Green Bay Packers: Ready to Compete Again in the NFC
It's hard to believe that a team with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback struggled to move the ball through the air, but that was the reality for the Packers last season. They suffered the absence of their star receiver, Jordy Nelson, who was out for the entire year with a knee injury.
Green Bay ranked 25th in passing offense and fell short once again in their quest for the Vince Lombardi trophy. The duo of Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers has delivered excellent results, with the Packers making the playoffs for seven straight seasons and winning at least 10 games in six of them, the franchise's longest streak.
During this stretch, they have suffered five postseason losses on the final play of the game, as was the case in January of this year against Arizona. Rodgers is coming off a difficult season, dropping below 100 in passer rating for the first time since 2008 (92.7), having the lowest completion percentage of his career (60.8%), and a decreased yards per attempt average (6.7). However, he only threw eight interceptions and surpassed 30 touchdown passes (31).
This year, Rodgers will have Jordy Nelson back, his favorite target and one of the best receivers in the league. Nelson's return will significantly elevate the level of the offense. In 2015, neither Randall Cobb nor James Jones reached one thousand receiving yards, which is why the Packers drafted Trevor Davis to bolster this department.
Jared Cook, formerly of the Rams, has been added as a tight end.
The running back duo of Eddie Lacy and John Starks is competent. They combined for 1,350 yards and five touchdowns, with the latter also playing as a receiver on third downs and screen passes.
On the offensive line, led by center Corey Linsley, there is good news as all five starters will be returning this year. The bad news is that four of them will be free agents at the end of the season.
The defense did a decent job last season, but coordinator Dom Capers knows they must improve against the run.
In the front seven, their first-round pick in 2016, tackle Kenny Clark, will replace the retired B.J. Raji. Julius Peppers, who led the team with 10.5 sacks, will continue to be a pass-rush specialist.
Linebacker Clay Matthews is the leader of the group. While he may not have the same speed, he is still effective against the run and knows how to attack the passer. The young Jake Ryan is expected to make strides as an interior linebacker.
After struggling for a while, Capers is finally satisfied with the secondary. The Packers ranked sixth against the pass in 2015. Morgan Burnett is the leader of this unit.
In special teams, kicker Mason Crosby remains reliable, only missing four of his 28 field goal attempts.
With a complete offense and some defensive adjustments, the Packers are once again ready to be contenders, not only in their division but in the NFC as a whole.