As another year of Packers football comes to an end, we’ve got six big takeaways from the 2020 season: 

1. Offensive Firepower 

I knew the Packers had the number one offense in points for, but the numbers are even more impressive as we break them down further. The Packers and the Bills are the only two teams to eclipse 500 points on the season, with Green Bay scoring 509 points this year. Where it gets interesting, though, is that the Packers did it in only 990 plays, which ranks 28th in the NFL. The Bills on the other hand scored 501 points in 1,034 plays. 

Of course, individual numbers are equally impressive. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a career year throwing 48 touchdowns (adding three with his legs) and only five interceptions. Those five picks were the fewest in the NFL. Receiver Davante Adams led the league in touchdowns during the regular season with 18, and finished the year fifth in receiving yards with 1,374, despite missing two games. 

Running back Aaron Jones also missed time this season and still ranked fourth on the ground with 1,104 yards rushing. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 78.9 yards per game, exceeding his 2019 total of 67.8 yards per game. 

Finally, receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling was the undisputed WR2 in Green Bay this season. He had 33 receptions for 690 yards in the regular season, giving him an average of 20.9 yards per reception which led the NFL. While his 52.4% catch percentage doesn’t leap off the page, it was the highest of his career and continued to improve during the playoffs.

This was a testament to what Matt LaFleur’s offense could look like in year two of his scheme. We saw glimpses in 2019, but it paid dividends in 2020 with the Packers boasting the league’s best red zone efficiency (scoring touchdowns 80% of the time) and ranking second in the NFL on third downs (49.4%). 

2. Franchise Records Galore

It felt like every week a member of the Packers set a new franchise record. After falling one reception short in 2018 with 111 catches, Adams set the franchise record for receptions with 115 this season, eclipsing Sterling Sharpe’s record of 112. 

Rodgers’ 48 touchdowns this season were a franchise best, and he’s now thrown 40 or more touchdowns three times in his career (40 in 2016 and 45 in 2011), something no other Packers quarterback has even done once. His 70.7% completion percentage was also the best of his career, and his quarterback rating of 121.5 is second in NFL history behind only Rodgers’ own 122.5 rating in 2011. 

Tight end Robert Tonyan tied the touchdown record set by Paul Coffman in 1983 with his 11 touchdowns this season. His 11 touchdowns also tied Travis Kelce for most in the NFL this season by a tight end. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Za’Darius Smith’s 26 sacks in his first two seasons with the Packers are the most in team history by any player during their first two years with the franchise. 

This season, the Packers also became the first team in NFL history to hit 800 franchise wins, including postseason. Head Coach Matt LaFleur, in his second season with the team, led Green Bay to another 13-3 record. His 26-6 regular season record sets a franchise record with the team, eclipsing the 21-win mark previously set by Mike Sherman and Mike McCarthy.

3. Secondary Stacking Successes

We’ve talked a lot about the offense, but the defense has some absolute ballers we need to discuss. While Kevin King’s future with the Packers is very much up in the air, Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, and Jaire Alexander will all return in 2021, and the Packers secondary is well-off because of that. 

Amos posted a career-high two sacks in 2020 with four quarterback hits and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded him second out of 93 safeties with an overall defensive grade for the year of 89.9. Savage led the team with four interceptions, and all came in the second half of the season. 

PFF also gave Alexander the best grade of all cornerbacks (121) in 2020 with an elite grade of 90.7. Alexander had only one interception during the regular season but snagged two against future first-ballot Hall of Famer Tom Brady in the NFC Championship Game. He also allowed the lowest passer rating in 2020 at only 52.9. The island is real, and Alexander earned his first All-Pro nod this season on the Second-Team. 

Credit certainly goes to secondary coach Jerry Gray and the impact he’s had on the secondary in only his first year with Green Bay. If defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s contract isn’t renewed, look for Gray to be an inside candidate for the position. 

4. Not So Special Teams

The Packers parted ways with Shawn Mennenga and promoted Maurice Drayton as the new special teams coordinator. It was a move that made sense for Green Bay after its special teams unit ranked near the bottom of every possible category. Green Bay ranked 31st in kick returns, 30th in punt returns, and allowed two punt returns for touchdowns. 

Tavon Austin and Tyler Ervin are both free agents (we’ll get to that in No. 5) so it’s possible Green Bay’s special teams unit looks entirely different next season. Kicker Mason Crosby, who was perfect on field goals this season (16-of-16), is really the only lock to return. Punter JK Scott has had an up-and-down career with the Packers in his first two seasons, so don’t rule out some training camp competition. For what it’s worth, the Packers do have punter Ryan Winslow signed to a futures contract. 

5. Free Agency Looming

The toughest part of the season is always saying goodbye to the team’s free agents, as no roster ever looks the same year-to-year. Notable names this year include center Corey Linsley, running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, tight end Marcedes Lewis, and aforementioned cornerback Kevin King. 

Receiver Allen Lazard is an exclusive restricted free agent and Tonyan is a restricted free agent, but I’d expect both pass catchers to be back in Green Bay. Nickel corner Chandon Sullivan is also a restricted free agent along with Raven Greene, Will Redmond, and Kabion Ento (exclusive restricted). 

There are replacements on the roster for some of these positions, as we know running back AJ Dillon was drafted in the second round to see an expanded role on offense next year, and tight end Josiah Deguara will be back from his season-ending injury, but the offensive line will need some work (especially with David Bakhtiari recovering from a torn ACL), and the Packers will need another boundary corner opposite Alexander. There could be a lot of churning in the secondary if the restricted free agents aren’t all back with the team in 2021. 

6. Looking Forward to Pandemic-Free Football

I’m still impressed we made it through an entire NFL season without canceling any football games. Things got dicy there during the middle of the year with a few reschedulings, but the NFL managed to trot out an entire 17-week season and an expanded playoff picture. 

I’ve got my fingers crossed that as this vaccine rolls out, we can see more normalcy in 2021. I’ll always remember this Packers team for its resiliency and the close-knit nature of the locker room. It was a special group of men, and I think the pandemic brought them even closer knowing they really were relying on one another to get through the season. That camaraderie will be hard to replicate. 

Here’s hoping we’re all back at Lambeau Field for the 2021 season. The home opener will be epic when 80,000 of us are together again. I can’t wait to see you all out tailgating. I’ll pass out the Spotted Cow. 

Cheers, and Go Pack Go.