Why the Packers will play with 'chaos', more tempo in 2026
Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice and Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Matt Harmon discuss how Green Bay showed signs that it will have a new approach on both sides of the ball this season - and why it could be to Matt LaFleur & Jordan Love's benefit. Check out the full conversation on "Football 301" - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
I think the Packers offense is gonna look pretty different this year.
Again, that's the second thing I think you can tell from preseason is a little bit of, all right, n- they're not gonna un-- they're not gonna show their full hand, anything like that, but they're gonna, especially if they're making a little bit of a left turn here, not a full complete left turn, but maybe merging- Yeah into the left lane here a little.
A little veer.
I think you can kind of see that in the preseason.
I think we saw that a little bit with Green Bay in the first, just the one drive, obviously, with the starters.
You know, this is a credit to you, Nate.
You've been talking about how maybe tempo is the next, kind of trend that people are gonna be talking about in the NFL.
I felt like that Packers offense was pretty up-tempo in that first drive.
They're trying to get to the huddle quickly, trying to get plays in, and that's a big-- That actually is a rather significant turn from what Matt LaFleur's offenses have been in Green Bay, and y- it's always tough to separate, you know, LaFleur's tenure from kind of splitting the difference between him and Aaron Rodgers and then what he actually truly wants to do because Rodgers' offenses are super-duper slow paced.
You know, he wants to get to the line and go all the points, shoot stuff.
But, you know, the Packers have also been pretty run heavy and not run a lot of plays under LaFleur's time, even without Rodgers there.
But I do wonder if this team, which I think is probably taking a step back on defense this year, probably has to at least feel a little bit dubious about their running game this year with offensive line turnover and Josh Jacobs carrying every red flag in the book right now from a running back at this point in his career.
I mean, like, are we going to have to be more of, like, a pass first team?
I'm curious to see what the results of that look like.
You know, at the same time, man, I think they have the receiver talent to do it.
They ran out with a lot of 11 personnel, less heavy personnel stuff in the first preseason game, more up-tempo.
I do wonder if th- we're going to see some more of that out of Green Bay this year, which I think would be a reasonable counterpunch to just some of the attrition that the roster has suffered.
I, I, I think you're onto that too.
That's kind of what I'm leaning towards when I look at the Packers, is I think they're just like-- I think they're gonna be more They understand what they are, at least for the first half of the season with their defense too.
So I think- Yeah it's just gonna be a little bit more chaotic on both sides, and I mean that in a good way of chaos.
Like, I think Jonathan Gannon's gonna be a little bit different.
You remember he was with the Cardinals last year with Nick Rallis, and they were doing some funky stuff.
Gotta get our Cardinals mention in.
And then I think with the Packers offense is that, like, I, I'm right there with you.
I th- I think LaFleur and their staff is pretty aware of things, and I think there's, they've always been really well-coached and well-scouted and everything.
So I think they have the lack of hubris, I would say, or the aware- self-awareness maybe is the best frame, fr- way I could phrase this, to go, "Hey, we're not gonna, our run game's probably gonna be eh.
We're reworking our offensive line.
All right, who are our best players?
All right, our quarterback," who they won't shut up about, by the way.
I love Jordan Love.
Yeah.
But I think they are kind of, they're telling everybody, all the other kind of like more reporter types in national media kind of going like, "Yeah, we think he's kind of making that step," which I agree with.
It's, it's all pointing there.
So maybe just go, "Hey, let's just lean into our supernova quarterback with enough talent."
Christian Watson, again, we both thought took a step forward last year.
You-- Everybody else can kind of just fall in line.
Reed can be Reed in the slot stuff.
Tucker Kraft, whenever he comes back or how he comes back.
So-
