Green Bay Packers Clinch Playoffs, but Offense Not Looking Ready for Postseason

The Green Bay Packers didn't even have to defeat the Oakland Raiders to clinch a playoff berth on Sunday—the New York Giants' loss to the Carolina Panthers did that for them. 

Green Bay did, however, defeat the Raiders anyway to the tune of 30-20, and yet that score belies the struggles that the Packers offense continued to display in Oakland. 

Sure, there were the flashes of greatness.

Aaron Rodgers' pass deep down the right sideline to connect with James Jones on a 30-yard touchdown was reminiscent of the same play he loves to run with Jordy Nelson; Randall Cobb proved his versatility as a rusher as he carried the ball from the backfield multiple times. 

But Jones' big touchdown reception was Rodgers' only such throw of the night. 

And you can look at Cobb's use in the backfield in two ways: It was to get Jared Abbrederis on the field more, which is a positive...but it also implies that head coach Mike McCarthy didn't like what he was seeing from up-and-down receiver Davante Adams. 

It also implies that the coach is having a hard time trusting second-stringer James Starks, who lost a fumble, which led to seven points on the board for Oakland. 

Any way you slice it, the good is outweighed by the worrisome on this offense. 

There were some new offensive plays and personnel combinations on the field for Green Bay Sunday, which could be explained as a facet of McCarthy testing the waters in his second game as play-caller for the team this season. 

But McCarthy also appears to be trying out multiple packages to find one that sticks, and so far, he can't.

As Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette noted, the Packers are all over the place on offense. 

Consistency eludes the Packers offense, and if the unit can't find it before the playoffs, it will be hard-pressed to outscore its potential opponents throughout the playoffs. 

The Carolina Panthers are scoring an average of 31.6 points per game, while the Arizona Cardinals are not far behind at 31.2. Meanwhile, Seattle's Russell Wilson has thrown eight touchdowns in the last two games. 

Can this Packers offense beat any of these teams in a potential NFC championship matchup?

Consider where the Packers ranked in the following offensive categories coming into Week 15:

Yards/Game	Rank	Points/Game	Rank	3rd Down Conv. %	Rank
TOP %	Rank	Punts/Score	Rank	Yards/Play	Rank
348.6	18th	24.4	12th	36.2%	25th
49.66%	21st	1.2	19th	5.3	22nd

Sure, the Packers have managed to win 10 games this season despite being in the middle or toward the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, but that won't matter come the postseason.

When the slates are wiped clean, this Packers offense could be in trouble.

It was evident again on Sunday against the Raiders. Rodgers completed just 56 percent of his passes, and his decision-making was questionable at times, including on an attempt into double coverage in the end zone under pressure late in the fourth quarter that was picked off by David Amerson. 

Adams continued to have issues with drops, letting what would have been a 14-yard touchdown slip through his fingers, literally. 

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And despite calling a skillfully balanced game in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy couldn't get his running backs involved enough despite bad conditions and the Packers holding a lead for most of the game. 

Not trusting Starks after the fumble is one thing, but the Packers ultimately ran the ball 28 times and attempted to pass 39 times. 

When the Packers did try to move the ball on the ground, they were rarely successful. As a team, Green Bay averaged 3.7 yards per rush. 

Starks had the best average of the group, gaining 5.7 yards per attempt, but he carried just nine times, five of which came before his fumble. 

The Packers have also failed to see much production from their tight ends this season, and Sunday's matchup was no exception. Richard Rodgers and Justin Perillo had just one reception each, both ending their days with fewer than 10 receiving yards. 

If Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had not thrown two interceptions, one of which cornerback Damarious Randall returned for a touchdown, the Packers may well have been in danger of losing Sunday's matchup. 

They would have earned a playoff berth regardless, but they have to set themselves up to play deep into January. 

Currently, the team doesn't look prepared to do that. 

"We have 10 wins and we're in the playoffs," Aaron Rodgers said in his postgame press conference, per the Packers' Twitter. He added that the team is "playing good enough to win."

Good enough to win in the regular season, perhaps. But if this team wants to avoid an early exit from the postseason, it has to get on the same page and find consistency.

It has two more weeks to try.