NFL Week 5 reactions: Roughing the passer must be revisted
The Packers are a playoff team, not a Super Bowl team
The first part of that statement is not even that groundbreaking. If the Packers somehow failed to make the playoffs this season in the underwhelming NFC, it would be the most disappointing team in the NFL. Now, the Packers should absolutely make the playoffs, and they most likely will without a doubt. However, this team has shown no reason to believe that they can reach the Super Bowl.
We all know that the one glaring hole on this team heading into the season was its lack of weapons on the outside. That has been playing out exactly how most of us imagined, as the Packers are averaging 19.4 points per game, ranking 22nd in the league, and 244.4 passing yards per game, ranking 20th in the league. What I did not expect was the defensive struggles and the lack of involvement of Aaron Jones in the offense.
Green Bay’s defense has one total takeaway this season, and for a team that invested a lot in a defense that looks stout on paper, the execution has been nothing close to stout. There have been plenty of examples of this defense being subpar, including struggling against a Bailey Zappe-led Patriots offense in week four, but I will focus on week five.
After going up 17-3 against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants, Green Bay allowed points on four consecutive drives, falling behind 27-20 in the fourth quarter. The Packers’ offense would fall short on its final drive, as it did for the whole second half. Green Bay’s only points in the second half came with seven seconds left in the game when the Giants’ punter Jamie Gillan purposely ran out of the back of the endzone for a safety.
Something that has been perplexing is the lack of a running game the Packers utilize. Green Bay can definitely run the ball with some success, but Matt LaFleur has seemed to forget that Aaron Jones is in this offense. A.J. Dillion is a solid running back, but the fact that Jones is not getting more work in key areas is head-scratching. Jones did out-carry Dillon 13-6, but the lackluster three targets in the passing game make no sense.
Jones has shown the ability to make game-breaking plays on screen passes and routes down the field. Especially with the fact that this offense lacks a true number-one option, Jones should be given more opportunities through the air.
The main reason the Packers are nowhere near a Super Bowl contender is the fact that this offense and team is a first-half team for the most part. LaFleur and this coaching staff fail to make adjustments during the half. LaFleur and this team are so dependent on Rodgers, despite the fact that this team is constructed to be a well-balanced team that can run the ball and depends on the defense in big spots. However, none of these things are happening.
Green Bay is not about making the playoffs, but winning the Super Bowl while Rodgers is the quarterback. I have said during the entire offseason that I am not a believer in this team making a run in the playoffs. And so far, I am right on par.