Packers’ Play-Callers Rank Among NFL’s Best

Pro Football Focus ranked the top play-callers on both sides of the ball. The Packers, with Matt LaFleur and Joe Barry, are in select company.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 13, 2022 9:24 PM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 2018, the Green Bay Packers’ offensive juggernaut crumbled.

Longtime coach Mike McCarthy was fired late in the season and replaced by offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. It didn’t matter. The Packers finished the season ranked 14th with 23.5 points per game. They wound up 12th in total offense and 23rd on third down. Aaron Rodgers, who at the time was No. 1 all-time in passer rating, finished 13th in rating and a hideous 26th in completion percentage.

The Packers hired Matt LaFleur as coach, a widely criticized decision by President Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst. LaFleur’s experience as an offensive coordinator was meager. He was the non-play-calling coordinator for the prolific Rams in 2017, and the play-calling coordinator for the woeful Titans in 2018. That group finished 27th in scoring.

Turns out, Murphy and Gutekunst knew what they were doing.

From 2019 through 2021, no team in the NFL won more regular-season games than the Packers. During those three seasons, they ranked fifth in scoring, 13th in total offense and eighth on third down. Rodgers statistically wasn’t much better in 2019 but won MVPs in 2020 and 2021.

To be sure, talent wins games. Especially talented quarterbacks. But coaching matters.

Pro Football Focus tried to quantify the impact of coaching with its play-calling rankings. On offense, LaFleur ranked sixth.

“LaFleur is an interesting one,” the author wrote. “The Packers were stuck in a quagmire offensively prior to his arrival, and since he showed up, they’ve won 13 games in each regular season and Aaron Rodgers has taken home two MVPs. Rodgers went from throwing away 59 passes in his last year with Mike McCarthy to 26 in 2021, and his time to throw from that span decreased from 2.94 seconds to 2.60, among other evolutions to his game. That points to LaFleur being a force multiplier with the four-time league MVP, which is why he’s on this list.”

The man LaFleur hired to run his defense, Joe Barry, ranked sixth among PFF’s defensive play-callers. Much like the hiring of LaFleur, the hiring of Barry was met with skepticism because of Barry's history with Detroit and Washington.

“People are really high on the 2022 Packers’ defense, and for good reason, but much of that is due to how well the unit stayed together in 2021 after injuries to Za’Darius Smith, Jaire Alexander and others,” read part of PFF’s summation.

Only the Cowboys, Rams and Packers have play-callers ranked in both of PFF’s top-six lists.

While the Davante Adams trade casts doubt on the power of the Aaron Rodgers-led offense, the overall strength of the roster and coaching staff means the Packers are considered strong contenders.

At -170, the Packers are heavy favorites to win the NFC North at FanDuel Sportsbook. Also at FanDuel, they are +500 to earn the No. 1 seed for a third consecutive season. They are +1000 to win the Super Bowl, the fourth-shortest odds at SI Sportsbook.

LaFleur’s ability to adapt on offense, and Barry’s ability to build upon some success in Year 1, will determine whether the Packers can win their first Super Bowl since 2010.