The passing of the torch from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers was awkward if only because Favre was a generational talent who wanted back in after retiring, and Rodgers was the unproven young-gun quarterback. As far as production goes, Green Bay seamlessly went from one Hall of Fame QB to another. Their offensive superiority has long been a given.
Now, for the first time in what seems like forever, if the Packers’ season goes south, it will likely be because of struggles on offense. In recent history, the defense has let the Packers down in spurts during the regular season and in big spots in the playoffs.
That’s not the case with this year’s team.
Green Bay’s last game was in January when they lost at home to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, 13-10. The lone 49ers touchdown came on a blocked punt. Thus, the Packers’ defense yielded just six points.
The Packers are loaded on defense across the board, and Year 2 of Joe Barry means another year of familiarity for the whole unit.
Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas make up arguably the best corner trio in the league. Rashan Gary and Preston Smith are more than solid on the edge. De’Vondre Campbell was an All-Pro at linebacker last year and now has first-round pick Quay Walker as a tag-team partner.
Kenny Clark has long needed a counterpart on the interior of the defensive line. The Packers addressed that in free agency by signing Jarran Reed and then selecting Devonte Wyatt in the first round of the draft.
If they can stay healthy, this defense will suffocate offenses in 2022.
While there were fewer changes to the offense from 2021, there were still some substantial shifts.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is now the head coach for the Denver Broncos. Sure, Hackett wasn’t continually calling the plays for the offense, but he was in charge of the red-zone offense. Perhaps most importantly, Hackett was beloved by all who played for him. He was the type of coach who kept things loose, and that will be hard to replicate.
Davante Adams is gone, off to the Las Vegas Raiders. Of course, that’s the headline move from the offseason.
There’s an expectation that the offense will still be fine with Matt LaFleur’s brain and Rodgers’ arm, but it might not be that simple this time. There are other big question marks.
Green Bay’s best two offensive linemen are David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins. Bakhtiari is still seemingly having issues recovering from a torn ACL in December 2020. There’s hope that he’s ready to go for training camp this summer, but we’ve heard about this hope before. Jenkins is now recovering from a torn ACL himself, suffered last year against the Minnesota Vikings on the road.
Robert Tonyan, Green Bay’s best tight end, is also recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last October in Arizona. His availability for Week 1 against the Vikings come September is anyone’s guess at this point.
Despite all of this, it’s hard to envision any scenario outside of a Rodgers injury where the Packers’ offense isn’t at least pretty good. Father Time waits for no man, and perhaps entering his age-38 season, there will be a little decline from No. 12. But even if that’s the case, he’s still one of the best currently in the league to throw the seed.
But it’s hard to envision the defense struggling more than the offense. There are fewer uncertainties and greater depth in a defensive unit that should flat-out dominate in 2022. The offense has Rodgers, and typically that’s been good enough even if there’s chaos surrounding him. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon make up one of the best running back duos in the NFL, and Rodgers does have a couple of targets that he trusts in Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard.
Even so, as tough of a pill as it is to swallow, if this Packers team stumbles in 2022, it will likely be because of an offense that is still figuring out wide receiver while waiting for the offensive line to get healthy and struggling at tight end until Tonyan returns.
Historically, in Green Bay, the offense carries the team until the defense ultimately has a meltdown on a big stage. That isn’t the case this year. The Packers should be fine, should win the NFC North, and should make a deep playoff run. But if they don’t, it will be because of shortcomings from the offense, not the defense.
