How to improve the Packer offense

Nice effort, ME.

I would add more about potential roster moves to address each section, other than MLF of course.

They need a #1WR and I am doubting right now that he is currently on the roster.  Should be a vet for two reasons: we don't have time to wait another 3-years for another rookie to emerge, and the youth could really use a vet to help them along.  One of the things that made GB's 15 year conga line of drafting and developing #1WR's so successful was that the next guy always had a top vet to help them along.  That line broke when 17 was dealt.  I think there is enough current talent to fill out WR2-5.  If Watson comes back and takes another step, it's gravy.

While Jacobs gave the offense (and maybe the team) another dimension of toughness, I did notice the lack of long gashes you used to see with 33.  Lloyd could provide that or does Gute look for a 3rd down burner that can also YAC when needed.

The online needs an upgrade at at least one position.  Walker needs to be more consistent and Jordan Morgan needs to develop into a starter.

I think it's almost all on Love. I don't think he ran the offense well at all this year, relying way too much on scrambling and making things happen. And when that wasn't working, the offense stalled. Then it's on the WRs - they had a down year based on their performance in the 2023 playoffs. Either Love needs to be in more command of the offense, or they need a legit #1 WR.

I don't think MLF's play calling is a huge issue. He's probably a top ten play caller in the league. Not perfect but so much better than other teams, I promise. It's just so hard to analyze play calling b/c we don't know the play, the assignment, and busts. We also don't know if a defense just correctly guessed the play call to blow it up. And outside of Andy Reid, I'd guess every other fan base would say play calling for their team is bad (definitely the case in Denver with Payton).  Obviously could be better and obviously MLF will look to improve, but I don't imagine a major change in 2025 to play calling.

Cut down on stupid pre-snap penalties.

Stop taking early timeouts because you can't get the play in on time.

@Fedya posted:

Cut down on stupid pre-snap penalties.

Stop taking early timeouts because you can't get the play in on time.

Need to see the tape to analyze that.

stop making Reed run backwards

They don't have any gigantic Jason Spriggs-level type holes, but they need 2-3 players on each side of the ball to play at an elite level. They have a bunch of guys that are average to slightly above average, but only one guy that was truly elite on offense this year (Jacobs).

If Love plays like an elite QB, the WRs all look better. If they get a Bakhtiari type LT, the whole passing game looks better. They need a WR that is a Pro Bowl level guy.

You can get by with an average OL and WRs if you QB is elite (Mahomes). An elite QB is more important than anything else. It covers up a lot of warts.

You can get by with a good QB if you have elite WRs and at least an above average line (Darnold or Goff). But, you can't be average across the board in those three areas and be a true Super Bowl contender.

I don't know that we need a whole lot more explosive plays in that taking five yards at a crack gets you a first down pretty quickly. I'd like to see longer drives that suck the life out of defense. If they try to get too many explosive plays, I foresee a lot of second-and-10 and third-and-10s, and that is not a recipe for success with this team. I'd like to see Love go back to where he was at the end of 2023 (I know we all would), where he was happily and more accurately throwing five yards and watching it turn into 10.

I want to see a more physical GB, especially by the LBs and OL. They were more physical than last year running with Jacobs and with Cooper on D, but it's still evident why the top teams were playing when GB wasn't. GB is in the second tier of physicality.

It is time to get some sort of veteran WR who can be counted on to make a tough catch, and for MLF to use Kraft (and Musgrave) more like Reid uses Kelce. For whatever reason, I don't think the WRs have progressed as quickly and as far as I hoped for. I thought it'd be okay this year, but Wicks developing stone hands, Doubs' concussions, Reed's lack of being used/getting open, Melton's JAG, and Heath's lack of speed and getting on the field, etc., were a setback. Watson was just starting to come along and make plays, and I saw next year as him coming into his own. Now that's up in the air.

As for MLF, in many ways, I'd like him to give up playcalling and concentrate on game management. He's a good play designer, but this year he was not a smooth play-caller. 

Score more points

Yes, Love had his issues this year but it's pretty hard to be better if your WRs are dropping something like 40 passes and they have issues separating from the DB.

The injuries to the WRS doesn't help one bit either.  If you are missing Watson and Doubs for a good chunk of the season you are going to feel that impact.   Who knows how long it will take Watson to come back and if Doubs even can with his concussion problems.   So you have Reed,  Wicks (who I like a lot) and Heath.  Reed is a stud but he does disappear sometimes because they can roll the coverage towards him.

So long story short they need a talent infusion in the WR room and in a hurry.  You get improvement there you will see Love get better, Jacobs will be able to run free more, and Kraft will be even more dangerous.  And MLF will have more freedom to call things more freely.

I personally like what MLF did this year.  He committed to running the damn ball!  How long have we as fans on this site been complaining about a true commitment to the run?   From the moment this site came online.

If they can get MLF some more talent at receiver we will start to see this offense really take off. I would guarrantee it.

@Fedya posted:

Cut down on stupid pre-snap penalties.

Stop taking early timeouts because you can't get the play in on time.

We do what we do.

The OP has some good points, but I'll touch on one.  Look at how many of the points relate back to MLF not doing the best job this year.  The team was undisciplined, and uninspired too many times.  Play calling and game management were at an all-time low for MLF.  We just can't keep having these lapses in coaching.

That never happens with Andy Reid or his coaches.  They have an all-world QB in Mahomes, but other than that, they're not vastly more talented than GB.  The main difference is the coaching.  Not only did MLF have a bad year, so did all of his coaches, and it starts with MLF who is not known for his brilliant coaching hires and has a hard time letting go of bad coaches.

Stenovich was brilliant with the O-line, but hasn't been a difference maker as an OC.  I think Butkus is doing an OK job with the O-line, but Steno is more suited to the job.  Unfortunately, you can't demote Steno and we know MLF will never make a change there.  John Dunn has done a good job with the TE's as Musgrave has a ton of potential and Kraft has turned into a Pro-Bowler.  The WR's - even before the injuries to Doubs and Watson - regressed this year big time under Mahaffey.  Sirmans continues to do an excellent job with the RB's.  The jury's out on Hafley, but what we've seen so far is a little more fire, but the same results when the defense is relied upon to hold a lead.  Downard seems to be doing a good job with the CB's based on what little he has to work with.  Bissacia makes a lot of dough to have the mediocre results he's had.

And the other advantage teams like the Chiefs and Bills have?  A competent GM who can draft and use free agency to build a championship team.  Is Gutey competent?  As a person who can analyze free agency and get the right people in, he's been outstanding.  In terms of the draft?  He's just OK.  Not the worst, not the best.

I think 2025 is going to be an interesting year with a new president of the team.  He's going to want to see an entire season from the captain's chair, I assume, before he makes any big moves.  And will he be a micro manager like Murphy was?  Or will he let football people run the football team and stick to the sledding hills, hotels, etc.?

Overall though, the entire staff and players need to up their game A LOT.  And, they need a massive talent infusion at CB, LB, OL and WR whether through the draft or free agency.

@CUPackFan posted:

Obviously could be better and obviously MLF will look to improve, but I don't imagine a major change in 2025 to play calling.

There better be a major change with play calling.  He was terrible this year.

Purportedly Love was more injured than let on, and it prevented him from using his legs more, and also made his throws less accurate.

Hope he stays healthy in 2025.

@Chongo posted:

Purportedly Love was more injured than let on, and it prevented him from using his legs more, and also made his throws less accurate.

Hope he stays healthy in 2025.

If that's the case, then Malik should've been used to finish the year. I know Love has the big contract, but if he was prevented from playing up to 100% then they should've sat him on the bench.

Under center and more play action

@Dave in GA posted:

If that's the case, then Malik should've been used to finish the year. I know Love has the big contract, but if he was prevented from playing up to 100% then they should've sat him on the bench.

They kept running the injured AR out there in 2022, instead of giving Love the valuable experience.

They are often a stupid organization, one which wasted 31 years of Favre and Rodgers (a total of 3 SB appearances!), with poor use of FA, and ignoring glaring problems elsewhere, including years of lousy ST play.

The other issue may be the league itself. Teams had been moving towards more zone defense and containment schemes. Guys from the McVay tree are all good at dissecting zone defenses, but struggled against heavy pressure or teams that could play man coverage.

O’Connell had the advantage of having receivers who could beat most corners, but the interior offensive line (especially) broke down. The Packers don’t have receivers who just win 1v1. It was the same issue late McCarthy when all they really had was Adams. Now they don’t even have him.

Philly runs a lot of Fangio zone, sure, but their defensive front is just so deep and good it tends to work. Spags isn’t afraid to go man and come after you. Detroit and LA both went man-heavy against the Vikings and sent extra pressure that got home, so it worked. Even the Vikings manufactured a lot of pressure and teams without receivers who could separate quickly struggled.

Hafley reportedly wants to run that Fritz-style defense, but didn’t have the CBs to run it.

Why can’t coaches adapt to the personnel that they have?  3 4 this 4 3 that.  

Adjust please.

@D J posted:

They kept running the injured AR out there in 2022, instead of giving Love the valuable experience.

Unless he’s seriously broken, you don’t sit your MVP QB when you’re trying to make the playoffs.

We also saw what can happen to Willis without a week of prep and a game plan to support him.  See WK18. 

To use Willis more they would have had to decide a week ahead of the game and there was no way they weren't going to let Love start if he was up for trying.  Love was often "day-to-day" and I don't know how you sit your franchise QB when he has a chance to play.  I'm sure MLF knew they had only so many gameplans that were going to work for Willis before defenses figured out how to break the spell.

@bdplant posted:

Unless he’s seriously broken, you don’t sit your MVP QB when you’re trying to make the playoffs.

His [AR's] thumb never really healed. They failed to do the right thing, again.

Answer to how bad Love was hurt in 2024 will be answered by Love week 1 2025.

Jordan has to do a better job of managing the game. Look at Mahomes, vs. Houston, who played zone, he knew he wasn't going to get explosive plays so it was all Kelcie and RBs, we barely even looked at the WRs. Against Buffalo and man coverage, it was a lot of WRs, Kelcie was rarely targeted. Another thing he does is run when it is available. Jordan still makes plays like the one where he had 10 yards of daylight ahead of him but throws the "no look" pass to Wilson who is covered on the sideline. He just can't make plays like that.

Outside of Jordan Love playing up to his superstar pay check, I think the biggest needs on offense are C, WR and OL depth. 

@FLPACKER posted:

Jordan has to do a better job of managing the game. Look at Mahomes, vs. Houston, who played zone, he knew he wasn't going to get explosive plays so it was all Kelcie and RBs, we barely even looked at the WRs. Against Buffalo and man coverage, it was a lot of WRs, Kelcie was rarely targeted. Another thing he does is run when it is available. Jordan still makes plays like the one where he had 10 yards of daylight ahead of him but throws the "no look" pass to Wilson who is covered on the sideline. He just can't make plays like that.

I'd put that on LaFleur. Leaders put their team in positions to succeed.

You'd really put it on MLF that a player had a first down available right in front of him, but chose to throw  a no-look pass, that had a chance to be intercepted, that even if completed was going to gain nothing?

One thing we may miss in all the draft this guy, this position, sign this FA or that FA talk. They need the guys who they have to play better. Coaches to coach better.

Since  the above will be the great majority of the team next year that is the most important factor in moving up.