The Green Bay Packers have won 13 regular-season games and either captured the No. 1 seed in the conference (2021) or advanced to the NFC title game (2019, 2020) during each of the last three seasons, all coached by Matt LaFleur.
Can the Packers finally get over the hump and play in the franchise’s first Super Bowl since February of 2011?
LaFleur’s team has the four-time NFL MVP at the controls, two potentially elite running backs and one of the most talented defenses in football, providing a foundation for another highly successful season in terms of wins and losses. But what will it take for the Packers to get to the Super Bowl?
These factors will determine if the Packers are Super Bowl worthy in 2022:
The two offensive tackles
Can the Packers get to the Super Bowl without David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins manning the two offensive tackle spots? Year after year, the same truth emerges: To win big games in the playoffs, teams have to protect the quarterback. And few in the game are better in pass protection than Bakhtiari and Jenkins, who are both coming off significant knee injuries and might not be ready for the start of the season. Once healthy and available, the pair could create an elite offensive tackle duo and transform the Packers offensive line from good to great – a major Super Bowl ingredient. The concern is that Bakhtiari missed all but one game last season after dealing with a nightmare rehab, and Jenkins is still only 10 months removed from his own torn ACL. Without Davante Adams, the Packers are going to operate differently on offense in 2022, and passing the football might require elite protection. Bakhtiari and Jenkins are vital to Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur maximizing the scoring output. Remember: In all three of the playoff losses under LaFleur, the Packers struggled to protect the quarterback.
Special teams rebound
Aaron Rodgers isn’t expecting the Packers special teams to suddenly become elite under new coordinator Rich Bisaccia, but he knows the third phase needs to come out even in 2022. Last season, the special teams were a consistent net negative, and the recurring lapses in big moments helped end the playoff run before it ever really began. The hope is that Bisaccia’s experience as a teacher can limit the big mistakes and help the Packers produce something closer to an average special teams unit this season. The preseason wasn’t a great sign – the Packers graded out as the second-worst special teams unit at Pro Football Focus – but the Packers are expecting to play more starters on special teams in the regular season. There needs to be a big rebound here so that simple special teams operations – like converting a field goal or blocking for a punt – becomes more routine and less anxiety-invoking every time, especially come playoff time when margins are razor thin.
Ascendance and injury luck on defense
The Packers defense is stocked to the brim with talent. There are developed and elite first-round picks (see: Kenny Clark, Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary), returning experienced first-round picks (Darnell Savage, Eric Stokes), rookie first-round picks (Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt), multiple high-priced free agents (Adrian Amos, Preston Smith) and several recent diamonds found in the rough (De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas). While the Packers transition on offense, Joe Barry’s defense must take a big jump and become an elite group, especially against the pass. Getting to the Super Bowl always means beating a handful of elite quarterbacks. And this group needs some injury luck, too: While talented, depth is a concerning issue at outside linebacker, cornerback and safety. A defense is only as good as its weakest link, and a few injuries could open up some big holes.
Explosive plays in the passing game
How do the Packers replace all the big plays in the passing game once created so easily by all-world receiver Davante Adams and speedster deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling? Teams win big games with explosive plays that create easy scoring opportunities. The Packers aren’t necessarily lacking weapons on offense, especially at running back, but how will Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers get the most out of veterans Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins and rookies Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs? The quarterback is elite, and so is the scheme, but big plays often require something special on the receiving end. Lazard, Cobb and Watkins are all capable, and there’s no denying the potential of Watson and Doubs. The Packers need the passing game to come together over time and be legitimately dangerous come December and January.
