The Green Bay Packers faced a tumultuous 2024 season, marked by an array of challenges on the offensive front. An exceptionally bad play during the season encapsulated the team's struggles, as general manager Brian Gutekunst highlighted a crucial misstep in route execution. The play-action strategy, once a formidable weapon for the Packers, failed to deliver its previous success, contributing to a disappointing season. As the team looks to the future, changes in coaching personnel and player roles are imminent.
In one particularly disheartening moment, wide receiver Malik Heath cut his route short by five yards, leading to an interception by Eagles linebacker Zack Baun. Gutekunst noted that the route should have been executed at 20 yards rather than 15, underscoring the team's fundamental issues.
"I think the foundation of great quarterback play is the fundamentals, the techniques, the footwork." – Unknown
Despite employing play-action at the same rate as the previous year (24.6%), the Packers' effectiveness dwindled, ranking 26th in completion percentage compared to sixth in 2023. This decline reflects broader systemic issues within the team's offense. The team also suffered from the highest drop rate (6.3%) and recorded the second-most dropped passes in the league.
Jordan Love, who has worked alongside retiring quarterbacks coach Tom Clements for three seasons, faced a pivotal year. As he pondered his progress during a postgame news conference, Love recognized both successes and areas for improvement.
"That'll definitely be part of the offseason. Just go back, watch the games, make lists of things I can improve on and be better at. But I think we did some really good things as an offense, and I think there's a lot of stuff that we left out there that we could have done a lot better." – Jordan Love
The departure of Clements ushers in a new era for Love, who must take on a more vocal leadership role under a new quarterbacks coach. Coach Matt LaFleur used one of Love's interceptions during their NFC wild-card playoff loss to illustrate that offensive issues extended beyond the quarterback.
"The one thing I did talk to him about was just the consistency of his footwork on some of these plays," – Matt LaFleur
Injuries further complicated the season for Love, who hurt his right elbow during a three-game losing streak that ended the season. Despite these challenges, Love maintained his interception count from last year while playing essentially three fewer games. Encouragingly, the Packers won two more games compared to their first year with Love as their starter.
Gutekunst emphasized that the team's struggles were not solely attributable to Love or any single player. He pointed out that several factors contributed to their offensive woes.
"I just think it's too much to put it on one person. I really do. I think collectively, we have to be better, and I expect better. We performed at a pretty high level a majority of the season and then took a dive. That's why it feels, I'd say, different than a year ago." – Brian Gutekunst
The general manager's comments reflect a holistic view of the team's performance. He acknowledged that while some players excelled, others did not meet expectations.
"I think we have some of those guys, and I think we don't have just one," – Brian Gutekunst
As they prepare for the upcoming offseason, the Packers aim to address these issues comprehensively.
"This is really more for our football team and an offense as a whole, but just consistency, being able to control the game whenever we need to control the game," – Brian Gutekunst
The team will explore potential roster changes while encouraging current players to develop into more significant roles.
"If that makes some sense for us, we'll certainly look to do that, but we're also looking for these guys to continue to grow and hopefully grow into that space." – Brian Gutekunst
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