With Josh Jacobs back in the lineup, the Packers have a chance to get their offense going. But his return will mean little if the blocking doesn’t improve.
Green Bay needs to give Jacobs room to get started and Love time to work through his reads. Losing at the line of scrimmage puts the offense behind schedule and takes too much of the playbook out of Matt LaFleur’s hands.
That starts with Laken Tomlinson at left guard and Kevin Zeitler at right guard. Jager Burton should get the first opportunity at center, provided he is ready to handle the calls and assignments. John Williams earned consideration with his performance in Detroit, but either young player would benefit from having those veterans beside him.
Then the Packers need to give that group a chance to work together. There will be mistakes, and this lineup will have its limitations. But a dependable interior would give Green Bay a better chance to run on its own terms and keep Love out of obvious passing situations.
Jacobs returned last week. Now the Packers need a line in front of him to help make his return count.
Packers Need Veteran Guards Beside Their Young Center
With Sean Rhyan and Travis Glover ruled out against Carolina and Jacob Monk on injured reserve, the Packers have to reshuffle the interior. To me, that starts with putting Tomlinson and Zeitler at guard and deciding who belongs between them.
Burton has a background at center, having started 15 games there at Kentucky, including his final college season. There is a reasonable argument for letting him develop at the position Green Bay needs filled.
Williams earned consideration with the way he stepped in at Detroit. After a back injury cost him his entire rookie season, he was asked to handle a tough assignment and helped keep the offense functioning. That should count for something.
I can understand choosing either one. What I would have a harder time understanding is asking an inexperienced center to settle into the job without giving him the strongest possible support. Tomlinson on his left and Zeitler on his right would provide that support.
There is a lot on a center’s plate before the ball is even snapped. He has to identify the front, help Love sort out the protection, and make sure the line is working off the same calls. Then the defense shifts late, a linebacker walks up into a gap, and those assignments may need to change.
Veteran guards on both sides should help in those situations. They can talk through a look, flag a possible pressure, and help get an adjustment communicated before the snap. Burton or Williams would still have to make the calls and execute his assignment, but there is no reason to make that learning curve any steeper than it needs to be.
Protect Jordan Love
The strongest argument for this combination is what it could do for Love.
You can survive some pressure off the edge if the tackle rides his man past the pocket and the quarterback has room to climb. When the middle collapses, that escape route disappears. Love ends up drifting backward or getting rid of the ball before the route has time to develop.
That’s why the interior matters so much. Give him room to step into his throws, and let him work through his reads without a defensive tackle in his lap.
Putting Tomlinson and Zeitler on either side of a young center should help. Both still have to win their blocks, but their experience should make it easier for that group to sort out protections and handle movement up front.
Against a stunt, the guard has to know when to pass off the defender and be ready for the looper coming back inside. The center has to be on the same page. If either is late, a manageable rush can turn into a free shot at the quarterback.
That is where veteran guards can make life easier for Burton or Williams, and ultimately for Love. Green Bay needs an interior it can trust to handle those exchanges. Love should be able to keep his eyes downfield and trust that he has somewhere to step up.
Open Running Lanes for Jacobs
Carolina makes this an especially good week to establish the run. The Panthers enter Thursday allowing 153.2 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL. The Packers should expect to attack this matchup with Jacobs.
But a favorable matchup means little if defenders get into the backfield before the running back can find his lane. Jacobs can finish runs through contact. He can turn a small opening into useful yardage. That does not mean the Packers should require him to manufacture every yard on his own. Give him a crease. Give him a chance to reach the line of scrimmage with some momentum.
Tomlinson, Burton or Williams, and Zeitler could help create that through better coordinated blocking inside. On combination blocks, the center and guard have to generate movement together before one of them leaves for a linebacker. The timing matters. Leave too early, and the defensive lineman can split the block. Stay too long, and the linebacker is waiting in the hole.
Veteran guards should help a young center learn that timing and execute it more consistently.
Against a defense that has struggled this badly against the run, Green Bay needs to find out whether this group can create those lanes. Expect Jacobs to get opportunities to run downhill and make Carolina tackle him.
Let LaFleur Run His Offense
This is where the offensive line discussion becomes bigger than who starts at three positions.
A functioning running game allows LaFleur to call the kind of offense he wants to call. He can move between runs, play-action passes, and complementary looks without constantly working around unfavorable down-and-distance situations. Four or five yards on first down changes the next call.
The Packers can hand it to Jacobs again. A similar look can set up a throw behind a linebacker who steps toward the run. Moving Love changes the launch point and gives the defense something else to account for. With several plays available from the same formation, the Packers can keep defenders guessing.
When the run game doesn’t produce, those choices become harder to sell. Defenders can play the pass more aggressively, and Love ends up carrying more of the burden. Play-action does not require a dominant rushing performance to work. But Green Bay would benefit from making defenses respect what Jacobs can do with the next handoff.
Ultimately, the Packers need an offense that can sustain drives, create manageable third downs and take its shots when the opportunity is there. Explosive plays should build on that foundation, rather than be the only thing keeping the offense moving.
Packers Need an Offensive Line They Can Trust
Tomlinson and Zeitler won’t turn this into an elite offensive line overnight. Burton would still have growing pains, and Williams would still be learning the position. There will be missed assignments and snaps when a veteran simply gets beat.
But this group has a chance to be solid, and solid would go a long way for this offense.
At some point, the Packers also need to let an interior group settle in. There is value in getting reps together, learning how the guy next to you handles certain looks and trusting that you’re seeing the same thing. If this combination plays well, keep it together and give it a chance to build on that.
My preference is Burton at center, though Williams did enough in Detroit to deserve consideration. Either way, I want Tomlinson at left guard and Zeitler at right guard. Put that experience around whoever gets the job in the middle.
Against Carolina, that group would have a chance to get Jacobs going and give Love a pocket to work in. The Packers have the talent to sustain drives and keep defenses guessing. They need to get the blocking right often enough to actually run the offense that way.
