Photo by Evan Siegle - packers.co
Matt LaFleur and Romeo Doubs on the sideline vs. the Broncos
Matt LaFleur and Romeo Doubs on the sideline vs. the Broncos, Oct. 22, 2023
In Green Bay the season began with hopes that the team could pull off the beginnings of a rebuild while simultaneously contending for a playoff spot in a down NFC. While no one really thought of the current squad as Super Bowl contenders, if Jordan Love really was the quarterback of the future, that optimism would have been warranted, and that hope may have come to fruition.
After disappointing losses to the Raiders, and now to the Broncos after a bye, it looks quite likely that while the rebuild is in full gear, contending is a pipe dream. The Broncos entered the game with the NFL’s worst defense. Even their last game, a superficially acceptable effort against the Chiefs in which Denver held their opponents to just 19 points, Kansas City still moved the ball at will, missing out on points due to a few bad bounces of the ball. The Packers did not score enough on Denver. The Packers did not move the ball against Denver. They looked like a team that couldn’t get out of it’s own way. On their final touchdown of the day, Jordan Love threw a rocket slightly behind Romeo Doubs, who had it go off of his hands, and into the hands of Jayden Reed. They were lucky to only lose by two.
Green Bay next faces a depleted Vikings team that will be without star receiver Justin Jefferson, but even if they win that game (which is doubtful, given how well the Vikings handled San Francisco on Monday night), the writing is already on the wall. This team is in need of a major talent infusion across the board, and that likely includes the quarterback position, where Jordan Love’s accuracy issues, which have plagued him since college, haven’t improved one iota. It would be one thing if he were a first year starter, but quarterbacks given the luxury of sitting and learning are expected to at least flash their upside on occasion. After a nice first game against Chicago, Love has been a disaster. His mechanics on short throws are still a mess, and his deep shots are almost always underthrown. Indeed, much of his production on deep balls has come from opposing defensive backs committing pass interference as they try to battle back to a comically underthrown bomb.
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Love’s one strength is throwing to the middle of the field, but the book is out on how to stop him. Even teams with poor defenses have found flooding the middle with defenders to be highly effective, and in a cruel twist, this has also led to better run defense against the plodding AJ Dillon. Love’s inability to adjust to the weaknesses created by this strategy both deep and on the outsides, has been infuriating.
It’s not all Love’s fault, of course. The Packers are an incredibly young team, young teams are prone to mistakes, and Matt LaFleur has had an especially poor season calling plays as the Packers are the single worst team in the NFL on scripted plays. The offensive line has been uncharacteristically poor as well, and no receiver has distinguished himself as a reliable option, but LaFleur has, in many ways, faced the same fate as every coach who attempts to hide his quarterback through runs and safe throws. The defense knows what is coming, and they blow up everything safe.
Not Serious
The Packers should immediately stop trying to split the baby and go into a full-fledged rebuild. Even if they somehow did luck their way into a playoff berth this season, they’re not serious contenders, and their current quarterback is not the answer. Their Aaron Rodgers-induced cap limitations will make it impossible to add depth until 2025, and if a given player won’t be contributing by 2025, they should be on the trade block. That includes stars like Rashan Gary, unsigned as of this article, and corner Rasul Douglas, who has been outstanding in 2023, and will probably never be more valuable than he is right now.
While losing is no fun, and tanking is unpopular, winning in the NFL is entirely about having a star quarterback, and the Packers are still in the running for Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, two of the best quarterback prospects of the last five years. Moreover, if the Packers don’t manage to land in the top two or three spots in next year’s draft, there are a number of intriguing second-level prospects that can, at least get their search kicked off, including Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix, Jr., and Florida State’s Jordan Travis.
While there is a lot of season left, the easiest part of the schedule is over. The Packers do have games against the Giants and Panthers, both contenders for the number one draft pick, but they will likely be underdogs in every other game this season until they finish with Chicago. It’s time to move on and look ahead.
