In what’s been an abysmal season for Green Bay, one player has remained consistent throughout and that’s wide receiver Davante Adams. He finally eclipsed 1000 yards in his career and is only 204 yards away from setting the single-season franchise record for receiving yards set by Jordy Nelson in 2014. Nelson had 98 receptions for 1,519 yards and 15 total touchdowns that year. Adams currently has 1,315 yards and 13 total touchdowns on 100 total receptions. Speaking of receptions, Adams will also have a chance to eclipse former legendary Packer wide receiver Sterling Sharpe in franchise single-season receptions with 112 set back in 1993. He only needs 13 total receptions over the final two games to do so.
Considering he’s only in his 5th-year, those would be amazing accomplishments for him. Adams also earned a second trip to the Pro Bowl due to his impressive season still with two games to go. This season has been tough one for Green Bay but one thing’s for sure, Davante Adams continues to prove he’s a top-tier receiver in the NFL. When you’re mentioned with Packer greats like Nelson and Sharpe, you’re definitely doing something right. There’s no question that if Adams continues to perform at a high level, he’ll be among the greats as well.
Green Bay finds itself clinging to its playoff hopes heading into a critical week 15 division battle with the rival Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. The Packers are coming off of a 34-20 win against Atlanta at Lambeau Field; it was the first win under interim head coach Joe Philbin. The 34 points scored were also the most points Green Bay has scored thus far all season. The Bears meanwhile are coming off of a huge 15-6 upset win over the Los Angeles Rams in Chicago. Their defense held LA to a season low in yards (214) and points (6). They also forced 4 turnovers (all interceptions).
Green Bay’s game also featured two key turnovers; both from the same player. CB Bashaud Breeland had a pick-6 of Atlanta’s Matt Ryan as well as a fumble recovery. Offensively, Green Bay looked good. Rodgers went 21-32 for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. RB Aaron Jones also had 2 touchdowns to go along with 78 rushing yards on 17 total carries; good for 4.9 YPC. It was a great win for Green Bay and provided some much needed momentum and confidence heading into this game with Chicago.
This will be the 198th renewal of the oldest rivalry in the NFL. Green Bay leads it 97-94-6. The most recent victory coming in week 1 of this year at Lambeau Field. After Rodgers went down with a knee injury in the first half, (3-7 for 13 yards), Green Bay was down 20-3 late in the third quarter. Then Aaron Rodgers came back and led a 17 point come from behind victory; going 17-23 for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was the largest comeback victory in franchise history. This game will be one of the toughest for Green Bay.
The Bears are currently 5 point favorites. The over/Under is at 45.5. Chicago’s defense is VASTLY improved from week 1. They have an elite secondary consisting of CBs Prince Amukamara & Kyle Fuller, Free-Safety Eddie Jackson, and Strong-Safety Adrian Amos. They also have a vicious D-line with Eddie Goldman, Akiem Hicks, and Jonathan Bullard. Their linebacking corps is one of, if not the best in the league with Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Leonard Floyd, and Khalil Mack. As a defense, the Bears have more interceptions (25) than touchdowns given up (21). That stat alone let’s you know that this is a defensive unit that doesn’t mess around.
The Packers as a defense are a middle-class unit right now. They’ve been hit with a ton of injuries; most of which are season ending. Most notably DL Mike Daniels (foot), CB Kevin King (Hamstring/Shoulder), LB Jake Ryan (Ankle), Safety Raven Greene (Ankle), Safety Ibraheim Campbell, LB Nick Perry (Knee), and DL Muhammad Wilkerson (Ankle). Additionally, CB Bashaud Breeland and DL Kenny Clark were listed as questionable with a groin issue and elbow on the latest injury report.
On the offensive side, RG Byron Bell (Knee), RB Tra Carson (Ribs), WR Geronimo Allison (Groin), and OT Kyle Murphy (Ankle) all were placed on season ending IR for Green Bay. Furthermore, RT Bryan Bulaga was listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest with a knee injury (now is OUT). Jason Spriggs will be his replacement at RT. On the contrary, Chicago has three players listed as questionable: Safety Eddie Jackson (Shin), WR Allen Robinson (Hip), and DT Bilial Nichols (Knee). Although Bears head coach Matt Nagy has said he expects all three to be full participants on Sunday.
There is no doubt that Chicago has improved immensely since week 1. This game will be yet another close, intense, suspenseful contest. Under Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have a 17-4 overall record against them (including the playoffs). Additionally, Green Bay is 8-2 overall against them at Soldier Field (8-0 since 2010). Yes, Green Bay is 0-5 this season on the road, but Soldier Field is more like Lambeau South for them. All streaks have to come to an end at some point. Something’s gotta give.
With a win, the Bears would clinch the NFC North for the first time since 2010. A loss however, would stop that from happening for at least one more week, providing Minnesota beats Miami. If the Bears win and Minnesota loses, Chicago would still win the division. If they lose Sunday and Minnesota wins, Chicago would have to wait to clinch the division and playoffs until next week. If both Chicago and Minnesota lose, Green Bay’s playoff hopes — albeit slim, would still be intact. Green Bay would need to win their final three games (@ CHI, @ NYJ, vs DET), and have Carolina (vs NOLA, ATL, @ NOLA), Washington (@ JAGS, @ TEN, vs PHI), Philadelphia (@ LA, vs HOU, @ WSH), lose one of their remaining three games and also have Minnesota lose two of its final three games (vs MIA, @ DET, and vs CHI).
Now, it’s going to take a lot of help and heart, starting Sunday to keep Green Bay’s season alive. Just focus on beating Chicago, then win your remaining two games, then watch and wait. Their backs are once again against the wall, but we’ve seen this before…The Packers always play their best when the odds are stacked against them. Their mettle will definitely be tested but it’ll be a testament to the toughness, heart, resiliency, and grit of this team if they come out of it unscathed — and possibly under the radar seed-wise in the NFC playoff race.
It happened late Sunday night. Breaking news: Mike McCarthy fired as head coach of the Packers. It was the first time since the 1950’s that Green Bay had fired a head coach before the season was over. It was a much needed albeit tough decision to make. McCarthy was and still is the most successful NFC North head coach in the modern era. 125-76-2 in 13 seasons, 4 NFC championship games, 6 NFC North championships, 8 straight playoff appearances from 2009-’16, and one Super Bowl title (2010).
The biggest reason why he was fired wasn’t because of his resume as a head coach or his overall record in Green Bay. It was because of his inability to adapt to the modern day NFL. He continued to use the same scheme he used in 2010 in today’s NFL. To his detriment, it cost him his job. Over the past two seasons, Green Bay has gone a combined 11-16-1 (.411 win percentage).
Now, to sit here and say that Mike McCarthy wasn’t or isn’t a successful NFL head coach would be blasphemous. He is a very successful head coach but ended up wearing out his welcome in Green Bay. I can say with 100% certainty that he won’t be out of a job for very long. He will end up serving as a great head coach for whichever team decides to pull the trigger and nab him. The biggest candidate for his services seem to be the Cleveland Browns, who have ties with Green Bay’s executive staff. Former execs for Green Bay Eliot Wolf as well as Alonzo Highsmith were hired as the assistant GM and VP of football operations, respectively.
Both CEO Mark Murphy as well as GM Brian Gutekunst know how attractive of a job this is. This change will not happen immediately. It’s going to take some in depth evaluation and interviewing to determine the right head coach for the organization. Both of them want what’s best for the organization and want to start winning super bowls once again and put the title back in “Title Town”. Aaron Rodgers will definitely have input on the decision but won’t be a definitive factor in the decision. They also said they will end up waiting to make the change until after the season ends.
It makes total sense to wait considering that the interim head coach Joe Philbin could potentially be a candidate depending on how well he coaches the team in the remaining four games. The standards this season and within the organization were definitely not met and this is a decision that will affect the organization both now and well into the future. There is a “preliminary list” of potential candidates for the vacancy according to both Murphy and Gutekunst. They both were asked about specific traits they’ll be looking for in the candidates to which they replied that won’t be divulging into that as far as the candidates are concerned. They are only looking for the perfect person to represent the organization both professionally and ethically.
The bottom line here is that the reason why the firing happened now instead of after the season was because of the way Green Bay has been playing as of late and the Cardinal game Sunday was the proverbial nail in the coffin for McCarthy. It was time to move on. The nature of the NFL is to adapt and overcome but with McCarthy as head coach, he hasn’t adapted and in turn, hasn’t overcome the deficiencies of the team as well as the schemes offensively. I’m happy that they did it when they did and am looking forward to seeing how the new head coach works with the team as a whole as well as within the organization. I have 100% confidence that both Gutekunst and Murphy will end up hiring the ideal candidate for the job. This indeed was an organizational wake up call that will hopefully lead to major changes in philosophy and all around team play.
Aaron Rodgers has been getting a lot of negative attention lately regarding his play on the field and rightfully so…His stats say that he’s been having a great year: 3,271 yards, 20 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a passer rating of 101.7. Dive deeper though, and you’ll find that this season has been anything but great for him and the team as a whole. He’s been missing easy throws and also has been throwing the ball away at an alarming rate (46 pass attempts; leads NFL). He was asked on Wednesday about his mechanics being criticized, to which he responded: “You know, I don’t really put a lot of weight into a pundit on ESPN talking about my fundamentals.” “I listen to my quarterback coach & my offensive coordinator, my head coach; I study myself; I’m very critical of my own film.” “I’m not playing any different fundamental wise.” That makes it seem like Rodgers is trying to block out any and all negative noise in regards to the media about him.
He was also asked about Green Bay’s slow start & what he believes may be the biggest misperception regarding this team. “No, I mean, I think this is kind of normal; you know, when you’ve had sustained success for a long time & you know, we’ve seen this over the years.” “We saw it in 2009 when we were 4-4, we saw it [20]12 when we started slow, in [20]16 when we were 4-6 & this is the new cycle.” “We haven’t been playing as well as we have in the past & these are the types of stories that are going to come out.” Again, Rodgers is acknowledging that if you play bad (and Green Bay definitely has been), then you’re going to get criticized. He’s obviously very upset with the state of the team & at 4-6-1 through 11 games, he should be.
If Rodgers knows how bad this team is playing, he will definitely adjust accordingly and has also said that he will “let it all hang out” during this final stretch. He knows he must take more risks in order to drive the team to win. What does he have to lose at this point? Randall Cobb was also asked about finally coming back from his hamstring injury and was quoted as saying: “I’m excited to get back out there because I know with all the noise that’s been said over the past week about him, he’s getting ready to light everybody up, it’s gonna be a lot of fun & I look forward to helping him out.”
The elephant in the room has been addressed, Green Bay once again finds its back against the wall sitting at 4-6-1 with 5 games left. 2016 saw them run the table with one of the greatest 8-game postseason runs I’ve ever seen, can Rodgers and company do it again? I sure hope so. They’ll need some help along the way to secure a wildcard playoff spot though. They’ll first need to win their final five games, then have Philadelphia lose 1 of its final five, Seattle lose 2, Carolina lose 2, Washington lose 2, and Minnesota lose 3. That’s what makes it tough for Green Bay to get in, even if they win out.
We all know anything can and does happen in the NFL though & Green Bay made the playoffs in each season they started slow under Aaron Rodgers (2009, 2012, and 2016). The moral of the story here is that even when things are looking bleak, never count Green Bay out with Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback. As long as he’s under center, Green Bay always has a chance. Expect him to look a lot more like his old self come Sunday afternoon.
Green Bay heads into Centurylink Field in Seattle Washington on Thursday Night Football on Fox for a matchup against the Seahawks (4-5). They have had quite the history in recent years, starting with the “Fail Mary” in the 2012 regular season contest during the NFL referee lockout. Then there was the now famous: “Bostick botch” during the 2014 NFC Championship game, no more words need to be said about that. Next came three more regular season games, this time all at Lambeau Field (2015, 2016, & 2017). The first was a 27-17 victory for Green Bay, the next was a more lopsided affair, with Green Bay taking it by a score of 38-10. Finally, the last game came during the 2017 season; although a much closer game, saw Green Bay win 17-9. This upcoming contest will be in Seattle at CenturyLink Field.
Seattle really hasn’t been a place that Rodgers and the Packers have faired well in recently. He and Green Bay are 0-3 all-time at the Clink. I know they’re itching to get a win to bolster themselves & the season as a whole, as they would get to above .500 at 5-4-1. The Seahawks offensive attack will come from QB Russell Wilson’s arm and legs as well as RB Chris Carson and WRs Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. The defense of Seattle has changed dramatically since 2014 as well. S Kam Chancellor is retired, FS Earl Thomas is out for the season with broken leg, and CB Richard Sherman is now with the 49ers. It will be interesting to see how the offense of Green Bay attacks Seattle’s defense.
Green Bay also has its fair share of injuries as well. WR Randall Cobb (Hamstring), CB Kevin King (Hamstring), S Kentrell Brice (Ankle), and LB Nick Perry (Knee), G Lucas Patrick (Concussion), QB Tim Boyle, and G Alex Light are all listed as inactive for tonight. LB Blake Martinez (Ankle), and CB Bashaud Breeland (Groin), are listed as questionable (upgraded to active). We will have to see how well they play with these key injuries.
Green Bay’s offense will be predicated on Aaron Rodgers’ arm and Aaron Jones as well. He is most definitely the Packers’ bellcow at RB and is also most effective running in between the tackles. We will have to see how he will; and if he will be utilized effectively tonight. I have a feeling they will use him to his full potential as a runner and pass catcher out of the backfield.
Overall, this game will be a make it or break it one for the Packers. A win would provide some much needed momentum within the division and conference race, a loss would diminish the chances considerably. It’s time for the Packers to step up and perform at their best when their backs are against the wall as they will be tonight. Can they finally get a win on the road and in Seattle? We’re going to find out.
Green Bay has gotten off to a mediocre start through the first half of the season going 3-4-1 through eight games. This is in part due to the poor offensive play calling and scheming from Mike McCarthy and also poor play from QB Aaron Rodgers. The defense also saw a shakeup as FS Haha Clinton-Dix was traded to the Washington Redskins.
I expect the second half of the season to be much better than the first. For starters, the grueling two game road trip is now over. Granted, they lost both but showed flashes of what type of team they can be when clicking on all cylinders. According to ESPN, from week ten on, Green Bay has the league’s 5th-easiest remaining schedule. The division is still most definitely up for grabs as well. Chicago has a gauntlet remaining (LAR, MIN twice, and Detroit twice), as does Minnesota (Bears twice, Patriots, Packers once, and Seattle in Seattle).
I blame both the ineptitude on play calling with McCarthy and also Rodgers’ inability to snap the ball at a reasonable pace. You don’t need to run the clock down to 1 every time. Sometimes, you need to go no huddle and snap it quickly to get in a rhythm offensively & keep the opposing defenses on their heels. Also, they need to be more creative on offense if they expect to win more games, no more straight up the middle runs and 5-wide pass plays…The offense is built for more than that with a QB the caliber of Aaron Rodgers under center. Aaron Rodgers has been playing poorly as of late. His stats don’t necessarily say that but his play on the field does.
Green Bay’s defense saw a ton of trick plays and screens against New England but couldn’t defend them at all. Sure, sometimes they’d get a stop or a touchdown saving tackle, but most of the time it was either a huge gain or a touchdown. Green Bay’s defense, specifically the secondary, has to get better at defending those types of plays. You can’t continue to get gashed for huge yardage play after play and expect to win. Green Bay will also be better prepared defensively for more complex offensive schemes if they use them in their own offense.
Green Bay’s final eight games will be considered the easier stretch on their schedule. The teams remaining have a combined record of 31-35-1. This will also hopefully mean that Aaron Jones (the NFL’s 2nd leading RB in YPC at 6.1), will get used more in the offense for them. He is an explosive runner between the tackles and can be a weapon on offense when used effectively. Aaron Rodgers also will improve himself in the second half of the season.
Overall, this final portion of the schedule will be a proving point in the season for Green Bay. Will they end up faltering down the stretch or will there be a fight to the finish & a playoff berth in sight after missing them for the first time in 9 years last season? I have a feeling that Green Bay will turn things around with an eye towards not only the division but the NFC in the postseason. The NFC North & conference as a whole is still fairly competitive. Green Bay also has been great at home under Aaron Rodgers, 9-0-1 since losing to the Colts in week 9 of 2016. It’s time to make a run, starting Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field!
The Packers look to bounce back from a two point heartbreaker in Los Angeles by defeating the New England Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday night. They’re 3-3-1 while New England is 6-2 having won 5 straight heading into the game. The Patriots are coming off of a 25-6 win against the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. New England ended up hitting four out of five field goals totaling 13 points while the other 12 came from a rushing touchdown from RB James White and a pick-six from CB Devin Mccourty. Green Bay is looking to get above .500 (4-3-1) Sunday night.
The biggest reason why people will be tuned into this game is because of each quarterback. Tom Brady for New England & Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay. There has been an ongoing debate as to who is the better of the two and honestly, they’re both great, appreciate them while you can. Brady, whose been in the league for 19 seasons as a starter, has 3 MVP awards (2007, 2010, & 2017), 5 Super Bowl titles (SBs 36, 38, 39, 49, & 51), 4 Super Bowl MVPs (SBs 36, 38, 49, & 51), and 13 Pro Bowls. He also has over 500 passing touchdowns (504 entering Sunday), and almost 70,000 passing yards (68,359). His stats for 2018 are as follows: 199/295 (67.5%), for 2,200 yards, 16 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a 97.6 passer rating.
The man whom he will be battling, Aaron Rodgers, is in his 10th season as a starter. He has 2 MVP awards (2011, 2014), 1 Super Bowl title (SB 45), 1 Super Bowl MVP, and has 6 Pro Bowls. He currently has 40,785 passing yards, 326 passing touchdowns, and just 79 interceptions, with an absurd 103.6 passer rating. His stats for 2018: 174/284 (61.3%), for 2,283 yards, 13 touchdowns, just 1 interception, and a passer rating of 100.4. He is set to face off against Brady in Foxborough for the first time in his career. He and the Packers won the first game 26-21 at Lambeau Field in 2014. The Patriots are 2-2 all-time against Green Bay with Tom Brady as the starter.
Both teams are looking to get a win in this game and I feel it’s going to come down to whoever has the ball last and commits the least amount of turnovers. The Packers are 5th in offense (412.1 YPG, 25 PPG), 12th in defense (340.1 YPG, 24.7 PPG allowed), 5th in passing offense (308.1 YPG), and 21st in rushing (104 YPG). The Patriots are 11th in offense (381.9 YPG, 29.9 PPG) 25th in defense (23.1 PPG allowed, 381.9 YPG), 12th in passing offense (266.6 YPG), and 13th in rushing offense (115.2 YPG). I feel it’s going to be a close game once again.
Injury wise, WR Geronimo Allison has been ruled OUT due to a hamstring/groin injury. He did not practice. Questionable for Green Bay are WR Randall Cobb (Hamstring, full participant in practice), LB Nick Perry (Ankle, limited participant in practice), and S Germaine Whitehead (Back, limited participant). For the Patriots, (OUT): OG Shaq Mason (Calf), OL Brian Schwenke (Foot). (QUESTIONABLE), Patriots: OT Trent Brown (Ankle), OT Marcus Cannon (Concussion), LS Joe Cardona (Shoulder), WR Josh Gordon (Hamstring), DE Geneo Grissom (Ankle), LB Dont’a Hightower (Knee), RB Sony Michel (Knee), DE John Simon (Shoulder), WR Julian Edelman (Ankle), TE Jacob Hollister (Hamstring), LB Nicholas Grigsby (Illness), TE Rob Gronkowski (Ankle/Back), and WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Neck).
Both teams will be looking to score points in bunches. It will just be a matter of who can score the most, I’m going to give the slightest edge to Green Bay, even with Allison out. I think they’ll end up winning a close battle, 38-34. It will be yet another instant classic between two all-time greats at the QB position. I’m so excited to get to witness it one more time.
The biggest reason for Davante Adams not getting the recognition he so richly deserves was the fact that he was overshadowed by Jordy Nelson. As a rookie, he was an ok player for his position. He caught 38 passes for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for 11.7 YPR. Since 2016 though, he has shined statistically. He’s caught the most touchdowns of any wide receiver in that span (28). 196 total receptions for 2,349 yards as well.
Now, those aren’t the only reasons why he deserves that type of recognition as a wide receiver. His game tape speaks for itself as well. His footwork and speed off the line are second to none among wide receivers. He’s actually the fastest wide receiver off the line this season, according to Pro Football Focus. His catch percentage has also gone up since his first year (2014). In 2014, it was 57.6% (out of 86 total targets). It has since gone up steadily with the exception of 2015 (53.2%). In 2016, it was 62%. 2017, it was 63.2%, and in 2018, it’s 66.2% through 6 games.
The biggest reason why Adams deserves top five recognition is that he performs at his best even without Aaron Rodgers throwing to him. In 2017 with 2nd stringer Brett Hundley at quarterback, Adams had 47 receptions for 543 yards and 5 touchdowns. With Aaron Rodgers at QB in 2017, he had 29 receptions for 285 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also performed great while in the shadow of Jordy Nelson from 2014-’17. Adams and Rodgers have become a very prolific QB/WR duo over the past few years (266 receptions for 3,157 yards, and 31 total touchdowns).
Because of that, I along with plenty of others within Packer nation firmly believe that he deserves to be in the top five among wide receivers in the NFL today.
Green Bay is 3-2-1 heading into Los Angeles after their bye to face the undefeated 7-0 Rams and are impressively healthy for a team known for getting the injury bug to bite during pivotal points in past seasons. Out of the entire 53 man roster, only three players were listed as questionable on the latest injury report. Randall Cobb (confirmed IN via NFL Insider Ian Rapoport this morning) was the biggest name listed (Hamstring), but was a full participant during practice on Friday. The other two players were OT Jason Spriggs (Ankle), and rookie WR Equanimous St. Brown (Knee). Both Spriggs and St. Brown were limited during Friday’s practice.
As for the Rams, WR Cooper Kupp now ruled OUT as confirmed by NFL Insider Adam Shefter. OLB Trevon Young was listed as doubtful on LA’s injury report. Kupp hasn’t participated in practices for LA since Wednesday. Young didn’t participate on Thursday or Friday.
When speaking of the matchup itself, most sports media members and NFL experts seemily are counting Green Bay out which isn’t a good idea. ESPN’s Football Power Index is only giving Green Bay a 20.1% chance to beat LA. Overall, Green Bay is 9-3 under Mike McCarthy when coming off of a bye, 9-2 with Rodgers at QB. Offensively, Green Bay ranks 4th in both total offense (421 YPG) and passing offense (317.3 YPG), and they’re 20th in rushing offense (622 YPG).
Defensively, they’re 8th in total defense (328.3 YPG), 5th in passing defense (211.8 YPG), and 22nd in rush defense (116.5 YPG). Other than rush defense, Green Bay has been stellar in each of the other remaining defensive categories. A big turnaround from last season, where they ranked 26th defensively, and 22nd offensively.
The Rams on the other hand, are ranked 2nd in total offense (446.4 YPG), 7th in passing offense (293.3 YPG), and 1st in rushing offense (153.1 YPG). LA’s offensive attack will definitely test Green Bay’s defense as well as Mike Pettine’s scheme. It’s going to be very interesting to watch how it plays out.
Defensively, LA ranks 7th in total defense, (327.4 YPG), 9th in passing defense (227.3 YPG), and 12th in rushing (100.1 YPG). Again, they will test Green Bay on offense as well. LA’s front seven on defense vs Green Bay’s offensive line is a very intriguing battle that I will be watching closely in the game. Also, how well Aaron Rodgers performs against the intense pass rush from LA, led by Aaron Donald. I’m also looking forward to how well Green Bay’s rushing attack fairs against LA’s defensive front. It’s going to be a very physical battle to watch.
Overall, this game is very intriguing from both an offensive and defensive perspective, at least on paper. Both teams have nearly identical rankings on both sides of the ball and I personally can’t wait to see how it all plays out. This will also be the first game in NFL history to feature two QBs from the same college facing off (Goff vs Rodgers, Cal-Berkeley). Both teams will be looking to pull off the win by any means necessary and that’s what makes this game such an interesting and important one at this point in the season. I see Green Bay pulling it out late by a score of 35-31.
Green Bay has had an up and down season so far. 2-2-1 record with the 49ers up next on Monday night Football. Thus far, both the offense and defense for Green Bay have yet to click on all cylinders. With the Bears losing, a win on Monday night could swing momentum into Green Bay’s favor in the division heading into their bye week next week.
The running game has also been less than impressive through the first 5 weeks. The leader in yards is #1 on the depth chart as well, Jamaal Williams. He currently has 53 carries (leads the team) for 195 yards (also leads the team), and a 3.6 YPC average. Second is Aaron Jones, who has 24 carries for 147 yards and 6.1 YPC (leads the team). Now, for a guy who was a staple on offense last season to only have 24 carries through 5 weeks (roughly 8 carries per game), is just blasphemous. He needs to be featured more on offense.
It would open up Green Bay immensely and in turn, also take the pressure off of Rodgers and his injured knee. You could play action pass a lot more with an effective run game and so far, Jones has provided that although his stats don’t necessarily state it this season. In 2017, he had 81 carries for 448 yards, and 4 touchdowns (5.5 YPC average). The season isn’t over yet but, Green Bay will be more successful as a team if they incorporate Jones in the offense more effectively, especially if Jones’ pass protecting skills get better for 3rd down plays.
Lastly, it would balance out the offense a lot more too. So far, passing yards outweigh rushing yards for Green Bay. 1,572 pass and only 506 rush. That has to change and I believe using Aaron Jones more in the offense will do that for them. Having a run game to lean on will only make them that much more dangerous on offense as well with teams now having to gameplan defensively for both the run and the pass. All in all, Green Bay could become an instant threat on offense with Jones as the primary running back.
