GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were on the clock in Sports Illustrated’s “32 Teams in 32 Days” series.
“Success won’t be measured by Green Bay’s regular-season record but rather by whether Matt LaFleur’s group can be a factor in the postseason,” Matt Verderame wrote. He’s right.
Along with Verderame’s national view of the team, he’s the boots-on-the-ground vantage point.
What’s at Stake
For Verderame, it’s the Packers “becoming an NFC Power.” He’s exactly right.
The Packers sneaked into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed the last two years but failed to advance past the divisional round. In fact, since reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2020, LaFleur’s team has won only one playoff game.
Green Bay was barely competitive against the NFC’s top teams last season, going a combined 0-6 against the Eagles, Lions and Vikings. Detroit and Minnesota dominated the Packers for most of those four divisional games before Green Bay’s futile rallies.
To beat the best teams, Jordan Love must play better than he did last season. While LaFleur has defended his quarterback, his completion percentage has been too low and his interception percentage has been too high.
The Biggest Question
For Verderame, it’s who will emerge as Green Bay’s No. 1 receiver.
“LaFleur needs someone to step to the fore and become the top-tier weapon every other NFC North team employs,” Verderame wrote. “Without that, Green Bay will always struggle to beat contending teams with its passing game.”
He’s right, but he skirted around the edges of the biggest question. To me, it’s whether the Packers have anyone capable of stopping the top-tier weapons so many teams on the schedule employ. On fourth-and-6 in the final moments, can Green Bay stop Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson or Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown or Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown or Cincinnati’s JaMarr Chase?
The great teams have great quarterbacks. Can the Packers, who probably can’t rely on a dominant pass rush, win those matchups against big-time weapons in big-time moments in big-time games?
Sources Are Saying
An AFC edge rusher said cornerback Nate Hobbs, who was added in free agency, is an “absolute dog.” The coverage numbers from Sports Info Solutions back that up, but the fact he missed almost a full season’s worth of games the last three years is alarming.
However, this is worth noting: While general manager Brian Gutekunst hasn’t taken many shots in high-stakes free agency, he’s undefeated when doing so.
Breakout Player/X-Factor
For Verderame, it’s Rashan Gary, who has “untapped” potential.
“In six seasons, Gary has never reached double-digit sacks and just twice has notched 20-plus quarterback hits,” he wrote.
That would be great, but isn’t it wishful thinking to believe Gary can find another gear? Is it really realistic for a player in Year 7 to become a fearsome pass rusher if he wasn’t in any of his first six seasons?
In 90 career games, Gary has at least one sack in 29. That’s the 29th-most. Gary is a good player. Maybe that’s all he’s ever going to be.
To me, the X-factor is linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who showed signs of greatness as a rookie. If there’s one player on the defense who has the potential to be a game-wrecker, it’s the player who had more tackles for losses than any off-the-ball linebacker in the NFL last season.
Fantasy Pick
SI’s Michael Fabiano went with receiver Jayden Reed, who led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards each of his first two seasons.
“With the addition of rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, Reed’s ADP has predictably fallen to the point where he now could be a fantasy draft bargain,” he wrote.
Reed has been the team’s best receiver the last two seasons. Golden and Williams probably won’t change that reality. However, from a fantasy perspective, I’d go with tight end Tucker Kraft. There aren’t many great fantasy tight ends. Kraft put up good numbers last year. If the coaches stick to their word and give him a bigger role, he could emerge as a top-five player at the position.