Is Packers’ 2021 season going to end like all the others?
There’s no doubt about it. The 2021 NFL season is Super Bowl or bust for the Green Bay Packers, as any other outcome would be a complete disappointment. But can they break the pattern they’ve set throughout Aaron Rodgers’ career?
There’s been one time throughout Rodgers’ tenure as their starting quarterback where Green Bay has ranked in the top five in both total yards allowed and points allowed. You guessed it–the year they won their only Super Bowl with him at the helm. In 2010, their defense ranked fifth in total yards allowed (they’ve only finished higher than 11th once since then) and second in total points allowed (they’ve only finished higher than 11th twice).
Since then, it’s been disappointment after disappointment with Green Bay cycling through defensive coordinators like they’re socks. Nothing has seemed to work. Seemingly every year, the Packers watch their defense get torched in the postseason, as the offense is unable to save the franchise from a unit that hemorrhages points. Let’s take a look at the number of points allowed in each of the playoff losses since the Packers’ Super Bowl victory:
- 2020 NFC Championship game: 31 points allowed
- 2019 NFC Championship game: 37 points allowed
- 2016 NFC Championship game: 44 points allowed
- 2015 Divisional round: 26 points allowed
- 2014 NFC Championship game: 28 points allowed
- 2013 Wild card: 23 points allowed
- 2012 Divisional round: 45 points allowed
- 2011 Divisional round: 37 points allowed
The Green Bay Packers have won two of their first three games to begin the 2021 NFL season, but how will it end for the team with Super Bowl hopes?
I fully recognize this article is coming off the heels of a thrilling last-second victory in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Football. And I, by no means, have any intentions of trying to kill that high fans are riding.
However, it was extremely reminiscent of so many games we’ve seen throughout Rodgers’ career where he’s asked to play Superman time and time again. And this season has gotten off to a less than stellar start on the defensive side of the ball under yet another defensive coordinator.
In the opener, the Packers got embarrassed against the New Orleans Saints as they couldn’t get any stops. The Saints dropped 38 points on the Packers’ head and it was a wakeup call of sorts. Green Bay’s defense responded against a short-handed and unimpressive Detroit Lions’ offense, but it almost gave up the game against the San Francisco 49ers. After pitching a shutout for most of the first half, the Packers’ defense gave up 28 points over the final 30 minutes of the game.
Make no mistake about it, Green Bay appears to have the individual talent on defense to post better results than we’ve seen. They have a lockdown corner in Jaire Alexander supported by two of the better safeties in football in Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. They have a trio of edge rushers in Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith and Rashan Gary who can impact both the running and passing games. They also have a stud interior defensive lineman named Kenny Clark who can blow up any play.
Unfortunately, their defense is off to another familiar start. Although they rank ninth in total yards per game, they sit at 24th in points through three games. Those stats may not be all they’re cracked up to be, especially after just three games, but it’s not a promising start to the season.
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The Packers have a challenging schedule ahead of them that will test this defense in every way imaginable. It’s not nearly as important where they’re at after just three games compared to where they are when the postseason begins. There is some reason for optimism they’re (slowly) trending in the right direction. However, there are also warning signs this season might end like all the others–with the defense unable to stop or slow down an opposing offense deep in the playoffs.