The Packers Offense Will Face New Challenges in 2023
By GilMartin
The 2023 season will be full of changes for the Green Bay Packers. The biggest difference is obviously that Jordan Love is now taking over as the team’s starting quarterback after Aaron Rodgers held that job for the last 15 years.
While the change under center will impact the passing game, it will also cause changes to the Packers running game as well.
In 2022, the Packers run offense was led by Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The duo complimented each other well and combined for almost 1,900 yards on ground.
Jones led the way with a career-best 1,121 rushing yards. The former UTEP star averaged an impressive 5.1-yards per carry. He was also second on the team with 59 catches.
Jones is a quick, one-cut runner who can get to the outside and break a long gain any time he touches the football. He took a pay cut to return to Green Bay this season after reworking his contract.
Dillon is a great change of pace from Jones. At 6’ and 247 pounds, he is big and difficult to bring down one-on-one. The former Boston College star is most effective running between the tackles because of his size and mobility.
Dillon got off to a slow start last season but finished strong and gained 770 yards on the ground while leading the team with seven rushing touchdowns. His average yards per carry was 4.1.
Dillon is in the final year of his entry-level contract, which should inspire him to have a very productive season.
Over the past 15 years, opposing defenses knew they had to do one thing to be successful: contain Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers won four league MVPs and helped lead the Packers to the playoffs 12 times in 15 seasons as a starter. He also led them to a Super Bowl win after the 2010 campaign.
The fact that defenses had to concentrate on the Packers passing game made the rushing attack more effective. Opponents rarely put eight men in the box to stop the run, knowing that Rodgers could dissect a defense if they left their secondary that vulnerable.
In 2022, a season where the offense was inconsistent, the Packers averaged a healthy 4.6-yards per carry when they did run the ball. That was despite the fact that Rodgers played much of the season with a broken thumb and the offensive line had injury issues throughout the year.
Defenses also knew that Rodgers had the green light to change the play at the line of scrimmage on any play. Rodgers was one of the better quarterbacks in the league at reading defenses and loved to throw the ball far downfield. If he saw eight men in the box, the defense was asking for a big play against them if they didn’t pressure Rodgers before he got the ball away.
But Love is an unproven quarterback. He’s started only one NFL game in his first three seasons in the league. The Packers will also likely open the season with two rookies getting extensive playing time at tight end. They also presently don’t have any wide receivers with more than one year of experience in the league.
Now, Jones and Dillon are the most proven and consistent weapons the Packers offense has. Love is also less experienced at reading defenses and calling audibles at the line of scrimmage.
Many defenses may start to key on Jones and Dillon and place a greater emphasis on stopping the Packers running game. The question will become how head coach Matt LaFleur and Love will handle these changes.
Will the Packers offense use more play action? How much freedom will Love have to change plays at the line this season? Will there be run-pass options called or does the coaching staff feel Love isn’t ready for that responsibility yet?
The matchups between offenses and defenses are always chess matches but for the first time since LaFleur took over as the Packers play caller in 2019, the pieces he has are different and the nature of the game has changed.
The 2023 season will present a new challenge for LaFleur, Love and the rest of the Packers offensive coaching staff as they adjust to the new looks defenses throw at them as the Jordan Love era begins in Green Bay.
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Comments (42)
TarynsEyes
June 24, 2023 at 01:23 pm
Defenses will be telling Love to show us you can beat us. I wouldn't expect much from the run game for a few weeks, and if Love can't get it done, I wouldn't expect more than average at best strides from the Offense as a whole.
I know many believe the Packers have a good run game, but we ain't running to the SB, heck, they'd be lucky to run to a playoff spot.
No, the 'success', though varying opinions on what that entails, will reside on Love being more than average. At the moment, I don't believe any Defense think him as anything more at his best.
We'll see soon enough.
Vachio
June 24, 2023 at 01:38 pm
Right there with you. Defenses are going to put 7 and 8 men in the box and dare Love to beat them through the air. Honestly, our very first play of 2023 should be the same one from 2022. Just Watson catches it for a score this time.
TKWorldWide
June 24, 2023 at 05:16 pm
Yes! I think GB definitely has the personnel to take the top off of packed in defenses. (No pun intended.)
WD
June 25, 2023 at 07:58 am
It is likely the enemy will put 8 men in the box.... to start. Let them! Love is vastly underrated as are our receivers. We will counter with play action. Moreover,with the mobility of Love and improvement in the TE's Love will carve them up. When they try to stop the pass our duo of RB's will pound them into the ground. I see no reason not to be optimistic with our offense and our improving defense. The only problem is other teams in the division are improving as well. Detroit presents the greatest challenge to our defense. Their RB Jaymir Gibbs could be rookie of the year. That said, the only thing the Pack needs is a killer instinct take no prisoners attitude. Let the games begin.
cdoemel
June 26, 2023 at 10:14 pm
Do you write drama novellas? So beautiful.
badaxed
June 30, 2023 at 09:38 am
Love is more agile due to youth than Rodgers. if the Packers have enough guts to run on an 8 man box they will not be as predictable as Rodgers. see this from last year https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2022/10/19/23411783/opposing-defenses...
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 09:35 pm
New starting QB, mostly new pass catchers.....
What i think we'll see on occasion is Love scrambling and running when he see's a lane during pressure. i'm guessing about 5-9 run attempts per game with some success.
Not Justin Fields success running, but respectable.
But then again, we have enough running backs, we like having a QB.
Justin Fields is a one read QB/RB running back.
PhantomII
June 24, 2023 at 01:24 pm
AR won 4 MVP's...Because he was surrounded by great players who did their jobs also, many of which were also pro bowl and all pro players. Jordan also has many of these players still on the roster along with a young, but more talented overall receiver group. I do not expect JL to be an MVP in 2023. I do expect our Offense really to start becoming a juggernaut by 2024's year end. I'm good with our QB1 never becoming an MVP, especially if someone throws the ball away too often or does not throw it in the middle of the field for fear of skewing his stats. I want GB to win Championships. Moving the chains consistently and getting first downs and a highly efficient red zone win rate will get us where we need to go as long as the Defense can get their stops / turnovers when we need them. GPG
TarynsEyes
June 24, 2023 at 02:08 pm
" I'm good with our QB1 never becoming an MVP, especially if someone throws the ball away too often or does not throw it in the middle of the field for fear of skewing his stats."
I remember when Rodgers was the talk of GB because he didn't throw INT's, and how Packer fans laughed at Cutler and others who always did. I don't think your tolerance for Love will last long if he's throwing 15-20 INT's yearly. That punishes your Defense and makes winning get further and further away from happening. Besides, throwing to the middle can create more INTs, especially if you don't have guys that can or will go there, and your QB needs to be accurate with a quick release.
I agree with having to move on from Rodgers, but let's stop the incessant need to dismiss him like he wasn't worth having at all.
PhantomII
June 24, 2023 at 02:42 pm
I've been over AR since not showing up in 2016 NFCC game and entire offense playing like it was hung over.....Time to move on....and I'm more than ready for it. I could not care less for MVP because it is really accomplished by an entire team making the stat sheet look great. It's time to realize our first ballot HOF QB has done as much to hinder our team from moving forward as anyone else....especially when you watch a game and QB1 could run it in from 7 yards out or throw it to multiple open WR's...but threw it to a double or triple covered favored receiver. I am also over QB1 grabbing the lions share of money instead of leaving some in the pot for others. The problem with someone looked at as being the best...is they start believing it if they don't look at it as being BLESSED with skills and abilities, they tend to have narcissistic traits....That tarnish everything you did like about them. Going 3 and out throwing hero balls instead of just checking it down for a first down is in effect a net turnover aside from field position of a punt...that may be ran back a chunk of yards anyway.
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 11:06 pm
"I've been over AR since not showing up in 2016 NFCC game and entire offense playing like it was hung over"
************
Absolutely...Rodgers is a loser. That game was ours!!
The defense only gave up 500 yards and 30 first downs and only allowed the Falcons 44 points, while getting zero sacks..
That's a game we should have won!!!
That was Rodgers fault.
It was also his fault we didn't have any rb's worth a damn in the game. Which probably explains why Rodgers was our leading rusher at 11.5 yards per carry.
Leatherhead
June 24, 2023 at 03:44 pm
""I don't think your tolerance for Love will last long if he's throwing 15-20 INT's"""
Well, that would make him the worst QB in the league in that regard and I'm not sure why he'd be the worst QB in the league. Last year,. Prescott led all QBs with 15 picks. Cousins had 14. Rodgers had 12;. About 10 guys were in double digits, and the median number of interceptions thrown by the top 25 was about 9.
I think there is a chance that we could throw FEWER iinterceptions than we did last year. And Rodgers deserves credit for being very careful with the ball during his career. Just not last year.
TarynsEyes
June 24, 2023 at 04:18 pm
You should check out the number of INT's some QBs have thrown in their first year starts, and many of these guys are HOF'ers.
I'm not saying he will, I'm saying the patience for him will dwindle fast if he's a mid-teen INT machine. I give him the two-year deal to become the QB the Packers want, not simply in need of one.
Leatherhead
June 24, 2023 at 06:09 pm
You should check out what happened in 2022. Quarterbacks just don't throw it around like the old Crocslinger. 15 Interceptions would make him the worst starter in the league, in that regard. I think the likelihood is that he'll be more towards the middle, meaning he'll probably throw fewer than the 12 that Rodgers threw last year.
IMO, it always comes down to points. Does the offense score points? Does it get first downs? How many times a season does the offense lay a Cleveland Steamer?
I predict we'll score more points than we did in 2022. Our offense, at this point at the end of June, is in much better shape than it was 12 months ago. I predict it'll be better in September than it was last year.
I'm really not interested in a random list of what some QBs did in their first season as a starter, but if you could make a list of all the first round QBs who were developed behind a HOFer for years, that would be an interesting list to me. Because that's his peer sample. Or, you could look at Burrow and Tua and Hurts and the other QBs who were taken early that year. That's a peer sample.
PhantomII
June 24, 2023 at 11:54 pm
I was way more intolerant of a 38 year old that threw a pass at a WR's feet that was wide open to prove a point....IN A GAME, OR refusing to throw to a young WR who dropped a pass or getting a new 150-200 Mill contract and losing his WR#1 and not spending any pre-season working on timing with them, than a new QB1 throwing a few xtra picks. Love is going to be better than ALL OF THAT....
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 10:46 pm
YEA!!
Rodgers was a horrible QB!!
I wish Rodgers would have learned how to play QB in the NFL.
Maybe one of YOU guys could have/should have gone up to Green Bay years ago and helped Rodgers fix all his faults, and taught him how to play QB with some skill, maybe then we'd have more Super Bowls.
I hated having 30 years of 2 HOF QB's. What a couple of losers.
GO LOVE GO!1
PhantomII
June 26, 2023 at 07:54 pm
He seems to be doing much better this year with a change in scenery and new fan base.....actually reporting to off-season training.....now. He just needed more attention and is giving a hallucinogen commentary also for icing on the cake for you....LOL.I always wanted AR to just move the chains...Like The Best QB...EVER. TB12...That's how you win Championships.
Melch
June 25, 2023 at 06:07 am
Rodgers got rid of the ball & didn't throw in the middle of the field because he was one of the SMARTEST QB'S ever.Look where it got Favre whom I loved
cdoemel
June 26, 2023 at 10:30 pm
He had the yips there. Look at film. Consistently didn’t throw to wide open guys across the middle instead forcing the ball someplace unfortunate
DocHoliday
June 24, 2023 at 02:46 pm
Anyone else notice the remaining Packers are taking more of a leadership and responsibility role? For the last few years, it felt like Alexander, Smith, other defenders, offensive line, and even Davante Adams were always in the shadows. Didn’t matter if Adams beat triple coverage, it was all the credit to Rodgers.
Highly unlikely Love is a few HOF QB, but when Rodgers became the QB, the guys in the shadows stepped up. Time for Bahk, Jenkins to make sure the blindside is protected. Jones and Dillon keep the running game working. Rest of offense has to step up. Alexander, Smith, Campbell, Douglas, Clark, Gary ( when he is healthy), Walker, etc need to work together and stop giving up easy TDs.
This team has talent, but will they work together like the Packers did when Favre left and Rodgers first started?
Leatherhead
June 24, 2023 at 03:29 pm
Last year, we scored 7 in the opener, and the year before that, 3. So let's see how we do
Last year, we were a very average offensive team in quite a few measures. I personally think we'll be a better team on offense this year than we were last year.
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 05:56 pm
Average offensive last season?
Gee, i wonder why.
Was it because Lazard was our best receiver?
Was it because Gute forced Rodgers to rely on two rookie draft picks for success?
All because Gute let the pass catching talent get depleted.
Don't worry, just keep drinking the kool aid and pretend it didn't happen.
So here Love is, having to rely on 2 2nd year receivers, and rookie tight end draft picks in his starting season.
So much for draft and develop right?
Now its draft and get on the damn field and produce....now!!
(anyone notice that lately?)
It's sad what happened to this team.
White92
June 25, 2023 at 08:33 pm
With the QB skipping OTAs and not playing nearly the entire preseason, is it any wonder the offense started slow?
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 11:58 pm
Everyone cries Rodgers didn't do this, didn't do that, last off season.
Why the xxxx isn't anybody wondering how Gute could let the pass catching talent go down to almost zero?
Whose job was it to replace Jordy Nelson, how about Adams?
Whose job was it to draft all our receivers and tight ends, whose job was it to sign those two nobodies Funchess and Watkins and that has been Jimmy Graham?
Whose job was it to draft and whiff on, MVS, J'Mon Moore, ESB, Sternberger and Deguara, or how about the swing and miss on Amari 'the fumbler' Rodgers?
You all remember Amari.....you all said he's going to be our next Randall Cobb in the slot.
Then before the 2022 draft....all of a sudden Gute realized...hey!...there was a talent problem on offense.
Golly Gee Gute....some accountability?
So then in desperation, Gute drafts 6 wide receivers and two tight ends in the last 14 months.
I hope these 6 receivers drafted from each of the last two drafts, have better luck than the 3 receivers Gute took in the 2018 draft.
It shouldn't be very hard, but i hope our rookie tight ends turn out better than the last two 3rd round bust.
Yea, the problem is Aaron Rodgers.
Packer_Fan
June 24, 2023 at 06:29 pm
The RB'S will be the key for the offense. They need to put up 3000 plus yards which includes 100 plus receptions. They need this because Jones and Dillon are the quantifiable NFL talent. And they need Goodson as depth.
Defenses will be coming after Love until Lafleur and Love can beat them. Having effective ground and short passing game to have th defense respect that game to ease the pressure on Love. This will open up the whole offense.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 25, 2023 at 01:20 am
Agreed! Just look at a package with 2 TEs who are entirely different, 1 RB, and 2 WRs who are also entirely different. That's 4 possible targets, or 3 all over the place with a handoff to one of the best RBs in the league. I can envision that being a nightmare for opposing defenses, a headache for their DC, and MLF scheming up new plays weekly. I think we'll see some guys get open :)
Hopefully they're getting the scheme down and practices through the regular season won't need to review anything, but can concentrate on new stuff for each opponent. That's why I'm not even worried about who wins the immediate position battles, those who don't start immediately can continue to be developed and brought in as needed.
There's a LOT of talent, and sheer athleticism. Turning that into a winning football team needs great coaching ...
splitpea1
June 24, 2023 at 08:05 pm
Nobody wants to hear it, but those challenges will get a bit tougher if one or both of our starting WRs were to miss extended time; we're skating on thin ice as far as depth goes with this unit. We need to get the rookies and the other young hopefuls plenty of work in the preseason should they need to step in and contribute at some point. There's going to be a lot of on-the-job training and evaluation anyway, but a little more without that fourth preseason game.
PhantomII
June 24, 2023 at 10:15 pm
Actually.....I think we are in better shape there, than in years. Watson/ Doubs / Toure / Reed / A. Jones / Dillon / Deguara / Musgrave / Kraft. That's quite a few change-ups for injuries. I think Doubs is the heavy possession guy...but Reed can play Slot our outside, so I think we are in good shape....on paper. Time will tell how things work out, but I'm confident someone steps up in this deep, talented group.
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 05:36 pm
Damn....
I find it interesting how in fans minds....that rookie draft picks are proven before they ever get in a real game.....and produce.
Hell...is Dequara proven?
I've been a NFL/GBP fan a long, long time. It seems to me that Watson and Doubs are yet fully proven.
But i guess i'm silly like that, because i'm smart.
The reason we are so young and thin at wr and tight end, is because Gute let the pass catching room get depleted over the years, that, and a few failed 3rd round picks, and various other drasft picks and cheap bandaid free agent signings.
Bandaids would have stayed on longer.
Bottom line...Gute didn't do Love any favors in giving him such young and inexperienced pass catchers.
PhantomII
June 25, 2023 at 06:54 pm
JL has a solid OL, and it starts there. 2 pretty good RB's that can catch a pass. The WR's have good tape from College. Watson would have been offensive ROY if not for QB1 trust, and some time injured. I look at game tape and it either jumps out at you or it doesn't. Watson, Doubs, Reed and Toure are gonna be pretty good....Much better than Lazard ceiling, Cobb at this point of his career, etc. They will all be better pass catchers than them. Lazard was a plus blocker and reliable catcher. Gute was a few years late on drafting good WR's.....But if he did we'd still have a different QB1...No thanks. JL will spend the time it takes to be an effective offense. GPG
SicSemperTyrannis
June 25, 2023 at 07:01 pm
75, it's not "let" talent leave, it's salary cap not allowing them to be kept. There will be some difficult decisions next year, too. Some of 2025's cap is already dead.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 25, 2023 at 01:28 am
4 WRs with 4.3x speed. 2 around 4.45. Davante Adams was 4.56, at least 1 is right there. A couple slower than Musgrave out of 10 on the current roster.
MLF needs to be prepared for (God forbid) Christian Watson and Romeo both to go down, even at the same time. It should barely be a hiccup.
One thing I can see as a reasonable strategy is to start the 53 man roster light on WR and heavier on RB & TE.Then as the offense gains confidence and has success with deep balls to add some WRs and take off a TE and RB. By then you'd know what you have for depth especially at RB, to piece together what to do with #33 & 28 next year. More cap hell means we won't be able to keep everybody we'd like to.
ReaganRulz
June 25, 2023 at 07:07 am
A shout-out to the offensive line who will play a huge role in all of this. It sure appears that we’ll have one of the better OLs if we play the right players at the right positions. Can you imagine if our OL had the experience of our WRs? Yikes!! So the OL gives me confidence that they’ll put Love in a good position to succeed. And of course, Love will need to take the keys and drive it from there!!
SicSemperTyrannis
June 25, 2023 at 07:11 pm
RR, indeed our OL will make or break this entire offense. We'll see "draft and develop" in action, right there.
TxFred
June 25, 2023 at 07:53 am
MLF has a boat load of offensive weapons to use. Pair of potential 1K yard runners. Two young & talented tight ends. Speed merchants outside.
MLF's issue this year spreading the work around. No self-serving, look-at-me hero ball crap. Refreshing!! GPG!!!
Melch
July 12, 2023 at 06:22 am
The recievers & TE you are talking about are Rookies or 1 yr under there belt.Add in a QB with hardly any experience & it adds up to a .500 team. They need a veteran WR who knows how to bail them out,especially on 3rd down.They need to run the ball & start Love off with safe passes
croatpackfan
June 25, 2023 at 08:32 am
We all will accept pro-bowl season from Jordan Love. But, it is not likely outcome.
I believe we all, especially opponents, will be surprised with some long balls Love will be sailing when opportunity occur. Also, he will surely, by game plan use more short to middle passes that will give him confidence at games. I also want to point out that Jordan Love worked on his skills and with Aaron Jones, Watson & Doubs this spring. Raport we was able to read between Love and all of those 3 catchers is not by accident.
The last real game (vs Phill.) we saw that Jordan were placing his throws enough away from any defender, but still in catch radius of his receivers (except that throw in the end zone for Watson!).
So, everything talks that Jordan's mind process is fast enough and that he understands physics of plays and that he can deliver ball were is needed.
Since'75
June 25, 2023 at 05:22 pm
Super Bowl here we come!!
Pass the ummm...kool aid please.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 25, 2023 at 07:24 pm
Nobody's talking about a Lombardi. 6 wins matches AR12's first year as a starter. Hopefully next draft there are just a few positions Gutey needs to focus on, and can trade up to get best in class. Both lines + DBs seems like a reasonable guess right now, but that's almost a year away. If any coach changes that need to be made are ironed out before week 1 next year, 2025 is our next chance to contend.
There's a chance to redeem the last 12 years.
Ferrari-Driver
June 25, 2023 at 02:17 pm
I expect defensive coordinators will play more "8 in the box" against the Packers until we are able to demonstrate that we will make them pay through the air. One thing I do expect is that our Packers team will be a whole lot better at the end of the season that we will be in the beginning.
coolhand
June 26, 2023 at 10:20 am
I agree FD. I can see the Packers going play action and airing it out early on to keep the defense honest. And with our speed at WR they had better be careful putting 8 in the box.
Coach Cleve Steamer
June 26, 2023 at 10:42 am
Some myths: DeGuara is a tight end. Dillon is difficult to bring down. Comparing Love’s upcoming Y1 starter to Rodgers’ first year. 1st year starter can’t win a Super Bowl.
The entire organization ought to be dedicated to being Champs. Neither Lambeau nor Lombardi would settle for less. Winning is the only thing!