Packers use scapegoat for organizational failure on special teams

The Green Bay Packers have marked special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton as the scapegoat for their horrible special team’s performance in 2021, but the truth is the responsibility lies with the entire franchise.

For years, Green Bay’s third unit has been severely lacking and a weak spot on an otherwise well-rounded team. They’ve finished the last three years ranked 26th, 29th, and 32nd in Rick Gosselin’s special team’s rankings. That included the worst punt coverage and average starting point following kickoffs.

Last season was more of the same for the Packers who have finished 20th or below in seven of the last nine years when it comes to Gosselin’s rankings.

The entire Green Bay Packers failed to build up their special teams units which led to using Maurice Drayton as the scapegoat.

They’ve struggled to produce in this third phase despite cycling through two head coaches and numerous coordinators. Ron Zook was the face of the failures during the last few years of Mike McCarthy’s tenure.  Matt LaFleur then hired Shawn Mennenga when he came to Green Bay with the hopes of turning that unit around. Unfortunately, it never happened and now the Packers are about to be on their third special team’s coordinator in LaFleur’s fourth year and their fourth in the last five years overall.

The coordinators are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this issue. It’s truly going to take an organizational change to their approach in order to get this problem fixed.

For years, the front office hasn’t put a priority on special teams contributors. Whether it’s been through the draft or deciding who to keep come cut day, guys who can step up in this third phase have seemingly fallen to the bottom of the totem pole, often resulting in the Packers never giving them a chance or moving on too quickly from them.

Brian Gutekunst must put a late-round emphasis on guys who can make positive contributions in this stage. He must also identify a long-snapper who can hold his own in the snapping and blocking department. Changing long-snappers in the middle of the season proved to be a disaster and, ultimately, a season-altering move.

Finally, the coaching staff must take a hard look at playing starters on these units. There’s always the injury risk which is certainly real–take a look at AJ Dillon injuring his ribs on a kickoff return during the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, the payoff could be a unit that doesn’t get a field goal blocked and a punt blocked for a touchdown in a do-or-die situation.

Fixing these woes may start with better schemes on special teams, but that’s certainly not going to be the cure-all for this sickness. The Packers must embrace special teams contributors from the top of the organization on down. Otherwise, they’re going to be stuck in this same pattern they’ve been in for the last decade or so.