Whether they’re rebuilding, reloading, or whatever you want to call it, the 2023 Green Bay Packers are a different team than in previous years. The offense is young and will feature a new Week 1 starting quarterback for the first time since 2008. However, the defense is under the most pressure to deliver results. Rich Bisaccia has fixed things on special teams and found a solution in Keisean Nixon.
Packers fans got used to seeing former quarterback Aaron Rodgers bailing the team out. He’s made plays that shredded defenses and made our eyes shine on Sundays for the last 15 years. Green Bay can’t count on that anymore. What they do have going for this this season is a relatively easy schedule in a fairly week conference. This puts them in a unique position for a team re-establishing itself. If the three units play complementary football, it wouldn’t be shocking for Green Bay to make the post-season in Jordan Love’s first year as starter.
Green Bay’s offense is young, but Matt LaFleur is a savvy offensive mind. He will scheme up plans to put his players in positions to succeed. Jordan Love has had considerable reps with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon offer a great one-two punch in the running game. David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, and Jon Runyan are part of an underrated and experienced offensive line.
Joe Barry could have a starting defense with eight first-rounders. Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Rashan Gary, and Lukas Van Ness upfront. Quay Walker at linebacker. Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Darnell Savage in the secondary. However, the problem for Barry and Green Bay’s former defensive coordinators was to maximize their players’ strengths and play consistent football.
Special teams play has historically been … underwhelming, to say the least. It’s a tendency that goes back to the 2021 season, when atrocious performances on Green Bay’s special teams cost them a Super Bowl appearance.
Bisaccia took over as the special teams coach for the 2022 season. Packers fans rejoiced. There was some optimism. Word out of Vegas was that Bissacia was a respected personality in the Las Vegas Raiders’ locker room.
Many fans questioned Green Bay’s decision to stick with Amari Rodgers as the punt-and-kick returner for most of the season. It wasn’t until late in the year that the Packers found out about Keisean Nixon’s returning skills. He was a natural fit and sparked some life in a lackluster unit. Nixon had the longest kick return of last season, a 105-yard house call against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
The Packers have done a decent job of getting pressure on opposing punters. In 2022, they were tied for the seventh-highest pressure rates, according to Next Gen Stats. However, Green Bay ranked first in pressures allowed against the punt team, with a considerable margin from the New York Jets, who ranked second.
Despite having uncertainty in all three phases, the Packers are in a good position to make a postseason run. However, offense, defense, and special teams must play complementary football. The offense needs to control the clock. Establish rhythm and keep defenses off pace. That will keep Green Bay’s defense fresh for most of the game. Joe Barry’s unit must play smart and fast, forcing quick three-and-outs. Special teams will play a crucial part in the field-position battle. The Packers’ young offense doesn’t benefit from starting drives constantly from their own 15-yard line. Green Bay’s defense can take advantage of the offense starting drives back in their own red zone. Players get tired and it gets progressively harder to move the football.
If they can pull that off, the NFL has helpfully laid out a path to keep them playing football deep into January. (The NFL didn’t intentionally do this, by the way, that kind of conspiracy talk got packed up and sent to New York with the last quarterback.)
According to CBS Sports, the Packers have the ninth-easiest strength of schedule going into 2023. Green Bay has its yearly divisional battles with the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears. The Packers will also go head-to-head with the NFC South, AFC West, the New York Giants, and Los Angeles Rams. They also have a road game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the 17th-game expansion.
There is not a clear favorite to win the NFC North. The Packers are making a transition from a four-time MVP to a first-year starter. The Vikings lost important pieces on offense and defense this offseason. The Lions were in the NFC Central when they last won a division title. The Bears seem to be rebuilding since the beginning of time.
Green Bay hosts the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They play road games at the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. The 2022 NFC South featured a division champion with a losing record for the fourth time this century. Tampa saw Tom Brady retire in February. Derek Carr will debut as New Orleans’ starting quarterback in Week 1. The Panthers drafted Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Falcons are starting Desmond Ridder.
The Packers host the Rams and play a road game at the Giants. Three-time first-team All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey is gone. They released linebackers Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd. It’s uncertain if Matthew Stafford will be healthy. The Giants surprised the league in 2022. However, teams have a full offseason to study Brian Daboll’s schemes. Matt LaFleur and Joe Barry will look to avoid a repeat of the 2022 London International Series, when the Packers collapsed against the Giants.
Overall, the Packers are playing only two elite quarterbacks throughout the season, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert — and both games are at Lambeau Field.
The Packers are in good shape. They have an elite offensive line and running game. The defense has the talent to be a top-10 unit. Keisean Nixon has the tools to take the special teams to the next level. The strength of schedule also plays in Green Bay’s favor. If the Packers can avoid distractions and play the kind of disciplined, cohesive football that doesn’t over-tax their first-year starter, they will make noise in a weak NFC.
