Packers: Bakhtiari Confident in Year 2 Jump on Offense & You Should Too

Equipped with the right personnel and a better understanding of the Matt LaFleur offense, David Bakhtiari is confident that the Green Bay Packers’ offense can make a Year 2 Jump. And you should be too.

Despite the Green Bay Packers’ overall success in 2019, the offensive unit as a whole was quite average. While we’d see stretches where they move the ball with ease, there were also times when moving the chains seemed nearly impossible.

Add in the fact that Green Bay lost Bryan Bulaga to free agency, didn’t select a single receiver in what was a loaded draft class, and it’s left many wondering if the offense even improved this offseason. In fact, I’m sure there are some who expect them to be worse.

While there certainly are several question marks, such as who will step up as wide receiver No. 2? Or how will Rick Wagner fare at right tackle? The Green Bay Packers’ biggest addition isn’t going to be a player, it’s going to be the advantages that Matt LaFleur’s system creates as well as the overall better understanding of the offense that provides the biggest boost.

It takes more than one offseason to fully implement an offense, which is why last year we saw a mix of what Matt LaFleur likes to run, combined with what Mike McCarthy had established over the years. This year, however, if you couldn’t tell from the draft, they are going all-in on the LaFleur system. And as they should.

What LaFleur wants to give this offense is the element of unpredictability and he will do that by running several plays from different formations, but all with the same personnel. This requires the players to have an astute understanding of the offense in order to fill several different roles and also versatility, which the Packers have.

Jace Sternberger and Josiah Deguara can both lineup in the backfield, inline, or in the slot and be effective in the passing game and as blockers as well. At receiver, Davante Adams, Devin Funchess, Allen Lazard, and Equanimeous St. Brown call all make plays from out wide or in the slot, while Aaron Jones can also line up as a receiver in addition to what he provides out of the backfield.

Not to mention that A.J. Dillon gives them another explosive running back option, Tyler Ervin gives them that gadget player, and we can’t forget about Marquez Valdes-Scantling either who was averaging nearly 20 yards per catch through the first seven games last season.

Those abilities are going to help create that unpredictability that LaFleur is striving for along with mismatches for Aaron Rodgers and Company to exploit. But something new in 2020 that they didn’t have at this time a year ago is the familiarity with the offense. That should lead to a higher level of play and as David Bakhtiari put it on a recent Zoom call with reporters (via Packers Wire), a big jump in Year 2:

"“I do expect a jump. For me, in the first year, I need to understand what I’m doing at all times. Now, I completely understand my job responsibility and now I can really take on the entire concept of the play, what is Aaron thinking, what are the adjustments, I can take on more of that responsibility.So the game can slow down further. I can be more knowledgeable and I can be more effective. The more I understood it, the more I comprehended it, I was able to be more effective in the system, I’d expect that across the board with my teammates. When you’re more comfortable in a system, when you think less, you’re playing faster.”"

A prime example of a Year 2 jump and a comparison that GM Brian Gutekunst has made this offseason, is with the 2015-2016 Atlanta Falcons. The same Falcons team where LaFleur was the quarterback’s coach and Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator.

In 2015, Atlanta would finish 8-8 with Ryan tossing only 21 touchdowns to 16 interceptions with a passer rating of just 89.0. And as a unit, the Falcons ranked 21st in total points.

However in 2016, you pick an offensive category, and Ryan and the Falcons likely improved by a significant amount. This includes Ryan throwing 38 touchdowns with only seven interceptions and his passer rating jumped to 117.1, while also taking home MVP honors.

Meanwhile as a team, Atlanta finished 11-5, made it to the Super Bowl, and they were the highest-scoring offense in the NFL that season.

Now, having said all of that, does this mean that the Green Bay Packers are guaranteed to have similar success? Not at all, but I wouldn’t rule it out either.

Ultimately the Packers didn’t land the flashy free agent or draft the high-profile receiver like everyone hoped they would, but they did equip LaFleur with the type of players that he needs to run his offense successfully. Couple that with a better understanding of the offense and you have a recipe for a Year 2 jump.

So I can certainly understand why Bakhtiari is excited and why he expects them to improve. And Green Bay Packers fans should be excited as well.