There has been a great deal of speculation surround the Green Bay Packers offense this upcoming season. After all, Davante Adams, whom Aaron Rodgers threw the ball to 169 times last season, is now with the Las Vegas Raiders. Earlier this offseason, head coach Matt LaFleur did admit the the offense will look a bit different in 2022. That does not, however, mean it will be worse. The Packers’ offense still received a top-ten offseason ranking and is still led by a four-time MVP. Additionally, we have had sneak peaks of what the offense can do without Davante Adams, and the results have been promising.
The Mandatory Mike McCarthy Footnote
Not so promising was the way the offense performed without Davante Adams towards the end of the Mike McCarthy era in Green Bay. During McCarthy’s tenure as the Packers’ head coach, the team played six games without Davante Adams after the wide receiver was drafted in 2014. They won their first three, all of which took place in October of 2015.
The last three games, though, were all losses and they were not even close. Worst of all, they were to NFC North division rivals:
- 16-0 loss at home to Minnesota on December 23, 2017
- 35-11 loss at Detroit on December 31, 2017
- 31-0 loss at home to Detroit on December 30, 2018
Overall, the McCarthy Packers went 3-3 without Davante Adams since he was drafted. This is an important distinction because the Matt LaFleur Packers run an entirely different offense. Since it is LaFleur who remains now that Adams is gone, the way the Packers fared without Adams during his first three seasons are a better indicator of what we can expect from the Green Bay offense.
The Green Bay Packers Were 7-0 Without Davante Adams from 2019-2021
It is no secret the Matt LaFleur brought a renewed sense of winning along with his new offense. Since his arrival, Aaron Rodgers has made the Pro Bowl three times and won NFL MVP twice. It is an offense that works, no matter who is playing in it. This is evident by how well the Packers performed without Davante Adams in the seven games he missed under LaFleur.
#1. October 6, 2019: Packers- 34 Cowboys- 24
- Aaron Rodgers: 22/34, 238 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions
- Aaron Jones: 107 rushing yards and FOUR touchdowns
- Leading receiver- Jones with seven receptions and 75 yards
#2. October 14, 2019: Packers- 23 Lions- 22
- Aaron Rodgers: 24/39 for 283 yards, two touchdowns, one interception
- Jamaal Williams: 104 rushing yards
- Leading receiver- Allen Lazard with four receptions, 65 yards, and a touchdown
#3. October 19, 2019: Packers- 42 Raiders- 24
- Aaron Rodgers: 25/31 for 429 yards and FIVE touchdowns
- Touchdown receptions by Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jimmy Graham, Jake Kumerow, Aaron Jones, and Jamaal Williams
- Leading receiver- MVS with two receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown
#4. October 27, 2019: Packers- 31 Chiefs- 24
- Aaron Rodgers: 23/33 for 305 yards and three touchdowns
- Aaron Jones: 226 all-purpose yards
- Leading receiver: Jones with seven receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns
#5. September 27, 2020: Packers- 37 Saints- 30
- Aaron Rodgers: 21/32 for 283 yards and three touchdowns
- Aaron Jones: 16 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown
- Leading receiver: Allen Lazard with six receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown
#6. October 5, 2020: Packers- 30 Falcons- 16
- Aaron Rodgers: 27/33 for 327 yards and four touchdowns
- Aaron Jones: 15 carries for 71 yards; five receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown
- Leading receiver- Robert Tonyan with six receptions for 98 yards and three touchdowns
- Jamaal Williams: eight receptions for 95 yards
#7. October 28, 2021: Packers- 24 Cardinals- 21
- Aaron Rodgers: 22/37 for 184 yards and two touchdowns
- AJ Dillon: 16 carries for 78 yards
- Aaron Jones: 110 all-purpose yards (leading receiver with 59 receiving yards)
- Randall Cobb: three receptions for 15 yards and two touchdowns
Common Factors in the Packers’ Wins
A quick rundown of each victory shows three important common factors:
- Aaron Rodgers played extremely well
- The running backs were not only vital in the run game, but also in the passing game
- Allen Lazard was the only wide receiver to lead the team in receiving yards more than once in these games
The Packers still have Aaron Rodgers. They also still have an elite backfield with two running backs that went over 1,000 all-purpose yards last season. Allen Lazard is back.
Yes, the offense will be different without Davante Adams; but that doesn’t mean they won’t win a lot of games.
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