The Packers are 3-4 ahead of their Week 8 Sunday Night Football matchup against one of the best teams in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills. They are riding a three game losing streak, which includes dropping a game at Lambeau against the upstart Jets. The Minnesota Vikings sit above them in the NFC North standings at 5-1, and already hold a tiebreak against Green Bay. Things are looking grim.
All is not lost, however, as we’ve seen Aaron Rodgers-led Packers teams conjure up magic before. This time, though, things are different. Aggressive moves need to be made and expectations need to be adjusted if this team wants to reach the Super Bowl that has eluded their grasp since the 2010-2011 season. Here are five moves the Packers can make pre and/or post-trade deadline to save their season.
1. Trade for a wide receiver
Starting with the most obvious; the Packers need another wide receiver.
Randall Cobb is old and injured. Sammy Watkins is injury prone and has already had an IR stint. Allen Lazard, their presumed WR1, is a bit too slow to have that title and is also injured this year. 2021 third round pick Amari Rodgers is all but a bust at this point. Rookies Romeo Doubz and Christian Watson (who is also injured) cannot get on the same page with Rodgers, regardless of whose fault that is.
The loss of Davante Adams is tough, but he’s not walking through those doors again. It’s time for the front office to move forward and find a replacement. The Panthers have said they won’t deal D.J. Moore, but that seems more like a statement aimed at driving up trade value. The Jets’ Elijah Moore reportedly wants out. Chase Claypool could be dealt as the Steelers inch closer and closer to having their first losing season under Mike Tomlin.
There are moves to be made here, and the Packers’ front office needs to realize that they didn’t pay Rodgers so handsomely to remain there for the twilight of his career just to hang on to their third and fourth round draft picks. There would quite literally be no excuse for the Packers not to go out and get a wideout to help this struggling offense.
2. Fire Joe Barry
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s unit was a pleasant surprise last year, ranking in the top-10 of yards per game allowed. This year, it seems like no one on that side of the ball knows what they’re doing.
Cornerbacks are constantly playing too far off the line of scrimmage, and soft zone play calls burn the Packers on third down with shocking consistency. Linebackers and defensive lineman are shrugging in the direction of the sideline pre-snap on way too many plays. This team has too much speed and too much talent to be a bottom-five rush defense and rank 22nd in opponent QBR.
This all falls at the feet of Barry. Not especially surprising, considering he was the defensive coordinator on one of the only two 0-16 teams in NFL history. There are plenty of above-the-line players on every phase of this defense for it to be this porous. There are coordinators out there that could use Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt to their full potential, all while reminding the league that Jaire Alexander is one of the best corners in the game, instead of letting him get burned by making him play 10 yards off the line.
An in-season coordinator change is usually frowned upon, but Barry needs to go. Even if it doesn’t work out, anything is better than watching this defense fail to meet expectations because of cowardly schemes, not lack of talent.
3. Run the damn ball
This one is pretty self explanatory. The Packers have thunder and lightning at their disposal, yet head coach Matt LaFleur ignores them in favor of a go route to an inexperienced receiver on short yardage situations all too often.
Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon sit at 78 and 77 carries on the season, respectively. That’s good for just 21st and 22nd in the NFL. Jones gets some work in the passing game, but truly unlocking his talent lies in his ability to do both in the same series.
This offensive line, while a bit makeshift and shaky early in the season, was built for more of a power running attack than Green Bay is utilizing. It’s cliche to say at this point, but a good running attack opens up the passing game, which the Packers desperately need to do. It truly is weird that Jones and Dillon are not being featured more.
4. Get an actual return specialist
Here are some stats at which to gaze in wonderment: Green Bay has not had a punt return touchdown since Micah Hyde had two in 2014. The Packers have not had a kick return touchdown since 2011, the season after they won the Super Bowl. To say this is baffling and unacceptable would be putting it lightly.
Green Bay’s special teams has never been something to write home about in Rodgers’ tenure. Outside of Mason Crosby (the Packers all-time leading scorer) and some sneaky-elite punting play, they’ve been a big disappointment year to year.
As fans know, the special teams cost them their Divisional Round matchup against the 49ers last season. They let San Francisco block a field goal attempt, allowed 32 and 45-yard returns and had a punt blocked for a touchdown. Oh, they also only had 10 men on the field for the Niners’ game-winning field goal.
Rich Bisaccia has been an upgrade, but the unit still underachieves with regularity. The Packers need a true return man fielding punts and kickoffs, not a third round pick that fits nowhere else in the game plan (Amari Rodgers). Special teams players are cheap, and there has to be a better option on another team’s practice squad that is better than rolling Rodgers out there every time to justify the pick spent on him. Go let Bisaccia find that player.
5. Embrace the Wild Card status
This is where die-hard Packers fans tune out and say that they’ve heard this particular tune one too many times before. But this time, it actually matters.
In 2010-2011, the Packers snuck into the playoffs as the sixth seed with a 10-6 record. Even though they dropped three of their last six, they finished the season with a win against the NFC North champion Chicago Bears, which absolutely sparked some momentum. The rest is history.
If the Packers make the playoffs, it will likely be as a Wild Card team. The team and the fans need to embrace this route and hope for the same kind of magic that they enjoyed in 2011. Having the first overall seed for the past two years has put an immense amount of pressure on everyone. Maybe sneaking into the postseason will allow Green Bay to play more loosely and put the onus of living up to extremely high expectations on the opponents for once.
Stay tuned for more breaking NFL content, including preseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.
Featured image courtesy of Quinn Harris/Getty Images
You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Ben! “From Our Haus to Yours“
