Packers offense isn't currently Super Bowl caliber. How can it get there?

The Packers have won despite their offense rather than because of it through four weeks. What needs to change in order to kickstart the sputtering unit?

Through all the trials and tribulations of the opening month of the 2022 season, the Green Bay Packers stand at a respectable 3-1. That record comes despite multiple disjointed performances by an offense that, for more than a decade prior, served as the backbone of the franchise's on-field success. To see the Packers emerge in the upper echelon of the NFC without their signature high-powered offensive attack constitutes a noteworthy achievement.

That hot start doesn't guarantee future success, however. Though only one team has won more games than the Packers entering Week 5, history suggests they'll need significantly more from their offense in order to remain among the Super Bowl contenders. 

At this stage, the Packers offense doesn't neatly fall into a "good" or "bad" category. On the positive side of the ledger, only one team has generated more big plays (defined as a rush of at least 10 yards or a reception of at least 20 yards). Such gains provide a clear and obvious boost to any offense.

Marcus Mosher @Marcus_Mosher

Most big plays through Week 4:

Those big plays have juiced the Packers' efficiency. Entering Week 5, the team ranks eighth in offensive DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. The unit comes in at 14th in passing DVOA and fifth in rushing with the latter literally and figuratively carrying most of the weight thus far.

But those figures require context and caveats. The Packers have scored a mere 75 points through the opening four weeks, the 11th lowest total in the league. Since the NFL established the current eight-division format in 2002, 217 teams have scored 75 or fewer points over the same stretch of games in their respective seasons. Of those, just 44 went on to clinch a playoff berth, roughly 20.3% of the original group. Only two reached the Super Bowl, both doing so in 2003 which suggests an anomalous season.

Of course, anomalies could partially explain some of the Packers' offensive issues so far in 2022. They have turned over the ball at a higher frequency than in past seasons and at particularly inopportune moments. Two weeks ago, running back Aaron Jones losing a fumble just before the goal line, a potentially seven-point swing. Green Bay had two costly fumbles in back-to-back possessions the game prior, one resulting directly in a turnover and the other creating a third-and-22 and subsequent punt. Each ended promising drives and likely took points off the board.

However, those examples pale in comparison to the pick-six Aaron Rodgers threw this past Sunday late in the second quarter.

New England Patriots @Patriots

Jack Jones swiping. 📺 #NEvsGB on @NFLonCBS

Considering the Packers' track record with ball security, those issues should regress to the mean over the course of the year. Even so, those plays do not account for the entirety of the team's offensive shortcomings.

So far this season, nearly all of Green Bay's trips to the end zone came before halftime. During Weeks 2 and 3, the team scored a combined three points during the third and fourth quarters of each game. That second-half touchdown drought finally ended when tight end Robert Tonyan hauled in the go-ahead score this past Sunday, but an offense with an MVP under center shouldn't endure such problems on offense.

So, given the concerns at hand, the question becomes not why the Packers haven't maximized their scoring opportunities but rather how can they improve enough on offense to make a Super Bowl run. While no magic bullet exists for Green Bay's challenges, the team can chip away at the problem in several ways.