Record: 8-7-1
Playoffs: Lost in Wildcard round to San Francisco 49ers
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy
Notable Assistants: Tom Clements (Offensive Coordinator), Dom Capers (Defensive Coordinator) and Winston Moss (assistant head coach/linebackers coach)
Regular Season Overview
In what seems to become a yearly trend, the Green Bay Packers dealt with an unimaginable amount of injuries again this season but once again found a way to make the playoffs. Losing Bryan Bulaga, Casey Hayward, Randall Cobb, Jermichael Finley, Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers. Yet somehow the Packers managed to find a way to make the playoffs and almost upset the 49ers in the wildcard round.
Things actually started off pretty well for the Packers to begin the season, they were 5-2 with both losses coming in very close games against the 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals. Rodgers was having another stellar season while Eddie Lacy shined, meanwhile the Packers’ defense appeared to turn things around, allowing just 17.7 points per game. Everything was going great for the Packers entering Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears, with a chance to move to 6-2 on the season as they entered the weaker end of their schedule.
But then the collective breath and hopes of every Packers fan, coach and player was sucked out of Lambeau Field when Shea McClellin smashed Rodgers into the ground and caused a fractured collarbone. Seneca Wallace finished the game in a 27-20 loss, was hurt the next week and out for the year.
Scott Tolzien replaced him and a few weeks later he was replaced by Matt Flynn. Things fell apart without Rodgers but somehow in mystical form, Flynn beat the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys in back-to-back weeks to put Green Bay in position for a win-and-in Week 17 game.
Another season that was filled with bad luck and really tested the coaching staff, Ted Thompson and the heart of this team. They also had some great luck bounce their way with the Detroit Lions collapsing down the stretch; it truly was a rollercoaster season for the Packers.
But it ended with the image of Micah Hyde having an interception slip through his hands, which would have knocked the 49ers out of the playoffs.
Biggest Win
The biggest win this season for Green Bay came down to Week 15 on the road against the Dallas Cowboys or in Week 17 on the road against Chicago. Both wins were monumental for the Packers’ playoff chances, but the biggest win has to be the comeback win against the Cowboys.
The Packers needed a lot to happen entering Week 15 in order to remain in the playoff picture. A win against the Cowboys, paired with a Detroit Lions loss would keep their playoff hopes alive. Things would only be tougher with Flynn at quarterback; needless to say the odds were against them.
Things got even worse for the Packers; they looked lifeless in the first half on both sides of the ball and trailed 26-3. Green Bay’s season was all but over, the Cowboys were dominating with DeMarco Murray and could just run the ball for the rest of the half. But the Cowboys did what they do best, threw for almost the entire second half and their defense collapsed.
Flynn and Lacy carried the offense in the second half, and helped the Packers offense outscore Dallas 34-10 including a one-yard TD run by Lacy to take a 37-36 lead with 91 seconds left in the game. Tony Romo was picked off again in the final minute to seal the victory for the Packers and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Baltimore Ravens would go on to beat the Lions 18-16 on Monday Night Football thanks to a 61-yard game winning field goal by Justin Tucker. The win kept Green Bay alive and put them in position to make the Week 17 game so important.
Toughest Loss
There were plenty of choices when looking at the Packers’ toughest loss of the 2013 season. You could look to Week 3 on the road against the Bengals, Green Bay had a 30-14 lead late in the third quarter and went on to lose 34-30, or the Packers home playoff loss to the 49ers when they gave up the game-winning drive. But the toughest loss that stands out this season for me was Week 8 at home against the Bears.
Rodgers drove the Packers down the field with ease to begin the game then on the fateful play, rolled out to his right and was slammed into the ground by Bears defensive end McClellin. Rodgers immediately winced in pain, headed to the sideline and never returned again until Week 17.
Green Bay was 5-2 entering the Monday night game against Chicago and were clear favorites to beat Chicago that night. But Rodgers went down, Wallace came in and the revolving door at quarterback and team struggles began.
From the time Rodgers went down, the Packers went 2-5-1 with Wallace, Tolzien and finally Flynn at the helm. More pressure was put on the Packers’ defense, which collapsed in the second half of the season and the offense flopped.
The loss to Chicago in Week 8 hurt the Packers in a variety of waves, but the costliest price came from losing Rodgers. One could only imagine how the Packers season would have gone if Rodgers never was hurt, but it also gave a glimpse into some real issues the Packers must address.
Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers
It came down to Rodgers versus Lacy, but in the end I went with the star quarterback. Lacy played in more games and kept the Packers’ playoff dream alive when Rodgers was out, but Rodgers showed how valuable he was to this team in a variety of ways.
Rodgers was the clear MVP through the first seven weeks of the regular season. He threw for 2,191 yards with 15 touchdowns to just four interceptions through his first seven games, and was well on his way to another 4,500+ yard, 32+ touchdown season. The Packers were 5-2 before he went down, and the Packers went 3-5-1 with a weaker schedule after he was injured. Rodgers also played well in his first seven games, despite having Cobb and Finley for just five of those games. When Rodgers went down, the entire offense crumbled and the defense was left on the field more and couldn’t keep up with their early performances to begin the year.
Lacy is a great choice for offensive MVP and he was definitely the second most valuable player on the team this season, but Rodgers was the Packers MVP again this season. He just showed how important having the best quarterback in football can be, and what also happens when you don’t have a reliable backup quarterback.
Defensive MVP: A.J. Hawk
Hawk has had a solid eight-year career as the Packers star inside linebacker, playing steadily at the position and holding the job down. But for being the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, that’s not the type of career you expect from someone drafted that high. Even Hawk’s long, blonde hair has been overshadowed by fellow linebacker Clay Matthews
But this year it was Hawk not Matthews’ who as the MVP of the Packers’ defense, and frankly it wasn’t close. While Matthews’ pass-rush ability is outstanding he missed time again this season, while Hawk had the best season of his career. He set a career-high with five sacks, recorded 13 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and four pass deflections. After taking a pay cut to help remain with the Packers before the 2013 season, Hawk responded in a big way.
Most Disappointing Players: Morgan Burnett
Ted Thompson has done an outstanding job as the Packers’ general manager but this past offseason wasn’t as successful as he would have liked. While locking up Rodgers and Matthews was great, his extension with Burnett looks like a big whiff a year later.
Burnett showed a lot of promise in his first three years with the team playing safety, captivated by the 2012 season where he finished the year with 16 starts with 123 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. Burnett was rewarded with a four-year extension worth $24.75 million and he headed into the 2013 season with the starting free safety job.
But what we saw from Burnett this season was not only a safety who didn’t make any plays while playing over 850 snaps without a single interception or sack. Burnett was also a liability in coverage where too often there were communication issues in the secondary and he was slow to react to a lot of balls in the air. To make matters worse, Burnett also became notorious amongst Packers fans for key missed tackles that resulted in big plays. Burnett was moved back to strong safety where he could remain as the starter in 2014, but his sizable contract extension is looking like a very poor decision right now.
Brad Jones
Another instance of Thompson giving a sizable contract to a player in the offseason and having it come back to cost him dearly. Jones was a breakout player for the Packers’ defense in 2012; he posted a then career-high in tackles (77) and pass deflections four, and really showed that he could potentially be a starter for years to come. After talking with multiple teams, and Thompson won him back with a three-year deal worth $11.25 million. Jones was given the starting job to begin the season, but things fell apart from there.
Jones battled hamstring and ankle injuries through most of the year and played through it mostly, but still missed four games. Even when Jones was on the field though, he didn’t look like nearly the same player from last year. Jones looked slower with his reactions and really seemed to struggle both against the run and in coverage. Now granted he was dealing with two injuries that can hamper his athleticism, but Jones just wasn’t good this year despite racking up 84 tackles. Jones is slated to make even more money next season, but the Packers could be looking for another inside linebacker. Thompson has made plenty of great moves and has handled contracts very well, but he definitely struck out with Burnett and Jones’ deals.
Best Rookie: Eddie Lacy
When the Packers drafted Lacy with the 61st Overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the team hoped they could have a bell cow running back who could be a third-down back and give them a respectable running game. But Lacy’s rookie season turned into so much more than they could have hoped for and was the reason why he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
One of the big questions surrounding Lacy entering the draft was his durability and struggles in pass protection. We saw some injury issues this season; he was knocked out early in the game against Washington with a concussion and missed the following game against the Bengals.
Lacy also battled through a severe ankle injury throughout the second half of the season but managed to play through it. He still finished the year with 1,435 total yards and 11 touchdowns. While his numbers weren’t as impressive when Rodgers went out (516 rushing yards in seven games), he was the leader of the Packers’ offense. He gave Green Bay more than they ever could have asked for and proved to be a steal as a second-round pick.
Statistical Leaders
QB: Aaron Rodgers - 66.6 completion percentage, 2,536 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, six interceptions
RB: Eddie Lacy - 284 Carries, 1,178 rushing yards, 257 receiving yards and 11 rushing touchdowns
WR: Jordy Nelson - 85 receptions, 1,314 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns
TE: Andrew Quarless - 32 receptions, 312 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns
Tackles: A.J. Hawk - 118
Sacks: Clay Matthews - 7
Interceptions: Sam Shields - 4