The Green Bay Packers are through one quarter of their season so it is a good time to look at what the team could improve on, in list mode of course!
Improvement # 1 – Figure out the offense’s identity
A big issue for this seasons Packers offense could be the lack of identity. Last season it was all Rodgers all the time. This year, however, the Packers have a somewhat stable running game. The Packers coaching staff seems to really be pushing this running game and while it will benefit the Packers in the long run it seems to have thrown off the offense just a little in the beginning part of this season. In a dream world the offense will gel into a balanced attack that features a solid running game and a dangerous passing game. The Packers seem to have gotten some of that flow their offense was looking for against the Saints, so hopefully that is a big step forward for this offense.
Improvement # 2 – Consistent defense
The Packers played great defense in weeks two and three against the Bears and the Seahawks but played poor defense against the 49ers and the Saints. While both the 49ers and the Saints boast solid offenses, the Packers defense looked much like it did last season against those two teams. The defense as a whole has played better than it did last season, but that isn’t saying much, seeing as the defense last season was historically bad. If the defense can play at the same level it played during weeks one and two than the Packers could take themselves to the next level because in those games the defense is what picked up the offense, instead of the other way around.
Improvement #3 – Players keeping their cool
While the replacement referees let players get away with some extra pushing and shoving after the plays, the real refs won’t let that stuff fly. The Packers have already been penalized a couple of times this season for post play antics and every time that stuff happens you are asking for trouble as you give the opposing teams free yards simply because you can’t keep your cool. There has been at least one scrap that Packers players have gotten into each game this season. If the Packers players can’t keep their cool it will lead to more penalties and even worse, suspensions.
Improvement #4 – Keep Rodgers upright
While the Packers had done a real good job of doing this since the second half of the game against Seattle, it was a big problem in the earlier weeks. Three sacks in week one, five in week two, and eight in the first half of week three. This is something that cannot happen because it disrupts the offense, which already has trouble finding its flow and could lead to injury. While the team has appeared to figure out an answer to this problem, they have to do their best to make sure it doesn’t come back up. Keeping the quarterback standing is one of the most important jobs in the NFL and the Packers were failing at that.
Those are just some improvements the Packers can make. If they make these improvements, and they have the talent to, although it won’t happen right away, the Packers could raise themselves to the best team in the NFC again, just like they were last year.
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