Perfect Game at the Perfect Time

There were plenty of plays that showed Matt LaFleur’s aggressive play calling throughout the game. After Green Bay’s defense forced a punt to open the game, the Packers took possession on their own 9-yard line and to get out of the shadow of their own end zone, LaFleur called a flea-flicker Tight End screen which gained 13 yards and set the tone for the rest of the drive, and game. A perfect play call for the situation. After that, the game was in Love’s hands – scrambling for 6 yards on 2^nd & 9, then hit Golden on a crosser to gain a first down on 3^rd & 3. Green Bay then tried to establish the run, which was effective enough – especially for play action. After a 2-yard run on 3^rd and 1, LaFleur dialed up a shot play that saw Watson blow by everyone for a 42-yard touchdown to open the game. Just as I said was needed, win the toss, defer, get a quick stop on defense, then go down and score to open 7-0 and kept the tone for the remainder of the game.

The 1^st down offense was the big difference for the offense’s execution/productivity. They threw the ball on 15 of the 27 first down plays they ran. Many of which resulted in huge plays. When passing to open a drive, Love was 7/8 for 186 yards for an average of 23.35 yards per pass when starting a drive. That tells me to throw more often on 1^st downs, or maybe exclusively? It’s also the best down to pass, as long as you’re not in 5-wide.

Cleaner Game

This was a much cleaner game for Green Bay committing only 4 penalties for 25 yards. There was one crucial penalty that put points on the board for Chicago, however, no killer holding penalties that wiped out a big play. There was a ticky-tack OPI that LaFleur said made him “rage call” the next play. The next play was 3^rd & 22 from Green Bay’s own 47-yard line – while normally he would’ve called a screen or draw, or some “safe” throw. If you throw a bomb, the worst-case scenario is a sack, otherwise an interception would act as a punt. However, you could potentially get a pass interference…The risk ends up being minimal. Green Bay also was able to get just enough from their run game. The backs and Love combined for 72 yards rushing on 24 attempts (3 yards/rush). They did have 2 rushing touchdowns, both by Marshawn Lloyd, and the first was an impressive truck stick over Chicago’s Jayon Johnson.

Lastly, the drops seemed to disappear; by my count there were none, including on defense, resulting in 3 interceptions and completely shutting down Ben Johnson’s offense in doing so.

(2-3) Dallas Cowboys @ (3-2) Green Bay Packers

Coming into this matchup pits the 3^rd place Dallas Cowboys against the 2^nd place Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. These matchups will likely have tiebreaker scenarios at the end of the season – it’s the 2^nd most important matchup other than divisional games.

We’re in the heart of the schedule now with Green Bay facing off against 6 consecutive NFC opponents, with 2 of them being against divisional foes and 4 at Lambeau Field. Green Bay dropped the first of these v. Atlanta, but has responded nicely escaping Tampa Bay with a win and crushing Chicago last week.

Dallas, per usual, has a ton of offensive talent, but has an atrocious defense. With recent injuries to DT Hargrave, ILB Cooper, and Edge Parsons still a way away from returning, it’s another example of where Matt LaFleur should put the game in Love’s hands. Until the weather flips, just air it out – also, Josh Jacobs is reportedly able to return next week, which will absolutely help the rush game.

Matchup Matrix

This is a game where something may have to give – Dallas has the worst rush defense while Green Bay possesses the worst rush offense. Depending on whether Zeitler plays, this could be an ideal opportunity for Green Bay to get their ground game going. The idea is that the Packers could get their play action game rolling again since Green Bay should have some ground success. Entering this game, the Cowboys are allowing a 120.5 passer rating through 5 games – with Love coming off his best game of the season, this is the time to keep the foot on the gas.

On the flip side, when Dallas has the ball, they have the 11^th best offense in terms of yards, and 7^th in scoring. Their 5^th ranked passing attack faces the 5^th-best pass defense in the Packers, who allow just the 4^th-best passer rating (in terms of defense) of just 76.8. Albeit against a bevy of backup QBs, this is the matchup to watch.

Looking through all the matchups, Jonathan Gannon and his defense seem to have the advantage. The defense has played really well outside of 4 quarters (4^th Q @ Min, and quarters 2-4 v Atl). This should be Gannon’s toughest test up to date. The Cowboys have scored 30+ three times already, they’re very dangerous but struggled against a backup QB in Jalen Daniels and the Bucs last week, scoring just 16 points, at home.

Prediction Time

This game, and the remainder of the season, will depend on Matt LaFleur’s aggression. Not saying he needs to go for it on 4^th downs when in Field Goal range, but pushing the ball down the field and relying on Love’s big arm and to trust him to make the right decision and make the throw.

Season: 2-3
Overall: 119-80

Good – Green Bay showed they’re capable of putting out a below-average offensive line and it proved to not only be a vast improvement, but wasn’t an issue. It was at least good enough to win against a bad football team, but a solid defense, in Tampa Bay. Jordan Love was NOT sacked and the Packers rushed for 94 yards on 21 carries (excluding Jordan Love’s 4 kneel downs for -8 yards to end the game).

The defense also came up big, creating 2 takeaways leading to 10 points, held fairly strong after 2 sudden change scenarios (offense giving the ball away with 2 turnovers), and late in the game to ice the game holding onto a 3-point lead.

Love was a different passer having not been under duress on every drop back – a welcomed sight. The 1 interception he threw wasn’t on him as the corner bailed on his assignment, gambling that Love was, correctly, targeting Golden in crunch time in the Red Zone. Love was accurate on nearly every throw and was 2 drops away from completely taking over this game.

Bad – There were still so many mental errors, which led to feeling like this was a loss even though the Packers came away with a victory. I mentioned the drops, which is still plaguing this team through 4 weeks. While an improvement, Green Bay still had 10 penalties accepted costing them 68 yards, and 2 fumbles (1 lost) and an interception, both turnovers taking at least 6 points off the board, and likely 14…completely flipping this game altogether. Just a continuation of a trend that exemplifies a poorly-coached football team.

Ugly – This is still a BAD football team. Their 2 wins came against opponents with a combined record of 1-7 (1-3 NY Jets and 0-4 Tampa Bay), and both were by only 3 points. Think of it as the inverse of the Milwaukee Brewers…the Brewers have the best manager in all of baseball and gets the sum of his parts more than the individual players whereas the Packers’ sum of its players is less than the individual players – that’s coaching, scheme, whatever you want to call it. The Packers have talent, quite a bit of it, and are one of the worst teams in the NFL (with a -32-point differential, that ranks them 29^th in the entire NFL), strictly NOT GOOD.

The other piece of this are the injuries that continue to pile up. Since November of 2025, Green Bay has lost 9 players to season-ending injuries, most notably being Micah Parsons, but now Edgerrin Cooper, who was playing at an All-Pro level, is out with an Achilles injury. A huge blow to a defense that’s been showing signs of being good to very good this season. Couple the loss of Cooper with the losses of WR Jayden Reed and RT Zach Bako-Bewele in Week 4, that’s a lot of talent at key positions Green Bay will be missing for the remainder of the season. It’s on the coaches to overcome these losses and get these players ready and put them in positions to succeed. Coaching is as, if not more, important than having an amazing Quarterback. Ideally, you’d have both.

(3-1) Chicago @ (2-2) Green Bay

Current Standing – Entering Week 5 the Bears are in 2^nd place in the NFC North and 5^th in the NFC Playoff standings. Having won back-to-back games with a backup QB and a top Defense, Chicago looks to be a top contending team in the NFC, much to the chagrin of yours truly. Meanwhile, Green Bay is a sputtering 2-2 sitting in last place in the North and 10^th in the NFC. This is about as close to a “must win” game for Green Bay as a game can be for being this early in the season.

The stakes for this game are huge, especially for the Packers. With a Bears win, they’d be 4-1 and on the heels of Minnesota for the division lead and in prime position for a strong playoff seed. A loss for Green Bay would put them at 2-3 and 0-2 in the division as well as 0-2 at Lambeau Field. It would also solidify Chicago as a powerhouse team to be dealt with for the rest of the conference, leaving the Packers to fight for air to stay alive for .500, let alone a playoff spot.

This is a statement game for Green Bay. Even though the Bears are missing QB Caleb Williams, they may actually be better off without him. Over their last 2 games, Chicago has given up 19 total points and 405 yards. While those opponents were the fluttering Eagles and dismal Jets, they still did their job shutting them down. Ben Johnson’s offense has been uber efficient and solid, amassing 492 yards just last week alone. This is a very good football team (again, very tough for me to admit) coming to Lambeau Field. Should Green Bay win, it’s the type of game that could catapult their season on the right track and instill belief moving forward – especially considering Micah Parsons is returning (hopefully) soon.

Matchup Matrix

Looking strictly at the rankings this is a mismatch of epic proportions. Other than playing to their ceiling, this doesn’t look good for the Green & Gold faithful. Chicago has the top rushing attack, averaging almost 200 yards per game, while Green Bay ranks 28^th against the run. The Packers are also giving up 26.3 points per game (23^rd) while the Bears average 28.0 points per game. That’s not even the bad news; Green Bay’s offense has been so frustrating and have given the ball away 6 times thus far while the Bears have a top defense in every category.

How Can Green Bay Win?

The offensive line should get another jolt, likely starting newcomer, Kevin Zeitler at Right Guard, which is the biggest hope/key – possessing the ball to keep the defense fresh throughout the game, is probably the biggest key. On top of that, Matt LaFleur’s scheme will need to be on point, the drops will need to vacate, and no turnovers. If all of those hold true, the Packers can come out victorious. A big ask, considering we’ve yet to see that type of performance not only this year, but almost the last 2+ years. Defensive Coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, will likely take some notes from Brian Flores (Minnesota Vikings Def. Coord.) since the Vikings shut down Chicago and held them to only 3 points in their rain-soaked Week 2 matchup at Soldier Field.

If Green Bay wins the toss and defers, they must get a quick stop to open the game, then have the offense put together a confidence-building drive and score to open the game up 7-0 with getting the first possession out of halftime. Playing from ahead, as always, is the best way to win…and Green Bay has really only done this twice this season – blowing Week 1 in Minnesota.

In addition to the quick start, winning the turnover battle is always key, but especially against a Bears team that thrives on takeaways. The Packers likely need to win the turnover battle by 2+ and scoring off those turnovers to “steal points and possessions.” Every way I look at this game, it’s unsettling due to the Bears being better in every department other than QB, but give the Packers’ OL struggles, that evens out. Maybe it’s a special teams play that can swing the game and act as a turnover or “free score,” which might be the other advantage Green Bay has.

Prediction Time

Unless most or all of these things come true, Chicago has the better play-caller, healthier team (both teams are quite injured) and momentum/confidence.

Season: 2-2
Overall: 119-79

Until the Green Bay Packers fix the offensive line it’s tough to imagine them winning another game. No, that’s not an overreaction or hyperbole, it’s been that bad up front. Green Bay can’t run the ball and can’t pass block for more than 2 seconds before Jordan Love is under extreme pressure. It’s amazing he’s been able to pass for as many yards and touchdowns as is. The OL is the lifeblood of a football team, and if it’s the worst unit the NFL has seen in decades, it doesn’t matter how well all of the other units perform during the course of a game/season. The fact Jordan Love is averaging 281 yards and 2 TD a game is nothing short of incredible. Even if the defense was the best in the league, they’d eventually get worn down and falter having to be on the field an average of 35:54 per game, or equivalent to 60% of the game. Not only is this unsustainable, it’s a strong enough trend where they may not win another game. There is zero complimentary football being played and it’s squarely on the shoulders of Ed Policy for extending Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur, both of whom allowed the roster to be what it is, therefore having the offensive line in the situation that it currently sits.

As a team, Green Bay has gained 946 yards and scored 56 points, giving them an average of 315 yards and 18 points per game. That’s simply not going to cut it. There are plenty of other areas/positions to improve, but all are moot until the offensive line gets fixed – nothing else matters at this point.

At a Crossroads

As a fanbase, we’re at a crossroads. While we obviously want to root for the Packers to win and “do well” (whatever that means), the red flags shown thus far tell me that the Head Coach has lost the team. Maybe the most eye-opening piece is the quote from Tucker Kraft after the Falcons game, “(the boos) aren’t going to help us win.” He’s been a poster boy for quotes and mindset for a football player and this is one of the softest reactions possible. Really disheartening from a team leader and tone-setter. The simple response to that is, “if you don’t want to get booed, do better.”

The crossroads come to the point of still rooting for the team to win, but knowing they’re incapable of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy – and if there’s “enough winning” in the regular season, Ed Policy has shown he won’t make a change, therefore we’re in purgatory, yet again.

Week 4: (1-2) Green Bay @ (0-3) Tampa Bay

The good news is the Packers signed offensive guards, Laken Tomlinson, Mekhi Becton, Sr., and Kevin Zeitler this week. All better options than what’s currently on the roster for the Packers. The other news that “should” help Green Bay is Tampa Bay will be without starting QB, Baker Mayfield, meaning the Packers who’ve had 3 embarrassing performances already, come into a 0-3 team’s house, starting a backup QB, play in the worst division the football, and missed the playoffs a year ago. There once was a time where all of these scenarios being in place, and should Green Bay lose, the head coach would be looking for a job the following day. Callin back the crossroads of fandom, but if losing to Tampa today jettisons Matt LaFleur, maybe that’s ultimately a good thing. Culture change seems to be necessary and it can only happen with a change from the top. However, it’s difficult to “root for a loss” for your own team, especially given that there’s enough talent to win on this team and it’s so early in the season. Also, the Packers don’t hold a 1^st round pick in 2027, so it’s really a tough spot to be in.

Matchup Matrix

Based on the numbers and rankings alone, the Packers are in a world of hurt when on offense. Green Bay is on pace to have an historically bad rushing attack and Tampa boasts the 2^nd best rush defense in the league. Tampa Bay’s defense has been very solid in every category other than scoring, which may have more to do with their sputtering offense, mainly the 7 giveaways setting up short fields for their defense to defend against. The big help is that Green Bay will be seeing a backup QB in Jalen Daniels, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas making his 1^st NFL start of his career. He’s athletic and capable, but any team worth a damn (which Green Bay would/could be with a competent OL) should make life very tough on the Buc’s already dismal offense. Strictly on stats and rankings, this is a matchup of two very bad teams and while Tampa is 0-3, they’ve been the better team between these two through the first 3 games of 2026.

Welcome Big Boys

Regardless of your opinion of General Manager, Brian Gutekunst, he identified the biggest issue of this team (an offensive line that he built) and was very aggressive in his attempt to fix it. He brought in 3 proven veterans that have had their own issues (mainly Tomlinson and Becton, Sr.), but have had a track record of success in the NFL to assist with Green Bay’s OL issues. The big question heading into Week 4’s game against Tampa Bay is if any or all would be ready to play or start to help an OL that’s absolutely killed this team.

There’s an old saying, “As the line goes, so goes the team.” That’s never been truer than the 2026 Green Bay Packers. There’s a world where if Green Bay just had average offensive line play and 2 awful roughing the passer calls, this team would be 3-0 and feeling MUCH different about the season. That’s the impact the OL has had and it’s led to an abysmal 48.7 rush yards/game, the shortest amount of time to throw for Jordan Love, and wearing the defense down because the offense can’t sustain drives on a consistent basis. Again, beating a dead horse, fixing the offensive line could potentially have this team go from a bottom-4 team in the NFL to a top-4 team in the NFL. It’s that important.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, the Packers had an average O-line last year, Josh Jacobs (who knows if/when he’s returning), and Micah Parsons (same as Jacobs), and were taking it to the best team in the NFL, Denver, on the road. That’s how close the margin of error is for this league. Fix the OL and you fix the team. Hell it may even be good enough to win the Super Bowl.

The Good News / Reason(s) for Hope

While it seems there’s no hope for change due to the same coaches doing the same things, maybe the influx of the veteran Guards (Tomlinson, Becton, Sr., and Zeitler) can stabilize the OL and help get this team back on track. It begins with putting a complete game together against an inferior opponent – then again, this was the same message heading into Week 3’s matchup vs. Atlanta…and we got our doors blown off.

Who To Watch?

All eyes will be on Tampa Bay Rookie Undrafted QB, Jalen Daniels. If Tampa can control the ball with short passes, rollouts (keep in mind, Daniels is athletic) and their ground game led by HB #7 Bucky Irving – averaging 4.5 yards/carry this season – they have a real shot to win this game. The Bucs also have a very talented 2^nd year wide receiver in Emeka Egbuka (#2) that’s capable of being a problem. He nearly had 1,000 yards receiving in his rookie campaign a year ago to go along with 6 touchdowns, but we’ll see how he fares with Daniels slinging it.

Green Bay’s offense will need to build a lead and hold the ball to allow their defense to stay fresh and in attack mode as they’ve been fairly good against the pass (10^th in yards yielded per game) this season.

It’s gotten to the point where I can’t trust the OL or offense until they prove otherwise. I believe the talent is there, but the OL coach, Luke Butkus, the nephew of Bears legend, Dick Butkus, has been so poor that it’s led to the question of Is he sacrificing his career just to sabotage the Packers with his Bear blood running thick?

Season: 2-1
Overall: 119-78