. Davante Adams caught 24 touchdowns by himself.

In 2022, Rodgers ranked 22nd with a 95.6 passer rating. He threw 17 touchdown passes – half as many as MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs. His two interceptions came in the infamous loss at Detroit, a hot mess of a performance in which Sammy Watkins wasn’t on the same chapter, let alone the same page, and Rodgers threw an interception on a pass to David Bakhtiari, of all people.

Even worse, Green Bay was 32nd in goal-to-go situations. Somehow, with a four-time MVP at quarterback and a dynamic duo at running back, the Packers scored touchdowns on just 50.0 percent of their possessions in which they got a first down inside the 10-yard line. The Bears, with one of the worst offenses imaginable, scored touchdowns 60.0 percent of the time. The Titans, even with a mess at quarterback, led the league at 93.7 percent.

When Packers training camp begins in 24 days with Jordan Love running the show, getting the red zone back on track will be a key to the season. Eight of the top 10 red-zone teams last year reached the playoffs. The Chiefs, who won the Super Bowl, finished second. The Eagles, who finished third, won the NFC. The Vikings, who romped to the NFC North crown, finished eighth.

Love has almost no track record in the red zone. In three seasons, he’s completed 4-of-8 passes for 19 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He didn’t attempt a single pass during a miserable offensive performance at Kansas City in his first career start in 2021. Against Detroit in the 2021 finale, he was 2-of-5 for 5 yards; against Philadelphia, his only pass was an incompletion.

In theory, Green Bay’s offensive personnel should lead to an efficient red-zone attack. Receiver Christian Watson and rookie tight end Luke Musgrave should be mismatches in contested-catch situations. In 2019, when Aaron Jones led the NFL with 19 total touchdowns, he paced the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns in the red zone. AJ Dillon has the goal-line power. Plus, Love’s running ability – he ran for a two-point conversion against the Lions – should be an asset.

It all sounds good on paper. It will be up to coach Matt LaFleur and his staff to craft a gold-medal game plan.