Rodgers, offense starting to click

GREEN BAY — When the Green Bay Packers hired Matt LaFleur as the head coach, the offensive unit knew it would take some time to understand the new playbook and really show its true potential.

The season started with the offense sputtering, scoring just 10 points against the Chicago Bears. Wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos saw the offense shine for periods of teams, but ultimately inconsistency on that side of the ball kept those games close.

The offense turned in its best performance of the year against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it wasn’t enough in the only setback of the year so far. It was during that game the green and gold lost top wide receiver Davante Adams, leaving plenty of question marks on who would serve as playmakers for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay has gone 3-0 without Adams, relying on the running back tandem of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams and pass-catchers Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Geronimo Allison, Jake Kumerow, Allen Lazard and Jimmy Graham instead.

“I think the process has been really understanding the offense as a whole and then learning how to win in different ways, and when you learn how to win in different ways, then you become a lot more dangerous offense because you just have so many more things you can throw at a defense,” said Rodgers of the progressing offense.

The Packers could get Adams back this Sunday when it travels to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs, but even if they don’t, LaFleur said he was confident in the offense and receiving group he has.

The confidence comes off of the offenses’ best game of the year against the Oakland Raiders.

“Any time you score 42 points and have 400-some odd yards, or whatever it was, that’s how you want it to look,” said LaFleur after Sunday’s 42-24 win.

LaFleur followed up that statement by saying not every week is going to be that productive for the offense, which had Jones, Williams, Graham, Valdes-Scantling and Kumerow all catch touchdown passes from Rodgers.

After the breakout performance, it’s left many analysts and fans wondering what the ceiling is for the offense under LaFleur.

Throughout the season, several players have declined to put a cap to how great the offense could be, instead hoping to improve each and every week.

LaFleur is the only rookie head coach finding sustained success this season, and it’s clear that having a Hall of Fame quarterback is making things easier on the coach.

“When you have great players, especially our quarterback, it definitely gives you confidence that whatever you called, he’s going to make it work,” said LaFleur after Sunday’s win. “But it takes all 11 guys doing their job and I can’t speak enough about the effort, the execution of our guys.”

Following his six-touchdown performance and perfect passer rating game against the Raiders, Rodgers appears to have a full grasp of the new offense and is playing at a high enough level that he’s now being mentioned in MVP conversations again.

Rodgers believes the offense still has room to grow, with Adams’ return paired with more production from the likes of MVS, Allison, Kumerow, Lazard, Graham and the running backs putting the unit in talks of being one of the best in the league.

Another big reason behind the offense starting to click is the play of the offensive line. ESPN Analytics has several Packers o-linemen amongst the best in the NFL.

Heading into week eight, right tackle David Bakhtiari was the second-rated tackle in pass block win rate (95 percent), while rookie left guard Elgton Jenkins was the top guard in pass block win rate (98 percent). Center Corey Linsley also earned the top center grade (99 percent).

With all factors included, the Packers have the best pass block rate (68 percent) in the NFL.

“I feel like as an offensive line we’re doing a good job communicating at the line, understanding the calls, understanding what we’ve got to do. I feel comfortable in that, but we still have areas to improve,” said Linsley after Sunday’s win.

The offense will now be tasked with facing a Chiefs’ defense that ranks in the bottom 10 teams in the league in terms of total yards allowed per game (377.4), but is coming off a 30-6 win where it registered nine sacks and held the Broncos to 205 total yards.

Even if quarterback Patrick Mahomes cannot play for Kansas City, the team’s offense is dangerous enough to put up points in a hurry, meaning the Packers’ offense will need to keep rolling to keep up or stay ahead.

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