The question was recently posed whether it was possible for the Packers to average 35 points a game in 2015. Considering the fact that the Packers were pretty prolific scorers in 2014 to the tune of 30.4 points per game, I thought it was an interesting question.
The short answer is, of course… yes.
As Packer fans, we really shouldn’t take that too lightly. It’s seems like the kind of thing that any team in the league could say. If all the stars aligned just right… sure, we could average 35 points a game in 2015. Still, most of those teams would simply be dreaming while the Packers have a legitimate shot at doing just that.
Let’s look at just how legitimate the possibility of averaging 35 points a game in 2015 really is.
What would it have taken for the Packers to have turned their 30.4 points per game into 35 points per game?
An Early Start
Early in the 2014 campaign Aaron reminded Packer fans to R-E-L-A-X. What if there had been no reason for him to have to remind us of that? In those first three games, the team had two very underachieving games where they scored only 16 points and 7 points against the Seahawks and the Lions.
A Strong Finish
Near the end of the season, when homefield advantage throughout the playoffs was on the line, the Packers again had a let down against the Bills in week 15. Not only did they lose that game but they only scored 13 points.
What If…?
What if the Pack had scored 42 points in each of those three games rather than having the lackluster showing? 42 points was certainly attainable for this potent team. They scored that much, or more, in four games last season.
If the Packers had turned those three yawners into 42 point games, they would have averaged 36 points per game last season.
What It Would Take
We all know that’s a big little word… if. But, the potential is certainly, and legitimately, there to score 35 points a game in 2015. There are a couple things that would have to happen though if we’re going to see that in 2015.
Red zone scoring would have to improve. There were a lot of missed opportunities to punch the ball into the end zone last season that never materialized including during one game which shall remain unnamed. The team will definitely have to improve in that area if they hope to be so dominant as to post an average of 35 points per game.
Also, the defense will have to improve and do so from week one. The D got much better as last season rolled along but a lot of the early scoreboard struggles were due to the fact that the defense didn’t get the ball back into the hands of the offense quickly enough.
If these two things happen, the Packers could very realistically be looking at a 2015 scoring average of 35+ points per game.
So, where do you think the Packers’ average scoring will fall. Vote and share your thoughts in the comments below.