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This week, the Packers put together a largely uninspired offensive performance agains the Rams. Much of the issue was that receivers just couldn’t get open. They couldn’t create separation. The situation has caused consternation among Packers fans and mild panic that the offense will continue to struggle.
It will.
But don’t hit the panic button yet. The major issues with this group will resolve themselves as the season progresses. The offense will get stronger as the receiving corps gets healthier and as the younger receivers gain experience with number 12.
The Deep Threat
The Packers wide receiver group has been one of the best groups in the league every season since the beginning of the Ted Thompson era. Aaron Rodgers has never had a Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson, but he always has a deep group to work with. This season the wide receiver play has been hot and cold and it all started with the injury to Jordy Nelson.
Without Jordy Nelson the Packers have been without the deep threat. The deep threat has been vital to this offense for the last several years. With Nelson ripping the top off of defenses Randall Cobb has a lot of opportunities underneath and usually has a bunch of room to run. The deep ball also opens the run game up but I’ll save that for another article that I’ll probably never write. So, don’t wait up.
Randall Cobb is currently leading the team in receptions with 28 and is on pace for 90 catches. Last season Cobb posted his highest number of receptions at 91. However, Cobb’s yards per catch are down a bit from last season by three yards at 11.1 yards per catch. Cobb is on pace for 998 yards this season. 998 is a good number but it’s a bit of a drop off from a guy who put up 1287 yards last year. Without Nelson taking the top off of the defense, Cobb doesn’t get the room to run he had. It’s not surprising that his yards per catch are down.
Health
The Packers are only five games into the 2015 season and a lot can change but Cobb and Davante Adams have not been healthy this season. Poor health has also affected the receivers’ ability to get separation and gain yards.
The Packers have struggled across the board to produce for a few reasons but mostly the issue is that the group isn’t healthy. Randall Cobb’s receptions are up but his yards per catch are down. Without Nelson’s deep threat the safeties are quicker to close in on Cobb underneath. Cobb is also favoring his AC joint (shoulder) that he injured in the preseason. Cobb is doing a little less to shake defenders and fight for extra yards in an effort to protect himself.
With 19 receptions for 394 yards and five touchdowns James Jones has truly been the savior in the passing game. Jones is currently on pace for 1,261 yards on the season which blows his career high of 817 yards out of the water. Jones spent a year in Oakland where he was second on the team in receiving yards with 666 yards and led the team in receptions at 73. Jones then spent the preseason with the Giants and they decided he couldn’t help their team win. We’re sending them a fruit basket to thank them for their stupidity.
But even Jones has been hobbled recently with a hamstring. These little nagging injuries add up and create problems getting open.
Jones uses his veteran savvy to find ways to get open. Most of his production this year has come from passes on which Aaron Rodgers threw Jones open. Essentially, Rodgers put the ball in the only spot that the defender could not defend. Jones is not a guy who will burn past defenders, but with an injured hamstring it makes it all the more difficult to get open.
Davante Adams looks to have taken a leap forward this season. The second year receiver could be a big part of this offense but he finds himself sitting on the sideline watching games instead of playing. Adams injured his ankle against the Seahawks in week two and then injured his ankle even further against the Chiefs in week three.
Even the tight ends, a shallow group to begin with, has been affected by injuries. Andrew Quarless is on injured reserve with the designation to return due to a sprained MCL that he hurt in week three against the Chiefs. The Packers have only had two tight ends on the roster since. Richard Rodgers is taking the lion’s share of snaps and he’s been pretty productive in his role. The second year tight end could use some rest, I’m sure. The fact that the Packers haven’t given sixth round pick Kennard Backman more opportunities tells me that he’s not ready and they don’t trust him.
The Young Players
The Packers top two targets have been great this season but the depth of the group needs to step up. The third most productive receiver thus far is Ty Montgomery. The production of Montgomery is ahead of schedule if you ask me. At 125 yards on the season Montgomery is on pace to finish with 400 yards. As his game day production goes up so will that projected number. Montgomery is just getting started. I expect the Packers to keep trying to use Montgomery to go deep and at some point it’s going to work.
As a good rookie comparison, look at Davante Adams’ stats from last season. Adams finished last season with 38 receptions for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Adams didn’t find the end zone until week five last season. Ty Montgomery scored his first touchdown in week 3 and he improved his total by one in week five against the Rams. Montgomery is on pace to score six touchdowns this season and like I said, he’s just getting started.
Speaking of not ready, Jeff Janis is still waiting on his opportunity and it’s not clear that he will actually get one. I understand Kennard Backman not being ready, he’s a rookie sixth round pick. Janis, however, is in his second season and while he was a seventh round pick he should be further along than he is. Janis is out of place almost every time he sees the field and Rodgers just doesn’t trust him. Rodgers has mentioned the work ethic of the young wide receivers multiple times and he never paints Janis in a positive light when he does.
Jared Abbredaris is finally on the Packers roster and Packers fans wan’t to see the former Badger on the field. Be patient. Abbredaris has been struggling with health issues for most of his time in Green Bay. The former walk on tore his ACL during the 2014 preseason and then started the 2015 season with a nasty concussion. Abbredaris was knocked out of the first practice of training camp and missed most of the preseason.
Mid season bold prediction: Jared Abbredaris gets involved in the offense before Jeff Janis. Jared Abbredaris is smart and his work ethic has been complimented by Aaron Rodgers more than once. It’s no secret that Rodgers likes “Magic” which will help his chances immensely. Don’t expect drastic production from Abbredaris but I’m sure we will hear his name called more than once by the seasons end.
Getting Back to Form
The game against the Rams has highlighted the two issues the Packers offense has struggled with all season: unhealthy wide receivers and zero deep threat. Aaron Rodgers is a freak and he’s been great all season but his receivers just haven’t been getting open. Rodgers has been throwing guys open since week one and if he’s just a little off or under any pressure it makes for a tough task. The Rams brought the pressure this week and the result was a poor game from Rodgers and slow production from the offense.
The Rams focused on shutting down Randall Cobb and it took away a key piece of what the Packers do. The rest of the group struggled to get open all day which left Aaron Rodgers frustrated enough to mention it to the media. “We struggled. We gotta adjust a little bit better, we gotta run routes a little bit better, we have to be able to get open on the outside better. Obviously I gotta throw better than I did today and clean some of those things up.”
This wide receiver unit has all the tools it needs to succeed but it needs to get healthy. It also needs to hit on a few deep passes. Aaron Rodgers has come close on a few with Ty Montgomery. The sooner he hits one of those the better. Randall Cobb needs the top of defenses ripped off to produce in his normal role. James Jones will continue on with the production we’ve seen so far this season. The scary thing is that Jones could get better if defenses are forced to open up to defend deep passes.
Davante Adams is also a huge part of what is needed to succeed. Adams’ innate ability to make defenders miss will be very helpful to the offense. Adams thrives on yards after the catch but he’s going to need both ankles healthy to use his greatest gift. Making defenders miss tackles.
The Packers offense has been okay so far but the high flying offense of past seasons is still there. Just wait for it. When these key pieces come together this Packers offense will get much better. If the defense continues on its path of terrorizing offenses this could get nasty. The bye week is coming up and the Packers will be getting the rest they need. I expect the offense to start clicking at a much faster pace after the bye. When that happens, look out.
Continue reading...
It will.
But don’t hit the panic button yet. The major issues with this group will resolve themselves as the season progresses. The offense will get stronger as the receiving corps gets healthier and as the younger receivers gain experience with number 12.
The Deep Threat
The Packers wide receiver group has been one of the best groups in the league every season since the beginning of the Ted Thompson era. Aaron Rodgers has never had a Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson, but he always has a deep group to work with. This season the wide receiver play has been hot and cold and it all started with the injury to Jordy Nelson.
Without Jordy Nelson the Packers have been without the deep threat. The deep threat has been vital to this offense for the last several years. With Nelson ripping the top off of defenses Randall Cobb has a lot of opportunities underneath and usually has a bunch of room to run. The deep ball also opens the run game up but I’ll save that for another article that I’ll probably never write. So, don’t wait up.
Randall Cobb is currently leading the team in receptions with 28 and is on pace for 90 catches. Last season Cobb posted his highest number of receptions at 91. However, Cobb’s yards per catch are down a bit from last season by three yards at 11.1 yards per catch. Cobb is on pace for 998 yards this season. 998 is a good number but it’s a bit of a drop off from a guy who put up 1287 yards last year. Without Nelson taking the top off of the defense, Cobb doesn’t get the room to run he had. It’s not surprising that his yards per catch are down.
Health
The Packers are only five games into the 2015 season and a lot can change but Cobb and Davante Adams have not been healthy this season. Poor health has also affected the receivers’ ability to get separation and gain yards.
The Packers have struggled across the board to produce for a few reasons but mostly the issue is that the group isn’t healthy. Randall Cobb’s receptions are up but his yards per catch are down. Without Nelson’s deep threat the safeties are quicker to close in on Cobb underneath. Cobb is also favoring his AC joint (shoulder) that he injured in the preseason. Cobb is doing a little less to shake defenders and fight for extra yards in an effort to protect himself.
With 19 receptions for 394 yards and five touchdowns James Jones has truly been the savior in the passing game. Jones is currently on pace for 1,261 yards on the season which blows his career high of 817 yards out of the water. Jones spent a year in Oakland where he was second on the team in receiving yards with 666 yards and led the team in receptions at 73. Jones then spent the preseason with the Giants and they decided he couldn’t help their team win. We’re sending them a fruit basket to thank them for their stupidity.
But even Jones has been hobbled recently with a hamstring. These little nagging injuries add up and create problems getting open.
Jones uses his veteran savvy to find ways to get open. Most of his production this year has come from passes on which Aaron Rodgers threw Jones open. Essentially, Rodgers put the ball in the only spot that the defender could not defend. Jones is not a guy who will burn past defenders, but with an injured hamstring it makes it all the more difficult to get open.
Davante Adams looks to have taken a leap forward this season. The second year receiver could be a big part of this offense but he finds himself sitting on the sideline watching games instead of playing. Adams injured his ankle against the Seahawks in week two and then injured his ankle even further against the Chiefs in week three.
Even the tight ends, a shallow group to begin with, has been affected by injuries. Andrew Quarless is on injured reserve with the designation to return due to a sprained MCL that he hurt in week three against the Chiefs. The Packers have only had two tight ends on the roster since. Richard Rodgers is taking the lion’s share of snaps and he’s been pretty productive in his role. The second year tight end could use some rest, I’m sure. The fact that the Packers haven’t given sixth round pick Kennard Backman more opportunities tells me that he’s not ready and they don’t trust him.
The Young Players
The Packers top two targets have been great this season but the depth of the group needs to step up. The third most productive receiver thus far is Ty Montgomery. The production of Montgomery is ahead of schedule if you ask me. At 125 yards on the season Montgomery is on pace to finish with 400 yards. As his game day production goes up so will that projected number. Montgomery is just getting started. I expect the Packers to keep trying to use Montgomery to go deep and at some point it’s going to work.
As a good rookie comparison, look at Davante Adams’ stats from last season. Adams finished last season with 38 receptions for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Adams didn’t find the end zone until week five last season. Ty Montgomery scored his first touchdown in week 3 and he improved his total by one in week five against the Rams. Montgomery is on pace to score six touchdowns this season and like I said, he’s just getting started.
Speaking of not ready, Jeff Janis is still waiting on his opportunity and it’s not clear that he will actually get one. I understand Kennard Backman not being ready, he’s a rookie sixth round pick. Janis, however, is in his second season and while he was a seventh round pick he should be further along than he is. Janis is out of place almost every time he sees the field and Rodgers just doesn’t trust him. Rodgers has mentioned the work ethic of the young wide receivers multiple times and he never paints Janis in a positive light when he does.
Jared Abbredaris is finally on the Packers roster and Packers fans wan’t to see the former Badger on the field. Be patient. Abbredaris has been struggling with health issues for most of his time in Green Bay. The former walk on tore his ACL during the 2014 preseason and then started the 2015 season with a nasty concussion. Abbredaris was knocked out of the first practice of training camp and missed most of the preseason.
Mid season bold prediction: Jared Abbredaris gets involved in the offense before Jeff Janis. Jared Abbredaris is smart and his work ethic has been complimented by Aaron Rodgers more than once. It’s no secret that Rodgers likes “Magic” which will help his chances immensely. Don’t expect drastic production from Abbredaris but I’m sure we will hear his name called more than once by the seasons end.
Getting Back to Form
The game against the Rams has highlighted the two issues the Packers offense has struggled with all season: unhealthy wide receivers and zero deep threat. Aaron Rodgers is a freak and he’s been great all season but his receivers just haven’t been getting open. Rodgers has been throwing guys open since week one and if he’s just a little off or under any pressure it makes for a tough task. The Rams brought the pressure this week and the result was a poor game from Rodgers and slow production from the offense.
The Rams focused on shutting down Randall Cobb and it took away a key piece of what the Packers do. The rest of the group struggled to get open all day which left Aaron Rodgers frustrated enough to mention it to the media. “We struggled. We gotta adjust a little bit better, we gotta run routes a little bit better, we have to be able to get open on the outside better. Obviously I gotta throw better than I did today and clean some of those things up.”
This wide receiver unit has all the tools it needs to succeed but it needs to get healthy. It also needs to hit on a few deep passes. Aaron Rodgers has come close on a few with Ty Montgomery. The sooner he hits one of those the better. Randall Cobb needs the top of defenses ripped off to produce in his normal role. James Jones will continue on with the production we’ve seen so far this season. The scary thing is that Jones could get better if defenses are forced to open up to defend deep passes.
Davante Adams is also a huge part of what is needed to succeed. Adams’ innate ability to make defenders miss will be very helpful to the offense. Adams thrives on yards after the catch but he’s going to need both ankles healthy to use his greatest gift. Making defenders miss tackles.
The Packers offense has been okay so far but the high flying offense of past seasons is still there. Just wait for it. When these key pieces come together this Packers offense will get much better. If the defense continues on its path of terrorizing offenses this could get nasty. The bye week is coming up and the Packers will be getting the rest they need. I expect the offense to start clicking at a much faster pace after the bye. When that happens, look out.
Continue reading...