Many questions were asked of the Green Bay Packers after last week’s disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos. This week, after being dominated for a full 60 minutes against the rival Minnesota Vikings, it is abundantly clear that big changes are needed right now in Green Bay.
With the 24-10 loss in this Vikings vs Packers matchup, Matt LaFleur’s offense has now gone five straight games without scoring more than 20 points. Once again, Love tried to force too many throws he had no business making, and the offensive line was just as putrid as before. Whether the Packers want to admit it or not, they are sitting at 2-5 and are clearly in rebuild mode.
Vikings Embarrass Packers at Lambeau | Vikings vs Packers Recap
Offense Looks Like a Lost Cause
Where do we even start? The offensive line is terrible, Jordan Love doesn’t have the arm talent of even a backup quarterback, and the playcalling does this offense no favors. The Packers could only muster up 270 total yards and found themselves behind the sticks more times than we’ve seen in the past few years it seems.
This is Matt LaFleur’s offense. These are Brian Gutekunst’s players. Somebody is to blame here. This is not a case of inexperience or bad luck, these are bad players playing bad football. Green Bay has no real consistent receiving threat this year and adding more rookie talent in the draft isn’t going to do enough unless Green Bay is finally willing to significantly invest in it for the first time in over a decade. Somebody’s head is going to roll for this offense, the only question is whose.
Offensive Grade: F
Green Bay’s Defense Struggles in Key Moments Again
As crazy as it sounds, defensive coordinator Joe Barry is not the biggest issue in Green Bay. With that in mind, he certainly plays a part. While the Packers limited the Vikings to just 24 points, they allowed the Vikings to go 10/18 on third downs thanks to incredibly soft coverage.
Too many times, Green Bay forced Minnesota into a third and medium or long and played yards behind the sticks, begging the Vikings to pass for easy first downs. Even when the Packers did get stops, they picked up dumb penalties that kept the drive alive for the Vikings. Without Justin Jefferson suiting up for the Vikings, the Packers should have been able to get off the field much more than they were.
Defensive Grade: D+
Los Angeles Rams vs Green Bay Packers Preview
At this point in the season, it is more beneficial for the Packers to “tank” than to try to salvage a quickly fading dream of making the playoffs. It’s clear that the Packers have a lot of problems on and off the field and they need to spend the rest of the season trying to decide who is worthy of another year in Green Bay.
The Rams sit at 3-5 but have much more reason for optimism compared to Green Bay. Realistically, both teams need a win to have any chance at the postseason. With the Packers having scored more than 20 points just twice this season, the question for this game becomes whether or not Green Bay’s defense can hold the Rams to less than 20 points. Although this isn’t the same Rams team that won the Super Bowl not too long ago, they should be able to score 20 points fairly easily.
Prediction: Rams 27, Packers 14
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