Preseason is Over — What did we learn?

The biggest story surrounding the Packers is Josh Jacobs, and the situation has finally come to a head—well, kind of.

Jacobs has been placed on the Commissioner Exempt List, meaning he will not count against Green Bay’s active roster while the league reviews the situation. A suspension is expected, although its length remains unknown. Jacobs’ next court date is September 10, when we may learn more about the alleged altercation and how many games he could ultimately miss.

Outside of Jacobs’ situation, the biggest question coming out of training camp—and heading into the regular season—is simple: When will Micah Parsons return?

Parsons will begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, requiring him to miss at least the first four games: at Minnesota, at the New York Jets, versus Atlanta and at Tampa Bay. If Green Bay can survive that stretch at 2–2—or, ideally, emerge at 3–1 or even 4–0—it would be a major step toward accomplishing what this team intends to accomplish this season.

In Parsons’ absence, all eyes will be squarely on Lukas Van Ness. After putting together a nice season in 2025, LVN needs to take another step forward and establish himself as one of Green Bay’s long-term answers at edge rusher.

The Packers’ younger pass rushers will also receive plenty of opportunities, and each offers considerable upside—most notably No. 57 Brenton Cox Jr., No. 99 Barryn Sorrell and rookie No. 51 Dani Dennis-Sutton. By the time Parsons returns, these players should have accumulated meaningful snaps. That experience could prove valuable when Green Bay needs them as part of the rotation during the stretch run.

Another important player returning from injury is Tucker Kraft. Despite suffering a torn ACL last season, Kraft enters Week 1 at Minnesota listed as the Packers’ No. 1 tight end. That is a very encouraging sign.

However, second-string tight end Luke Musgrave suffered a neck injury during training camp in June and has yet to return. Green Bay responded by signing savvy veteran Jonnu Smith. The Packers will be Smith’s sixth team as he enters his 10th NFL season, and he has been a consistently productive tight end throughout his career. He provides valuable depth at the position and, even after Musgrave returns, should remain an important role player in Green Bay’s offense throughout the season.

Have the Glaring Weaknesses Been Addressed?

First and foremost, there is the offensive line.

The Packers spent much of last season playing musical chairs up front, and the offensive line’s inconsistency was ultimately one of the primary reasons for their quick exit from the 2025 postseason. Although No. 77 Jordan Morgan has finally moved to his natural position at left tackle, the rest of the unit still comes with plenty of questions.

No. 50 Zach Tom—now Zach Tom-Bako-Bewele—is arguably one of the league’s best tackles when healthy. Unfortunately, he is not yet 100 percent and struggled to remain healthy throughout last season. His absence proved devastating to the Packers’ offense. Tom is every bit as important to the functioning of this unit as the guards and center.

Green Bay desperately needs to establish some continuity along the offensive line and, more importantly, keep the group healthy heading into the postseason—assuming the Packers make it that far.

The other glaring weakness is already well known: cornerback.

No. 25 Keisean Nixon remains CB1, but he has been a liability since taking over that role. Since Jaire Alexander’s departure, the Packers have struggled to find a legitimate top corner. Nixon was beaten far too often last season, particularly in critical situations.

Considering Nixon is no longer a young, developing player, it would be dangerous to assume he will suddenly become a true No. 1 corner—or even a serviceable starter for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

That means rookie No. 2 Brandon Cisse will be relied upon immediately. The Packers had better hope he is ready for the assignment.

How Can We Get Excited?

When healthy last season, the Packers looked like the best team in football—until three major injuries in Denver derailed their season.

If the 2026 campaign is going to be a successful one, Green Bay will need significant jumps from several of its young players:

• No. 0 Matthew Golden — WR
• No. 77 Jordan Morgan — LT
• No. 32 MarShawn Lloyd — RB
• No. 2 Brandon Cisse — CB
• No. 90 Lukas Van Ness — EDGE

Matthew Golden

We’re already familiar with last year’s first-round pick and what he can do. Golden’s biggest obstacles were his limited snap count and lack of targets. When the ball came his way, he was productive; for one reason or another, however, he was not given enough opportunities.

That changed in the Wild Card matchup. Golden delivered arguably the biggest play of Green Bay’s season when he scored his first career touchdown, giving the Packers a late lead over a surging Bears team. He showed a knack for finding the end zone and making plays when they mattered. This season, Jordan Love and company need to trust him to do more of the same.

Jordan Morgan

Morgan appears to be a natural fit at left tackle, and by all accounts, he has looked the part. If Green Bay has finally found a long-term answer at one of football’s most important positions, it will go a long way toward helping the Green and Gold return to the promised land.

MarShawn Lloyd

Lloyd is almost as much of an unknown as a rookie—hell, that’s essentially what he is.

Now entering his third NFL season, Lloyd has battled injuries throughout his young career and has barely had an opportunity to show what he can do. However, he possesses the talent and physical makeup to become a productive NFL running back. With Jacobs on the shelf, Lloyd should finally get his chance.

Brandon Cisse

Cisse actually is a rookie—and while rookies generally struggle, rookie cornerbacks tend to face an especially difficult transition to the NFL.

Here we go again with that word: “hopefully.”

Hopefully, Cisse can quickly develop into the top-tier corner Green Bay so desperately needs. Whether he is ready or not, the Packers may have no choice but to rely on him immediately.

How Will the Season Shake Out?

NFC

As always, I went through all 272 NFL regular-season games and picked a winner in every matchup. Each team’s projected record is the result of those individual picks—not simply a record I assigned to it. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

Every NFL season is different, but the previous year remains the best starting point we have. With that in mind, I expect the NFC West to remain strong. Seattle, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams are all formidable teams capable of competing for a Super Bowl.

I also expect the NFC North to be highly competitive again, especially with Detroit unlikely to endure the same barrage of injuries it faced last season.

The other team lurking in the NFC is Dallas. The Cowboys are loaded with talent and have one of the conference’s most potent offenses. They also added enough help defensively to potentially compete for the NFC East crown.

That said, Seattle remains the defending champion. The Seahawks have not lost many important pieces and deserve to be taken seriously until someone proves otherwise.

The same applies to the Rams, who added two future Hall of Famers—Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald—to their defensive line. Remember, Los Angeles was right there with Seattle in the NFC Championship Game. Adding those two difference-makers may be exactly what the Rams need to get over the hump.

Lastly, I expect Detroit to return to the form it showed a few seasons ago, when the Lions had their first Super Bowl appearance within reach before letting it slip away. They are now a full season removed from losing both coordinators and have had time to adjust to life without Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Combine that experience with a healthier roster, and Detroit should once again be a force to be reckoned with.

AFC

The X-factor in the AFC is Kansas City. They finally fell from Grace and had an off year, but still have their main core intact (aka Mahomes and Reid) and if Patty is healthy they should return to their normal spot as AFC-favorite, maybe. Denver still feels like the Real Deal and had Bo Nix not broken his foot in the Divisional Rd game v. Buffalo, likely would’ve competed better against Seattle in the Super Bowl and possibly won the damn thing.

Many people are jumping on the Baltimore Ravens’ bandwagon while simultaneously vacating the Buffalo Bills’ wagon (pun intended). I’m a firm believer in QB-play as paramount, especially in January, so as long as Josh Allen is on the Bills I’d give them a better chance than Baltimore, but the NFL is a funny league – full of surprises.

Green Bay

I have Green Bay finishing 11-6, 2^nd in the NFC North behind #1 seed Detroit in the NFC Playoff Picture. As stated above, the key stretch for determining Green Bay’s seeding and whether they even make the playoffs, will be how they fare without Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs (the first 4 games of the season). I have Green Bay gaining the 7^th seed in the playoffs for the 4^th consecutive season, which if they find another quick exit may spell disaster for the career track of Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst. Gutekunst and LaFleur have assembled a roster featuring an ideal balance of youth, talent and experience. If that roster once again fails to reach the NFC Championship Game—let alone win a Super Bowl—even I would have difficulty defending both men at season’s end.

Should Philadelphia win their 3^rd Super Bowl championship in 10 years, they’d be the new staple franchise, setting the standard. Say what you want about their coach, I’m not a fan of him either, however, all he does is win regular season games and he’s been to two Super Bowls having won one of them. Their team is strong and have plenty of pieces in the right places to do just this, win playoff games on the road.

What’s happened in these 3 months?

The 2026 NFL Draft, specifically for the Green Bay Packers saw them address need. While I don’t like drafting for need, if the best player available happens to fill a “need,” then that’s perfect harmony. Without having a 1^st round pick (traded to Dallas in the Micah Parson deal last August), Green Bay added a couple of high-potential (potential) contributors. Mainly CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) could see himself starting as early as Week 1. Again, expecting rookies to be key contributors on a Super Bowl-caliber team is dangerous due to the rarity, but here we are.

Micah Parsons was listed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) meaning he’ll miss at least the first 4 games – which is good considering rushing him back from injury could easily cause more harm than good. He’s essential to this team in order for them to win the Super Bowl and must be available in the 2^nd half of the season and throughout the playoffs. All we have to do is look back at last year prior to his injury, the Packers were a top-5 defense and as soon as he was hurt in Denver, the Broncos had no issue putting up points and the Packers never won a game after that.

Tucker Kraft also is beginning training camp on the PUP list; however, as of yesterday (7/31) he was removed from the PUP and expects to be ready to play Week 1. Kraft is in a contract year and I doubt he’d put himself in a position where he could cost himself 10’s of millions of dollars. Then again, he’s about as plain a football player that exists, and truly desires to play and win.

The other main item is the Josh Jacobs story…while he, allegedly, got himself in hot water no charges have been filed (up to this post), meaning is interesting on a few different levels. In the United States, you’re innocent until proven guilty, therefore he’s practicing and is on the roster with no changes, ‘nor should there be at this point.

What to Watch in Camp

First and always to be concerned with in training camp is health. Getting through August healthy is a difficult task and the most important. Injuries in camp could easily be torn ligaments putting players’ entire seasons at risk because most of the injuries are non-contact. It also means that they’re more likely to get reinjured due to something being weaker than 100% if coming in hurt off training camp, so staying healthy is paramount.

The next item – how do the rookies look? There are 2 rookies that will/should be under a microscope, Brandon Cisse and Trey Smack. Both will either start, or in Cisse’s case see significant playing time. Reminder, Smack is the rookie kicker from Florida and is the front-runner to land the kicking duties after Green Bay released Brandon McManus (cost the Packers 7 points with his missed kicks in the playoff loss @ Chicago back in January). The 3^rd rookie that could see important snaps is Chris McClellan (DT), hopefully as a reliable rotational player along the defensive front. The last rookie to keep an eye on is the Edge Rusher from Penn St., Dani Dennis-Sutton. Many had him as a 2^nd-round graded draft pick when Green Bay selected him in the 4^th round of this past April’s draft. He has a high-potential to turn into something very good, and hopefully can step right in and fill the shoes left behind from Kingsley Enagbare as a rotational pass rusher and may even be called upon for key passing downs with Micah Parsons missing the first quarter of the season.

Have Fun Watching the Process

Once the preseason ends and cuts have been made we’ll have a much better idea of the strength and makeup of this team – which, as of today, SHOULD have high expectations and compete for a Lombardi Trophy.

Not many entering the 2025 season thought the Seattle Seahawks would hoist their 2^nd Lombardi Trophy in franchise history; however, they proved to be the best team from start to finish. Seattle tied for the best regular season record at 14-3 along with New England (lost in the Super Bowl) and Denver (lost in the AFC Championship to New England) – Seattle ended 3^rd in points scored and 1^st in points allowed, putting them 1^st in the point differential category. If you’ve been following along, that’s the best indicator of a team’s true strength.

Regarding my predictions heading into the season, I had the Philadelphia Eagles repeating as champs over the Cincinnati Bengals (my fault for thinking Burrow would play more than 8 games). I also had the Packers losing in the NFC title game to Philadelphia. I picked Seattle to finish 9-8 and just out of the playoffs as the 8^th seed in the NFC and had New England slotted in the 8^th seed in the AFC with a 10-7 record.

What’s Happened Since?

The biggest news was the trading of disappointing Edge Rusher, Rashan Gary. The Packers flipped him to Dallas (which is hilarious that the Cowboys felt they needed a pass-rush after trading away Micah Parsons) for a 2027 4^th-round pick. That’s a huge win for Green Bay as they were likely moving on from Gary considering his lack of production along with his inflated contract/cap-hit, this made all the sense in the world for the Packers to move him and find someway to get something in return. Here’s a list of notable “losses” from the organization since we last spoke:

• Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Hafley
• Special Teams Coordinator: Rich Bisaccia
• Edge Rusher: Rashan Gary
• Inside LB: Quay Walker
• Left Tackle: Rasheed Walker
• Wide Receiver: Romeo Doubs
• Wide Receiver: Dontayvion Wicks
• Left Guard: Elgton Jenkins
• Cornerback: Nate Hobbs
• Defensive Tackle: Colby Wooden

That’s quite the turnover from a team that showed much promise, however, all seem to be the right moves as Hafley was well-liked, but his defenses without Micah resembled those of his predecessor, Joe Barry. Everyone is happy to see Bisaccia gone, but until the special teams units take a big leap, we shouldn’t be holding our breath. It’s sad to see Jenkins leave, but at his age and wear & tear he was likely going to be a cap casualty considering his cap hit coming up. Quay was replaced immediately with the Wooden trade and Rasheed Walker’s replacement, Jordan Morgan, was already on the roster and had showed significant improvement throughout the 2025 campaign.

Now that we’ve covered the losses, let’s see who’s new to 1265 Lombardi Ave.

New Additions

Briefly mentioned above, the Packers made some trades and brought in some (hopefully key) free agent acquisitions. Let’s list them out:

• Defensive Coordinator: Jonathan Gannon (former Arizona Head Coach)
• Special Teams Coordinator: Cam Achord (Asst. Special Teams Coach, NYG)
• Javon Hargrave – DT
• Skyy Moore – WR (mainly kick/punt returner)
• Benjamin St-Juste – CB
• Zaire Franklin – ILB (Wooden trade)

The other main “acquisition” was extending C Sean Rhyan, which solidifies the OL a bit. However, this team will look a bit different, but for the most part stay the same. While it was another early playoff exit, this past season felt quite a bit different due to the Packers missing, arguably, their two best players the 2^nd half of the season (Kraft & Parsons). By addressing the offensive line issues – kind of – and getting those guys back, along with shoring up the LB corps and adding much-needed depth to the cornerback room, this team is poised to make a run again, assuming key players don’t get injured throughout the season…

What Does This Mean for the Packers’ Draft?

Keep in mind, Green Bay does not currently own a 1^st round draft choice in 2026 (or 2027) due to the Micah Parsons trade, but that doesn’t mean they can’t come out victorious from this weekend’s draft, held in Pittsburgh. The approach to the draft that Green Bay takes is the proper one, and widely debated. Green Bay rarely drafts for “need,” and typically drafts the “best player available” (BPA) or trades back/down. Considering there are 53 men on the roster and 46 suit up each game, having the most, best players on the roster is a great concept and will better you in the long run, almost always. This said, every team has needs, true needs and the Packers are no different. Green Bay still would like to have 2 additional solid, capable cornerbacks, a true run-stuffing defensive tackle, and offensive line depth is always necessary.

As for identifying players that Green Bay should target? That’s tough to say considering they don’t pick until 52, assuming they don’t trade up. If I had to guess, the Packers will take 1-2 cornerbacks, 1-2 offensive linemen, another wide receiver, maybe an inside linebacker, edge rusher, and tight end. They also may use one on a quarterback as that’s the prudent thing to do. With the spirit of tradition, I’ll make a guess, with the 52^nd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers select…

Kayden McDonald – DT, Ohio St.

He’s likely gone, possibly even a 1^st round pick, but I’m hopeful that he could slide, as 2-3 prospects always do, and if he’s on the board when it’s Green Bay’s turn, I’d hope they pull the trigger and take him.

Wild Card Recap: Bears 31; Packers 27

After sitting on it for a few days, it’s a bit easier to digest, or at least digest at all. After a perfect start to the game the finish was inevitable. Green Bay jumped out to a 21-3 lead after their first 3 possessions of the game, and were driving to add additional points on the board before halftime. Kicker, Brandon McManus, missed a 55-yarder (would’ve been nice, and did make the first attempt before Chicago called a timeout to “ice” him), that ultimately played a huge part in the game. The Packers could’ve had a 24-3 lead coming out of half, with all of the momentum and getting the ball to start the 3^rd quarter. From that point on, the offensive line, the one area which I said would eventually cost this team their season, reared its ugly head. After giving Jordan Love ample time to throw and the Green Bay ground game running lanes to be efficient, nothing worked. Love was pressured on essentially every drop back in the 2^nd half and the timing and rhythm was in disarray for the remainder of the game.

Just like 2014 NFC title game in Seattle, there were a bevy of things that had to go wrong in order for Green Bay to lose this game. Before we go blaming Matt LaFleur, Jordan Love, or the defense, keep in mind NONE of those people were here when that occurred. I’m not deflecting blame, or placing it elsewhere, just pointing out that there was a different President, General Manager, Head Coach, and Quarterback in that game vs. this game. Special Teams, mainly McManus, cost Green Bay 7 points, directly. There’s no side-stepping that. However, the major issue is the offense couldn’t do anything for all but 2 drives in the 2^nd half. The o-line got used and abused and it disrupted the entire operation, as it usually does. The defense was then on the field a ton, without getting much break in between, against an inaccurate, but dangerous passer.  Couple that with lesser and lesser pass rush and a secondary that consists of cornerbacks that can’t hold up in long coverage, it spells disaster. This was as much a team loss that we’ve had since that 2014 NFC Championship Game, and it was deserved. Even in the “gotta have it” moments, on the last drive, Love was on his game, but it didn’t matter. He hit rookie Matthew Golden on an out route on 4^th & 7 to gain a first down AND get out of bounds. Then hit Jayden Reed, perfectly, in stride for a big gain to Chicago’s 18-yard line, that bounced off his hands. Had he caught it, he may actually score, but at least gets inside the 20, out of bounds, and the Packers are set up with a 1^st & 10 from the 15 with 0:40 left and a timeout. If you’re Chicago, you can see the ending already. Then a few plays later there’s maybe Jordan Love’s best throw of his career, hitting a back foot toss, over the middle, above the linebackers and below the safeties to a streaking Christian Watson that hits him in stride in his hands at the Chi 3-yard line. If he catches it, he gets knocked into the end zone and the Packers win the game. In years past, it’s been Rodgers keying in on 1 WR or not seeing wide open guys (kind of like Brett too in the 2007 NFC Championship Game) and either that WR letting the team down or the QB missing the throw or read. In this situation, it wasn’t just 1 guy, it was multiple and it kept happening throughout the 2^nd half. Also, Love missed some guys earlier in the 2^nd half which stalled drives. He also didn’t take off and run on a 3^rd & 2 when he easily would’ve gained the 1^st down, but couple that with everyone else’s errors, and you get a game that should’ve been over after Golden’s first career TD, turned into what it was, an epic disaster.

Season Review: Another Epic Failure; Waste of a Season

This team, all season, has found ways to lose games with substantial leads, and I don’t think there’s a clear-cut answer as to why…or at least not a singular “who’s to blame?” Against Chicago alone this season, the Packers have held leads of 14-3, 16-6, and 21-3, finding a way to lose 2 of those games, and all of them either eventually being tied or in the case of last Saturday, the lead evaporating. There are other games throughout this season that resembled this, not just the Bear games. Week 3 in Cleveland, the Packers were up 10-0. The following week in Dallas, they were up 13-0 with an ensuing extra point to make it 14-0, but was blocked and a 3-point swing in an eventual tie game. The Packers were up 23-14 in Denver with a kill shot play on the way and it all went south from there. While injuries are an excuse, the Packers lost their closer, Micah Parsons. Once he went down in that Denver game, the defense evolved into a bottom ½ defense in the NFL. Their scheme opening games has been great, just evidenced by the Chicago games without Micah, but when in crunch time, they didn’t have that difference-maker or play-maker to make the 1 play to close the game out. There’s a reason Green Bay finished 0-5 in games without Micah (lost him during the 3^rd quarter of the Denver game and couldn’t close it out). Now, had he been healthy does Green Bay win all of their remaining games? Not likely vs. Baltimore, but even then, had they won in Denver, then Chicago the following week, they have a lot to play for in Minnesota and likely get the 2-seed and finish the regular season 12-4-1. That would’ve set up a tough playoff matchup against Los Angeles and the OL issues still would’ve remained…likely resulting in a home playoff loss, but the overall sentiment of the team is a bit different, maybe.

To state it again, prior to the Micah Parsons trade, the goal of this team was to win the Super Bowl, which was only amplified, and believed by more national pundits, once Green Bay acquired him. While injuries are real and a reasonable excuse, it doesn’t exclude these collapses because those “reserves” played well enough to build you those leads – it’s more complicated than 1 phrase, but it’s not: Mental Toughness. This team hasn’t had mental toughness for years, maybe since the 2010 season, and we can’t pinpoint as to why. While it’s nice to say the words, “Our expectations are Super Bowl titles,” the actions dictate otherwise. Something to the effect of “Let’s get to the playoffs and see what happens.” Which is a fan observation, “Get in and get hot.” Yes, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to build the strongest team in the league, and have that be the case annually, it should still be the standard and to build a team that could/should be the favorite in a 3-4 year window, but the leadership must match that sentiment, or exceed it for it to be actuality.

Moving Forward – Now What?

It’ll be on the 3 men pictured above to find the right solution. First, with team President, Ed Policy. It’s believed he’ll remove the siloed structure of the Head Coach and General Manager reporting directly to the President and have a more traditional org chart of the Head Coach reporting to the General Manager, and then the GM reporting to the President…keep the football people streamlined reporting into the business persons. With 1 year left on Matt LaFleur’s contract, and Ed Policy voicing his opinion about “not having a lame-duck” situation, meaning Green Bay will either extend or fire LaFleur. There are epic pros and cons to each scenario, and no right (or wrong) decision. Having covered the collapses of decades past, LaFleur is the head man and ultimately responsible for the product on the field. His postseason record with Love at the helm is 1-3, and while jumping ahead of expectations in year 1, it’s been lack-luster (regardless of reasoning) since. Wild Card exits are Wild Card exits. Not having won the division since the 2021 season and seeing everyone else in the division win it since is a problem, especially given that this team’s talent doesn’t seem to be the issue. Notwithstanding of the direction Green Bay decides to go, major changes MUST occur.

Assuming Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley, leaves for a Head Coaching job, hiring another DC must be a home run. Hafley has been good, but ultimately very similar to Joe Barry and Mike Pettine in their final years (his predecessors), and without Micah, it was VERY similar.

This leads us to two questions, even if Green Bay decide on Matt LaFleur;

1. What WILL the Packers do?
2. What SHOULD the Packers do?

While opinion-based questions, no one will know what’s right or wrong until the following season. There’s a statement that’s been tossed around of “How can you believe in a coach after a loss like that?” Former Packers full back, and fan favorite, John Kuhn, had a solid response… “Players don’t lose faith in a Head Coach after a game like that. They lose faith in other players.” That makes a ton of sense, but it’s the same result, whether it’s the player or coaches, there’s failure. Maybe it’s the General Manager assembling the wrong group of individuals with the proper make-up to close these games out. Maybe it’s the overall culture of the organization, from the President on down… Hell, look at the Bears, from ownership to their Head Coach, down to the players, they all “hate” Green Bay. We don’t have that mindset at 1265 Lombardi Ave., we’re “above that.” While that’s all well and good, the Bears won and it seemed like their will to win that game was far higher than Green Bay’s. Going back to what I covered earlier, saying your goal is to win Super Bowls is great and all, but the actions dictate otherwise.

Prediction?

Not that anyone cares my opinion on what the Packers do, I think they’ll keep LaFleur, replace their offensive coordinator, and replace their special teams coordinator. As for personnel decisions, there are quite a few options across the team that they could go, but I trust Russ Ball and Brian Gutekunst to make that all work out as the talent on the field hasn’t been the driving issue for years now. If Hafley leaves, of course they’ll hire another defensive coordinator, and they must nail ALL of these new hires if there’s going to be actual change.

Season Prediction Accuracy: 10-8
Overall Prediction Accuracy: 117-77

Chicago – After starting the season 0-2, both against the division, the Bears rattled off wins in 9 of their next 10 games. They then traded 1^st place in the NFC North with Green Bay for consecutive weeks, and had an outside chance to get the 1-seed, but Seattle took care of business against San Francisco in Week 17 locking up the Bye in the Wild Card round for the NFC side.

The Bears finished the season with the 6^th overall offense and 9^th in scoring. Chicago was buoyed by their amazing turnover differential (more on that later), leading the NFL in takeaways as well as giving it away, thus leading the league in turnover differential. The turnovers are whey Chicago won the division, let alone had a winning record. Their defense is bottom-5 in essentially every category, other than taking the ball away – which most can be argued is the opposition “giving” them the ball. The Bears defense should be a chief concern of theirs and will be the reason their season comes to an end, whether it’s this weekend or next. They’re 29^th in total defense and 23^rd in scoring – meaning their offense must be on point, or their D needs to generate at least 2 turnovers, just to be “IN” the game.

Chicago may be the most reliant team in playoff history on turnovers…they’re 2-6 in games where they don’t get at least 2 turnovers. Peter Bukowski pointed this out, even though I covered this heading into the first matchup back on Dec. 7^th. The Bears’ two wins in games they didn’t get 2 turnovers were against the Giants, where starting QB, Jaxon Dart, exited with a concussion on the play where he fumbled, the Giants’ lone turnover. The other win? Yep, against Green Bay when Jordan Love exited the game. Not to bring up painful memories, but while Green Bay only had 1 turnover (Jacobs’ fumble inside the 5-yard line), the muffed onside kick acts as a turnover, so essentially 2, bringing their record to 1-6. The lone win had Dart not been concussed, they lose that game too, kind of like the Packer game with Love…lotta fortunate bounces for this Bears team, all season.

Chicago is so reliant on turnovers that since the 2014 season, teams that win the turnover differential in the NFL have an avg. defensive ranking of 9^th in scoring. Chicago is the 3^rd team since 2014 to lead the NFL in turnover differential and have a scoring defense rank 23^rd or worse. The other teams? 2020 Tennessee and 2023 New York Giants. The Titans in 2020 lost in the Wild Card round whereas the Giants didn’t even make the playoffs in 2023. Goes to show you that while turnovers equalize a game, over the course of a season, if your defense isn’t good, turnovers help, but then again when facing the best competition, you lose.

Green Bay – the Packers have been just the opposite of the Bears in the sense of “whatever can go wrong, eventually does.” The Packers started off as well as any team in the NFL, going 2-0 after beating two of the highest thought of teams in the NFC entering into the campaign; Detroit & Washington. Once the special teams and injuries inevitably reared their ugly heads, the season flipped on its head. That culminated, at least we thought, in Denver with 12:55 left in the 3^rd quarter when Love took a kill shot, already leading 23-14, and it was intercepted by Patrick Surtain. On the play both Christian Watson and Zach Tom were injured. That killed the offense as there was no one to stretch the defense and the best pass-rush in the NFL would finally make headway. A drive or two later, Green Bay lost Micah Parsons for the season on a torn ACL – the season seemed like it ended right there. Just when we thought that was as bad as it was going to get, the special teams woke up and make 1 final appearance by snatching defeat from victory at Solider Field a week later. Not many teams enter the playoffs on a 4-game losing streak, mainly because teams that lose 4 in a row are flat out not good and don’t make the playoffs. However, this sets up yet another amazing opportunity for Green Bay to accomplish something special…again, beating Chicago is great and all, but should they lose to Seattle the following week, the season will be a disappointment.

Matchup Matrix

For the 3^rd time in 35 days the Packers will play the Bears in the 2^nd-most meaningful game between these two franchises in their history. On paper this looks like an even matchup, at least when Chicago has the ball. They’re 6^th in total offense and 9^th in scoring where as the Packers’ defense ranks 12^th and 11^th, respectfully. Keep in mind Green Bay’s defense has been faltering since Micah Parsons went on IR. For some context, here’s the disparity between having Micah vs. without:

On a per game basis, opponents are averaging an addition 6 plays, 106 yards, and the big one…9.3 more points per game against the Packers than when Micah Parsons was healthy, that is substantial. Had Green Bay finished the season giving up an average of 19.3 points per game, that would have tied them for 6^th in the NFL with Kansas City. The pace they’re on, giving up 28.6 points/game now would put them at 28^th in the league, in between Tennessee and Arizona, in terms of scoring defense…whoof.

The good news, is that the Packers didn’t have Micah Parsons in their last matchup against these Bears, and the defense was balling! Until it wasn’t. For 58:01, the Packers defense gave up 48 plays for 283 total yards (132 rushing, 151 passing) and just 9 points. That’s a dominant performance against a top-10 offense, on the road, in prime time. There’s a reason why Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley, said, “We’re not done, I’ll see you next week.” It was his gameplan that stifled Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and the Bears offense for 97% of that game. There’s no reason to think the Packers can’t replicate that performance again. The big help for the defense came from the Packers’ offense. They controlled the time of possession, the ended the game with a 38:57 to 26:13 advantage, but before the onside kick, their advantage was 34:43 to 23:47 – meaning the Packers defense was playing almost a full quarter less of football than the Bears’. Now with a healthy Josh Jacobs and offensive line, there’s reason to believe Green Bay can mimic a similar output, but bear in mind (pun intended), many of those runs that elongated drives came on the legs of Malik Willis. On the flip side, Green Bay struggled in the red zone, going 0-for-5, that won’t happen again if Love is quarterbacking the entire game. Which has been the Packers’ bugaboo during this losing streak.

Is There A Mismatch?

When Love and the Packers have the ball, they’ll get to face the 29^th defense in the NFL…in the previous 2 matchups, Green Bay’s offense had a total of 16 “real” possessions and only punted 3 times. The issue, that we mentioned, is the Red Zone efficiency. The Packers have combined to score 1 touchdown in their 6 red zone trips across these two games. This is the one statistic that’s worth keeping an eye on for the entirety of this game.

As for moving the ball, the Packers have had no issue going up and down the field against this defense. Assuming Green Bay gets the ball 8 times, they should have 4-6 red zone trips, the goal will be to convert 3 of those trips to touchdowns. If it’s 6 trips, better make it four. The reason why you should believe Love won’t have an issue moving the ball is that in the two games against the Bears, LaFleur’s offense has amassed 721 total yards, an average of 361/game, which is 50 yards over their season average. The mismatch in this game is Green Bay’s offense vs. Chicago’s defense.

Major Concern?

The chief concern, other than turnovers and Red Zone Offense (yeah, that’s a lot), if hoping that Ben Johnson’s ego gets in the way. If Chicago commits to the run, the Packers’ defense may be in some trouble. As we’ve seen all season, the Packer defense eventually wears down and struggles to stop the ground game, ranking 15^th in the NFL against it. The best antidote to counteract it? Possess the ball – like mentioned above – quick scores are great, but long, methodical TD drives are best.

1. Don’t give the ball away
2. Score TDs in the Red Zone (50+%)
3. Control the Time of Possession

Prediction Time

Season: 10-7
Overall: 117-76

Rest v. Rust

The Packers started as many 2^nd stringers as they could, and many played well. The offensive line did some nice things, mainly Jordan Morgan – starting at his natural position, LT – but with Clayton Tune at QB, there was no chance to get any production. The ground game was “good,” overall, rushing for 128 yards on 35 attempts. This includes Emanuel Wilson’s boneheaded -19-yard rush; had he just taken the loss of 2 yards that would’ve made the rush numbers look much better…taking it to 145 yards, which is a key number, 140+ rush yards.

What we didn’t get was a good look at rookie WR Matthew Golden. Tune hasn’t been able to throw a forward pass, so that’s hurting everyone’s development, or at least cost a great opportunity to see more prospects. It was clear the goal was to get out of this game as healthy as possible to prepare for the playoffs instead of getting any momentum or rhythm and timing. Always a tough decision, but we’ll find out.

Did Anyone Stand Out?

The kids on defense played well, mainly Barryn Sorrell (#99, pictured above) had one of the 2 Packer sacks in the game. He also had 8 tackles and has earned more playing time, in my opinion, we’ll see if that comes true on Saturday night. The major bright spot, and most-hyped, was Collin Oliver (#45), who produced more in his 1^st NFL game than Rashan Gary has in the previous 10 games – earning more playing time moving forward.

The other bright spot was newcomer, Trevon Diggs (#28). According to Pro Football Focus, Diggs played 32 snaps (17 in pass coverage, 15 in run defense), and he was targeted once. Diggs didn’t give up a catch on 1 targeted pass attempt and had 2 tackles in the run game. If he can get going that could boost the Packers’ defense in the most-needed area on this team, the defensive backfield.

Season: 9-7-1; 2nd in NFC North; 7th Seed in NFC

With the Regular Season finished, Green Bay ended the season with a 9-7-1 record, which was the 13^th-best record in the NFL…appropriately aligns with their scoring differential, which too ranked 13^th in the league at +31. It’s frustrating to think of how good this team/season would’ve been had they stayed healthy and learned earlier how not to beat themselves – but the NFL has a way of equalizing many teams every year. All in all, and as always, the Packers’ success will be determined by what they accomplish in the postseason. Keep in mind the goal upon acquiring Micah Parsons was to win the Super Bowl, hell, that was the goal BEFORE trading for Micah.

Is LaFleur Coaching For His Job?

Elaborating on expectations, there’s a chance LaFleur’s future depends on the Packers’ performance this month. While having one of the best starts to a coaching career, MLF has seen his team go just 30-23-1 (including playoffs) since Jordan Love took over at QB. The talent on this roster had fans believing (me included) more should’ve been accomplished. While I don’t think the Packers will part ways with him, regardless of the outcome of Saturday night, I believe anything short of a Conf. Title appearance will have his seat be one of, if not, the hottest in the entire NFL entering next season.

A Meaningless Game that May Influence Everything

With Green Bay locked in as the 7^th seed in the NFC Playoff Picture there’s nothing to gain by winning – other than heading into the postseason with a win instead of a 4-game losing streak. Having good vibes could work wonders for this Packers team as it’s been nothing but disaster after disaster since Patrick Surtain intercepted Jordan Love early in the 3^rd quarter of Week 15. It will have been 4 weeks to the day since Green Bay last walked off the field victorious; a 28-21 win over Chicago on December 7^th. That was their 4^th win in a row and things seemed to be on track with Green Bay looking like one of, if not, the top teams in the NFL – how cruel and quickly things change in the NFL.

Green Bay will be starting Clayton Tune at QB this Sunday against Minnesota to give Love & Willis as much time as possible to be 100% healthy and not risk further injury heading into their wild card matchup, but I fear the rhythm and timing will suffer (along with the confidence and vibes of the team) won’t be where they need to be to perform at a high-level, considering Love will not have taken meaningful snaps in a 3-week timespan. It’s a Catch-22 scenario for the Packers; either risk injury to their starting QB and other star players in a meaningless game or have them rusty as can be likely coming into a playoff game either at Chicago or Philadelphia riding a 4-game losing streak.

Big Opportunity For Everyone

Green Bay claimed ex-Cowboys cornerback, Trevon Diggs, off waivers on New Year’s Eve to help add depth to their defensive backfield. The Packers have had nothing but issues in their secondary since Micah Parsons went down with his ACL injury and the pass rush has been non-existent, thus leaving their corners to cover receivers longer, resulting in: Denver and Bo Nix torching them in the 2^nd half of Week 15; Caleb Williams lighting them up in the last 2 minutes and overtime of Week 16; Tyler Huntley having no issue carving GB’s D up all game last week. Diggs is having an awful year, allowing 16 completions on 20 targets for 286 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3 against him in 2025. There was a time when Diggs was one of the best corners in the NFL, back in 2021 he played in 16 games having 11 interceptions with 2 pick-6’s in just that season. That’s a good career for most cornerbacks. Since then, his production has dropped off and he’s been a liability for Dallas these past four seasons ultimately getting cut this week allowing him to join a playoff team. He’s only played in 8 games this season and I listed the stats against him above…however, he’s still in prime age (27 years old) and has plenty of ability to help the Packers especially given that he’s an able-bodied corner to give this team depth in one of the areas that’s a weakness of this roster. This is a great opportunity for him to right his career direction and earn a long-term contract should he and the Packers make a great showing in January.

This is also an opening for quite a few other players on this roster as it’s a “prove-it” game in some manner. Whether that’s McKinney (who’s played well all year) showing he can catch an interception, Rashan Gary actually pressuring the QB and not being owned in the run game by a 198-pound wide receiver, anyone on the defensive line holding their own against the run, or the offensive line gaining confidence and continuity by showing who wants a starting job next year…there’s plenty to keep an eye on, for us fans and the coaches. This is also a great opportunity for Matt LaFleur to showcase his 1^st round rookie WR, Matthew Golden, by getting him his first career touchdown and putting new “looks” on tape for the Bears or Eagles to gameplan around for next week. It’s worth noting that Matthew Golden began his college career at the University of Houston and his QB at Houston, his freshman year (2022) was Clayton Tune. Golden put up 38 receptions for 584 yards and 7 touchdowns with Tune at QB, so at least there’s some familiarity. As for Tune, his college career was actually pretty good, having thrown for 40 touchdowns his Senior season at Houston (Golden’s freshman year) in 2022 along with 4,074 yards and only 10 interceptions. He’s physically able to throw the football, which is not what we saw when he entered the Baltimore game last week when Malik Willis exited with a shoulder injury.

Matchup Matrix

The Packers can reverse their divisional record from a season ago by beating Minnesota on Sunday, which would put their division record at 5-1, with their lone loss coming in the Chicago-debacle. This is a completely different Vikings team than a year ago, where they were playing this week for the #1 overall seed in the NFC, but they’ve been eliminated for a month now and it’s all due to their QB situation. The Vikings decided to let QB Sam Darnold walk – eventually signing with Seattle where he’s again playing for the #1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs…mmm makes ya think. Minnesota decided to showcase their 1^st round pick from 2024, JJ McCarthy, who’s been absolutely terrible this season and it’s shown in every statistical category. The Vikings, with offensive mastermind Head Coach, Kevin O’Connell, dropped from 12^th in yards and 9^th in scoring in 2024 to 29^th and 26^th, respectively. Yet another great example for the Packers beat up defense to regain confidence and play with attitude by stifling the Purple team.

The Packers offense will have their challenges as well, facing a Brian Flores-led defense that ranks in the top-10 against the pass (3^rd), total defense (6^th), and scoring (T-9^th). Points were already hard to come by, given that a desperate Lions team (playing for their playoff lives on Christmas Day) scored only 10 points against the already eliminated Vikings, the Packers will have their 3^rd string QB starting and they showed nothing in the short amount of time he was on the field last week. This could easily be a low-scoring, tight ball game, which is what Jeff Hafley’s crew needs to have and find a way to come through – there should be ample occasions for them to generate turnovers and get right for a playoff push.

Prediction Time

Season: 9-7
Overall: 116-76

Packers Mailed It In

It’s amazing that professional athletes need motivation to “get up” for a game, but here we are. Baltimore was desperate and played with the necessary attitude to rush for 307 yards, on the road, against a very talented team. Green Bay’s effort, or lack thereof, seemed to stem from a much bigger problem; making the postseason apparently is “good enough.” While I’m not a player in the NFL, ‘nor am I in the locker room, it sure appeared that making the playoffs was all the Packers wanted out of this season as running the ball like that and defending the run is mostly attitude – given that ability isn’t that big of a discrepancy. The Ravens could do what they wanted all game and had their way with the Packers’ defense.

The positive note is that the Packers’ offense at least showed up ready and willing to fight. Yet again, a non-punting performance resulted in a loss – now back-to-back weeks (and 3^rd on the season) where typically an offense that doesn’t punt still found some way to lose the game. The Red Zone issues are still plaguing this team and unless they figure out that part of their offense, it’ll be tough to make a deep run let alone get out of Wild Card Weekend.

Blueprint Is Out Now?

In each of their losses, especially as of late, Packer opponents kept hammering the ball on the ground knowing the Green Bay defense will wear down. This is from not getting 3 & outs as well as not generating turnovers to shorten opponent drives, thus keeping the defense on the field longer and wearing down in the 2^nd half. Couple this with the offense only being able to score on short, quick drives even when the Packers do put up 7 points on a drive they’re on the field for a short amount of time. They also stall once they get to the red zone which should eat up another 1-2 minutes of possession. Do that over the course of 4-5 drives per game and that could easily be another 10 minutes of possession, a 20-minute swing for the defense…which is huge.

To expand on those issues, the defense is thrust back onto the field quicker than could be and the offense is leaving points on the field (settling for field goals or going for it on 4^th down and not converting), just a bad combination for what is a very talented team – they just lack execution enough throughout the game where the lesser team (Chicago and Baltimore) hangs around and is fresher come the 4^th quarter.

7th Seed Is Now Locked In

With the Vikings defeating Detroit on Christmas Day, the Packers clinched the final playoff spot in the NFC, meaning that all 7 playoff teams are determined, but the seeding was/is still up for grabs. With the loss to Baltimore, that catapulted the Bears to the NFC North Division win, meaning Green Bay is left with a wild card berth, and given their record (9-6-1), they’ll hold the last wild card spot, the 7^th seed. This means they’ll either face Chicago or Philadelphia in the Wild Card round and have to go on the road every game in the postseason. Chicago can win the 2 seed if they win vs. Detroit next Sunday OR if Philadelphia loses to Washington. Should Chicago lose and Philadelphia win, then Green Bay would travel to Lincoln Financial Field for a 7-2 rematch of last year’s Wild Card round with the Eagles.

Both teams are beatable, hell, every team is beatable in the NFL this season as there’s not true juggernaut, but each of those teams possess the makeup to beat Green Bay as they have each won vs. the Packers this season already. Green Bay’s run defense has relinquished 171 rush yards/game over the last 4 games (v Bal, @ Chi, @ Den, and v Chi), and it’s only getting worse. Chicago ranks as the 3^rd rushing offense in the NFL averaging 149.4 yards on the ground while Philadelphia is tied with Green Bay for the 17^th ground attack in the NFL averaging 119.3 yards, but are finding their rhythm with a big, strong offensive line and all-world HB Saquon Barkley finding his groove. Both opponents now look more formidable to Green Bay than they had over the last few weeks.

They issue moving forward now, is that with the Packers locked in the 7^th seed and banged up all over every position, they’ll likely sit key players as to try to get them as healthy as possible for the playoff push. The issue is that if they sit too many guys, the timing and rhythm of the players will be off and as we’ve seen in the past, could set up for a slow start, especially offensively, which won’t help get this team rolling and “hot” to advance through the playoffs.

Looking Ahead

Not to get too far ahead, but while the season feels like it’s already over (since the Surtain interception in Denver that seemed to swing the entire momentum of the season), all of this feels like another quick playoff exit. Since we’re fans we can look ahead to what the 2026 Packers will look like, or at least some of the differences in the form of personnel from this season.

The players likely exiting 1265 Lombardi Ave is a vast list. Quay Walker, Rashan Gary, Rasheed Walker, and Romeo Doubs are all likely not to be a part of the Packers’ plans moving forward. While Quay and Doubs have been solid throughout the season, their production just doesn’t match the money they’ll likely receive on the open market, thus not making it worth bringing them back as the Packers are cash strapped and must be as efficient with their spending as they’ve ever been. Rasheed Walker’s play regressed this season, and given it was a contract year for him, he probably cost himself quite a bit of money, but still will be too rich for the Packer to bring him back – also considering Green Bay used a 1^st round pick on Jordan Morgan last year to assume the Left Tackle of the future role, Walker (Rasheed) is as good as gone.

Doubs has flashed a bit and been fairly consistent during his time in Green Bay, but with the emergence of Christian Watson as the team’s #1 WR, using a 1^st round pick on Matthew Golden, and next year’s return of TE Tucker Kraft, it doesn’t make sense to spend a considerable amount of cap space on a WR that is very replaceable.

The BIG elephant in the room is Rashan Gary. Maybe one of the most-frustrating players in recent Packers history, Gary has shown flashes of greatness, but might as well have been a healthy scratch the last 9 games. Gary has been stout in the run game, until Baltimore exposed him and he hasn’t made a splash play all season. All of his sacks came early in the season when teams were trying to figure out Micah Parsons. Micah’s production kept steady (2^nd-best pass rusher in the NFL behind Myles Garrett), but Gary’s dropped off considerably and has been non-existent since Parsons’ ACL injury. Considering Gary counts the 2^nd-highest cap hit on the Green Bay Packers, he’ll either need to take a huge pay cut to remain with the team or be outright cut as he’s not worth the money and Green Bay needs all the cap space possible to address other areas of concern (mainly DL and CB).

The Risk(s) of “Going All In”

The risk of going “All In” has reared its ugly head in the worst way. While Micah Parsons is an incredible player, a game-changing player, giving up essentially 3 premium players (Kenny Clark and two 1^st round draft picks) and a ton of money has really put the Packers in a predicament. Having Parsons go down with a season-ending injury really has Green Bay in a situation of coming off an 11-6 season and a defeat in the Wild Card round, but now missing their top 3 defensive tackles (Clark in a trade, Slaton in free agency, and Wyatt to injury) and has cash-strapped them in the salary cap department with Parsons’ contract coming into effect next season ($19,237,000 cap hit in 2026).

This is a disaster scenario for the Packers given that they don’t have a 1^st round pick for the next 2 years to address main areas of concern (D Line and Corner), they’ll have to strike gold in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds at those positions and hope rookies can contribute, which is quite rare.

The offensive line is an issue as well. We already talked about LT Rasheed Walker, but Jordan Morgan has played much better at RT than he has RG or LG over his short tenure, and he’s destined to be the LT of the future. If he can shore up that position, that would be a huge help moving forward. The issues come with the 3 interior line spots. We moved pro-bowl LG Elgton Jenkins to Center this year, clearing the way to sign Aaron Banks to fill the LG void, but neither move has worked out and Jenkins is also likely to not return next year. Sean Rhyan has played OK at center since filling in for the injured Jenkins, but he’s more of a Right Guard and has struggled there this year as well. It’s a mess, it can be cleaned, but a huge mess nonetheless.

General Manager, Brian Gutekunst, and EVP Dir. Of Football Operations, Russ Ball, will have to work their magic this offseason to field a team that can capitalize on their extremely talented core to contend for a Super Bowl next year. Otherwise, it’ll be just contending for a division title (which would be a massive improvement considering Green Bay hasn’t won it since the 2021 season).

Big Picture

With Detroit’s hilarious loss on Christmas Day to the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers clinched a playoff spot. Meaning all 7 of the NFC playoff spots are filled, but the seeding still needs sorting. The Packers can range from the 7^th seed all the way to the 2^nd seed, just as could Chicago. The Eagles are locked in at either the 2^nd or 3^rd seed. Let’s take a look at the scenarios that could affect the Packers:

• 2^nd seed
  • Green Bay would need to win their final 2 games (v Bal & @ Min)
  • Chicago would need to lose their final 2 games (@ San Fran & v Det)
  • Philadelphia would need to lose one of their 2 games (@ Buf & v Was)
• 3^rd seed
  • Green Bay would need to win their final 2 and Chicago to lose their remaining 2 games
  • Philadelphia would need to win their final 2

Both scenarios are plausible considering Green Bay may be favored in both of their remaining games and Chicago is the underdog in their 2 just as the Bills are favored over Philadelphia in their matchup on Sunday. The odds makers are thinking the Packers could get the 2 seed. This would be huge because it would guarantee a minimum of 2 home playoff games in the playoffs (assuming Green Bay would win their wild card round game, which would be against Chicago), with possibly a 3^rd home playoff game should the 1 seed lose in the divisional round.

Can Green Bay Fix their Issues?

The Packers have now lost both games in which they didn’t punt this season. Somehow, in each of those games they scored < 20 points with the offense driving down the field throughout the game. Oddly enough, 20 points (which should be the bare minimum for this Packers team to score in a game) would’ve won each of those games outright, putting Green Bay in a far different scenario. There’s much to blame for these losses, but if you’re not punting, you’re either going for it on 4^th down or settling for field goals. It also means you’re driving the ball down the field and you can’t finish drives in the end zone after reaching the red zone (opponents’ 20-yard line). The Packers rank 14^th in the NFL in Red Zone efficiency and that’s simply not good enough to beat playoff teams. They’re converting at a 58.9% clip – to break it down further, in Green Bay’s wins they’re converting 72.7% and in their losses is just 39.1%. That includes the tie to Dallas where the Packers converted 5 of 6 trips for touchdowns, meaning in their 5 losses the Packers have gone 4 of 17 for 23.5%, less than 1 in 4…this is probably why LaFleur has been more aggressive as of late going for it on 4^th down as this is the biggest indicator for the Packers in determining whether they win or lose a game. On the flip side, Green Bay hasn’t done a good job of keeping their opponents out of the end zone once they’ve crossed the 20, allowing 61.9% of their opponents’ trips in the Red Zone to result in a touchdown, ranking 25^th in the league. None of the teams behind them will see the postseason unless Tampa Bay (ranking 31^st) squeaks by Carolina.

Did You Call for Backup?

The issue now becomes, probably the biggest story heading into this game – which, if either, starting QB will start? Jordan Love exited the Bears game with a concussion, and based on the statistics (not official), players that have been concussed in the NFL this season only 25-33% of them have been cleared to play the following week. As for Baltimore, superstar Lamar Jackson took a knee to the back in last week’s game, forcing him out and his status for Week 17 at Green Bay is in jeopardy. With such a big game on primetime with playoff implications-a-plenty, the nation may see a match up between back up QBs. While that typically doesn’t bode well, both Baltimore’s and Green Bay’s #2’s are plenty capable with a decent amount of experience.

Tyler Huntley – in his 6 seasons as an NFL quarterback, Huntley is 343/522 (65.7%), 3,105 yards, 12 TD, 10 INTs, with a passer rating of 81.3. The Ravens have gone 4-6 in his 10 starts as a Raven and one of those losses came at the hands of Green Bay in 2021 (Aaron Rodgers’ 4^th MVP season), going blow for blow with a solid Packers team, with Green Bay prevailing 31-30 on 12/19/2021 – a game that might’ve been Huntley’s best of his career. He scored a touchdown with 0:42 left in the 4^th quarter while trailing 24-31. Baltimore decided to go for 2 to try to win the game instead of forcing overtime, but failed. The reserve QB tore up then Packers Defensive Coordinator, Joe Barry, going 28/40, 215 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, a rating of 99.5 and ran in an additional 2 touchdowns. He’s plenty capable.

Concerning Green Bay’s quarterback situation, backup Malik Willis has performed nothing short of great since arriving via a trade before the start of the 2024 regular season. Since joining the Packers, Willis has played in 10 games, having played meaningful snaps in 7 of them. With Green Bay, he’s logged 52/68 (76.5%), for 684 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, for a rating of 132.2. As a starter with Green Bay, Willis is 2-0…in those 7 “meaningful” games, the Packers are 4-3, with two of those games coming against the Bears (last week and Week 18 of the 2024 season). The other loss was in Week 1 against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Even then, he only took 1 snap after Love exited with a knee injury. The odd/frustrating thing about Willis is with the Head Coach and play-caller, Matt LaFleur. His schemes and play calls/designs are much different and extremely effective with Willis under center. Reminiscent of 2019 when LaFleur first arrived. The offense is run-heavy, but effective and Willis is proficient of making almost any throw while having receivers streak open due to the defense guarding run first.

Matchup Matrix

Enter the Baltimore Ravens – a team that began the season, like the Packers, with Super Bowl aspirations, but now find themselves fighting for their playoff lives. Baltimore must win their final 2 games (@ Green Bay & @ Pittsburgh) as well as get help from Cleveland on Sunday by them beating Pittsburgh. Their kryptonite is what they once were known for as their strength; their defense. Baltimore ranks in the middle or back of the league in all the categories. They’re still talented across their entire defense and have a great rushing attack, led by all-world running back, Derrick Henry, but they’re not as effective on offense as they were a season ago. The Ravens still average almost 150 yards per game on the ground, which tires out opposing defenses, but they rank 27^th in time of possession. They also struggle in the pass game on both sides of the ball, which is their biggest weakness. Regardless of who plays QB for Green Bay, LaFleur should open it up and take some shots to try to score from outside the Red Zone considering that’s the Packers’ bugaboo – ranking 25^th and the Ravens boast the 6^th-best Red Zone defense in the NFL. Not a good matchup for the Packers, especially considering recent weeks and the lack of execution in that department.

The other thing is that Baltimore has gotten blown out 4 times this year and not just to playoff teams, meaning they’re inconsistent in a far more frustrating manner than what Packer fans have watched over the last couple of decades.

Who Wins?

If Lamar Jackson ends up playing, Green Bay will almost certainly be the underdog (assuming Love isn’t cleared to play and Willis is the starter), even if Green Bay has the better team the Ravens are in 100% desperation mode and the Packers “can afford” a loss by resting some players – in the sense for they’ve already clinched a playoff spot. Jackson’s speed is an X-factor and will account for some crucial plays. If Green Bay can possess the ball like last week (and not commit any turnovers), the Packers “should” come out victorious just as they should against any team they play and there’s plenty of reason to believe they can accomplish that task.

Season: 9-6
Overall: 116-75

There were plenty of mistakes, but let’s take a look at the big culprits, in no particular order.

1. Special Teams – the Cost is now up to 3 Wins

The Packers special teams unit has now cost this team 3 wins, and in each of those games the Packers held a double-digit lead. In Week 3 @ Cleveland, it was a 10-0 lead late in the game that saw a blocked Field Goal which likely would’ve won the game. In Week 4 @ Dallas, it was a blocked extra point which was a 3-point swing in its own right – Green Bay would’ve been up 14-0 with all the momentum, instead it was 13-2 and Dallas felt like they had life. This past Saturday night in Week 16 @ Chicago it was a muffed onside kick that otherwise would’ve won the game. Yes, the Bears had 2 timeouts and 1:50+ left on the clock, but Green Bay had 9 total drives and the only drives in which they didn’t gain a 1^st down (or multiple) was the last one before the half and the end of regulation, which were kneel downs…

There’s no reason to think that this will be corrected this season as it’s the same coordinator (Rich Bisaccia) and the same personnel, it’s been this way since his arrival and it hasn’t improved. Those 3 wins would put Green Bay at 12-3 atop the NFC Playoff Race in in control for the 1-seed and a BYE, but alas, here we are.

2. The Defense was Great, Until it Wasn’t

The defense was on one – in the 1^st half they allowed only 103 yards on just 20 plays. Hell, before the onside kick fiasco Hafley’s crew relinquished a total of 283 yards and 9 points in 58:01. That’s plenty good enough to win every game, that is unless you’re the Green Bay Packers in a crucial game. Once the momentum flipped, the defense surrendered 13 points and 117 yards in the next 2 drives – no megusta. They were able to make Williams uncomfortable enough and force a bunch of throw aways, keeping them out of field goal range for plenty of the game.

While the Packers didn’t get any sacks or turnovers, they did their job – the one sack they did get was a 15-yard facemask penalty which led to 3 points for Chicago. Couple that with yet another dropped INT from McKinney, which led to an additional field goal, that’s 6 free points all on mental errors…these seem to keep happening, and it’s infuriating since they played well for 97% of the game…not good enough.

Heading into the game, if Green Bay didn’t lose the turnover battle by 2+, they win, and that was the case. While Chicago officially only took the ball away once (Jacobs’ fumble inside the 5 when GB was marching for a TD) the onside kick acts like a turnover, so there you go. Lost the turnover battle by 2+ and lost the game when they dominated in every other category. This just can’t happen if you plan on doing anything in January.

3. Offense: So Close to Greatness

Green Bay’s offense didn’t punt all game, and marched down the field on every drive (aside from the 2 where they knelt to end the half/regulation). The issue being that Red Zone efficiency, or lack thereof; 0 for 5.

1. Green Bay drove right down the field, with 30 yards of help by Chicago on personal fouls, but stalled by going for it on 4^th & 1 from the Chi 7. Taking the 3 there was the way to go. It puts points on the board and sets the tone while ensuring you didn’t waste a drive. I like the aggression, but on the first drive of the game after you’ve said you have confidence in your defense, take the points.
2. On Green Bay’s 2^nd drive, they marched down to the Chi 8, but stalled once again, this time settling for a field goal and getting the lead.
3. The 3^rd drive is when the Packers lost Jordan Love to a concussion, but Malik Willis filled in admirably. Driving the team down to the red zone once again, but stalling on the Chi 4 and having to settle for yet another field goal. Had Green Bay kicked one on the first drive, they would’ve been up 9-0, a two-score margin and any time you can increase your lead to a full additional possession, you take it.
4. After Chicago opened the 2^nd half with their first scoring drive of the game for them, Willis marched right down the field yet again, and on 1^st & Goal from the Chi 4, Josh Jacobs fumbled taking points off the board.
5. The last failed red zone attempt came with 5:03 left in the game. Green Bay drove down the field again, stalling at the Chi 10. This one got blame from the fans on the play-calling, but I don’t mind it one bit. You have your backup QB in and the last thing you want is to put the ball in harm’s way and come away with nothing. Having led by 7, and your defense playing extraordinarily well, LaFleur made the right choice in shaving time off the clock and kicking the FG to put yourself up two scores. Which essentially would’ve iced the game, you know, in normal circumstances…

Speaking of Malik Willis, he played great. Much of that due to LaFleur’s scheme and play-calling once he entered for Love with 8:21 left in the 2^nd quarter, leading 3-0. Willis drove right down the field when he took over and got a score. He finished the game with 9-11 passing (81.8%), 121 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, and a passer rating of 142.8. He also added 44 yards on 10 carries – very efficient/effective. With Malik in the game, Green Bay’s offense amassed 241 yards across 48 plays, scoring 13 points. There’s no reason to think they couldn’t have gained 2 first downs after recovering the onside kick…

Now What?

As stated previously, the winner of this game assumes the 2^nd seed playoff spot in the NFC and the loser the 7^th-seed (last playoff spot). The good news is that Detroit lost to Pittsburgh, which puts them on life support to make the playoffs and now Green Bay only having to win 1 of their two remaining games to clinch a playoff berth. With the Lions loss, Chicago clinched a playoff spot, but the division is still up for grabs.

If Chicago loses @ San Francisco then at home to Detroit AND Green Bay wins v. Baltimore and @ Minnesota, the Packers will clinch the NFC North Division Title, and have either the 2 or 3 seed in the NFC. The potential issue is assuming Chicago loses next week to San Francisco and Green Bay beats Baltimore, Detroit will then be eliminated from playoff contention and would be resigned to playing spoiler – a role they played at the end of 2022 when they came into Lambeau Field and spoiled Aaron Rodgers’ and Randall Cobb’s final Packer appearances…