For the second straight year, the Green Bay Packers’ path to the Super Bowl ended in the NFC Championship Game.
Instead of a blowout loss on the road to the San Francisco 49ers, it was a narrow defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field that finished the Packers’ season, which began with so much promise. This year, Green Bay looked more poised than ever to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since they won it all in 2010, finishing with a 13-3 record for the second straight season and looking capable of lifting the Lombardi Trophy heading into the playoffs.
But after dominating the NFL’s top-ranked defense in the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, the wheels came off against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and despite a second-half comeback, Tampa Bay still prevailed, 31-26. It’s the second straight loss for the Packers in the NFC title game under head coach Matt LeFleur, but their history of playoff heartbreaks goes back a little further.
In fact, Green Bay has lost in the NFC Championship Game in four of the last seven years. But the 2020 season was supposed to be different, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers having a dominant year on his way to winning his third MVP award. While other contenders like the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, and the Buccaneers struggled with inconsistency, the Packers looked like the best team in the NFC for most of the season and secured home-field advantage for the first time since 2011.
But despite having the league’s best offense, the Packers still couldn’t book a ticket to the Super Bowl, and now have some work to do to get back on the right path. Here are a couple of areas that the Packers need to address in the offseason to win the Super Bowl for the first time since 2010:
1. Find another cornerback next to Jaire Alexander
Against Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game, cornerback Jaire Alexander finished with three tackles, three passes defended, and two second-half interceptions on Brady. In his third season since being selected in the first round in 2018, Alexander was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time and was named a Second-Team All-Pro.
While there is no question about Alexander’s abilities, it is the rest of the group that may need an upgrade, either through the draft or free agency. During the game against the Buccaneers, with the Green Bay pass rush unable to get to Brady, the defense gave up six-of-seven third-down conversions in the first half as Tampa Bay established an early lead they would not relinquish.
In the game’s last two minutes, with the Packers down by five, cornerback Kevin King was flagged for pass interference on Buccaneers wide receiver Tyler Johnson on 3rd and four. That allowed the Buccaneers to get the first down and run out the clock and seal their win. For most of the season, the Packers’ red-hot offense and strong pass rush were able to hide their deficiencies at cornerback outside of Alexander, but if they want to help Rodgers win his second Super Bowl, it’s something that needs to be addressed.
With the NFL’s salary cap set at $180 million, the Packers will be over the cap limit and will need to rely on the 2020 Draft to shore up their needs at cornerback. Fortunately, Green Bay has all seven of its draft picks and will likely also get three compensatory picks. This will give them a chance to select a talented player at the position who will help the team’s defense when their pass rush struggles to get to opposing quarterbacks. The Packers also have other needs in other areas, but the loss to the Buccaneers proved that a cornerback upgrade is a must.
2. Improve the depth of the offensive line
Against the Buccaneers, Rodgers completed 33 of 48 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. But he was also sacked five times during the game, compared to Brady, who was sacked just once and given enough time to find his receivers. Following the game, the 43-year-old quarterback was quick to praise his team’s defense for getting to Rodgers.
In two meetings this season, Tampa Bay sacked the MVP a total of nine times, while Brady was sacked just once. Offensive linesmen have oftentimes been overlooked players, but the Buccaneers’ victories over the Packers in the NFC title game and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55 emphasized their importance.
The absence of offensive tackle David Bakhtiari was a significant one. Bakhtiari suffered an ACL injury during practice in December and missed the playoffs. The 29-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler, and was again selected to the Pro Bowl and was a First-Team All-Pro selection before his injury. Per Pro Football Focus, Bakhtiari allowed just one sack and nine pressures in 758 combined snaps, and his recovery is crucial to the Packers’ plan for their offensive line in the draft and free agency.
With Bakhtiari sidelined by injury, Green Bay moved Billy Turner from right tackle to left tackle while Rick Wagner took over for Turner. While the move worked for a while as the Packers offense continued to be the best in the NFL, it came to a screeching halt against the Buccaneers. With the Packers over the salary cap, they will need to get creative to be able to make upgrades on their offensive line through free agency.
The front office has already made a move to help the team secure some of its pending free agents, converting Bakhtiari’s $11 million roster bonus into a signing bonus to create $8.2 million of cap space, which they can use in free agency. One of the Packers’ biggest decisions is whether to re-sign All-Pro center Corey Linsley or running back Aaron Jones, who are both free agents. The team can also use that money to pursue other free agents, like defensive end JJ Watt, who is a Wisconsin native.
Should the Packers part ways with Linsley and spend elsewhere, they can still use their draft picks to shore up the depth of their offensive line, which the team has done in the past. With Rodgers still at the peak of his powers, it is important for the Packers to get better protection for their quarterback, especially once they face some of the league’s best defenses in the playoffs.
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