The Green Bay Packers are 2-1-1 at the bye, and it certainly feels like the sky is falling after losing to a bad Cleveland Browns team and tying a spectacularly average Dallas Cowboys team in the last two weeks. Are the Packers just the “This is fine” meme after four games? Or is Matt LaFleur’s team actually fine?
Three reasons why the Packers are actually fine and why the disappointment of the last two weeks will likely fade soon:
1. The offensive line will get healthy, and will almost certainly improve, probably significantly
Zach Tom, the team’s best offensive lineman, got hurt in Week 1, missed Week 2, played one snap in Week 3 and missed Week 4. Aaron Banks, the team’s big investment along the offensive line, got hurt in Week 1, missed Week 2, played one half in Week 3 and missed Week 4. The Packers offensive line hasn’t been nearly good enough, but as it turns out, missing two starters, including your best blocker, is hard to overcome! The Packers lost in Cleveland for many reasons, but no reason was bigger than the play of the offensive line, which lost Tom after one snap and Banks after one half. Tom and Banks will return to the lineup, possibly as soon as Week 6. And when they do, and the offensive line finally starts building continuity together, it will get better. This was one of the NFL’s best pass-blocking offensive lines last season, and Banks — while a disappointment so far — is a better player than Josh Myers. Be patient. The Packers offensive line still has a chance to be good, and possibly very good.
2. Dak Prescott was truly brilliant, and chances are most QBs won’t replicate it
The Packers defense was utterly dominant for three games but then gave up 40 points to a Cowboys team missing CeeDee Lamb, providing a reality-shaking result entering the bye. But I offer this challenge: go back and watch every defensive snap, and count how many times Dak Prescott had exactly the right timing or exactly the right improvisational play to beat the defense. There were coverage lapses, sure, but the Cowboys quarterback was also incredible, especially under pressure, and it’s OK to give flowers to a quarterback without writing the obituary for the defense. We have a four-game sample to judge, and the Packers defense must be evaluated fairly. Jeff Hafley’s group made the excellent offenses of the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders look terrible, and it took an avalanche of mistakes outside the defense’s control for the Cleveland Browns to get to 13 points. The Packers defense will be fine. In fact, probably better than fine. Even after last week, the Packers rank second in yards per play allowed and fourth in net passing yards allowed per attempt. The pass rush looks great. Turnovers will eventually come. And there are very few quarterbacks capable of doing what Prescott accomplished under pressure last week.
3. They can’t have a kick blocked every week, right?
Not to tempt Rich Bisaccia’s group, but it’s a fair question. The Packers have a terrific punter and a reliable kicker, and while the kick coverage and return units haven’t been perfect, the catastrophic mistakes — like the blocked kicks that ruined games in back-to-back weeks — aren’t going to be commonplace. Even in-game last week, the Packers made an adjustment to the field goal protection group and didn’t have another problem on field goals or extra points. Bisaccia deserves real criticism, and his units have not been good enough overall. Even one big mistake in a playoff game can end a season, and the Packers must get better in all phases to be championship worthy. But Matt LaFleur’s team is truly two blocked kicks away from being 4-0. It’s possible this is rock bottom and they won’t have another kick blocked the rest of the year (knock on wood). Avoid the catastrophic and the Packers can survive even something close to average performance from the third phase.