The Green Bay Packers aren’t ready to hit the panic button, but things are looking pretty dim after the last two performances.
Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets has put the Packers at 3-3 to start the season, with back-to-back losses to Daniel Jones and Zach Wilson. Wilson completed just 10 passes for 110 yards in Week 6, so Green Bay’s defense fixed one problem only to highlight another.
The Packers were gashed for 179 yards by New York’s rushing attack. Green Bay’s run defense has been an issue all season, as this is the fifth game in which they have allowed at least 125 yards. On the bright side, at least the pass defense looked better, but it turns out teams can beat you in more than one way.
Offensively, there is almost too much blame to go around. Aaron Rodgers didn’t play particularly well, but he was also running for his life most of the game, taking nine hits and four sacks in the process. When the Packers did run the ball, they did so with minimal success, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry on 19 attempts.
Rodgers said postgame that simplifying the offense could limit some mistakes and create more efficiency. Perhaps this is prefatory to a conversation that needs to be had with Matt LaFleur sometime this week.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, their special teams weren’t good either. Through the first five weeks, Green Bay’s special teams had looked respectable, but that came crashing down against New York. The Jets blocked a first-half field goal and then returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to take a 17-3 lead in the third quarter.
Six games in, and the compounding of mistakes has been the only consistent thing about this Packers team. Right now, it is difficult to identify one thing they do well. The offense is a mess, and the defense continues to be a complete letdown. And now, special teams just turned in their worst performance of the season.
But through all the turmoil, we still have to identify some standouts. So, here goes.