The Packer’s Bright Future
Despite the Packers losing a close game in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, they showed that they will be a tough opponent in upcoming seasons. Green Bay’s young offense came alive in the second half of the regular season, and their defense improved as well. They weren’t expected to even make it to the playoffs this season and with what they were able to accomplish they should be proud of it. The Packers should not be counted out of anything for the next few years.
Photo Credit: Morry Gash
The switch in Green Bay happened on Thanksgiving. They faced the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, and while everyone thought they would lose; they played a fantastic game of football. We saw Jordan Love make elite passes to receivers like Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. Their offensive play style fell into place and seemed to have clicked. After this game, they caught a stride and never looked back. Making their way into the playoffs, they found themselves to be a dangerous team.
Photo Credit: The Athletic
A key reason for the Packer’s late success was their offensive talent. They are young but vastly improved throughout the season. Jordan Love threw for 32 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards this season. Jayden Reed improved a ton throughout the season, finishing with almost 800 yards and eight touchdowns. Green Bay’s tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft showed up in massive ways at the end of the season as they became targeted more. Looking at their running game, even though Aaron Jones was injured most of the season, he played in their last five games. In those games, he had over 100 yards in each game and scored three touchdowns in their playoff game against the Cowboys.
Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg
Green Bay’s defense was not very good through most of the season. Towards the end there were improvements both schematically and through player improvement. With the recent firing of Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry, Green Bay will look to hire someone to fill that position. The Packers held both playoff opponents to below their averages on the season and almost shut out Dallas in the first half of that game. They still have work to be done to be more consistent on defense, but overall made improvements throughout the season.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur is an offensive-minded coach who has implemented an identity with his team. Although it took some time to click with the players, they are a young team that learned a lot throughout the season. They showed how resilient they are and that anything is possible during a season that almost felt like it was over. Green Bay’s end of the season was impressive, as they almost knocked out San Francisco. The Packers have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming seasons with the talent and execution they showed this year.
