In the modern NFL, all teams are a work in progress at the start of the season. The good teams improve as the season goes on and the elite ones play their best football in December and January. The Green Bay Packers are off to a 10-4 start and have gotten better as the season has progressed. Here are five areas the Packers have improved upon since the start of the 2024 NFL season and how that’s helped them win football games.
Five Areas the Packers Have Improved Upon, Number Five: Run Blocking
Last season, the Packers offensive line struggled to block for the run. That was true of three of the team’s starting five linemen a year ago according to Pro Football Focus with Rasheed Walker, Josh Myers and Jon Runyan all finishing the season with poor run blocking grades.
This season, the run blocking has been better. Sean Rhyan has been an upgrade at run blocking over Runyan who is now with the New York Giants. Walker has stepped up his run blocking over a year ago while Myers has been a bit better than he was a year ago due in part to the change in the blocking scheme and the way the team runs the football. Even the wide receivers have contributed to the improved run blocking this season.
The Packers are now a run-first offense. Their successful running game sets up the pass. The improved run blocking is a big reason for this.
Number Four: Running Between the Tackles
The change from Aaron Jones to Josh Jacobs helped this improvement along. As the season went on, the offensive line adjusted to the different plays Matt LaFleur called to maximize Jacobs’ abilities.
Jacobs has been one of the best runners in the league between the tackles. His ability to make potential tacklers miss in close quarters has been a big reason for this improvement. Entering the game in Seattle last week, Jacobs led the NFL in yards gained between the tackles.
This is now the identity of the Green Bay offense. We saw that Sunday night in Seattle when the opening drive featured Jacobs on 9-of-10 plays. Seven of them were runs.
The Packers have improved in this area throughout the season.
Five Areas the Packers Have Improved Upon, Number Three: Drops
For the first half of the season, the Packers were near the top of the league in dropped passes. Dontayvion Wicks was the biggest offender, but the entire receiving corps struggled with dropped passes at one time or another.
In the last few games, the team has improved in this area. Wicks has been better and has held on to more passes. Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are also dropping fewer passes.
This may be the most tentative area on this list, but over the last three games, the drops are down, and the great catches are up.
Number Two: Run Defense
Last season, the Packers struggled to stop the run under Joe Barry. Opponents averaged 4.4 yards per rush which ranked the team 23rd in the league. They were 28th in rushing yards allowed per game. The Packers had problems containing the edge and preventing big gains. Their most effective run defense was getting a lead which forced opponents to pass.
This season, the Packers switched to a four-man front under Jeff Hafley. The Pack is now eighth in the league in yards allowed per rush and ninth in rushing yards allowed per game.
Players like Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Bullard have helped improve the run defense this season. So has the more aggressive approach on defense which emphasizes penetrating at the line of scrimmage. The overall tackling has improved as well. The run defense has gone from a weakness to a relative strength.
Five Areas the Packers Have Improved Upon, Number One: Kicking
In the first six games of the season, the kicking game was a problem. Brayden Narveson missed at least one kick in four of his six contests and a penalty wiped out another miss in a fifth.
Since the Packers signed Brandon McManus, the kicking has been much better. McManus has made all 23 of his extra points and 14-of-15 field goals. In his first two games with the team, he hit the game winning kick on the final play.
McManus’ only miss came on a rainy, windy day at Lambeau where the wind stopped the kick in mid-air.
McManus is consistent and comes through in the clutch. He has turned the kicking game from a giant question mark to a big strength.
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