Packers Season Preview: Three Reasons for Concern on Offense

For the first time in a long time, the Packers might have more questions than answers on offense. Here are three enormous challenges with the start of the season just days away.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The post-Davante Adams era is here. After months of plotting and a series of challenging practices against their powerful defense, the Green Bay Packers’ new-look offense will debut on Sunday at the Minnesota Vikings.

Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback. Matt LaFleur is a great offensive mind. Together, can they keep the Packers’ offense among the NFL’s elite without one of the great receivers of the generation?

One area where the Packers must get better despite their personnel questions is the red zone. In 2020, when they led the NFL in scoring, they were all-time great in the “gold zone” with a league-leading touchdown rate of 80.0 percent. Last year, when they tumbled to 10th in scoring, they finished just 19th in the red zone with a touchdown rate of only 58.6 percent.

With an MVP quarterback, a winning scheme and a top-notch duo of runners, the Packers have some obvious building blocks on offense, but the challenges are daunting. Here are three reasons for concern with the 2022 NFL season approaching.

Receivers: Who Will Get Open?

Allen Lazard (USA Today Sports Images)

Throughout his career, whenever Rodgers would drop back into the pocket for a key third down, there would be a comfort that his first or second read would get open. That’s what happens when you go from Greg Jennings to Jordy Nelson to Davante Adams as your No. 1 receiver.

Rodgers might not have that luxury this season. Sure, Rodgers is a great quarterback and LaFleur has a proven scheme. But there will come a time when Rodgers will face a high-quality secondary led by an excellent defensive coordinator. When that happens, will the veteran receiver trio of Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb be up to the task? Or will the dynamic rookie duo of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs be ready to help?

“I think today there’s evidence of immaturity at times,” Rodgers said of the rookies after Wednesday’s practice, which LaFleur turned into as much of a real game as possible. “When you’re in these live situations where we’re moving the football and there’s rapid fires and the play clock is on and there’s live reactions and adjustments in real time, we’re going to have to be patient with 87 and 9.”

Rodgers went on to rave about the recent stretch of practices by Watkins and Cobb. But Watkins hasn’t reached 60 catches since 2015 and Cobb since 2017. Lazard, who Rodgers believes will emerge as a No. 1 receiver, hasn’t had be much more than a role player in his first four seasons. On top of that, all three have injury histories – Lazard hasn’t practiced in a week – and none of the three have game-breaking speed.

Rodgers would rather not have to rely on rookies. But, in the long run, will there be any choice?

Offensive Tackles: Knee’d To Be Healthy

David Bakhtirai (USA Today Sports Images)

There’s real hope David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins will be in the lineup on Sunday at Minnesota. In the grand scheme of things, Week 1 would be great but what matters is they’re in the lineup together in December and January.

The Packers might have gone to the Super Bowl had Bakhtiari not suffered a torn ACL at practice late in the 2020 season. Who knows how the 2021 season would have ended had Jenkins not suffered a torn ACL in November and Bakhtiari had successfully recovered from his injury.

When healthy, they are two of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. When they’re not healthy? The Packers will face at least one premier edge rusher in each of the first four games: Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter of the Vikings, Robert Quinn of the Bears, Shaq Barrett of the Buccaneers and Matthew Judon of the Patriots. Suspect offensive tackles plus suspect receivers is not exactly the equation for a winning passing attack.

“I’m going to be watching them like a hawk,” Rodgers said recently of Bakhtiari and Jenkins. “It’s good having them in the huddle in the pre-practice jog-through that we do. I stepped in the huddle the other day and it was the Big Giraffe at left and Elgton over at right and Big Dog [Marcedes Lewis] was in there and Sammy and Cobby and Allen and Jonesy [Aaron Jones] and I was like, ‘Hmm, this feels like a pretty good offense right here.’ So, it’d be nice to have those guys back.”

More Offensive Line: Men In the Middle

Jake Hanson (USA Today Sports Images)

Green Bay’s offensive line issues aren’t limited to the tackles’ ACLs. Left guard Jon Runyan, a sixth-round pick in 2020, has emerged as a reliable starter. Center Josh Myers, whom the Packers selected in the second round in 2021 instead of all-rookie Creed Humphrey, missed most of his rookie season with a knee injury and remains an unknown. At right guard, it will be either Jake Hanson, a sixth-round pick in 2020 who’s barely played, or Royce Newman, a fourth-round pick in 2021 who started 16 times as a rookie but was put on the bench for the playoffs.

The Packers will be counting on the running back duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to help carry the offensive load. That’s great. But will they find any running room? The Packers finished just 20th in yards per carry last season. They averaged just 2.9 in a loss to the Saints in Week 1 and only 3.4 in the loss to the 49ers in the playoffs. Other than here and there, such as Tyler Goodson’s touchdown run vs. the Chiefs, the No. 1 line didn’t exactly create a lot of running room in the preseason, when they mostly faced opponents’ backups.

“I like our group,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week. “Obviously, we’ve got some very established players in that room and, certainly, the health of the two tackles coming back is a big thing. But I think we have enough depth there, and I really like the youth and what their upside is down the road. But it will be nice to get those two tackles back, and it’s been good seeing them out on the field.”