Despite Running Game, Fixing Offense Requires Deep Thoughts

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ top playmakers on offense are their running backs. On Sunday night at Buffalo, they were unleashed.

Through equal parts necessity and performance, Aaron Jones (20 carries, 143 yards) and AJ Dillon (10 carries, 54 yards) powered a rushing attack that generated 208 yards. It didn’t matter; the Packers lost 27-17 to the Bills for their fourth consecutive loss.

The bottom line is the Packers didn’t score enough points and lost the game. In fact, all those run-first drives amounted to only 10 points. So, while the Packers’ consistent success running the football was a highlight of the game and perhaps a building block, it’s not going to be the winning formula as the second half of the season unofficially begins on Sunday at the Detroit Lions.

“We’ve obviously got to keep finding ways to get (Jones) the ball and 28 (Dillon) because they’re just dynamic players for us,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Wednesday. “They never go down on the first try. They’re always getting max yards. They have some incredible 3- and 4-yard runs for us and then they’re breaking runs, too, and get out in the open. They’re making guys miss. They’re tough tackles. We’ve got to find ways to get them the ball, but we’ve got to be balanced to win games. We rushed for 200 yards and lost by two scores, so lot of positives but we’re trying to win football games.”

The Buffalo game was an oddity from both teams’ perspectives. The Packers, with Allen Lazard inactive, Randall Cobb on injured reserve and Christian Watson out with a concussion on the opening series, had limited weapons to throw the football. So, they ran it. Even when down three scores, coach Matt LaFleur stuck with the running game.

On the other hand, the Bills knew the Packers had to run the football but let them run it, anyway. In fact, even with Green Bay operating frequently out of two-tight-end sets, the Bills never adjusted. They didn’t line up for a single snap of base defense, the obvious defensive counter move to teams running the ball behind multiple tight ends.

Of the 30 combined rushes by Jones and Dillon, only one came into an eight-man box, according to Zebra Sports, the company behind Next Gen Stats. Of all backs with 10-plus carries last week, only three ran into a loaded box no more than 5 percent of the time. Dillon (0 percent) and Jones (5 percent) were two.

The takeaway: The Bills knew the Packers had to run the ball and didn’t care. It’s hard to score touchdowns 5 yards at a time because, at some point, either the offense is going to get called for a penalty or the defense is going to make a play. Thus, the need for balance.

“Every game might have a different feel to it,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “The bottom line is this game is about scoring more than your opponent and we’re not scoring enough points. There’s got to be a little bit of a threat of, ‘Hey, we’re going to keep you off-balance,’ because I do think when defenses zero in and they know exactly what’s coming, there’s a good chance they’re going to stop you. It’s just too competitive of a league. So, I think there’s got to be balance. When we have those opportunities, we’ve got finish drives.”

Whether it’s running the football, as was the case against Buffalo, or throwing a bunch of short passes, as has been the case for most of the season, Rodgers knows the ultimate solution on offense is being able to stretch the field. No different than running the ball at 5 yards a crack, it’s hard to consistently score points via quick passes in the flat. Penalties, dropped balls and missed blocks all stand in the way of that approach producing sustained results.

Rodgers is right when he says the offensive line needs to get healthy to give the passing game a chance to attack downfield. Left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins will practice on Friday, providing a bit of optimism that Green Bay’s preferred No. 1 line will play for the first time together in Week 9.

“We’ve got to get our guys healthy. When we have our starting five out there up front, I feel like we have the guys in place to be able to block it up and take some shots downfield,” he said. “If we don’t, we’ve got to adjust some things and run the ball a little more effectively. That’s what we, obviously, were trying to do until the fourth quarter was get the ball out of my hand really quickly, short throws and then run the football. But in order to win, we’re going to have to find ways to push the ball down the field.”

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Draft-and-develop is the #Packers' way. Just look at the 2019 draft with Rashan Gary. On the other hand, the other first-round pick in that draft, Darnell Savage, has gone the other way one missed tackle at a time.https://t.co/2Yg9oocLIM
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 4, 2022