The Season Review
The regular season has ended and the Green Bay Packers finished with a record of 13-3. It is their best finish since 2011, when they went 15-1. The Packers won six road games, their most road victories since the 2011 season as well. Eight of the Packers 13 wins this year were by one score or less, while last year, six of their nine losses were by one score or less. The Packers scored a total of 376 points, which was good for 23.5 points per game. The defense allowed only 313 total points, good for 19.5 points per game. Here are some offensive and defensive take-aways from the season.
The Offense
The Packers offense is ranked 18th this year, averaging 345.5 yards per game. They have been great in getting out to fast starts, being ranked third in the NFL in points scored in the first quarter. It seems that after their initial script of plays, they cant maintain the success, as they are ranked 15th overall in total points per game. A big positive for the team, they are ranked second in the league in giveaways, with only four interceptions and nine lost fumbles. With the inconsistency they’ve shown, there have been several highlights.
- Week 5: Aaron Jones bursts for 182 total yards and four touchdowns versus the Dallas Cowboys.
- Week 7: Aaron Rodgers dismantles the Oakland Raiders. He completed 81% of his passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns. Good for a perfect (158.3) passer rating.
- Week 8: Aaron Jones goes off for 226 total yards and two touchdowns vs the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Week 13: Aaron Rodgers throws for 243 yards and four touchdowns against the New York Giants. Finishing with a passer rating of 125.4.
- Week 16: Aaron Jones goes off for 160 total yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota.
As shown, the two Aaron’s were big parts of the offense this season. Each one of those games were wins for the Packers. As they prepare for the divisional round, they will need to figure out a way that can get them in the best positions possible.
The Defense
Green Bay’s defense finished the season 18th in yards allowed, allowing 352.6 yards per game. They were stout against the pass, allowing just 232.6 passing yards per game. It was against the run where they struggled, giving up 120 yards per game. They were able to harass quarterbacks all year, sacking them 41 times. The secondary did their job too as they finished third in the league with 17 interceptions.
Defensive Highlights
- Week 3: Preston and Za’Darius finished with a combined 5 sacks and a forced fumble against the Denver Broncos.
- Week 5: Kevin King had 2 passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble. Za’Darius Smith had two sacks versus the Dallas Cowboys.
- Week 14: Adrian Amos finished with six tackles, one sack, two passes defensed, and an interception. Kenny Clark finished with 1.5 sacks against the Washington Redskins
- Week 16: Za’Darius Smith recorded 3.5 sacks on Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings.
Defensive tackle Kenny Clark finished with 61 quarterback pressures, which was the second most in the NFL for a defensive tackle. Linebacker Za’Darius Smith finished with 93 quarterback pressures, which was the most in the league. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Za’Darius is the only player in the NFL to finish with a pressure rate above 18% in 2019. Smith finished sixth in the NFL with 13.5 sacks and tied for the most quarterback hits with 37. PFF also has Kenny Clark having faced 2+ blockers on 294 pass-rush attempts this season. His 13.9% win rate was the fourth best in the league among interior defenders. When those two are being disruptive and making plays on passing and running downs, it makes for a long game for the opposing offense. Their play will be key to the defenses success in the post season.
Quick Special Teams Notes
- Mason Crosby made 22/24 field goals (91.7%) and 40/41 extra points (97.5%).
- Per Pro Football Focus, Punter JK Scott ranked sixth in the NFL with an average hangtime of 4.46 seconds. Only 33.8% of his punts were returned.
- It wasn’t until week 13 against the Giants that the Packers had returned a punt longer than one yard.
- Through week 13, they averaged -0.9 yards per punt return (32nd in the NFL).
Final Thoughts
Going 13-3 is a great accomplishment for any team in the NFL. The fact that the Packers were able to do so, with a rookie head coach is even more impressive. Green Bay has shown major inconsistencies on offense and defense but if they can get both going for the post season, look out. This is also the best defense Rodgers has had since 2014. With the team healthy and rested, they’ll be looking to make a deep playoff run to Miami.
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