What’s the most underrated aspect on the offensive side of the football?
It’s blocking by a landslide.
And ever since Matt LaFleur’s first season in 2019, that one quality has not been overlooked.
As the Packers and the rest of the NFL close for their annual brief summer break, Green Bay should feel very confident about the direction of their offense. And yes, I got the memo that Davante Adams isn’t playing in Green Bay anymore and I realize that left tackle David Bakhtiari, right tackle Elgton Jenkins and tight end Robert Tonyan will likely start the season on the injured list.
But the one equalizer on offense is doing the little things right. According to Pro Football Focus, Dominique Dafney was ranked No. 6 in run blocking and No. 14 in pass blocking last year among all tight ends and Marcedes Lewis was ranked No. 9 and 19. Oh and then there’s this, Allen Lazard was ranked No. 9 for pass blocking among all wideouts last year.
This team can block. And now it has a former offensive lineman in Adam Stenavich as the offensive coordinator. I’m not saying that the Packers should immediately entrust a three yards and a cloud of dust philosophy, but at the same time, they are going to punch you in the mouth first.
The offense may not be as electric as you may have remembered it from the past few years, but this team is going to move the chains. Aaron Rodgers was already very good with bootlegs and play-actions, but expect that with a hearty dose of physicality.
It’s actually pretty ironic. When LaFleur was hired, people started to wonder how long it would take before he turned Green Bay into San Francisco East.
That time is now.
The Packers have a stable of two capable running backs that can pass, run and, you guessed it…block. And they might have one of the deepest offensive lines in the league.
This team isn’t going to win with a high-wire circus act this year. It’s going to win with bloody noses, the snap of shoulder pads and sheer offensive will power.
Of course, when was the last time a team with the defending NFL MVP at quarterback was predicted to win with power instead of precision? Yeah, on the surface it may sound crazy, but the one attribute this team needed in last year’s NFC Divisional Round Playoff loss to San Francisco was physicality.
So go ahead and talk about scheme, intelligence or speed. I’m going to stick with the one thing that still matters: blocking.
Read More: The Packers Will Win With Physicality