Green Bay Packers Behind the Numbers: Bye Week Edition

We may have just had the bye week, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still go Behind the Numbers. Here is a look at some of the more important figures to know about the Green Bay Packers after their first 12 games.

28-0

The Green Bay Packers are 28-0 during the Matt LaFleur era when they win the takeaway battle–something that they’ve done quite often this season. Green Bay is fifth in turnover differential at +9, ninth in total takeaways with 19, and they’ve forced two or more turnovers in 8 of their last 11 games.

25th and 31st

If there is one area that the Green Bay Packers have to improve on, it’s their play in the red zone on both sides of the ball. After leading the NFL in red zone touchdown success rate a season ago, the Packers now rank 25th as their touchdown rate has plummeted from 80 percent down to 55.3. On defense, the Packers are allowing a touchdown on 71.8 percent of their opponents’ red zone trips, and as I’m sure you recall, they didn’t get their first stop until Week 7 against Washington. 

The good news is that the defense is one of the best in football at limiting red zone visits, ranking fifth in that category. On the flip side, the Green Bay offense is really good at getting to the red zone with the seventh-highest per game average this season. But finding more success on both sides of the ball is a must–come playoff time, issues in the red zone could send them home early.

“The positive is we haven’t done very well in that department, but we’ve still been able to win games, so hopefully that will start to even out a little bit, you’d think at some point,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said via ESPN. “But we’ve got to continue to grind and work at it and maybe look at what we’re doing and try to switch some things up.”

135.4

For much of the season, Aaron Rodgers and his receivers have struggled to connect on the deep ball. Through 10 games, he was eighth in attempts, according to PFF, but out of 36 eligible quarterbacks, Rodgers ranked 31st in completion percentage, 33rd in passer rating, and 13th in yards.

However, over the last two games, he has begun to find a bit of a groove. Rodgers has 12 attempts of 20+ yards and has completed six of those passes. He is also second in yards, fourth in yards per attempt, and second with a passer rating of 135.4 during that span.

I went into more detail in a recent article about what some of the issues might stem from, but a few include not having Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a large chunk of the season, the OL not being as stout as they were a year ago, and a lack of practice time.

3

Despite a littany of injuries, the Green Bay Packers are still 9-3 and in a good position within the NFC playoff picture. Their ability to overcome so many injuries is a credit to the coaching staff as well as the role and backup players who have been tasked with larger responsibilities.

But, hopefully, reinforcements are on the way. While not a guarantee, there appears to be growing optimism that Za’Darius Smith, David Bakhtiari, and Jaire Alexander will all return this season, and perhaps as soon as December, adding three All-Pros to an already very good football team.

20.2

Each week we’ve seen this Joe Barry defense improve, and it’s led to some legitimate dominant performances over the last month or so. Green Bay is holding up well against the run, limiting the big play, pressuring the quarterback, and the end result is a defense that is allowing only 20.2 points per game–the fifth-fewest in football. With the offense not firing on all cylinders as they did a season ago, the defense has helped Green Bay secure several victories.

55.4

This is Aaron Rodgers’ passer rating when under pressure this season, and out of 38 eligible quarterbacks, it ranks 32nd. Rodgers also ranks 35th in yards per attempt, 29th in total yards, and his completion percentage ranks 36th when under duress per PFF. 

For reference, a season ago, Rodgers was third in passer rating under pressure, 10th in yards per attempt, 14th in total yards, and 27th in completion percentage–although that mark was over 10 percent higher than what it is this season. 

9

Mason Crosby has already missed nine field goals this season and is just 18/27 overall. This is the most field goal attempts that he has missed since that abysmal 2012 season.

Crosby is certainly at fault, especially as of late, but the entire field goal operation has been to blame. We’ve seen poor snaps, bad holds, and the blocking has been rough, to say the least. Missed field goals have already cost Green Bay this season; hopefully, it doesn’t do the same during the playoffs.

5th

By heavily utilizing lightboxes, this Joe Barry defense is basically daring opposing offenses to run the ball in an effort to take away the passing game. And for the most part, it has worked. According to Sharp Football, the Packers’ defense ranks fifth in explosive play rate, and they’re allowing just 6.2 yards per catch, which also ranks as the fifth-fewest.

Green Bay’s best stretch of play in the secondary came against some of the game’s most talented quarterbacks. Against Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson, the Packers allowed only 601 combined passing yards, just one touchdown, and came away with four interceptions. 

5

This is the number of different offensive line configurations that the Green Bay Packers have had to utilize this season, and it includes seven different offensive linemen. Yet despite the injuries and constant movement, this unit has held its own. This group won’t be dominant like they were a season ago, and they need the game plan tailored to them, but overall, the run game has been effective enough, and Rodgers has had the time he’s needed, for the most part.

1,666

This is the total combined yards that Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon have this season–and the equal distribution among the two is quite impressive. Jones has 564 rushing yards, 298 through the air, and seven total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Dillon has 543 on the ground, 261 receiving yards, and four total touchdowns. 

During this final five-game stretch, it’s going to be important that Green Bay lean on their running backs. Although the Packers have Rodgers and Davante Adams, the key to unlocking the passing game is a good run/pass mix. Also, moving both Jones and Dillon around the formation and involving them in the quick passing game will help keep defenses guessing. 

4.1

The Green Bay Packers run defense hasn’t been dominant this season, as evidenced by the 4.1 yards per rush they are allowing, which ranks 21st, but they have been much improved. The Packers are yet to allow a 100-yard rusher, and unlike over the last two seasons, we haven’t seen opposing offenses able to control the game on the ground. 

Also, when taking into account the frequency that Barry plays with lightboxes, it’s largely been up to the defensive front to win their matchups and to slow the run game. When Barry is able to rely on the defensive front against the run, it really allows this defense to do what it was designed to do, which is take away the passing game.

105.5

It can be easy to brush it off at this point because Rodgers has been playing at such a high level for so long, but he is still having a really good season. His 105.5 passer rating is his second-highest mark in this category since 2014 and only behind his 2020 MVP season. 

Rodgers is also completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 2,878 yards at 7.7 yards per attempt, along with 23 touchdowns to only four interceptions. No, the offense isn’t clicking like it was in 2020, and Rodgers, along with everyone else, has areas to improve upon, but don’t let that take the shine off of what is another impressive season.