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Fantasy Football: Packers offense has become stale due to Tucker Kraft injury, uninventive play-calling
The Green Bay Packers' offense, once a beacon of efficiency under head coach Matt LaFleur, has devolved into a stagnant unit, a transformation starkly evident in their Week 10 Monday Night Football performance. Coming off a historic upset by the Carolina Panthers and entering the game without their most dynamic weapon, tight end Tucker Kraft, the Packers' response was a resounding failure, mustering a paltry offensive output that has culminated in just 20 total points over two weeks.LaFleur, whose offensive system has ranked second in EPA per play since 2019, is now facing intense scrutiny for a play-calling approach that has become uninventive and out of sync with his personnel. This isn't just a minor slump; it's a systemic breakdown.The loss of Kraft cannot be overstated—he was the offense's Swiss Army knife, an A+ blocker who allowed the team to run effectively out of 11 personnel and, with a team-high 2. 7 yards per route run, its most efficient receiver.His absence creates a void comparable to taking a prime Rob Gronkowski out of a Patriots game plan, removing both the security blanket and the tactical flexibility. Compounding this is a devastating cluster of injuries among pass-catchers.The promising Jayden Reed's prolonged absence has left a gaping hole, with first-rounder Matthew Golden providing only a faint imitation, while Christian Watson, though impressively battling back from an ACL tear, is currently limited to a deep-threat role. The offensive line, a unit already underperforming its pedigree, suffered another blow with center Elgton Jenkins going down, forcing a never-before-seen configuration.In the face of these crippling personnel issues, LaFleur's strategic decisions have been baffling. Instead of adapting, the Packers set a season-high by using 11 personnel on 83.3% of their snaps against the Eagles, a scheme that yielded a dismal 3. 2 yards per passing play.This stubborn adherence to a failing formula is reminiscent of a coach trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Further analysis reveals a profound miscalculation in the run game.Despite possessing the ninth-highest rushing rate on first down (52. 8%), the Packers are one of the league's least explosive ground attacks, with only 7.5% of those runs gaining 10+ yards. This predictable, conservative approach, which masked its inefficiency through Josh Jacobs' fantasy-relevant touchdowns, has created a cascade of negative down-and-distance situations, leaving quarterback Jordan Love in constant peril.Love, a definitively above-average starter, is being asked to carry a volatile offense without its primary safety valves. His natural aggressiveness, a trait that usually yields positive variance, becomes a liability when the easy, rhythm-building throws to players like Kraft and Reed are unavailable.The solution is not obvious. LaFleur must now perform a difficult soul-searching exercise, pivoting from the system that brought him past success to one that acknowledges the reality of his depleted roster.This could mean designing quicker, high-percentage throws to a player like Dontayvion Wicks, embracing more two-tight end sets to aid a struggling line, or simply scripting faster, more pass-oriented opening drives to avoid playing from behind. The Packers are at a critical inflection point; without a swift and intelligent schematic adjustment from their offensive designer, a unit we trusted for efficiency risks becoming one of the season's most profound disappointments, both on the field and in fantasy lineups.
#featured
#Green Bay Packers
#Matt LaFleur
#Tucker Kraft
#offensive struggles
#play-calling
#NFL
#fantasy football
