Despite having the player that many believe is the best quarterback on the planet in Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers went an uninspiring 6-9-1 in 2018 to record their second straight losing season. Now after a big shakeup at the top, Green Bay is headed in a new direction as they get set for their first year under new head coach Matt LaFleur.

After going 125-77 in almost 13 full seasons under former head coach Mike McCarthy while reaching the playoffs nine times and winning one Super Bowl title, star quarterback Aaron Rodgers clearly tired of McCarthy and now the Packers will have a new look and feel as they take to the gridiron in 2019.

Now, whether Rodgers and company will get back to being a legitimate playoff contender or whether they fail to get off the ground remains to be seen, but with an active offseason of change, there’s a bunch of things you need to know about the NFC North playoff hopefuls as they get for the upcoming 2019 NFL regular season. Let’s get started.

Green Bay Packers 2019 NFL Season Betting Guide

Betting Statistics

• ATS: 6-9-1 (W-L) / 6-9-1 (ATS) / 4-4-0 (Home) / 2-5-1 (Away) / 5-6-0 (Grass) / 1-3-1 (Turf)
• O/U: 8-8-0 (W-L) / 4-4-0 (Home) / 4-4-0 (Away) / 5-6-0 (Grass) / 3-2-0 (Turf) / 48.5 (Total)

Green Bay went 6-9-1 SU in 2018 while winning five times at home. Unfortunately, the Packers were completely awful on the road in losing seven of their eight road games away from Lambeau Field. The Packers also struggled to cover the chalk by positing an identical 6-9-1 ATS mark last season while going 2-5-1 ATS on the road. Green Bay’s combination of decent scoring and equally inept defense led to them going a dead-even 8-8 against the Over/Under total while going an identical 4-4 O/U at home and on the road.

Offense

• Total Yards: 369.1 / Rank 12
• Passing Yards: 264.9 / Rank 9
• Rushing Yards: 104.2 /Rank 22
• Points Scored: 23.5 / Rank 15
• Field Goal %: 81.1 / Rank 23

While Green Bay managed to finish the 2018 season ranked a respectable ninth in passing, Aaron Rodgers had his second-lowest completion percentage in the last 12 seasons while throwing the second-fewest TD passes over the same span in any full season. To make matters worse, Green Bay also finished 22nd in rushing and modest 15th in scoring (23.5 ppg), although they may have finally found their answer at running back in second-year back Aaron Jones.

To address their offseason needs on the offensive side of the ball, the Packers signed former Broncos offensive lineman Billy Turner while drafting Mississippi State center Elgton Jenkins in the second round and Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger in the third round.

Defense

• Total Yards: 354.4 / Rank 18
• Passing Yards: 234.5 / Rank 12
• Rushing Yards: 119.9 /Rank 22
• Points Allowed: 25 / Rank 22
• Field Goal %: 74.2 / Rank 3

Green Bay was mediocre at best defensively in finishing 18th in total defense, a respectable 12th against the pass, 22nd against the run and an identical 22nd in points allowed (25.0 ppg).  To address their needs on the defensive side of the ball, the Packers signed former Ravens linebacker Za’Darius Smith, former Bears safety Adrian Amos and former Redskins linebacker Preston Smith in free agency while adding Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary with the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft and Maryland safety Darnell Savage with the 21st pick in the opening round.

Team Leaders

• Touchdowns: Davante Adams (13)
• Rushing: Aaron Jones (728)
• Passing: Aaron Rodgers (4442)
• Receiving: Davante Adams (1386)
• Sacks: Kyler Fackrell (10.5)
• Interceptions: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (3)

Fifth-year veteran wide receiver Davante Adams had his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign in 2018 while racking up a team-high 13 touchdowns last season. The previously mentioned Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones led the team in passing and rushing respectively. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell recorded a team-high 10.5 sacks. Green Bay lost veteran safety Clinton Ha-Ha Dix in free agency.

Outlook

I know there are some renewed hopes in Green Bay because of the arrival of the offensive-minded Matt LaFleur, but unless the Packers make some dramatic improvements on the defensive side of the ball, I’m thinking this team might not be much more than average in 2019.

In addition to four difficult division matchups against Chicago and Minnesota, the Packers also have a bunch of tough non-division matchups against Philadelphia, Dallas, Kansas City and the L.A. Chargers. Until I see otherwise, I’m thinking 8-8 sounds about right for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in 2019.