2021 Season in Review for Green Bay – Offense

As the Green Bay Packers head into yet another long offseason without a Super Bowl appearance, questions will dominate the headlines of what is next for this team. The impending futures of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, as well as how much of this team will return in 2022 due to salary cap constraints, will all be addressed at some point over the course of the offseason.

But before looking ahead, taking a look back at how certain aspects of Green Bay performed this year can help paint a picture of what went right and what went wrong – starting with the offense.

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers (16 games)  – 366/531, 4,115 yards, 37 TDs, 4 INTs, 68.9 CMP%, 30 sacks

Jordan Love (6 games) – 36/62, 411 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 58.1 CMP%, 3 sacks

Looking like yet another MVP-caliber season, Aaron Rodgers was yet again masterful in his handling of the Matt LaFleur offense in 2021. Selective in his targets but also taking risks in the right situations, Rodgers looks to be well on his way to another career year.

At times, Rodgers had issues finding his guys down the field, something that was put on full display against San Francisco in the playoffs – with his sights set on Davante Adams a bit more than he should have, Rodgers had his fair share of mishaps at times, which led to offensive struggles.

The offensive line provided a very safe pocket for Rodgers, as he was sacked fewer than two times per game on average, helping keep him healthy. With his future up in the air for where he plays next year, his value has never been higher.

Jordan Love earned action in six games this year, one of those being a start against the Chiefs. Even in limited action, Love showed improvements in his understanding of the offense, which should only continue to increase in ‘22, a year that could see him become this team’s starter.

While not at the level of leading this team to the playoffs quite yet, Love is fully entrenched as this team’s QB of the future – at least for the time being.

Running Backs

AJ Dillon (17 games) – 187 attempts, 803 rushing yards, 34 receptions, 313 yards, 7 total TDs, 2 fumbles

Aaron Jones (15 games) – 171 attempts, 799 rushing yards, 52 receptions, 391 yards, 10 total TDs, 2 fumbles

The one-two punch of AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones saw established success this season, the first without Jamaal Williams mixed in.

For Dillon, he took on a larger role in the offense this year and was trusted in big situations, ultimately earning more carries than his counterpart. The biggest area of growth for Dillon was in the passing game, as his 34 receptions helped paint a clear picture of how highly this team thinks of him – as his role continues to grow, so do the chances of him becoming RB1 next year.

For Jones, he benefited from some unevenness from the WR group, which opened up a healthy receiving opportunity in this offense. Injuries took away some time for Jones, but he still is one of the better RBs in the league, and splitting time with Dillon certainly can help keep him fresh.

Tight Ends

Josiah Deguara (16 games) – 25 receptions, 245 yards, 2 TDs

Marcedes Lewis (17 games) 23 receptions, 214 yards, 0 TDs

Robert Tonyan (8 games) – 18 receptions, 204 yards, 2 TDs

Having torn his ACL against the Cardinals in October, Robert Tonyan was lost for the season after only eight games, leaving the TE work to Josiah Deguara and Marcedes Lewis.

For Deguara, he was more forced into the TE1 role than ascended into it, and he still seems to be growing into his third-round selection from a few years back. Deguara looked to have gained some trust in Rodgers this year, and even though his stats are not very high, he played an integral role in the offense.

Lewis was an iron man this year, a surprising feat for a 37-year-old player more known for his blockin than receiving at this point in his career. Falling two catches short of Deguara’s production is more telling of the lack of production from this positional group, rather than the role of Lewis – at this point in his career, we may have seen the last of Lewis with Green Bay (especially if Rodgers departs).

Wide Receivers

Davante Adams (16 games) – 123 receptions, 1,553 yards, 11 TDs

Allen Lazard (15 games) – 40 receptions, 513 yards, 8 TDs

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (11 games) – 26 receptions, 430 yards, 3 TDs

Randall Cobb (12 games) – 28 receptions, 375 yards, 5 TDs

Davante Adams was a man among boys this year, producing monstrous stats and easily proving his worth for another contract in Green Bay. Reports of him wanting $30 million annually for his next deal certainly would make it tough for the Packers to handle, but if an agreement can be made, then Adams coming back would be huge for the offense.

Allen Lazard enjoyed a great year in his increased role, and his blocking abilities helped prove why he deserved a larger role this year – expect more from Lazard in ‘22, especially with how he produced this past season.

Both Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Randall Cobb had their fair share of big moments for this team, but both also missed considerable amounts of time due to injury, limiting their impact.

For MVS, his role as the field stretcher just did not materialize again this season, more often than not, although his 430 yards put him third-best on this team for receiving totals.

Cobb’s return to Titletown was a nice story this year, helping showcase what kind of pull Rodgers has when it comes to personnel moves. Having only suited up for 12 games, Cobb’s impact certainly left a lot to be desired, but his acquisition cost was extremely cheap, making it more of a feel-good story than a shrewd business move.

Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23

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