The Green Bay Packers are going to look different on offense Sunday. At least that’s what I keep telling myself in the mirror every morning.
After three weeks of struggles punctuated by a hundred-year weather event at the offensive line position, the Packers have made an unprecedented series of changes. Green Bay added veteran guards Laken Tomlinson, Kevin Zeitler and Mekhi Becton in a matter of days, with Tomlinson and Zeitler both potentially in line for starting roles against Tampa Bay (Zeitler
may not start this week but was seen taking a mix of shadow reps and real ones in practice).
The hope is that experience can stabilize an offensive line that has been overwhelmed by injuries and inconsistent play. Appearing this week on the UnPack Podcast, Justis Mosqueda noted that much of the problem has been twofold: two young guards who don’t understand the nuances of the blocking scheme and a center who is playing worse because he’s trying to compensate for the guards.
The three veterans the Packers have brought in have combined for 434 career starts. If nothing else, they’ll understand what they’re supposed to be doing. That’s the idea anyway. And that could also give Matt LaFleur an opportunity to simplify the running game and finally establish some consistency on the ground.
Enter: Kaleb Johnson. With Marshawn Lloyd proving he’s not up to the starting back task, Johnson is poised to see his workload increase. And with a beefed up offensive line keeping it simple and moving mass up front, Johnson seems like the logical choice to “take ball run forward.”
Tampa Bay’s run defense can be tough, but Sunday could provide the first indication of whether Johnson is capable of handling something approaching a bell-cow workload. Though, all they really need is for him to be just productive enough to take some pressure off the line and Jordan Love. That alone could make the offense much more fun to watch on Sunday.
But wait, there’s more. The Packers will also have to compensate for the loss of Jayden Reed, whose season-ending neck surgery removes a versatile weapon. LaFleur has indicated that Skyy Moore, Bo Melton and J. Michael Sturdivant will share the responsibility rather than any one player simply replacing Reed. Do three bonafide Guys equal one starting caliber wide receiver? We’ll see!
Put it all together, and Sunday’s game could be about more than just the result. It could be the first signs of some open wounds beginning to heal. But, you know, in an entertaining way.
Committee of three look to replace Jayden ReedHow will the Green Bay Packers replace the elite production provided by Jayden Reed? Here’s what the leading candidates had to say.
LISTEN: Justis Mosqueda talks offensive line changesHear what Justis thinks has gone wrong, what he thinks of the new additions, and what an improved Packers offense could look like.
ICYMI: The Packers are giving themselves options at right guardDonovan Jennings, Kevin Zeitler and Travis Glover are getting looks at right guard in practice this week
Jordan Love tumbles down weekly QB rankingsJordan Love fell nine spots to 26th in Nick Shook’s weekly quarterback rankings for NFL.com. Does he actually watch quarterback play?
The Packers brought it a ton of reinforcements at the guard position. Do we trust this coaching staff to know how to use them?
The Feed is the place for you to share whatever it is you want to talk about, big or small.Head over to the editor to start writing today!
Join the conversation!
Go Pack Go—wherever you go!
Keep Packers coverage and conversation at your fingertips with a faster, easier game-day experience on the SB Nation app.
- Join Packers fans in our live game chat
- Browse with fewer ads
- Seamlessly move between communities
- Comment and post faster
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
