3 Reasons the Packers Won't Make the Playoffs in 2020

In their first year under new head coach Matt LaFleur, the Green Bay Packers took the league by storm. With a revamped defense and a healthy Aaron Rodgers, the team put together a 13-3 campaign that ended with a loss in the NFC Championship Game.

However, there's reason to believe the Packers weren't nearly as good as their 13-3 record might suggest. Let's take a look at three reasons why Green Bay will miss the postseason in 2020.

3. Record in One-Score Games

Matt LaFleur and his team did quite well in one-score games. / Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Last season, the Packers were a staggering 8-1 in one-score games. Typically, that wildly varies from year to year, and generally has more to do with luck than anything else. Of course, part of that is due to having Rodgers leading the way, but Green Bay will almost certainly be unable to replicate this next season. And with a little regression in that area, this team won't be the regular-season juggernaut it was last year.

2. Point Differential

The Packers might not have been as dominant as their record suggests. / Harry How/Getty Images

Green Bay had a point differential of plus-63 last season. While that's a respectable figure, it's much lower than one would expect from a 13-3 team. In fact, of the six teams that won at least 12 games in 2019, the Packers were the only franchise with a point differential lower than plus-115. For reference, Green Bay's point differential was good for just fifth in the NFC, and would have also ranked fifth in the AFC.

1. Net Yardage

Za'Darius Smith and Green Bay were out-gained last year. / Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

While the Packers' point differential is a bit worrying, their net yardage stats are flat-out alarming. Last season, Green Bay was actually out-gained by 114 yards, gaining 5,528 yards and allowing 5,642. That makes Green Bay one of just three playoff teams that were out-gained in the regular season, alongside the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks. The Packers might've been 13-3, but a deeper look at the numbers proves they were much closer to a league average team. Without many significant additions in the offseason, it's difficult to imagine the team catching the same breaks it did last year.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.