With already discussing questions facing the Green Bay Packers offense and defense, it leaves us with one unit still to discuss. It’s a unit that has come a long way since the 2021 season. But it’s a unit that still has some questions entering the 2023 season. Today, we break down the questions facing the Green Bay Packers special teams for 2023.
Questions Facing the Green Bay Packers Special Teams in 2023
The 2021 Green Bay Packers special teams made history by being one of the worst special teams units of all time. While many will blame former special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton for their horrible performance, it wasn’t all on him. Drayton deserves a good chunk of the blame, but a majority of it falls on Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur made a massive mistake promoting Drayton, who was an assistant under failed former coordinators Ron Zook and Shawn Mennenga. It can be argued that the Green Bay Packers special teams cost them a chance at advancing in the 2021 playoffs. LaFleur made the correct move by firing Drayton, but the damage was already done.
But give LaFleur some credit. He hired the right man to right the ship in Rich Bisaacia. Under Bisaacia, the 2022 Green Bay Packers special teams made a 10-spot jump in Rick Gosselin’s 2022 NFL special teams rankings. They finished 22nd overall, which might not blow many away but was a major improvement from the previous season.
Heading into 2022, it can be argued that the Packers special teams are the strongest unit of the Packers. On paper, the Packers defense should be the leader of this team. But with Joe Barry still the defensive coordinator, you just can’t rank them above the special teams. Special teams should be strong, but there are several key areas that face some questions heading into 2023.
Can a Rookie Kicker Replace One of the Best Kickers in Franchise History?
For the past 16 seasons, Mason Crosby has been the kicker for the Green Bay Packers. While Crosby had a couple of rough patches during that time, as a whole, Crosby had been one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL. He did this while having to kick in some of the toughest elements in the NFL at Lambeau Field.
But, similar to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it appears that the Packers are ready to move on. Crosby still remains unsigned and all indications, the Packers have almost closed the book on the Crosby era. Now, it appears, the Anders Carlson era has begun.
General manager Brian Gutekunst spent a sixth-round pick on Carlson in this year’s NFL Draft. Carlson spent six seasons at Auburn. During that time he made 98% of his extra points but only had a 71% made rate on his field goal attempts. Carlson also dealt with injuries during his time at Auburn.
Taking over for a kicker such as Crosby won’t be an easy task. But it appears Bisaacia has a lot of confidence in the young kicker. Bisaacia coached his older brother, Daniel Carlson, while he was the special teams coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. So he does have some familiarity with Anders.
Gutekunst doesn’t have a good track record when selecting special team players (JK Scott and Hunter Bradley). So he is hoping that Carlson can break that streak. New starting Quarterback Jordan Love is facing a lot of scrutiny taking over for Rodgers. But Anders Carlson is facing a lot of pressure as well in replacing Crosby.
Can O’Donnell Hold onto the Starting Punter Position?
One of the biggest reasons the Packers signed punter Pat O’Donnell prior to 2022 was because of his reliability. During his eight-year career with the Chicago Bears, O’Donnell never wowed anyone with his stats. But he was steady, something Bisaacia was looking for in a punter for the Packers.
Last season, O’Donnell posted a 40.4 yards per punt net average. He also had 24 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Along with his steady punting, O’Donnell stabilized the holder position, something that was an issue in previous seasons for the Packers.
But O’Donnell will face some competition heading into training camp. The Packers signed XFL standout Daniel Whelan this off-season. Whelan was an All-XFL punter for the DC Defenders this past spring. He averaged 45.6 yards per punt and had 11 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. A native of Ireland, Whelan also displayed some strong hang times on his punts.
Whelan will have a tough task unseating the veteran punter. Bisaacia knows what he has in O’Donnell and while Whelan has the bigger leg, Biasaacia might feel more comfortable with O’Donnell, rather than go with the younger more explosive punter.
Will Nixon Continue his Impressive Run as the Packers Kickoff and Punt Returner?
Do you want to know the biggest reason the Green Bay Packers special teams jumped 10 spots in the special teams rankings? Simple, it was because of the return ability of Keisean Nixon.
After former Gutekunst draft pick Amari Rodgers failed to be the returner the Packers hoped he would be, they turned to Nixon. All Nixon did was become one of the best kickoff returners in the NFL. He returned 35 kicks for 1,009 yards, with one of them being returned for a touchdown. He finished the season with a 28.8 yards per return average. Nixon also returned 11 punts for 140 yards with a 12.7 yards per punt return average. He earned All-Pro honors for his return prowess in 2022.
But can Nixon keep up his hot streak as a returner? This season, while Eric Stokes rehabs from a season-ending injury, Nixon will be asked to play a lot of slot cornerback. His increased playing time on defense might take away some of his explosiveness as a returner.
Nixon also might not hold down the punt return duties this season. He performed well as a punt returner in 2022 but didn’t look as comfortable as he did as a kickoff returner. Bisaacia and LaFleur might hand over the punt return duties to this year’s second-round pick Jayden Reed. Reed returned punts at Michigan State and did it at a high level.
Still, even with the increased playing time on defense, Packers fans should expect Nixon to be a very high-end kickoff returner.
Who will be the Packers Long Snapper in 2023?
Last season, undrafted free agent rookie Jack Coco won the Packers long snapper position in training camp. Prior to Coco’s signing, the Packers long snapper position had been an issue in recent seasons. Hunter Bradley, who Gutekunst drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft in the seventh round, was supposed to be the long-term answer at the position. However, after struggling mightily on both punts and kicks, Gutekunst finally parted ways with the failed draft pick during the 2021 season.
While Coco was a step up from Bradley, he still had some very shaky performances in 2022. His rough patches were enough for the Packers to release him this off-season.
Now, the Packers are back to square one when it comes to long snapper. Gutekunst and the Packers are hoping that veteran long snapper Matt Ozech can stabilize the position. This off-season, Ozech was signed to a three-year deal with a $300,000 bonus. Ozech brings with him three years of snapping experience, snapping in a total of 50 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Packers have also signed undrafted free agent Broughton Hatcher. The Old Dominion product will be competition for Ozech in training camp. But after receiving a $300,000 signing bonus and having 50 games of NFL long-snapping experience, Ozech will be the favorite to win the job.
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