Rodgers is right that execution, not scheme, is holding Packers back. That might be worse

If the Packers don't have the horses to execute their offense as designed, they appear to be in more trouble than Aaron Rodgers has suggested.

After a second consecutive loss in which the Green Bay Packers offense went dormant in the second half, Aaron Rodgers fielded questions about how the once-mighty unit could get back on track. The star quarterback caught many off guard with his straightforward response.

"Simpler. Simpler," Rodgers said. "Simplify some things."

That answer, of course, begged for more questions. What did Rodgers mean by "simpler"? What complications within the scheme did the quarterback believe short-circuited the offense so far in 2022?

Rodgers didn't "want to get too specific" but, when pressed, pointed to elements that have come to characterize head coach Matt LaFleur's system as issues holding the offense back so far this season.

"On the couple drives we did move the ball, it was very simple things. Very simple plays. No motion," Rodgers said. "So, we need to look at everything and the guys that we got and what we can accomplish with them, and let's be smart about moving forward."

That answer, on the surface, seems concerning. Since LaFleur arrived in Green Bay before the 2019 season, few NFL teams have utilized more pre-snap motion than the Packers. The tactic has advantages and drawbacks, but those generally net out as positives for the offense as they manipulate the opposing defense's coverage rules while giving the quarterback man-zone indicators.

Along with heavier use of wide-zone runs and play-action built off of them, pre-snap motion served as one of the bedrock concepts for the offense during a multiyear run that saw the Packers return to the top of the league in the most meaningful statistical categories. Rodgers individually returned to his MVP form, winning the award each of the past two seasons.

Given that, Rodgers' stated concerns about motion seemed troubling. Getting the signal-caller to buy into LaFleur's offense after more than a decade in the static, shotgun-heavy system of previous head coach Mike McCarthy required time and compromise. The process also required adjustments from the rest of the offensive personnel, particularly the offensive line. Throwing those gains out the window, as Rodgers seemed to suggest, would represent a three-alarm fire in Green Bay.

However, the truth seems rooted less in a sudden rejection of everything that has worked for the Packers the previous three seasons and more a lack of belief in the young players around him to execute the scheme as designed.

"Nobody works harder than Matt on the plan each week and nobody comes with better ideas than him and his staff," Rodgers said. "But if it's not working, it's not because those guys aren't grinding, because we're not executing. And if we think we have the right players, then we need to simplify things. If you don't, then that's a whole nother conversation."