The Green Bay Packers season has been full of many unexpected results. Malik Willis has started and won two games while finishing off another in relief. The kicker has won two games at the buzzer. There have been thrilling wins and frustrating moments for the youngest team in the league. Here are three numbers to know at the midseason mark.
Green Bay Packers: 6-3 vs. 3-6
The Green Bay Packers had a record of 3-6 after nine games last year. The fan base was questioning Love and preparing for a long rebuild. Now, the Packers sit at 6-3 heading into their bye week. However, it feels like the public has soured on Love. Fans and analysts are questioning the massive contract that was handed out. Let me give you some numbers.
- Quarterback A: 14 touchdowns, ten interceptions, 223.2 passing yards per game
- Quarterback B: 15 touchdowns, ten interceptions, 260 passing yards per game
Both of these quarterbacks are Jordan Love. Quarterback A was him last year through nine games. Quarterback B is this season. He has thrown more touchdown passes in fewer games because of injury (more interceptions, too, but I’m not concerned). His passing yards have increased as well. The biggest difference? Green Bay is 6-3 rather than 3-6. Super Bowls aren’t won in September and October, but you can definitely lose them. Teams who drop early games struggle to make the postseason. The Packers are in great shape and have shown they can cut down on mistakes late in the season.
4: Number of players in the top 25 of dropped passes this season
Everyone wants to talk about the struggles of Jordan Love. I’ll keep being a Jordan Love apologetist. Some of the issues have not been his fault. Four players, Dontayvion Wicks (7), Jayden Reed (6), Tucker Kraft (5), and Romeo Doubs (4), are in the top 25 in the league in drops. Wicks has especially been poor, with drops in key situations. In total, that’s 22 passes that Love has put on the money, but receivers haven’t been able to bring it in.
In last Sunday’s game against the Lions, drops were everywhere. It completely killed drives. Yes, it was raining, but Detroit didn’t have issues catching the ball. That was a winnable game. Detroit had been blowing teams out with their high-powered offense, suffocating defense, and solid special teams. The Green Bay Packers were able to hold the offense to 17 points total. The offense moved the ball, especially on the ground with Josh Jacobs. Opportunities were there, but over and over, drives were killed by drops. If the Packers are going to win in the postseason, the drops have to decrease drastically.
7.3: Average number of penalties per game
This number points out many of the same issues as the drops. The Green Bay Packers have shot themselves in the foot too many times this season. Many of the penalties have been pre-snap gaffes that give coaches gray hairs. Sunday’s game against the Lions showcased the difficulty of winning with so many penalties. On Detroit’s first drive, the Packers jumped offsides, making the fourth down attempt easier. It’s hard to be a dominant offense when the team is constantly behind the sticks.
There are all sorts of reasons for these penalties. Some of it is the age of the team. Some of it is a team that is still learning to play together. On the offensive line, there are a few new starters, and injuries have caused some shuffling. They were without their starting center on Sunday, which affected the cohesiveness of the line. The bye week comes at a good time for the Green Bay Packers. Over the two weeks, Matt LaFleur and his staff will no doubt work on the pre-snap process. Furthermore, the team can get healthy, which will also help.
Final Thoughts
The Green Bay Packers are in good shape at the midseason mark. A win against the Lions would have been huge, as now, winning the division has become a tall task. This means that if the Packers make a postseason run, it will have to be done mostly on the road. That isn’t impossible by any means. The last time this team won a Super Bowl it was as a six-seed and they won three straight on the road before taking down the Pittsburgh Steelers. This team has the talent, but can they cut down on the mental errors in the second half of the season?
