For once, Matt LaFleur and the Packers benefited from another team’s collapse. Green Bay beat the Jets, but the win still felt like a loss. The Jets made the bigger mistakes; the Packers spent more than three quarters looking sluggish and unprepared. LaFleur got the best result a coach can ask for after an ugly performance: a win and plenty of tape to correct. The trouble is that several of these problems carried over from earlier games.
Where Green Bay Fell Short
Penalties. Green Bay had 14 accepted penalties for 133 yards. Entering the fourth quarter, the Packers had gained fewer yards on offense than they had given away in penalties. Some calls were questionable, but this team has to play cleaner. A reputation for penalties does Green Bay no favors on borderline plays.
Execution. The first three drives set the tone. The Jets sniffed out the orbit motion and screen to Jayden Reed on the opening play. Reed suffered a potentially season-ending injury on the next play, and Zach Bako-Bewele was hurt on the third. On Green Bay’s first third down, Matthew Golden dropped a pass that could have moved the chains, perhaps for much more. The sloppy start lasted well beyond those opening snaps.
The Packers were not ready to play, and some of that responsibility belongs to LaFleur and his staff.
What Worked
The defense continued to handle an overmatched offense. Through two games, Green Bay has allowed 524 yards on 133 plays, an average of 3.9 yards per play. The offense’s stalled drives have made the defense’s job harder, giving opponents chances to stay close or score despite that strong play.
Lukas Van Ness had his best game as a pro when Green Bay needed it. He recorded 10 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits. His biggest play came late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied: he stuffed a fourth-and-one near midfield and gave the Packers a chance to win in regulation. The offense squandered it. Rookie edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton also pressured the quarterback throughout the game, helping the front and secondary keep the Jets out of the end zone for much of the contest. Rookie Brandon Cisse missed a chance at his first career interception on a pass that became a touchdown, but he was in position on a difficult route at the goal line. That is progress.
Week 3 Preview: Atlanta @ Green Bay
Atlanta arrives at 0–2 with the league’s lowest-scoring offense at 8.0 points per game. The Falcons have yet to run a play in an opponent’s red zone. Green Bay, now 1–1, has a top-five defense by yards allowed, but Atlanta is returning quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to the starting lineup. Penix has started 12 career games and appeared in 14, completing 59.6% of his passes for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions, with an 85.8 passer rating. He should give Atlanta’s offense a lift.
Bijan Robinson gives Penix a dynamic option on the ground and through the air. Through two games, Robinson has 254 yards from scrimmage—155 rushing and 99 receiving—and a touchdown. He has also fumbled twice, something Atlanta will need him to clean up. Drake London and Kyle Pitts bring difficult matchups of their own. London has been a steady producer, while Pitts has the athletic gifts to do more than his production has shown. Green Bay will need to track all three. I expect Javon Bullard and Edgerrin Cooper to draw much of the work against Pitts; they are among the Packers best equipped to match his speed and physicality.
Who Has the Advantage?
Green Bay is the better team on paper, but it cannot count on that alone. The Packers appear to have the edge in most areas. The concern is the ground game: Green Bay’s rushing attack ranks 32nd, while Atlanta’s run defense ranks first. Atlanta’s defensive line also has the advantage against a Green Bay offensive line that has struggled with four-man pressure. Establishing the run early would help protect Jordan Love and keep the offense out of obvious passing situations. LaFleur said after the Jets game that he wished he had committed to the run before the fourth quarter. Thursday is his chance to do it.
Prediction
Both teams face a short week, but the Packers get to stay home. That gives Green Bay more time to settle into a routine and prepare. With the stronger roster and room to improve offensively after two uneven games, the Packers should have the edge—if they show up ready to play from the opening snap.
Season: 2-0
Overall: 119-77
