4 Concerns for Green Bay Packers Entering Playoffs
By Paul Bretl
Concern No. 3 for the Green Bay Packers: Slow starts
More often than not this season, the Green Bay Packers offense has gotten off to some slow starts and found themselves trailing after the first quarter of the game.
Following the end of the regular season, the Packers rank 25th in average first quarter-point scored. Out of all 14 playoff teams, only Pittsburgh has fared worse, and the Rams are the next closest at 18th.
After two seasons in which Matt LaFleur’s opening script — the first 15 to 20 plays of the game — has allowed this Packers offense to jump out to quick starts, for whatever reason, that hasn’t been the case this year.
"“At times the last couple years we’ve been so good in the first 15 to 20 plays that we script, and scoring on opening drives, touchdowns,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers via Packers.com following the Vikings game. “Hasn’t really been the case this year. We’ve been a lot slower starting, so we gotta look at that.”"
Green Bay’s red zone struggles certainly haven’t helped their early offense–and the most recent matchup with Minnesota was a prime example of this. While the Packers did find success moving the ball early on, they began the game 0/3 in the red zone with only six points to show for their efforts.
Now, on the flip side, they’ve been the best second-quarter scoring team in football, and although it is only Detroit, who has one of the worst defenses in football, Green Bay was able to find some early success this past Sunday–hopefully building some momentum that they can carry into the playoffs.
Despite the slow starts, the Packers have done an excellent job of overcoming those early deficits. But against Dallas or Tampa Bay, who rank first and second in first-quarter points scored this season, respectively, falling behind by a score or two to them, could be the difference between a win and a loss.