Examining the 2023 Offense of the Packers
With the youngest offense in the league going into the 2023 season, Green Bay’s expectations were predictably low. However, the Packers went above and above, and they were only a single drive away from upset-ing the 49ers and making it to the NFC Conference Championship game.
Although the Packers’ 2023 season had a rough beginning, it ended with a lot of exciting events for the future. Before things stabilized in November, there were a lot of ups and downs in September and October. Analyzing the Packers’ 2023 offensive, it was a tale of two seasons for Green Bay.
New teams are certain to experience growing pains. They were very much for Green Bay, who had to break in a quarterback in Jordan Love as well as nearly a whole new supporting cast of offensive weapons. Love was selected in the highly anticipated 2020 NFL Draft class, but the 2023 campaign signaled a new chapter in his career because this was now, at last, his club. Early glimpses revealed Love has intangible qualities that cannot be taught, such as in games versus the Bears and Saints.
Even from the beginning, it was clear that he had a keen sense of his pocket and a tendency to finish his readings rapidly. Love, meanwhile, has had games when he pushed throws and played frantically against teams like Denver and Las Vegas. Love only had two touchdown passes to four interceptions between the Broncos and Raiders games. Love had five sacks in a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions the week before Green Bay played and was defeated by Las Vegas.
After seven games, everything seemed to be going south very rapidly for Green Bay. As the club languished at 2–5, it became clear that the front office was beginning to consider the future. Their trade of Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills confirmed some of that. Pundits and fans alike were swift to
Aaron Jones had a major role in that something. Early in the season, Green Bay’s workhorse running back missed time due to injury. However, once Jones started playing again, the offensive was more effective. Jones’s ability to keep opposing defenders honest had a significant effect on Love’s play. Jones had a modest workload in weeks 1–8. He never went above double digits in carries. Green Bay had a 2–5 record after eight weeks. According to ESPN statistics, at that time, Love had thrown 11 touchdowns to only 8 interceptions.
Jones’s condition became better as November arrived. He was carried in double digits in all but seven of the remaining regular season games, according to ESPN data. Green Bay’s offense took off in weeks nineteen and eighteen. According to pro-football-reference, Love threw 21 touchdowns to just three interceptions. As Jones was out for a few of those games, but the offense settled into a groove and discovered its identity.
Since play action is a major component of Matt Lafleur’s playbook, the passing game suffers in the absence of a strong run game. Throughout the first two months of the Packers’ season, that much was clear. With a more reliable passing approach, players like Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks were able to establish themselves as emerging stars for Green Bay and come into their own. As the season ended, Reed was Green Bay’s top receiver. Wicks led the club in scoring four touchdowns and was a constant source of energy.
In addition to being reliable weapons for Love, Reed and Wicks, the rookie tight ends for the Packers, also settled into a rhythm. Luke Musgrave outperformed Tucker Kraft in the early going of the season, although both had their moments of brilliance .demonstrated that they may be long-term staples for the offense. Going ahead, Green Bay’s offense appears to be in excellent hands with the young receivers and tight ends.
