The Packers struggled to just seven points in their Week 3 defeat against the Lions, the lowest point total they've scored in any game that Aaron Rodgers has started -- and finished -- at quarterback. (Note: They scored three points in a game started by Rodgers in which he left because of injury). Rodgers also threw for just 162 yards, his third-lowest total in any game he has started (and finished) since 2008, the year he took over for Brett Favre in Green Bay. On Sunday, he too was part of the problem, not the solution.
Three games into a season is too soon to bury any NFL team, much less one that has reached the playoffs in five straight seasons, but we have enough information to begin to assess what has gone wrong. Beyond that, it's important to assess what can be fixed and/or corrected. While Rodgers' play has been insufficient by the standards he has set for himself, the quarterback is far from the biggest problem for Green Bay.
Let's dig deeper on those problems, while also looking at notes from around the league.
Offensive line
The Packers have allowed nine sacks in three games, more than all but two teams in the NFL. But, truth be told, that figure would likely be higher if not for Rodgers' uncommon pocket movement. No matter how one slices it, the offensive line has struggled. "It all breaks down with the offensive line," one NFL defensive coach said. "They can't control the rush. [Rodgers] is now looking at the rush and not his reads."
In studying Sunday's game against Detroit, there was a persistent lack of pocket integrity. The Lions didn't have to rely heavily on blitzes and additional rushers; they got the job done with four down defensive linemen. As evidenced on a play with 2:28 left in the first half, the lack of a consistent pocket affected the Packers' ability to drive the football down the field. Rodgers' primary read on the play was his favorite target, Jordy Nelson, who was running a double move when flanked out to the right side of the formation. Before Nelson could even reach the top of his route, Rodgers was under significant duress (and eventually sacked by Ndamukong Suh).
Rodgers will mask some of the line woes, as he did Sunday. Facing a third-and-11 with just under two minutes to play in the first quarter, Rodgers made an at-the-line adjustment prior to the snap, then took the shotgun snap and calmly slid to his left when sensing initial pressure before sidestepping a defender going right, giving ground to avoid a sack. As he ran back toward the line of scrimmage, Rodgers delivered a strike to a darting Nelson along the sideline. The play was one that perhaps only two or three other quarterbacks in the NFL could make (Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson come to mind).
If there's a silver lining for the offensive line, it's this: The first three weeks of the season presented three of the most difficult defensive fronts Green Bay will see all season. A commonality among the Seahawks, Jets and Lions is an ability to devour the interior of the pocket and generate pressure with four rushers. Rodgers is terrific at climbing the pocket to elude pressure, but when the interior bubble is nonexistent, there's no room to do so. The offensive line is a legitimate concern going forward, but facing off against teams that generate pressure on the perimeter -- which is more common than the alternative -- should decrease some of the woes.
Complementary targets
Following Week 1, I had a conversation with an NFL personnel man who noted the Packers' lack of established targets. "The offensive skill is not what it used to be," he said. "It's basically just [Randall Cobb] and Nelson now." Through three games, Cobb and Nelson have combined for 37 of the 64 receptions for Green Bay, or 58 percent. But more than just the statistics, the film reveals how the Packers' offensive weapons aren't what we're used to seeing.
Near the end of the first quarter in Week 1, Rodgers threw a pass that beelined a solid step behind rookie receiver Davante Adams. It wasn't an inaccurate throw; rather, it was a miscommunication, as Rodgers had called for a pre-snap adjustment that Adams did not pick up. The quarterback was visibly frustrated following the play, appearing to shout in the direction of Adams. While just one snap, the play crystallized a larger theme with this Packers offense: Right now, the lack of established weapons allows defenses to challenge them in a different way than they could in previous seasons.
With a more experienced group of pass-catchers, Rodgers could almost say to opposing defenses, "Don't you dare try to pressure me, because we're going to beat your man coverage." With a youth movement at wide receiver (the Packers plucked three in the draft), the offense is not at that point ... yet. Receivers Jarrett Boykin and Adams plus tight ends Andrew Quarless and Brandon Bostick are among those players who will be counted on to beef up the passing game.
Lacy lacking
Sophomore slump? Or just a slow start? Whatever it is, running back Eddie Lacy needs to be more productive. The Packers' running game has simply been inadequate through three games (78.7 yards per game), part of which can be attributed to poor execution from the backs and the line, and also, as noted by colleague Rob Demovsky, a curious reliance on toss runs to the perimeter.
The offensive line and Lacy are simply better off attacking a defense between the tackles, where power and vertical push supersede getting out in space. What was particularly troubling about the Week 3 effort was that Detroit relied heavily on a two-deep safety shell, a defense that is geared toward defending the pass, leaving a seven-man box to run against. Nonetheless, Green Bay was unable to take advantage, amassing just 76 yards on 22 carries.
Context is key in the NFL, so it's important to note that the Packers' first three opponents are tied for the league lead in allowing just 2 yards per carry. So, they've been stout against the run in their games against opponents other than the Packers. But the running game must be better, and Week 4 is a good chance to get on track against a Bears defense allowing five yards per carry.
Looking ahead
To reiterate, Rodgers was not at his best in Week 3, just as he was not in Week 1. But when evaluating the Packers' offense going forward, the focus remains on what is correctable versus what it will need to overcome. Rodgers continues to display the traits that make him one of the five best players in the game, and his mistakes to this point are correctable. And while September has been unkind to Lacy thus far, there has been no regression in skills that suggest he too won't find his form.
The offensive line, however, is the group that must be most closely watched. Same goes for the supplementary wide receivers to Nelson and Cobb. If those two areas don't improve, this offense won't reach the level needed for Green Bay to both reach and advance in the postseason, especially in what will be a competitive division.
Notes
• Scouting term -- "hip fluidity": A term often thought of referring to defensive backs or linebackers. Hip fluidity is a player's ability to open or adjust his hips smoothly without hitch or distraction. Defensive backs must be able to transfer their weight and change direction on a moment's notice. Those with strong hip fluidity can be reactive in man-coverage, turning and running down the field against vertical stressing routes. Stiff hips hurt a defensive back at the top of a route and in his transitions. Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins has exceptional hip fluidity.
• Teammate-turned-coach: The Steelers signed an unexpected free agent Tuesday, bringing longtime standout James Harrison back into the fold by luring him out of retirement. Harrison will be coached -- at least in part -- by former teammate Joey Porter, now a defensive assistant for the Steelers who spends a chunk of his time working with the team's linebackers.
• Rams need more from entire defense. As noted by colleague Mike Sando, Rams defensive end Robert Quinn -- a recent recipient of a lucrative contract extension -- has yet to register a sack during the 2014 season. Quinn failed to record a sack on just five occasions last season on his way to a 19-sack campaign.
But it's not just Quinn who needs to step up, as the Rams' defense has just a single sack through three games. Only the Panthers sacked opposing quarterbacks more frequently in 2013 than the Rams, who finished with 57 (3.6 per game). The absence of veteran Chris Long has played a part in this, but given their investments and talent along the defensive front, the Rams need more out of their pass rush going forward.