This is the first in a series of articles that will evaluate the Green Bay Packers in 2013.
Overview: Injuries hit the Packers to devastating effect in 2013, with the most notable being to their quarterback and leader Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers missed all but the first series in Week 9 against Chicago, and did not return until the Packers' rematch with Chicago in Week 17. The offense averaged 21.5 points per game during Rodgers' eight-game absence, as opposed to a 30.6 average with him playing. However, the offense still finished 3rd in the NFL in total yards, 8th in points per game, and 7th in rushing yards.
Quarterback: For almost the past two decades, quarterback play has been the most consistent aspect of the Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have held down the position not only with their strong play, but their ability to avoid major injury and play through minor injury. That streak of consistency came to a screeching halt when Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone. What followed was arguably the most disappointing personnel mismanagement in the largely remarkable tenure of GM Ted Thompson.
For the majority of the 2013 season, the Green Bay Packers did not have a capable backup at the QB position. That problem was covered up by Rodgers, but the carousel of Graham Harrell, Vince Young, and B.J. Coleman in the preseason, as well as Seneca Wallace and Scott Tolzien in the regular season failed to yield a suitable field general. Harrell, Young, and Coleman were cut by the end of the preseason, and the veteran Wallace did not possess the arm strength he once did and was injured in the first series of the game after Rodgers went down against Philadelphia.Tolzien failed to lead the offense on more than one touchdown drive per game against the Eagles, Giants, and the first half against Minnesota.
The only backup quarterback who was able to lead the Packers to victory was Matt Flynn, who was reacquired off of waivers from the Bills and barely kept the Packers in the fight for the playoffs, going 2-2-1 in four and a half games.
This failure was the result of significant personnel mismanagement, and it nearly cost the Packers their season. Rodgers and Flynn bring the grade up a bit, but as an organization it should be a priority to retain Flynn to prevent another drop-off should Rodgers go down in 2014.
Final Grade: B-
Running Back: The greatest area of improvement in 2013 from 2012 was in the running game. The Packers improved from 20th in rushing in 2012 to 7th in 2013, due in large part to the efforts of rookie Eddie Lacy. The second-round pick from Alabama led the team in rushing with 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns, providing a downhill running bell-cow that the Packers have not had for years. The Packers also got solid contributions from James Starks as well as Johnathon Franklin, and could very well be three deep at running back in 2014 if Franklin gets more involved.
Starks is an unrestricted free agent, but DuJuan Harris is still under contract for 2014 and showed some speed towards the end of 2012. Once a position of weakness, the Packers running game is now a point of emphasis and an aspect to be feared by opposing defenses.
Final Grade: A
Wide Receivers: Going into 2013, the concern for Packers fans was whether the wide receiving corps could move on from the loss of Greg Jennings. After 2013, it became apparent that Greg may have missed Aaron Rodgers more than the other way around.
After recovering from an injury-plagued 2012, Jordy Nelson stepped up in a big way, accumulating career highs in receptions (85) and yards (1,314). He brought stability to the offense through his leadership as he suddenly became the veteran in a young group of receivers.
Randall Cobb was supposed to take over the slot duties after Jennings' departure, and he proved to be one of Rodgers' favorite targets before breaking his leg. Cobb averaged five receptions a game in the six games he played, and if you apply his pace to a 16 game season, he could have caught roughly 82 passes for 1,154 yards and ten touchdowns. He will be a huge part of the offense in 2014.
James Jones took a step backwards from his career year in 2012, and could be headed to free agency as well. Jarrett Boykin stepped into Cobb's slot role and experienced some growing pains and dropped passes, but still accumulated 49 receptions for 681 yards and three touchdowns.
The Packers were able to get past the loss of Greg Jennings this year, but it must remain a priority to find targets for Aaron Rodgers for the years to come.
Final Grade: A-
Tight Ends: The tight end position took a major hit in Week 7, when Jermichael Finley sustained a possibly career-ending spinal cord injury. The timing was disappointing for Finley, the Packers organization, and fans because he was beginning to mature and find a place in the Packer offense. Finley will be a free agent as well this offseason, and the Packers could take a similar approach to the way they handled Nick Collins' neck injury a couple years ago and shut him down.
Andrew Quarless filled in nicely and showed a rapport with Matt Flynn, but with Aaron Rodgers under center he did not draw as many targets and never caught more than three passes. This is one position the Packers may need to upgrade in the offseason in order to round out the offense with another nice red zone target - especially if Finley is indeed done.
Final Grade: C
Offensive Line: One of the early injuries to the Packers that wasn't talked about very much this season because it happened so early was Bryan Bulaga tearing his ACL. He missed the entire season after going down with the injury in the Packers' family night scrimmage. This loss of Aaron Rodgers' backside protector was significant for an offensive line that already gave up the second-most sacks in 2012.
In 2013, the offensive line did give up six fewer sacks than it did in 2012, but still finished 24th in the league in fewest sacks allowed. Some of the improvement has to be attributed to fourth-round pick David Bakhtiari, who stepped in at left tackle and played well enough to challenge Bulaga before he was injured. It will be very interesting to see if his play allows Bulaga to move to right tackle in 2014.
Overall the offensive line was still a point of weakness in 2013, particularly in pass protection. Head Coach Mike McCarthy puts a lot of faith in his linemen with his play-calling and use of five wide receiver looks, and 2014 will be a critical year for first-round draft picks Derek Sherrod and Bryan Bulaga to prove themselves.
Final Grade: C+
Summary: The Packers offense is the strongest facet of this team, led by arguably one of the best players in the NFL right now in Aaron Rodgers. It got even stronger with the addition of Eddie Lacy, who compliments Rodgers with a strong running style that opponents must respect. In 2013 the offense was decimated by injury, but still performed in the top ten of the NFL in passing yards, rushing yards, and points. The offseason focus should be on getting healthy and drafting an interior lineman as well as a receiving tight end to return the Packers offense to the dominance they showed in 2011.
Final Offensive Grade: B+
Follow me on Twitter @ZacBellman_WNY for Packers news and analysis into the offseason.
Green Bay Packers 2013 Report Card: Defense
Green Bay Packers 2013 Report Card: Special Teams
Back to the Green Bay Packers Newsfeed