Improved third-down efficiency a boon for Packers
Last season, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said that for the Packers to be a playoff team, the offense needed to average 40 percent on third down conversions.
They fell short at 36 percent and made it to the playoffs anyway. But the Packers' quest to reach the Super Bowl was cut short in San Francisco, where the offense only converted three third downs on nine attempts in the NFC Championship game.
With nearly an extra year in head coach Matt LaFleur's offensive scheme, the Packers evolved into masters of efficiency. Their 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field captured the essence of their success in 2020. The offense reached a seasonhigh 73 percent on third down conversions, their best game since the team's win over the Houston Texans in Week 7 (58.3 percent).
“Little different efficiency this year,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Last year, we weren't great on third down. We didn't start games out like we did this year.
“Obviously I've been pretty efficient through the air and taking care of the football, but being aggressively opportunistic is definitely how I feel like my approach has been this season.”
The Packers converted on eight of their eleven third down opportunities in an effort spearheaded by wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
On 3rd and 7 in the third quarter, Valdes-Scantling drew a holding penalty for a fresh set of downs. Valdes-Scantling and left guard Lucas Patrick committed holding penalties later in the drive, but Valdes-Scantling managed to dig the offense out of the hole on 3rd and 14. Rodgers connected with ValdesScantling for a 21-yard gain.
The conversion was only the Packers' second from between 3rd and 11 and 3rd and 15 this season. Valdes-Scantling finished the night with six receptions for 85 yards after not making a single catch in his last two games.
“It's a really smart play by him and then strong hands back to the ball,” Rodgers said. “I told him after the game, I'm just really proud of him. He's got a couple weeks without a ton of targets. Didn't hang his head.”
Most of the Packers' converted third downs, however, came on what LaFleur called “third and manageable,” or roughly 5 yards away from the first down marker. He credited his players for their success in 2020, coming into their game against the Lions averaging 47.9 percent on third down, ranking at the top of the NFC and 4th in the NFL.
“Typically, when you're able to do that with the kind of caliber players that we have, our quarterback and the ability of our offensive line to hold up in pass pro and then our guys just making key play after key play,” LaFleur said, “You put yourself in a favorable position and I think that's gonna be a key ingredient moving forward.”