At long last, the Green Bay Packers’ passing offense has largely stabilized, and it no longer resembles the 2015 attack. Barring further injuries, the team appears set at wide receiver. We should therefore expect scoring to continue to hover around the 25-point mark – in five of the last seven games, Green Bay has scored from 23 to 26 points.
Two factors could positively influence this pattern. If Aaron Rodgers starts targeting his tight ends and running backs more frequently, as he did last Sunday, the scoring could rise up into the 30s. This could also happen if the team can cobble together a running attack this late in the season. I believe recently-acquired running back Christine Michael has that potential, whereas James Starks does not.
The Packers’ porous defense looks to be a long-term condition. Given that problem, as long as the Packers offense keeps on scoring less than 30 points per game, I don’t see how they can win more than one or two of their remaining games this year.
What remaining hope I have for an eight- or nine-win season is dependent on two players: Jared Cook and Christine Michael. My other last-ditch hope was dashed earlier this week with the team’s announcement that Sam Shields would not return to the team this year.