Welcome to the weekly Zone Coverage Packers mailbag, where I try to answer all your burning Green Bay Packers-related questions, submitted via Twitter to @m_widmeier.
Is this offensive line screwed with Elgton Jenkins out for the year?
Asking if they are “screwed” might be a bit heavy, but it is a massive loss for the Packers.
Jenkins was far and away the best offensive lineman for Green Bay this year and is an All-Pro type of player. He was already slotting in at left tackle, a spot that needed filling with David Bakhtiari tearing his ACL last year. His versatility gave head coach Matt LaFleur plenty of options on the offensive line. His loss should not be understated, but I don’t think it ruins the chances for the Packers to win a Super Bowl.
This group will now rely even more on Bakhtiari’s return, which will hopefully come in December, per the most recent update.
What really stings about losing Jenkins, aside from him being a stud up front, is that even if and when Bakhtiari returns, this group won’t have much room for error and will certainly not have as much flexibility now that Jenkins has been lost for the year.
It’s a huge loss for Green Bay but, no, the offensive line isn’t totally screwed. Through the game plan and Aaron Rodgers‘ ability to read the defense pre-snap, they will work around yet another injury disaster.
With the loss to the Vikings, how much of a sure thing is the NFC North for Green Bay?
It would take A LOT for Green Bay to not win the division this year.
The Packers are still 8-3 and the Vikings are 5-5. Green Bay has games left against the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Vikings, and the Detroit Lions. Four of those six games are at Lambeau Field, a huge advantage for the Packers. They would have to lose three out of the last six while Minnesota simultaneously would have to go 6-1 down the stretch just for both teams to finish at 11-6.
It’s highly unlikely, and that’s not taking anything away from Minnesota.
The Vikings are a good team who have been snake-bitten by many close losses — although, to be fair, they’ve won plenty of close games they could’ve lost as well.
It’s not impossible, but it is improbable that the Packers fall off the path so drastically that the NFC North is up for grabs entering the final week of the season. The loss to Minnesota stings, there’s no doubt about it, but Green Bay is still firmly in control of the division.
What is going on with Mason Crosby?
It’s been a horrible year for the veteran kicker. He’s now missed eight field goals, including one against the Vikings on Sunday.
LaFleur reiterated on Monday that they are “absolutely not” considering replacing the kicker despite his struggles. He mentioned that the field goal unit is a total operation and the blame can’t be put on Crosby alone. While this is true in the case of a couple of the blocked kicks this year, and maybe another miss, the fact remains that Crosby has been a shell of the kicker Green Bay is used to seeing.
It’s gotten to the point that everyone is gritting their teeth and sweating profusely when he lines up to kick a 40-yard field goal. There may not be a better option available, but the Packers will have to consider making a move if his struggles continue. Playoff games often come down to one- or two-play swings, and they can’t afford to have a guy who’s missed 35% of his field goals out there if he doesn’t figure it out in a hurry.
Is the offense back after what they did against the Vikings?
Three possessions and three touchdowns in the second half against Minnesota is as efficient as it gets for a group that has been wildly inconsistent this year.
What was most impressive about those drives in the second half is that Rodgers and the offense were able to get it done with big-chunk plays. They’ve had a few of those this year, but the big plays in the passing game have been few and far between compared to the 2020 season. It may not have been fair to use last year’s historically great offense as a measuring stick for this group but, man, let’s hope they rediscovered the magic against the Vikings. Hopefully, what they displayed in the final two quarters is a sign of things to come.
I’m not ready to say they are fully back, but it’s possible that things finally started to click after 11 weeks.
Submit your questions to the next mailbag via Twitter to @m_widmeier.
