Packers Season Preview: Three Reasons for Optimism on Offense

Can the Green Bay Packers adapt without Davante Adams, who scored 69 touchdowns the past six seasons? Yes, and here's how.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will kick off the 2022 NFL season at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. By law, any preview of the offense has to start with four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He won MVP in 2020, when the Packers led the league in scoring, and again in 2021, when the Packers were second in scoring over the final seven games.

There are obvious question marks, starting with the knees of the projected starting offensive tackles and the void in the offense created by the offseason trade of Davante Adams.

It is worth nothing that the Packers won all seven games without Adams the past three seasons. They averaged 31.6 points in those seven games compared to 27.2 points overall. Rodgers threw 19 touchdowns vs. one interception. Among the victories: 2020 at New Orleans, when the Saints finished 12-4, and 2021 at Arizona, when the Cardinals were the NFL’s final undefeated team.

Helping matters is the Packers generally don't beat themselves. Last season, they tied for No. 1 in giveaways and were No. 2 in both offensive holding penalties and false starts. Even with injuries on the offensive line, they were 10th in sack percentage.

In what will be a major offensive transition, here are three of Green Bay’s strengths on offense with the start of the season just days away.

Leader of the Pack: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers fires a pass at training camp. (USA Today Sports Images)

Rodgers has thrown an absurd 111 touchdowns vs. only 13 interceptions during his three seasons with coach Matt LaFleur. During that span, he is No. 1 in touchdown passes (four more than Tom Brady) and No. 1 in interceptions (11 fewer than Patrick Mahomes among the 25 quarterbacks with at least 1,000 attempts).

Of course, Davante Adams was on the receiving end of a lot of those touchdowns. Rodgers goes into this season with perhaps the most question-filled receiver corps in the NFL. But great quarterbacks are the rising tide that lifts all boats. That’s why they get paid the big bucks. In seven games without Adams during the LaFleur era, Rodgers won all seven starts. He threw 19 touchdowns vs. one interception to lead an offense that averaged 31.6 points per game – almost five points better than the average with Adams.

“That man is one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around,” receiver Randall Cobb said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing football, if you’re playing cards, he wants to win. It doesn’t matter what it is. He brings that fire every day. When you go from the preseason to the regular season, the ante ups, you’ve got to put down on the table and really have a laser focus that’s a little different. When we get into certain situations, he expects us to know exactly what we talked about the first week of training camp on any given play. It’s just making sure that we understand what’s before us and where we’re trying to go.”

Working in Tandem: Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon

Expect to see Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in tandem. (USA Today Sports Images)

Last season, running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon combined for 1,602 rushing yards and nine touchdowns and 86 receptions for 704 yards and eight more touchdowns. That’s 2,306 total yards and 17 total touchdowns. Those numbers, as impressive as they are, could be dwarfed this season.

Jones and Dillon will be front and center in the new offensive plan of attack. Last season, they were on the field together for 24 offensive snaps, according to the league’s data. They might approach that number in Week 1 alone. Rodgers figured both players could catch 50 passes this season. That would be child’s play for Jones, who averaged 49.3 catches the past three seasons. Dillon, meanwhile, caught 34-of-37 targets during a breakout second season.

“They can both, obviously, run the ball really well. They can both catch it out of the backfield well,” Rodgers said. “Different types of backs. I was talking to Matt (LaFleur) this morning about it, they’re both I feel dangerous in the open field. Jonesy’s such a slasher and, when he gets the ball, he’s tough to take down. He’s got a great balance, low center of gravity. And 28 learned how to run behind his pads, and he can punish, especially in the wintertime, but he can also make you miss. He’s tough to bring down. He’s got tremendous quad size and strength. ”

Winning With Multiple Personnel Packages

TE Robert Tonyan scores vs. Washington (USA Today Sports Images)

Generally speaking, the NFL’s base offense is “11” personnel. That’s one running back, one tight end and three receivers. That’s how Green Bay lined up on almost half of its first-and-10 plays last season.

The Packers aren’t better without Davante Adams – their 7-0 record without him the past three seasons notwithstanding. But it will force coach Matt LaFleur to be more multiple on offense. He’s got the personnel to pull it off to best attack opposing defenses.

That Packers can still line up with three receivers, especially if rookies Christian Watson and/or Romeo Doubs emerge. With a healthy Robert Tonyan, the Packers can line up with two tight ends – whether it’s the sure-handed Tonyan and tough-guy blocking of Marcedes Lewis or Tonyan and versatile tight end/fullback Josiah Deguara. They can also line up in the aforementioned Jones-Dillon packages.

“I’m sure we’re going to play our best 11, and it’s hard to think those guys aren’t in the best 11 for us,” Rodgers said of Jones and Dillon. “We’ve got to find ways to get the ball to them in space.”

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The Packers have owned the NFC North. Why? A big part of Green Bay’s recent success has been Aaron Rodgers. The last two seasons, he’s thrown 38 touchdown passes and zero interceptions against division rivals.

With Rodgers and what promises to be a ferocious defense, Green Bay is our pick to win the division for a fourth consecutive season.

Featuring myself and my NFC North tag-team partners, here are the teams' strengths, weaknesses and predicted finishes (#Packers, No. 1, shockingly).https://t.co/DbocvADsoI

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 5, 2022