With six years of sample size, it's a great time to analyze the Packers' passing system.
(Photo: 247Sports)
The NFL is constantly evolving, and while much of that change has been focused on the defensive side of the ball in recent years, offensive coaches around the league are biding their time to strike back.
They already kind of did with the run game renaissance of 2024, but as much as these coaches want to sell you on the idea that they love dialing up intricate rushing concepts, we all know their hearts lie within the passing game.
Over LaFleur's six seasons in charge, he has seen one change at QB, one change at offensive coordinator, and roughly six total starting wide receivers. In the grand scheme of things, that's the kind of consistency head coaches relish. That makes this exercise quite fun, as the evolution of LaFleur's route tree through the years is much more scheme based, not due to limitations in personnel. Let's have a look:
All stats via PFF
Can you Dig it?
Aaron Rodgers notoriously hated throwing over the middle of the field. So Green Bay's dig/in route usage remained well below league average over his final four years as starting QB. The Dig route featured on right around 9% of Packers passing plays over this period. Then once Rodgers departed, the Dig made a major resurgence, topping out at 22% this past season.
(Photo: 247Sports)
On top of Rodgers' disdain for the middle of the field, two more key factors led to this uptick:
1). Jordan Love required more simple half-field reads to start his career. When people think of dig routes they think of the "backside dig" — a player on the opposite side of the first read who the QB knows will be an option coming into his periphery if his primary target doesn't get open.
2). Romeo Doubs is great at backside digs. Like great at them. He is legitimately one of the best dig runners in the league.
Post is the new Go
Let's talk about two downfield routes; the Post/8 route and the Go/9 route. Both stretch the field, but where the Go typically challenges the deep speed of your outside corners and half-field safeties, the Post route directly attacks the middle of the field.
As defenses have found more and more success playing Cover-2 systems with "middle of the field open" safety setups, there's only one place offensive play callers are going to go… the middle of the field.
Not just in Green Bay, but league-wide we are seeing the gradual decrease in Go usage met with an increase in Post routes.
(Photo: 247Sports)
As you can see in the graph above, the Go is still massively prevalent in the game, but this data includes plenty of clearout routes which aren't even considered a potential target by the QB.
Bring back double moves
Double moves are quickly becoming an endangered species in Green Bay. During the Nathaniel Hackett days, they were seen on 7% of all passing plays — a healthy number above league average.
Last year LaFleur called them on just 2.2% of plays. Perhaps the less often they're called, the more effective they get. But I'd imagine losing Davante Adams was a major factor here.
Packers continue to avoid the shallow cross
Shallow crossers and drags continue to be a staple of the modern NFL offense. Traditionally they are most effective versus man coverage where they get defensive backs tangled up in a heap, but also still effective against zone where slower linebackers can't catch speedy WRs underneath.
With the NFL shifting to less man coverage and smaller, significantly faster linebackers in recent years, I would've thought we'd see a drop-off in shallow cross usage. That hasn't happened.
(Photo: 247Sports)
As you can see in the graph, the NFL average has remained very steady over the past six seasons, with the Packers fluctuating below the line.
Pack-A-Day: Do the Packers have enough weapons on offense?
Pack-A-Day: Do the Packers have enough weapons on offense?
[Packer Report](https://247sports.com/user/Packer Report Staff/)3 hrs
On today's show, Andy takes a closer look at the Packers weapons on offense to see if Green Bay can still put together a successful offense in 2025. Don't miss it!
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