The Green Bay Packers had a disappointing season in 2022. The team came in with Super Bowl aspirations and ended up missing the playoffs. Both sides of the ball had down years and it has left the Packers with a lot of questions this offseason. However, the Packers did get unlucky at times and had some factors working against them that were out of their control. 2023 is a different year and hopefully they don’t have the same luck as last year. Here are 3 reasons to be optimistic about the Packers in 2023.
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The Green Bay Packers 2022 Rookie Class
The 2022 rookies were asked to do a lot last season. A lot of them delivered in a big way. Quay Walker, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs all look like starters of the future. Fifth-round pick Kingsley Enagbare looks to be a blossoming pass rusher that can get to the quarterback with ease. Zach Tom played meaningful minutes on the offensive line and did not crumble under the pressure. Devonte Wyatt did not get opportunities early in the season but looked like an improved player late. Even seventh-round pick Samori Toure showed something. Overall, this looks like a great young core that the Green Bay Packers can build around for the future.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary (52) is carted off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Unlucky Injuries
Nearly every important player for the Green Bay Packers had some type of injury last season. David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins did not start the season. Christian Watson was absent due to a hamstring injury for the first half of the season. Doubs missed some time with an ankle injury midseason. Aaron Jones had nagging injuries throughout the year. Allen Lazard missed a couple of games. Aaron Rodgers was dealing with a broken thumb. That was just the offense.
Rashan Gary tore his ACL in week 8. De’Vondre Campbell missed time with a knee injury. Second-year cornerback Eric Stokes went down early in the season and never returned. These are all hugely important parts of the team that missed time. Health is all about luck. Yes there are things a player can do to decrease their chance of injury but it is mostly luck. Hopefully, next year the Green Bay Packers will have better injury luck.
via Packers.com
An Easier Schedule
This is a twofold reason to be optimistic. Let’s start with the 2022 season. The Packers’ schedule was brutal. They played a first-place schedule meaning they played a lot of playoff teams. The two other divisions they played were some of the best in football. Green Bay played the AFC East which had all four teams in the playoff hunt late.
The NFC East was the same story with that division sending three teams to the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers played a lot of teams that were coming off of their bye week meaning that team was well rested and well prepared for Green Bay. The Packers had the London game and then (questionably) decided not to take their bye week. Not only that, their bye week was all the way in week 13, almost to the end of the season. It was the perfect storm of terrible breaks for the schedule.
Now onto this year’s schedule. They finished third meaning they have an easier schedule this year based on last year’s records. The two other divisions they play are also much easier. They draw the NFC South that has a Bucs team with no QB, a Saints team with no QB, a Panthers team who will most likely have a rookie QB, and a Falcons team who has questions at QB.
Their AFC division is the West which could seem scary as the Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champs. However, they catch the top two teams, the Chiefs and Chargers, at home. The Raiders have questions at QB and I have no clue what to think about Denver. Overall, those opponents are just going to be easier to deal with.
Regardless of who is quarterbacking the Green Bay Packers next year, it is an easier path back to the playoffs. Unlucky seasons happen. It is hard to win in this league. However, I think there is a lot of reason for optimism for next year. Hopefully the team will be able to replicate the success of the 2022 draft and come back hungry to show that last season was a fluke.
