In the Pokémon series, Regigigas is a Normal-type legendary Pokémon and master of the legendary titans. He boasts tremendous size and power and is referred to as the “Colossal Pokémon.” It’s tied for the highest attack power of all normal types and has the second-highest base stat total of all Normal-types.
Unfortunately, while Regigigas has a stellar attack stat and useful movepool, it’s hampered by its signature ability, “Slow Start,” which halves its Attack and Speed stats for five turns. This shortcoming destroys its competitive viability and leaves it a bottom-tier Pokémon.
You may be asking yourself, Why the heck am I reading about Pokémon on an NFL site? The answer is that, like Regigigas, the Green Bay Packers offense has a slow start problem. The Packers’ offense is heating up as the playoffs draw near, but poor first-quarter play prevents them from unlocking their true potential.
Green Bay is currently competing with the division-leading Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the top spot in the NFC. Arizona leads the NFL in average first-quarter points (via teamrankings.com) with 7.3. Dallas and Tampa Bay are hot on their heels, with a 7.2 average.
The Packers are currently in second place in the NFC. Still, they have a whopping 2.6 (25th overall, putting them in a category with offensive juggernauts like the Washington Football Team and the Pittsburgh Steelers! They are below the Houston Texans and New York Jets.
After those first 15 minutes, the Packers are a much better team. They sit at fourth place in the NFL in second-quarter points, with 9.3 — below the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay, and the Los Angeles Rams. We saw this in action Sunday night against the Chicago Bears, with the Bears jumping from 3-0 at the start of the second quarter to 27-21 by halftime (though defense and special teams helped/hurt).
This large disparity puts Green Bay at 15th overall in terms of first-half points, with an average of 11.9 points per game. In the third quarter, the Packers remain a high-scoring team (seventh place with 6.8 points) but taper off again in the fourth quarter (6.3, 18th in the league).
The fourth-quarter drop-off can be explained by the game script. By the time the game enters its final quarter, the Packers are usually playing with a lead and using clock time to keep the ball from opponents. So what’s the issue early on?
Last year, Matt LaFleur’s offense was masterful at scoring on their opening drive thanks to well-scripted openings and a strong gold zone offense. Both of those factors diminished this season.
LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers seem to deviate from their strengths early on, something evident to those of us on our couches. As noted by LockedOnPackers’ Peter Bukowski, the Packers steer away from the core concepts of their offense (play-action, pre-snap motion, actually utilizing the run game, and a quick, rhythmic passing attack) in favor of long-developing shot plays reminiscent of the 2015-18 offense.
I’ve complained about this many times over the last few months. When the shot plays connect, we overlook the call and celebrate the yardage. But more often than not, it leads to sacks, incompletions, and three-and-outs. In a season where the offensive line depth has been tested, it should be even more vital to get into a rhythm to maximize Rodgers’ protection. And when you have running backs like Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, you need to use them.
Despite consistently starting poorly, the Packers’ offense is playing at an elite level. Aaron Rodgers has 1,033 passing yards, 10 TD passes, and a 126.5 passer rating over the team’s last three games. He’s had three games in a row with 300 yards, something he’s only accomplished three times in the last five years.
The offense hasn’t been as in-your-face good as last year, but it’s performing at a Super Bowl level despite some terrible injury luck. There’s a reason Rodgers is getting serious MVP consideration again.
Maybe it takes a quarter to get the rust off or get into the right offensive headspace as a game goes on. Maybe Rodgers wants to test opposing defenses with deep shots to get a better read. Perhaps the team seeks to provide us with drama-filled, edge-of-the-seat type performances every week to ensure their fans get the best experience. It would probably be boring if the team laid a smack-down on every opponent, I guess.
So far, it hasn’t been the worst problem, as the Packers have only lost three games this season, only two with Rodgers starting. But the slow start was undoubtedly a factor in the loss to the Vikings. They need to clean it up before the playoffs.
For now, the Packers’ offense resembles the legendary Regigigas — extremely powerful but requiring to overcome their Slow Start. Should LaFleur’s offense evolve into something a bit faster, the rest of the league better watch out.
