Green Bay Packers’ 3 Biggest Issues Through 11 Games

Through the first 11 games of the NFL season, these are the three biggest issues facing this Green Bay Packers team that they must overcome in the final weeks.

For the second time in three games the Green Bay Packers are coming off of a brutal loss, this time to the San Francisco 49ers. While it was certainly another wake up call, the Packers still sit at 8-3 overall and are tied for first place in the NFC North.

However as we have all seen, there are some glaring weaknesses on this team. If they are going to finish the season strong, which will hopefully lead to a run in the playoffs, these issues will need to be addressed. And although at this point they won’t become strengths by any means, to put it simply, they just need to be better in these three areas.

More Production from the WRs

This was a concern before the season started and unfortunately 12 weeks into the season, production from the wide receiver position is an even bigger issue than I’m guessing many expected. Although Allen Lazard has had some nice moments, he needs more opportunities and overall the production from the receivers not named Davante Adams has been minimal.

Since their game against Kansas City, Geronimo Allison, Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have combined for just 26 receptions, for 238 yards with no touchdowns. And for those wondering, that’s an average of barely nine yards a reception.

After the 49ers’ game, San Francisco’s head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked how they were able to slow down Aaron Rodgers, and he simply responded with: “guys weren’t open in rhythm.” This has been an issue for a number of games now, and all opposing defenses have to do is double-team Adams while focusing on Aaron Jones, and this Green Bay offense is really going to struggle moving the ball through the air.

Same Old Special Teams Unit

There are a number of new faces who regularly contribute to the Green Bay Packers’ special teams unit and they even brought in a new coach over the offseason, yet the results remain the same. Very poor.

The kick return team is better off taking a touchback than actually returning the ball and opposing teams are figuring this out and are starting to kick it short of the end zone. Meanwhile, J.K. Scott was off to a hot start early in the season, but in recent weeks he has really struggled. In the last four games he is averaging just 36.3 yards per punt which can be a bit misleading given the field position, however, as we saw in San Francisco he isn’t flipping the field position at all when given the opportunity.

Yet even with all of those issues, the most egregious is the punt return team. Somehow they have a total of -14 return yards this season. Negative fourteen yards. At this point they would have been better off just fair catching every punt this season. While most teams think of their return game as a weapon and an opportunity to put the offense in a good position, it is just a liability for the Packers.

Defense over the Middle of the Field

Whether it be in the running game or in the passing game, the Green Bay Packers’ opponents are torching them between the numbers. Through 12 weeks they are giving up an average of nearly 126 rushing yards per game this season and much of it is coming between the tackles.

Meanwhile in the passing game, tight ends and crossing routes have been a huge problem. On the season they are allowing quarterbacks to complete 76 percent of their passes at 12.7 yards per catch with seven touchdowns and four interceptions over the middle of the field. Yikes.

However, over the last six games, it has been even worse. Since the Detroit game, the defense is allowing an 82 percent completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks at nearly 14 yards per catch with five touchdowns to just one interception. Double Yikes.

At this point in the season the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers specifically, have put on tape the blue print to beating this Green Bay Packers team. Now it is up to Matt LaFleur and the rest of the coaching staff to adjust over these final five games.