The Green Bay Packers debuted their 1923 classic uniforms at Lambeau Field.
Alas, Sunday’s performance from the Green Bay Packers was anything but classic.
In a flat, frustrating afternoon, the Carolina Panthers took a 16-13 win with a walk-off field goal, leaving Packers fans wondering how many more times this team can beat itself.
Retro look, recycled problems
It is becoming a grim weekly routine. Another slow start. Another opponent chewing up clock and keeping the Green Bay Packers’ offense off the field.
Matt LaFleur’s play-calling was, yet again, predictable and dull – shotgun run up the middle, bubble screen, then the occasional 100-yard prayer.
In windy Lambeau conditions, it was always going to be an ugly game, but the Panthers had a plan and stuck to it. Green Bay did not.
The tone was set immediately. Rookie receiver Savion Williams fumbled on the opening offensive drive, killing what had been a promising march to the red zone
The defense responded briefly, with Xavier McKinney grabbing an interception in the end zone. But the pattern of the afternoon was already in place: long Panther drives, empty Packers possessions and a growing sense of inevitability.
Coaching called into question
It is becoming harder to defend some of LaFleur’s decision making.
He is clearly a gifted offensive mind, but his game management and play-calling are holding this team back. The predictability is painful: endless inside zone runs, short screens on third and long, and baffling decisions near the goal line.
When the Packers finally moved the ball, they stalled repeatedly in the red zone, coming away with just six points from their first four trips.
On a crucial 4th-and-8, Jordan Love threw up a desperate pass that should have been intercepted. It summed up the night – hesitant, conservative and lacking conviction. O-line penalties hurt them more than once.
I have been banging the drum for LaFleur for years, but performances like this make you question whether his message is still cutting through. The Packers have shown what they can be – explosive, aggressive, fun – so why do they look so scared to play that way?
Offense out of sync
Jordan Love’s stat line was not good enough either – 26 of 37, 273 yards, one interception – and it never felt like the offense was in rhythm.
He made a few nice throws, including a 51-yard strike to Christian Watson, but was let down by penalties, protection issues and play-calling that boxed him in.
Josh Jacobs finished with 87 yards on 17 carries – better than his usual average in recent games – though his fourth-quarter touchdown was one of the few bright spots.
Tucker Kraft’s likely season-ending injury is a hammer blow. He had become one of the league’s best tight ends, a dependable blocker and relentless yards-after-catch threat. Luke Musgrave will now need to fill those very large boots.
Matthew Golden left with a shoulder issue, Watson battled through concussion checks, and suddenly a deep receiver room looks thin. The Packers could move the ball between the 20s but repeatedly collapsed when it mattered most. Golden and Kraft had been crucial on third and fourth downs in recent weeks, and Packers missed both of them.
Defense fizzles out
For a unit that has carried the team at times this season, this was a let-down.
The defense had no sacks, only one takeaway and could not stop Carolina’s ground game. Rico Dowdle ran through arm tackles all day and the Panthers’ short, methodical drives slowly drained the life out of Lambeau.
The pass rush, normally a strength, was completely neutralised. Rashan Gary and Micah Parsons were largely anonymous.
Despite that, if you hold a team to 16 points at home, you should probably win. If you hold a quarterback to barely 100 yards and 11 completions, you should probably win.
While they were not close to their best, it is hard to pin much blame on the defensive unit.
Special teams – a familiar pain
Brandon McManus missed another field goal, his third in two weeks, and the questions about why he replaced Lucas Havrisik will only grow louder.
With two kickers on the active roster, surely it is time to sit McManus and give Havrisik – who was perfect in his two games – another shot.
Special teams penalties and poor execution continue to be a theme and continue to cost the Packers valuable points.
Same problems, different week
The Green Bay Packers remain top of the NFC North, but the issues are piling up. Slow starts. Predictable calls. Red-zone failures. Ill discipline. Poor special teams. These have all been there for years, and nothing seems to change.
Opponents have figured the formula out: control the ball, bleed the clock, frustrate Green Bay into mistakes. The coaching staff must adapt. The offense needs to combat these slow starts – a tough ask without their star tight end Kraft.
It is not all doom and gloom. The Packers still have five wins and remain in control of their division. But if they keep playing in bursts rather than complete performances, this will not last.
Next week, the Philadelphia Eagles come to Lambeau. A genuine test against a real contender. A Super Bowl champion.
And if LaFleur and this team have any ambition, they will need to show they have learned something. Because right now, it feels like the Packers are stuck in neutral.
