Green Bay Packers: 10 Bold Predictions for 2021 Season
By Paul Bretl
This is Aaron Rodgers final season with the Green Bay Packers
No, this isn’t fun to talk or think about, but I do believe that this is Aaron Rodgers’ last season in Green Bay, regardless of the outcome. Any issues that Rodgers has with management won’t show up over the course of the season; it’s clear that he loves his teammates, his coaches, and he wants to win. All of that will take precedent over any outstanding issues with Brian Gutekunst and Mark Murphy–with Rodgers’ relationship with those two remaining cordial during all of this.
However, I don’t believe that the past grievances that Rodgers has with the team can be undone at this point–he was dead set on not showing up to training camp until the last second. Rodgers will enjoy his 2021 season in Green Bay, and he will do everything he can to win a Super Bowl, but when the season is over, he will be ready to move on to whatever is next.
Packers defense finishes 10th in points per game allowed
In 2020, Green Bay finished 15th in this category and in 2019, they finished 12th–so although this may seem like a leap, it really isn’t. As I alluded to above, this team is loaded with playmakers on the defensive side of the ball in Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Kenny Clark, Rahsan Gary, Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, and Adrian Amos. Despite the frustrations from fans, it’s not as if this unit is void of talent; they actually have a lot of it.
Those players, coupled with the new Joe Barry defense that comes from the Vic Fangio system and has had very good success in Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles with both the Rams and Chargers, will push them into the top-10 in terms of points per game allowed. Although, things may start off slowly as this is a new system for the players to adjust to.
The offensive line doesn’t post the same dominant numbers
Last season, the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line was the best in football by a few different metrics. They gave up the fewest pressures, the second-fewest sacks, they had the second-best pass-blocking unit by PFF’s grading system ($$) and were seventh in the run. By ESPN’s pass-blocking and run-blocking win rate metrics, they finished first in both categories.
However, when it comes to 2021, I still believe that they can be one of the better units in football overall, but I don’t see them having quite the same dominance. While Elgton Jenkin is very capable of holding his own at left tackle, he is no David Bakhtiari and has only 29 career NFL snaps at that position, per PFF. The Packers will also be starting two rookies along the interior, which will likely result in them taking some lumps.
At least early on in the season, we may not see the same consistency and continuity that we are accustomed to from what is typically some very experienced Green Bay Packers offensive line units.
The Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl
This may not be what everyone’s definition of “all-in” looks like, but the Green Bay Packers are all-in on the 2021 season, and it’s going to get them over the hump. This is a very experienced team that is loaded with talent. I expect the offense to be elite and the defense — with all those playmakers — to be improved. If both of those things happen, the only thing that can stop the Green Bay Packers is the Green Bay Packers–and that won’t be the case this season.