The postseason is upon us and the Packers will soon host a fellow NFC team for a third-straight divisional playoff.
In their prior two divisional round contests, the Packers narrowly escaped a competitive Seahawks team and then more-easily downed McVay's Rams last year. But, despite two wins, Green Bay didn't quite live up to their playoff seeding. In both games, the Packers failed to put their visiting opponent away before the fourth quarter, despite having commanding leads at half. Instead, they allowed the Seahawks, in particular, to make a game out of it, inside two minutes to to play.
The Packers managed to glide by in the divisional round, but the real head-scratcher came the following week in each of those postseasons, when they looked nothing like a team justified of a first-round bye. In Matt LaFleur's first NFC Championship game, the Packers laid down to Raheem Mostert and the Niners in a title game rout. Last year, they allowed Tom Brady and the Bucs to come into town and nearly put the game away in the early third quarter (only three Brady interceptions helped keep the game within reach for the Packers late in the fourth).
Most of us attribute last year's loss to Aaron Rodgers missing trusty LT David Bakhtiari on the blindside. But, the problem was much simpler. In both games, the Packers didn't get elite play from their elite players.
Recapping Title Game Losses
Let's rewind to this time in January 2020 as a perhaps, over-confident Packers team was preparing to face a Niners team that had dominated them in every phase of the game less than two months prior. Somewhat surprisingly, two of the team's leaders chose to attend the Bucks game in Milwaukee on their night off.
We all know how it turned out. Star defensive tackle Kenny Clark was a non-factor against the Niners' rushing attack and Za'Darius Smith was close to invisible versus the San Francisco passing attack. Unsurprisingly, a "lack of urgency" was cited by LaFleur as a reason for the flop show.
Last year, the Packers had the homefield advantage on their side - but, the personnel responsible for getting the Packers there didn't play up to their own standards. Aaron Jones coughed up a brutal fumble to start the second half that greatly tilted momentum in the Bucs' favor. Facing a physical Tampa Bay secondary, wide receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard were overmatched, each guilty of dropping passes they normally haul in.
Finally, despite recording a healthy stat line behind very suboptimal pass protection, Aaron Rodgers simply didn't play like an MVP. With the Super Bowl within reach, the Packers' elite personnel didn't execute.
Making It Happen in 2022
It goes without saying that Rodgers, who will likely be bagging a second-straight MVP award this month, must play at an elite level at home this postseason. But, the same holds true for his supporting cast on offense and a defense that will see many big names return over the next week.
Especially with the Packers being absent a true tight end, pro bowl caliber play is expected from both Jones and Adams on offense. Clark and linebacker De'Vondre Campbell will be expected to shut down opposing rushing attacks led by Elijah Mitchell, Leonard Fournette or Zeke Elliott. Finally, returning cornerback Jaire Alexander will likely be asked to fill a void in the slot that burned the Packers' defense last January.
The Packers have the elite personnel to get to the Super Bowl, along with the coaching necessary to leverage the premier talent. They also have a very real homefield advantage. With the power-packed backfield of Jones and A.J. Dillon, they're built for cold weather better than any other team in the playoffs. This postseason, they'll benefit from a stadium full of fans that was missing last year due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
Now healthy when it matters most, there are simply no excuses for the Packers' elite not executing and coming up short of the Super Bowl for a third-straight season.
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