RIP to the Back-Shoulder Throw

The back-shoulder throw. 

When completed, there is no clearer sign of quarterback-receiver chemistry. 

It is poetry in motion. 

A dazzling display of timing and trust.

Remember when the back-shoulder throw was commonplace in Green Bay?  A staple of the Mike McCarthy offense, you’ll have to dig deep to find the back-shoulder throw in Matt LaFleur’s system. McCarthy consistently asked his pass-catchers to win one-on-one match-ups against the opposing defense.

LaFleur is using motion, deception, rub-routes and more to work his pass-catchers in space. 

In year-two of LaFleur’s system, the Packers rank 2nd in total offense and 1st in average points per game (31.6). That equates to more than a touchdown difference from the 23.5 points per game averaged during McCarthy’s final season in 2018. 

“When you examine Aaron in the last couple years of McCarthy and what you see now…even last year, you didn’t see this.” Packers Hall of Famer, Mark Tauscher explains to Wisconsin’s Afternoon News.

“Think about the big play to Davante [Adams] over the middle on a play-action from your own 1 [yard-line]. You’re seeing Aaron move the pocket. You’re seeing him with wide-open people because people are selling-out to stop Aaron Jones. The bootleg and moving him off the platform…they don’t know necessarily where he’s going to be.”

Through twelve games, the Packers have exceeded 30-points on nine occasions, and eclipsed the 40-point mark three times.