Packers team- Average or Below?

[Cheese Headed Monster]

Saw this question in a Q&A and wanted to know what you all thought here. First part is question, second part host answer.

If you have "The Man," as the Packers clearly do, how good on average does the rest of the team have to be in order to be championship caliber? On a scale of 1-10, I'd say the Packers average a 5-6, with a few eights in the ranks. Clearly that wasn't nearly enough last season, but if Rodgers is playing at "The Man" level, do you think that'd be sufficient? -Kirsten from Madison

-I think you can win with a roster that averages to a seven, maybe even a six if your quarterback stands on his head. Eights? I don't think even Aaron Rodgers played to an eight last season. I think the Packers roster averaged out to a four.

 

[gbgary]

yup. you need a team full of above average players (7+) to win a SB. 6-9-1 is a below average (4-5) team. doesn't matter who the qb is as last year proved. they lack quality in the starting ranks as well as in the depth department. a handful of 7+ guys can't/didn't do it.

 

[Stanger37]

I think it is very dependent on Rodgers and how he plays will dictate a lot of the season as it has in the past. In a perfect world, Gute and Pettine will put together a great defense and not be so reliant on Rodgers like McCarthy was. It appeared to me that McCarthy every Packers drive would put all his eggs in Rodgers basket and hope he pulled a rabbit out. But without seeing that perfect world yet, I think again it will fall on how good Rodgers can play. Is the shoulder from 2017 fully healed? Is the knee from week 1 of 2018 fully healed? Has age affected his body at all? Which is I think should begin to be a legit concern.

I think 2018 is so hard judge and has the opposite of rose colored glasses on the Packers and Rodgers. He came back from a shoulder injury, faced Mack and the Bears D who are no joke week 1, didn't appear GREAT but he had brand new WRs and no Jordy. Then the knee injury in the 2nd. How long did that injury linger all season? How did that prevent him from getting on the same page with his new WRs since he wasn't practicing all week? He missed some throws last year that it seemed like he should be able to make with his eyes closed in the past.

Again, I'd like to think that even though a very small sample size and not looking great as a whole, with enough time with Rodgers, the WRs can be good enough. But Rodgers needs to trust his body as well as the WRs to make the play. Maybe I am pulling another McCarthy and depending too much on Rodgers, but until I see them have a top 10 defense and take the heat off him, I don't think we have a choice but to. One man can only be held so accountable when he constantly is given a defense ranked in the bottom half of the league.

So long story short, if Rodgers comes back like 2016 Rodgers, I think the rest of the offense at least can be a 6-7 and compete on a weekly basis. If Rodgers comes back looking like last year wasn't a fluke, I hope they average out to an 7.5-9.

 

[C-Lee]

Still reading Vic I see.

 

[rmontro]

If you have "The Man," as the Packers clearly do

Even if Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, this is the passing era, and the rules reflect that (or cause it). You'd think having the best quarterback would be a huge advantage in this situation, but the reality is there are QBs all over the league putting up phenomenal numbers every year now. It ends up diluting our advantage.

Throw in Rodgers aging and declining health, I think you definitely need an above average roster. Look at all those years the team couldn't overcome its subpar defense. Everyone's always said we need a top 10 defense.

 

[OldSchool101]

In 2014. I said mid season we’d need just a top 1/3 Defense (top range 12 range) to win a Championship.
We lost in OT to Seattle in as close a game as they come. We ended up ranked 13th on Defense.

We can expect whatever we want, but Aaron Rodgers is human and he will have down years. He can still hold his own but Pettine needs to improve again this year. We will know better post draft but IMO GB needs to achieve top a top 10 D to do their part. This needs to be the floor standard And NE has all but achieved that going back nearly a decade. That means it’s not just luck. It’s go time.

 

[Cheese Headed Monster]

Still reading Vic I see.

Fun fact- team hasn't made playoffs since he retired from GB.

 

[weeds]

Well... You know... In the words of Harry Sydney, you are what your record says you are.

 

[OldSchool101]

Well... You know... In the words of Harry Sydney, you are what your record says you are.

True. I remember Popeye backing that too saying “I yams what I yams and that’s all what I yam.
A-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah!

 

[PackAttack12]

yup. you need a team full of above average players (7+) to win a SB. 6-9-1 is a below average (4-5) team. doesn't matter who the qb is as last year proved. they lack quality in the starting ranks as well as in the depth department. a handful of 7+ guys can't/didn't do it.

I think more than anything it proves that if your quarterback isn’t playing at an all time great level, like Rodgers has been accustomed to doing for the vast majority of his career, you get the results that you’ve seen as it relates to the Packers of recent years.

The second that Rodgers’ play dips below his all time great standards for a full 16 games for the first time ever, you get 6-9-1.

So yes. The surrounding talent has to get better.

 

[sjb12681]

I would say we are an average to high average team right now. This league can turn on a dime, and the one thing every team needs more than others is a better than average qb. Every teams fortunes turn around with a qb who can keep the game in front of them.

We have that. He needs a good kick in the ***, but we have that piece. I don't expect a SB caliber team this season, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if we got in playoffs and made a run at it.

We need to add key pieces and gel once we begin installing this new playbook. If we can, then maybe we turn around quickly. We did it 4 other times in the last 20 yyears We can do it again

 

[rmontro]

I wouldn't be surprised if we got in playoffs and made a run at it.

I'd definitely be disappointed if we don't make the playoffs this year. That would be three years in a row, when's the last time that happened in Green Bay? We need to regain ownership of this division.

 

[sjb12681]

I get that, but the reality is we are losing talent this off-season. A good amount of it. Some would say addition by subtraction, and I wouldn't disagree.

That combined with new coaching and playbook doesn't point to immediately turning around. Considering the massive underperforming of our Hof qb, which will hopefully course correct this year, hopefully it's enough to make up for some of those transition season shortfalls.

I see this season like most chargers seasons: great moments, potentially the dynamic we have been waiting for.

I don't expect it to be like the last 10 years, where we should expect to win most games we step into.

 

[rmontro]

I get that, but the reality is we are losing talent this off-season. A good amount of it. Some would say addition by subtraction, and I wouldn't disagree.

Good point. Really, at this point, it's hard to tell exactly what the team is going to look like on opening day. Meaning we don't know who all is or isn't going to be on the team. Should be a interesting offseason.

I guess if we don't make the playoffs, we can always look forward to another high draft pick.

 

[LambeauLombardi]

When healthy (with G-Mo, Cobb, Wilkerson and the rest of the defensive guys injured last year) probably an average team. Without those guys, well below average.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

yup. you need a team full of above average players (7+) to win a SB. 6-9-1 is a below average (4-5) team. doesn't matter who the qb is as last year proved. they lack quality in the starting ranks as well as in the depth department. a handful of 7+ guys can't/didn't do it.

Quarterback is by far the most important position in football, therefore it's absolutely essential to have a talented player at the position.

I would say we are an average to high average team right now.

Unfortunately the Packers don't have an above average talented roster aside of Rodgers. That has been true for several years running.

I'd definitely be disappointed if we don't make the playoffs this year. That would be three years in a row, when's the last time that happened in Green Bay?

The Packers last didn't make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons from 1990-92.

I guess if we don't make the playoffs, we can always look forward to another high draft pick.

As well as being on Hard Knocks in 2020