3 changes Packers need to make to right the ship
The Green Bay Packers have hit rock bottom. After losing consecutive games to the New York Giants and New York Jets, they’ve fallen to 3-3 on the season and look as lost as ever.
Green Bay is a team with no identity. They don’t have an aspect of the game they can hang their hat on when the going gets tough. They also don’t look like a team who believes in itself. And the result is some nasty football games.
The good news is the season is only six games old, and two-thirds of it remains. However, the Packers must act quickly if they want to turn it around. Here are three changes they can make to do just that.
The Green Bay Packers need to make these three changes if they want to return to their winning ways as quickly as possible.
Get Aaron Jones the ball more
Head coach Matt LaFleur sounds like a broken record week after week when discussing the need to get Aaron Jones the rock. And week after week he fails to make good on that promise. Jones is heads-and-shoulders above the rest of his teammates as the Packers’ best playmaker. Yet, Green bay is insistent on him splitting playing time with the struggling A.J. Dillon
With the Packers’ offense in pieces on Sunday, Jones only touched the rock 12 times–his second-lowest on the season. For comparison, Dillon had 14 touches and Jets’ rookie running back Breece Hall had 20 carries alone. If Green Bay is serious about turning their season around, they need to get serious about pounding the rock with Jones as the recipient.
Shakeup offensive line
The offensive line had an abysmal performance all around. The Jets’ defensive front dominated them from the kick-off in an embarrassing performance for a once proud group. The good news is the solution is internal. The Packers must bench Royce Newman at right guard, slide Elgton Jenkins to either right guard or left guard (move Jon Runyan from left guard to right guard if they put Jenkins in his spot), and start Yosh Nijman at right tackle. There, all the Packers’ offensive line problems are solved.
Play with swagger
New York ran around Lambeau Field screaming after tackles, wagging their finger after pass breakups and playing with joy and swag. Heck, Sauce Gardner was even wearing a cheesehead as he was doing victory laps high-fiving fans after the game. Embarrassing.
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Meanwhile, Green Bay acted like they weren’t having any fun out there. They’d get up solemnly after a big play and jog back to the huddle. The Jets were obviously playing like a team with a chip on its shoulder while the Packers took a more formal approach. We heard all off-season about the swag the Packers’ defense had. Where has it gone? It’s time they get back to an underdog mentality.