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Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 31-29 loss to the Vikings in Week 4

The good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ 31-29 loss to the Vikings in Week 4.

The Green Bay Packers dug a 28-0 hole, got back into the game with a 22-0 run but then ran out of gas late in a 31-29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 divisional opener on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Matt LaFleur’s team in the first half. A strong second half wasn’t enough to overcome the stink of the first 30 minutes.

The Packers are now 2-2 and staring up at the unbeaten Vikings in the NFC North standings after four weeks.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ loss to the Vikings:

The Good

The potential of the passing game: Sure, Jordan Love threw three interceptions, and receivers failed over and over again to make a play on a misplaced throw. But even though the Packers passing game sputtered early and made too many mistakes overall, it’s impossible to miss the enormous potential bubbling under the surface. It’s one thing for a passing game to struggle due to covered receivers, or poor blocking, or misreads from the quarterback. It’s another when a rusty quarterback has erratic accuracy in his first game back from an injury and otherwise talented receiver are open but not finishing plays. Throwing the football consistently at the NFL level takes precision. The Packers don’t have it right now, but the foundation looks incredibly strong. As Love settles in and the timing and execution improves, the passing game could explode in production and efficiency. It’s all there. The Packers must get marginally better in a few areas and the sleeping giant will awaken.

WR Jayden Reed: Eight touches, seven receptions, 141 total yards, three explosive plays and a touchdown. Reed is a star. Through four games, Reed has 427 total yards, three touchdowns and 11 explosive plays — seven receptions of 20 or more yards and four rushes of 15 or more yards.

X goes 4/4: The streak continues for Xavier McKinney — four games, four interceptions. His pick in front of Aaron Jones prevented points in the second half and made team history — McKinney became the first player in franchise history to intercept a pass in his first four games with the team.

The Bad

The pass rush: In a game without Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine available, the Packers desperately needed the defensive front to take over the game. But after sacking Will Levis eight times last week, the Packers struggled to disrupt the pocket against Sam Darnold on Sunday. He played from too many clean pockets, especially on key passing downs. The Packers had only three quarterback hits, and two of the three came on sacks from Quay Walker and Keisean Nixon off blitzes. The four-man pass-rushing group from the Packers — led by Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark — wasn’t nearly good enough. Both Gary and Clark need to make more plays. It didn’t help to lose Devonte Wyatt to an ankle injury in the second half.

K Brayden Narveson: He missed from 37 yards off the up right, and his 49-yarder never had a chance. Not only did his two first-half misses cost the Packers six important points, but Matt LaFleur later went for it on 4th-and-10 inside field goal range. Let’s say Narveson made his first two kicks, and the Packers trailed 28-6 when the 4th-and-10 decision from the Vikings’ 34-yard line arrived. Does LaFleur kick? The lost points from the special teams really hurt in a two-point defeat. Narveson has missed four field goals in four games.

The Ugly

The first half: It would have been difficult to script a more nightmarish start for the Packers. Jordan Love threw a pair of interceptions resulting in touchdowns. Brayden Narveson missed two field goals. The Vikings scored on their first three possessions and four of their first five. Christian Watson suffered an injury. Penalties were a recurring issue. It took a crazy sequence — featuring a muffed punt, a 15-yard penalty on coach Matt LaFleur and a touchdown pass from Love to Jayden Reed — to salvage the first 30 minutes after the Packers fell behind 28-0. In the victorious visitors’ locker room, Kevin O’Connell said his team created an “avalanche” in the first half. Hard to argue with the description. The Packers looked buried under the weight of their own mistakes.

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 30-14 win over Titans in Week 3

The good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ 30-14 win over the Titans in Week 3.

The Green Bay Packers earned a second consecutive win without Jordan Love under center on Sunday in Tennessee and could now be in a position to welcome back their starting quarterback for a big-time showdown with the Minnesota Vikings next week at Lambeau Field.

Love can thank the playcalling genius of Matt LaFleur, the calm and cool demeanor of Malik Willis and a swarming defense coordinated by Jeff Hafley for salvaging what could have been a nightmare start to the 2024 season. Instead of starting 1-2 or 0-3, the Packers are 2-1 and swelling with confidence after taking care of business against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in back-to-back weeks. And Love could be back next week for a visit from the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ win over the Titans:

The Good

Defensive dominance: For the second consecutive week, the Packers defense stepped up to the challenge of helping a backup quarterback win a football game. On Sunday, Hafley’s defense delivered eight sacks, three takeaways, a pick-six and a fourth-down stop, and the Titans were held scoreless on nine of 11 possessions. The Packers stuffed the run early, built a lead and then harassed Will Levis for seven sacks in the second half.

Malik Willis on third down early: The Packers knew they needed to make a few more plays in big spots against a testy Titans defense, and Willis delivered, especially in the first half. He hit Christian Watson for 30 yards on 3rd-and-6 on the first drive, ran for a pair of first downs on third down to set up a field goal and delivered strikes to Romeo Doubs and Watson to convert third-and-longs on a field goal drive before the half. That’s 13 points off big conversions from Willis. The Packers won by 16.

Even more interceptions: Jaire Alexander produced his first-career pick-six, and Xavier McKinney grabbed an interception for the third consecutive game to start his Packers career. Alexander’s touchdown gave the Packers a 17-7 lead in the first quarter, McKinney’s pick sealed the deal late. The Packers now have seven picks in 2024, matching the team’s total from 2023.

Winning with a backup: The Packers did all the things required of playing winning football with a backup quarterback. No turnovers. Win the line of scrimmage. Explosive plays from playmakers. Defensive dominance. Takeaways. The Packers are winning with a formula that works regardless of who is playing quarterback.

The Bad

Red zone: The Packers are still having issues turning red-zone trips into touchdowns. With just one touchdown on three trips on Sunday, the Packers are now 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) to start 2024. Green Bay had 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line on their second possession but ended up settling for a 21-yard field goal. Late in the first half, the Packers got to the Titans 13-yard line with 1:27 left but ended up kicking a 26-yard field goal as time expired following a third-down sack of Malik Willis. Margins on thin in the scoring area, and the Packers haven’t executed well enough, especially in the run game. Willis did score a 5-yard rushing touchdown on the first drive. The Titans, meanwhile, converted both of their red-zone trips into touchdowns.

The Ugly

Yellow flags everywhere: The Packers were penalized 10 more times on Sunday, and that’s not even counting a few offsetting or declined penalties. Rasheed Walker was flagged for a pair of penalties on one drive, Elgton Jenkins had two holding penalties negate successful runs and Zach Tom got dinged for a procedural penalty. On the Titans’ first scoring drive, Preston Smith was offsides on 3rd-and-8, negating what would have been a drive-ending sack from Rashan Gary. The Titans converted given a second chance and scored a touchdown soon after. The special teams also had a pair of penalties, including one on a punt that ended up costing the Packers 20 yards in field position. The Packers finished with 75 penalty yards, compared to just 15 yards on two penalties from the Titans. Matt LaFleur’s team now has two games in three weeks with 10 penalties.

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 16-10 win over Colts in Week 2

The good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ 16-10 win over the Colts in Week 2.

Complementary football helped the Green Bay Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts with backup quarterback Malik Willis under center on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The offense ran the ball consistently and controlled the clock, the defense allowed only 10 points and had three takeaways, and the special teams created points and flipped the field.

The end result wasn’t a dominant win — the Packers escaped with a 16-10 victory after intercepting Anthony Richardson’s Hail Mary attempt as time expired — but style points mean nothing. The Packers got a win without Jordan Love under center.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ win over the Colts:

The Good

Reinventing on offense: With an athletic but inexperienced quarterback under center, Packers coach Matt LaFleur reinvented his offense on the fly, crafting a dense and complex run attack to hammer away at the Colts’ biggest weakness. The production was relentless early. The Packers had 164 rushing yards in the first quarter, 237 in the first half and 261 total. LaFleur ran the football 53 times, protecting Malik Willis in his first start. The Packers didn’t just try to plug Willis into the existing offensive structure; LaFleur schemed up his offense to fit the strengths of what Willis could do and handle after arriving in Green Bay 19 days ago.

Playstyle of Malik Willis: The Packers ran the ball over and over and rarely asked Willis to make a big play in the passing game, but the former Titan did exactly what is required of a backup: He played efficiently (completing 12 of 14 passes) and safely (zero turnovers, zero sacks), and when the Packers needed him to make a play, he generally did. Four times, Willis found a completion converting on third down, including a dart to Dontayvion Wicks for a touchdown in the red zone. Completing 86 percent of passes and averaging almost 9.0 yards per completion while never putting the ball in danger made for a near-perfect performance from a backup with limited playing experience and limited experience in the scheme.

More interceptions: The Packers intercepted seven passes last season. Matt LaFleur and new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley both prioritized taking away the ball, and the early results are fantastic. The defense delivered three more takeaways on Sunday. Two interceptions halted Colts drives in Packers territory, while the third ended the game. The Packers now have five picks in two games, including two from newcomer Xavier McKinney.

The Bad

Josh Jacobs fumble: A legitimate blowout was brewing early on with the Packers up 10 and driving following an interception, but Jacobs — who finished with 151 rushing yards on 32 carries — fumbled a moment before getting into the end zone. A score there would have put the Packers up 17-0. Instead, the Packers didn’t score again until midway through the third quarter. Considering the Packers fumbled at the 1-yard line and missed a 45-yard field goal, at least 10 points were left on the field. What turned out to be a 16-10 final could have easily been a comfortable 26-13 win (Colts also missed a field goal).

Narv’s 3/4 start: In back-to-back weeks, rookie kicker Brayden Narveson has made three straight field goals before missing a kick in the second half. In Week 1, he missed from 43. on Sunday, he missed from 45. There are only seven kickers under 80 percent on field goals to start the 2024 season, and Narveson is one of them. Will consistency continue to be elusive in the kicking game?

The Ugly

Injuries to rookies: First-round pick Jordan Morgan departed with a shoulder injury and didn’t return, creating concern he aggravated the injury that cost him precious time and reps during training camp. Morgan was gaining valuable experience in a rotation with Sean Rhyan at right guard, but now there is a real possibility of him missing time. Later, third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd suffered his third lower-body injury since the start of training camp. The rookie running back injured his hip early in camp, injured his hamstring in the preseason opener and now injured his ankle in his NFL debut. Lloyd looked dynamic on a few touches Sunday. His injury luck couldn’t be worse.

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 34-29 loss to Eagles in Week 1

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1.

The Green Bay Packers labored through a sloppy and mistake-prone season opener, which ended with quarterback Jordan Love watching from the sideline after he suffered an apparent lower body injury on the third to last play from scrimmage of the 34-29 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

Starting the year 0-1 has never ended a team’s season, but losing Love would likely destroy the Packers’ chances of competing in 2024. The disappointing loss stings but the only thing that matters coming out of Friday night is Love’s injury situation, which remains unclear as of Saturday morning.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ loss:

The Good

WR Jayden Reed: The man they call “Bird” soared in Brazil. The second-year receiver produced four catches for 138 yards, one rush for 33 yards, 171 total yards and two total touchdowns. He broke tackles on both of his long touchdowns — the first a 33-yard run, the second a 70-yard catch. Reed also hauled in an incredible 33-yard catch along the sideline on the final drive. The only shame was that Reed got only five touches.

Run game: While it took time to get moving, the Packers run game ended up producing 163 total yards — and Reed, Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson all had an explosive run of 15 or more yards. Reed made a man miss in the open field on his touchdown run, Wilson got a touchdown drive going with runs of 14 and 18 yards and Jacobs produced 80 of his 84 rushing yards in the second half.

Takeaways: The defense struggled overall, but Jeff Hafley’s group did produce three takeaways — an area of emphasis after the Packers produced only 18 takeaways over 17 games in the final year of Joe Barry’s defense. Xavier McKinney got a pick on the Eagles’ third play from scrimmage, and Jaire Alexander took points off the board with a pick in the end zone. Twice, the Packers were set up inside the 20-yard line off takeaways. While the defense didn’t play well enough against a talented offense to win the game, securing three turnovers is going to be good enough to win most weeks in the NFL.

The Bad

Mistakes galore: The Packers finished 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone, turned three takeaways into just nine points, committed 10 penalties, had a half-dozen or more slips, misfires or drops in the passing game, missed a half-dozen or more tackles and generally missed opportunity after opportunity to take hold of the game. Coach Matt LaFleur didn’t want to take away anything from the Eagles, but his immediate post-game reaction was that his team lost the game more than the Eagles won it.

How many mistakes did the Packers have in what LaFleur called a “slop fest” of a performance? Andy Herman counted 39:

https://twitter.com/AndyHermanNFL/status/1832324683141623976

The Ugly

Love’s injury: Losing by five points to an NFC contender in the season opener wouldn’t have been a disaster, but losing Love to a significant injury absolutely would be. On the third to last play, Love got hit on the side of his left leg and then was rolled up on as he lateraled the ball to Josh Jacobs. He was down in agonizing pain before being helped from the field. The Packers will hope for something positive from additional testing in Green Bay this weekend. The fate of this highly anticipated season rests on good news.

The field: A soccer field in Brazil couldn’t handle a professional football game. Both teams had to deal with the slippery playing surface, but does this look like an acceptable field for a game in the National Football League?

https://twitter.com/DaireCarragher/status/1832277531367526812

Good, bad and ugly coming out of Packers’ preseason finale

The good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ preseason finale win over the Ravens.

The Green Bay Packers wrapped up the preseason in 2024 with a 30-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday at Lambeau Field. After Thursday’s joint practice, Packers coach Matt LaFleur decided to sit most of his important players to make sure his team is as healthy as possible for the Week 1 showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

In a game of backups, the Packers started fast, scoring on three of their first four possessions before opening up a 20-7 lead on a defensive touchdown. Green Bay gave up just one score — a 48-yard touchdown pass in the first half on a busted coverage. A pair of takeaways in the second half helped the Packers slam the door shut on a dominant preseason win.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ preseason finale victory over the Ravens:

The Good

Bo Melton and Malik Heath caught clutch touchdown passes, the defense forced four turnovers and the Packers came out of the preseason in good shape on the injury front. Melton had a spinning 18-yard touchdown catch on 3rd-and-4 in the first half, while Heath out-muscled the defensive back on a 7-yard touchdown catch on 4th-and-4 in the second half. Both receivers have a good chance of being on the 53-man roster. Jeff Hafley’s defense produced two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, including a fumble return for a touchdown. Defensive end Arron Mosby created two of the four takeaways on a strip-sack and an interception when he dropped into coverage. In terms of injuries, the Packers sat 38 important starters and veterans, ensuring they’d suffer no season-altering injury in the preseason finale. The only reported injuries were to linebacker Ralen Goforth and Jonathan Ford.

The Bad

Michael Pratt’s interception and tackle attempt. After a solid first half in which he completed six of his first eight passes and tossed an impressive touchdown pass to Bo Melton, Pratt labored through a rough second half, which was highlighted by a poor interception thrown directly to a Ravens linebacker. Under pressure, he hurried a throw into heavy coverage. Clearly frustrated after the decision, Pratt tried hunting down Trenton Simpson but ended up knocking the wind out of himself on the tackle attempt. It looked like a car accident, but after catching his breath, Pratt walked off the field and eventually returned. While Pratt struggled in the second half, Sean Clifford had his own issues in the first half, completing only 3-of-10 passes while dealing with plenty of pressure.

The Ugly

Anders Carlson’s late miss. Just when it looked like he had the kicking job locked up, Carlson pushed a 32-yard field goal wide right in the second half. Conditions inside Lambeau Field were nearly perfect, and the snap was good. Carlson just missed it, and the attempt wasn’t really close. The miss was a harsh reminder of Carlson’s volatility as a kicker. He had made his first three kicks, including a 54-yarder, but after another confidence-rattling miss, can the Packers really trust him entering the regular season?

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ lopsided preseason loss to Broncos

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 27-2 loss to the Broncos in the preseason.

The Green Bay Packers are heading home after a humbling couple of days in Denver. Coach Matt LaFleur believed his starters and veterans got humbled in a joint practice on Friday, and Sunday night’s 27-2 drubbing — featuring mostly backups vs. Broncos starters early on — was humbling for the rest of the roster.

Wake up call? The Packers need to regroup before an important final week of the preseason, which features a joint practice and the preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ lopsided preseason loss to the Broncos:

The Good

The Packers rested 31 starters, including quarterback Jordan Love and most starters on offense and defense, so there were no season-altering injuries. At the end of the day, the top priority coming out of the preseason is health of the roster, especially at the important positions. Did the Packers starters dominate in the joint practice? No. Did the Packers backups show up in Denver? Also no. But it appears the Packers are heading back to Green Bay in a good shape on the injury front. Rookie linebacker Ralen Goforth (concussion) was the only in-game announced injury.

The Bad

The No. 2 defense vs. Bo Nix and the Broncos offensive starters. Sure, this was backups vs. starters, but the Packers still had Lukas Van Ness, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden and Kingsley Enagbare up front, and rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams were both on the field alongside veterans in the secondary. Nix sliced and diced, completing 8-of-9 passes for 80 yards while leading two scoring drives. It would have been 14-0 after two drives had a penalty not negated a touchdown pass. Collectively, the second-team defense had a rough night against a rookie quarterback.

The Ugly

The Packers passing game. Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, who are competing to be the No. 2 quarterback, completed 16 of 26 passes for 95 yards. Both quarterbacks had a turnover — Clifford threw a bad pick, while Pratt lost a fumble on a sack. The passing game’s longest gain was 11 yards. Pass protection was inconsistent. Completions down the field were almost non-existent. The Packers averaged 3.7 yards per attempt and 5.9 yards per completion. LaFleur’s team went to Denver hoping to gain some clarity at quarterback behind Jordan Love but are returning home with a lot more question marks.

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ preseason win over Browns

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ preseason win over the Browns.

The Green Bay Packers checked almost all the boxes in Saturday’s preseason-opening win over the Cleveland Browns. The No. 1 offense scored on the third play from scrimmage. There were no major injuries. The Packers led the whole way. They mostly dominated the line of scrimmage, didn’t have a turnover, committed only three penalties, converted nine third or fourth downs and went 5-for-5 kicking field goals and extra points.

The Packers led 17-3 at half time, at one point held a 23-3 advantage in the second half and eventually exited Cleveland Browns Stadium with a 23-10 win.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ preseason opening victory:

Good

Aug 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a touchdown pass as Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman (33) defends during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Opening touchdown: A beautiful route from Dontayvion Wicks on a slot fade and a perfect deep ball from Jordan Love created a 65-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the preseason.

Recent first-round picks along DL: Lukas Van Ness had a sack, three tackles for loss and several pressures, while Devonte Wyatt had a few near-sacks and pressures. They were both part of a disruptive defensive front.

WR Grant DuBose: He caught five passes, including one on fourth down to continue a drive and a diving 23-yarder in the two-minute to set up a field goal. His 66 receiving yards represented a game-high. DuBose was also an active blocker. This was a statement performance from a receiver fighting for a roster spot.

S Evan Williams: The rookie safety had a few impressive open-field tackles in the first half, and he opened the second half with a crunching hit that resulted in a fumble and a takeaway. No. 33 keeps finding the ball and making impact plays.

Bad

Red zone: The Packers were only 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone, which meant settling for several short field goals. Good work for the kicking competition; not so great for scoring more points. One red zone failure came off Evan Williams forced a turnover to open the second half. You can bet Matt LaFleur will emphasize finishing drives this week.

MarShawn Lloyd injury: The rookie third-round pick was available for only two touches before he went out with a hamstring injury. Lloyd has now dealt with a hip injury and hamstring injury during his first training camp.

A.J. Dillon’s four carries: He gained just two yards on four attempts during the second drive. After the Packers got to 2nd-and-1, Dillon carried on three consecutive snaps and gained zero net yards, resulting in a turnover on downs.

Ugly

Bo Melton’s hands: Melton was part of a fumble on a jet sweep, and he had at least two drops, including one in the red zone that probably should have resulted in an interception. Melton finished with one catch on four targets for 12 yards.

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 18-17 win over Saints

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ comeback win over the Saints.

The Green Bay Packers gave up a punt return touchdown and eventually fell behind 17-0 through three quarters against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but Jordan Love’s dramatics and an inspired effort from the Packers defense combined to create a memorable final 15 minutes in which Love led three straight scoring drives and the Packers escaped with an 18-17 victory at Lambeau Field.

The Packers are now 2-1 after blowing a 12-point lead last week in Atlanta and coming from behind to stun the Saints on Sunday.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 18-17 win over the Saints in Week 3:

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ Week 2 loss to Falcons

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 25-24 loss to the Falcons in Week 2.

The Green Bay Packers squandered a chance to start the 2023 season at 2-0 when Matt LaFleur’s team gave up a 12-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 25-24 to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Instead of flying home to Green Bay with two impressive road victories, the Packers must regroup and flush a bad loss before next week’s home opener against the New Orleans Saints.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ Week 2 loss to the Falcons:

Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ Week 1 win over Bears

So much good. One bad coverage. One ugly two-series sequence. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 38-20 win over the Bears in Week 1.

The Green Bay Packers used three touchdown passes from Jordan Love, a pair of scoring plays from Aaron Jones and a disruptive defensive performance featuring an interception return for a touchdown from Quay Walker to help blow out the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.

The Packers are now 1-0 to start the 2023 season after producing a ninth straight win over the Bears.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 38-20 win over the Bears in Week 1: