The consistency issues plaguing the Green Bay Packers offense to start the 2024 season look quite similar to the problems that dogged the Packers through the first half of last season.
Penalties, misfires, drops.
Around this time last year, too many promising drives stalled out due to poorly timed penalties, or inaccurate throws, or a drops or mistimed routes. The passing game, while young, felt close to being good but also frustratingly inconsistent for a long time before Jordan Love and his weapons finally broke out in a big way over the second half of the season.
Nearly the exact same narrative could describe why the Packers offense — while undeniably explosive — is once again “close” to something really good through five games in 2024.
After eight weeks in 2023, Love was completing 57.7 percent of his passes with an average depth of target of 9.7 yards and an adjusted completion percentage of 65.9. Roughly 8.2 percent of Love’s attempts were dropped, per PFF, ranking as fifth highest among quarterbacks at the time.
The sample size for Love, who missed two games and only has three starts, is smaller to start 2024, obviously. But through five weeks, the number look strikingly similar. Love is completing 56.1 percent of his passes with an average depth of target of 10.1 yards and adjusted completion percentage of 69.9. Roughly 11.1 percent of Love’s attempts have been dropped, the highest among quarterbacks.
When asked where the Packers could improve most moving forward, LaFleur immediately pointed to penalties, which is no doubt a frustrating reality for a coach who worked through the same procedural and post-snap problems with the NFL’s youngest team a year ago. The Packers are one of the most penalized teams in football to start 2024.
Generally speaking, Love needs to be more accurate, receivers need to finish more plays and avoidable penalties must disappear.
Sunday’s win over the Rams was a good example of how all three are hurting the Packers.
On the first play of the game, Love had Dontayvion Wicks open on a deep crosser but missed him wide. Two plays later, he was sacked on third-and-long and the Packers punted. Later in the first half, the Packers faced 3rd-and-2. Jayden Reed ran an in-breaker and was open but dropped the pass, resulting in a punt. In the second quarter, Wicks had a false starting backing the Packers up inside their own 10. A play later, Love threw a pick-six while pressured in the end zone. On a marathon drive in the fourth quarter, Zach Tom false started on first down from the Rams’ 36-yard line, and what could have been a game-sealing scoring drive turned into a punt on 4th-and-24.
The connection between Love and Wicks might be the key that unlocks the whole thing. Wicks had another drop, and on 3rd-and-10 with just under four minutes left, he failed to make a contested catch on a deep ball that could have sealed the deal. Wicks has caught only 10 of 29 targets this season, including just 7 of 20 the last two weeks. On many of the misses, either Wicks was open and Love missed or Wicks failed to finish on a catchable ball. If those two get on the same page, the Packers passing game could take off.
On Sunday, LaFleur said the Packers are hunting consistency on a down to down basis. His young team was hunting the same thing during the first half last year. Once they found it, everything changed, and the Packers turned potential into incredible results.
The same potential energy exists in the 2024 Packers, and probably at a greater volume. The sheer number of explosive plays produced this season have provided scoring opportunities and laid a foundation for what the Packers could become. Adding in more consistency — a better throw here, a catch here — could transform potential into kinetic energy and result in another offensive explosion from Love and the Packers as the 2024 season rolls on.