The Green Bay Packers find themselves 3^rd in the NFC North and holding onto the last playoff spot (7^th seed) in the NFC Playoff Picture. The offense must find consistency and efficiency – and that must come from Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love. While the offensive line bears the blunt of the blame, and no Super Bowl winner has had a bad OL, if the Head Coach and QB are as good as we need them to be they need to overcome the teams’ main deficiency. While it goes against all the adages of the fundamentals of football – but this is the boat we’re in – but, a pass-first offense is the only path forward. Being able to run the ball is paramount, especially in the Red Zone and to close out games in the 4^th quarter, but the pass can set up the run and play-action, which is what this OL needs.

Turning to the opponent, the New York Giants blew a late lead in Chicago last weekend which was Brian Daboll’s last straw. The Giants fired their Head Coach after the collapse against the Bears – much of it coming from their star rookie QB, Jaxson Dart, getting concussed and not being able to return. Now the Giants have an interim Head Coach and are starting their 3^rd string QB. Sounds like a recipe for a blowout, however, Jameis Winston is as dangerous as he is entertaining. He’s started 3 games against Green Bay in his career and has fared extremely well vs. the Packers.

While going 1-2, his stat line is:

• 45/68 (66.2%)
• 519 yards
• 7 TD
• 0 INT
• 123.3 Rating

Those are Aaron Rodgers-type stats, for the regular season, however he has yet to see Jeff Hafley and this Packers defense. While Winston can make all the throws, Green Bay needs to generate multiple turnovers and show they’re one of the best teams in the NFL as that confidence has been shattered across, not only, Green Bay fans, but the entire league.

Matchup Matrix

The Packers offense couldn’t ask for a much better opponent in order to get their groove back on track. The giants can’t stop the run, are bad against the pass, and are the 5^th-worst in scoring defense. This is a great opportunity to gain over 120 yards on the ground, 300 yards through the air, and hang 40 setting up a “Get Right Game.” Even if the Packers accomplish this, it likely won’t change the feeling of Packer Nation, but will restore SOME confidence in that they can execute efficiently and score points at a high-clip.

Outside of the 2^nd half against Pittsburgh, it’s been a rough go. Green Bay has only scored 14 points in the 2^nd half of the last 2 games, that simply won’t cut it, especially considering the offense hasn’t scored in first quarter in 5 of their 9 games so far this season. The Packers have been a great 4^th quarter team this season, having only been shut out in the last quarter in week 3 in Cleveland, which was their 1^st loss of their season. All in all, if Green Bay can figure out how to start fast, they’re undefeated in those games. When the Packers have scored in the 1^st quarter, they’re 3-0-1. In each of those games they’ve also put up considerable points in the 4^th quarter to either force OT or seal the W. It’s imperative that LaFleur and the offense start fast allowing their defense to play with the lead and really lean on their pass rush to disrupt their opponents – given that the Giants simply aren’t a good team, it belabors the point, but it’s another reason to believe that Green Bay can get back on track. They need to score and score often. There’s only been 1 game that the Packers have scored in each quarter (Week 4 @ Dallas), and that’s the model for consistency that’s needed to prove how good of a team they are.

Prediction Time

With the Giants having an interim Head Coach, Mike Kafka, and starting 3^rd stringer (Jameis Winston) they’ll likely be very aggressive as they’re playing with nothing to lose. While dangerous, Green Bay can really capitalize by generating turnovers and putting up a ton of points. If the Packers were rolling, much like last year v. San Fran, Miami, and New Orleans, this is a game they should control from start to finish. Look for Green Bay to begin the correction of the trajectory of the season today and start marching toward their goal – Super Bowl champion.

Season: 5-3-1
Overall: 112-72-1

As good as the Defense has played in the 3 losses, the Offense has been that poor. As I’ve stated the entire season, the OL is to blame – at least primarily – for all of this. With just an average OL, Green Bay would be 8-0-1 and that’s assuming the Special Teams were still as awful as they’ve been all season. There’s quite a bit to unpack here.

Play-Calling/Design/Scheme

Has the play-calling been awful? Kind of…The statements being uttered in Packer Nation is that “LaFleur is calling plays as if he doesn’t trust Jordan Love.” Mainly starting the game (and most drives) with run-run and using minimal play-action. To defend Matt LaFleur, the best way to get the offensive line in rhythm is to run the ball. It makes pass blocking easier, while setting up almost every play call/design. The problem is the OL can’t run block. Jacobs keeps getting contacted BEHIND the line of scrimmage. Then on passing downs it’s even more obvious and teams can generate pressure with 4. Regardless of the QB that’s a recipe for disaster. Couple that with being in 3^rd & long (due to not being able to run the ball or using pass on early downs) the Defense can sit in 2-high shell (2 safeties on the back end of the defense) to keep from the big play down field. If you’re limited in your time to throw your WRs can’t get downfield deep enough to get the yardage to gain for a 1^st. If the D is only bringing 4, that leaves them with 7 men to cover, at most, 5 receivers. If they’re getting pressure with 4, then it’s likely the offense is keeping a back or Tight End in to help thus dropping your targets to 4, possibly 3 if you’re keeping both in…that’s a huge problem. Considering you have 5 offensive linemen to block 4 pass rushers, it’s a pure numbers game and you’re losing that over the course of a game.

Execution, Or Lack Thereof

What’s At Stake?

The Eagles leap-frogged Green Bay to takeover the #1 seed in the NFC playoff standings. This was always going to be a huge game, but with the Packers’ tie, tiebreakers won’t come into play, so it’s just pure overall record that’ll matter when Green Bay’s involved. The winner takes control of their destiny with Seattle currently holding the 1-spot.

How Can Green Bay Win?

While Green Bay opened this game as a 2 ½ point favorite, currently a 1-point favorite, it sure feels like the Eagles are the better team. Maybe that’s due to Green Bay not putting a full game together and coming off a bad loss. Philly’s defense, however, hasn’t been nearly as good this year as last. The Eagles give up over 120 yards on the ground per game and the Packers must capitalize on that rush defense. Green Bay needs to get the ground game going, which will help the offensive line’s confidence (more on that later) – if Josh Jacobs can eclipse the 100-yard mark, that me be the path to victory.

Philadelphia also has issues with their defensive backfield, hence why they acquired Michael Carter and Jaire Alexender – even though Jaire didn’t make the trip back to Green Bay (another healthy scratch, as it would appear). The Eagles still have Quincy Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and are returning Nakobi Dean and Nolan Smith from injury, that should help boost their pass rush and linebacking coverage. Couple that with the Packers’ loss of Tucker Kraft, that swings the advantage a bit more in the Eagles’ favor.

Back to running the ball – that will be the key in the game as well as turnovers – as always. If the Packers can keep Saquon Barkley in check (think <80 rush yards or <100 scrimmage yards) that should put the ball in Hurts’ hands to win the game, which he’s been very good this year, but still provides the best path to victory.

Matchup Matrix

As you can see, the Packers have the advantage in the statistical rankings in every category. Regardless of who has the ball, Green Bay has the advantage…on paper. Micah Parsons must have a game and force Hurts into mistakes to generate turnoverS (capital S, plural). Jordan Love also must play well, which he has been, but he must finish drives in the end zone. With that, should this be a “normal” game, meaning there are more than 7 possessions in the game, if Green Bay scores a field goal on every drive that would tally 30 points. It’s difficult to lose when scoring 30+, while that’ll be a tough task, even against the 19^th scoring defense, Green Bay needs to be efficient in the red zone and score touchdowns. Neither team generates turnovers, but also they don’t turn it over. Each of these teams rank 1^st and 2^nd in the NFL in giveaways – whichever team holds onto the ball will come out ahead in the end.

Main Issue – Still an Issue

It’s been the same issue plaguing Green Bay all season; Offensive Line. To expect the OL to magically improve is bordering on the definition of insanity. Now, there are different schemes that could put the OL in better positions to succeed – mainly keeping with the ground game and utilizing play-action off of it. Even if Green Bay doesn’t run the ball successfully, just running the ball will allow play-action to be effective. If the play-calling and design is on point, the offense can hang points with anyone in the league, and should.

Something to Notice

In the first 2 games of the season (Week 1 v. Detroit and Week 2 v. Washington) the defense was flying to the football and that’s been missing since. Green Bay needs to get back to the aggressive-style of defense and get back on track. Forcing teams to execute more influences them to run more plays each drive which behooves the defense as the likelihood of a penalty or negative play is more likely. Thus, getting turnovers, a sack, holding call, anything that can stall a drive and get you the ball back. The name of the game is getting explosive plays on offense and limiting them on defense – the best way to limit those is good, quick, tackling. Broken tackles lead to yards after the catch/contact, and there are less and less defenders as the ball is moving down the field. Green Bay flying to the football is paramount and what made them look like the best team in the NFL through the first 2 weeks of the season and why everyone (national media as well) thought they were the team to beat in the entire NFL. Get back to that.

Prediction Time

The spread for this game opened as Green Bay being favored by 2 ½ (as stated above), but has since dwindled to 1.0 in favor of the Packers (as of this writing midday on Monday). The frustrating thing about this Packers team is they can beat anyone, however, they also have proven they can lose to anyone. They seem to play to the quality of their opponent, and the reason for it doesn’t matter because it takes both coaches and players to make this happen – mainly the players. It may be a cop out, but I see this game going 1 of 3 ways…either a Packers blowout or close win, or an Eagles close win. I don’t see the Packers getting blown out, because that’s not who they are. They’re always in the game and it never gets out of hand at any point – this season or almost any game under LaFleur – other than the Week 1 game vs. New Orleans in 2021 where they lost 38-3.

Season: 4-3-1
Overall: 111-72-1

Now that the dust has settled a bit, the anger from Packer Nation hasn’t. Many are calling this the worst loss since the NFL merger (1970). This isn’t even the worst loss in the Matt LaFleur era…it’s not even the worst loss this season! If you’ve been following the Packers for some time (or the NFL for that matter), you should’ve noticed that Green Bay loses 2 games every single season that they have no business losing. Now, the Packers have 2 losses this season and both fit that category. Does that mean they won’t lose another game the rest of the season? No. It means they likely will beat the teams they should beat the rest of the year…or if they do lose to Chicago, maybe they’re not as good as we all think. The Packers losing to Cleveland is far worse than a loss to the, now, 5-3 Carolina Panthers. I’m not making excuses – should they have lost? Yes, based on their red zone offense and the play of the offensive line (more on that later). However, coming into the game, Green Bay should’ve won the game comfortably. The stats bear that out.

When you’re the underdog, much like Carolina, you want to shorten the game. This gives the better team less opportunities/time to prove they’re the better team. The Panthers did that, and just like all upsets the favorite must be compliant. Looking at just the stats, Green Bay outgained Carolina 369 to 265, averaging a full yard more per play (5.9 to 4.9). The Packers were even good on 3^rd down efficiency (7/13) while the Panthers were 4/10. The main culprit of this game was LaFleur’s decision to go for it on 4^th & 8 from the Panthers’ 13-yard line with 11:00 left in the game, down 7. In any scenario, that’s a must-kick the Field Goal situation. Regardless of the outcome, even had Green Bay scored a touchdown, they’d still need to hold Carolina to 3 or less on their next drive. The turnovers played a part, but that decision essentially cost the Packers the game – well that, and the awful OL play, which has turned into an epidemic this season.

Josh Jacobs is averaging 0.7 yards before contact and is getting hit behind the line of scrimmage on 45% of his carries. That’s not sustainable for a team with Super Bowl victory aspirations. Other than the OL “figuring it out,” the play-caller/designer must incorporate more quick throws and play action to help the OL create space for Jacobs and the ground game. The side effect to this would be giving Jordan Love more time to throw on passing plays and likely more room for Jacobs to do damage…sign me up!

In the grand scheme of things, it was an ugly loss, at home, to a team in your conference, but again with the tie to Dallas, won’t have any impact on tiebreaking scenarios (unless a team you’re tied with in the standings also has a tie down the road) – this fan base is calling for the firing of Matt LaFleur and believes the Packers won’t make the playoffs and they’re sitting at 5-2-1 and in 1^st place of the (arguably) best division in football. This is not to say that LaFleur is innocent or shouldn’t be on the hot seat, but he’d be hired in a heartbeat should he lose his job, regardless of when/how. My personal idea would be for him to take a page out of McCarthy’s playbook and give up play-calling (not because he’s bad) because that’s 2 full time jobs he’s conducting and Head Coach is the priority. Allow your Offensive Coordinator to takeover playcalling so you can get a better handle on gameday scenarios and situations rather than concerned with specific play calls/designs that’ll work in those specific situations.

The Packers Were Able to Finish

After garnering just 7 points in the 1^st half, Green Bay exploded for 28 following half time. Green Bay’s first half drives left a lot to be desired:

1. 3 & out – PUNT
2. TOUCHDOWN
3. Missed FG
4. 3 & out – PUNT
5. 3 & out – PUNT
6. Missed FG

Coming out of half time, Pittsburgh started with the ball and the Packers’ D held them to a 3 & out…enter Tucker Kraft. The Packers put together their best half of football since the Thanksgiving game last year.

2^nd Half Drives:

1. TOUCHDOWN: 9 plays; 90 yards; 5:13
2. TOUCHDOWN: 10 plays; 78 yards; 5:39
3. TOUCHDOWN: 4 plays; 45 yards; 2:01
4. FIELD GOAL: 8 plays; 47 yards; 3:28
5. FIELD GOAL: 5 plays; 19 yards; 1:08
6. END OF GAME: 4 plays; 10 yards; 2:07

Totaling: 40 plays; 289 yards; 19:36 and scoring 28 points. That comes to 4.67 points/drive, or 5.6 points/drive on drives they were attempting to score considering the last drive’s goal was to get a 1^st down to ice the game.

It was Green Bay’s most complete game – and they still screwed around in the 1^st half aside from 1 drive. The game would’ve felt much different heading into half had they made their 2 field goal attempts, as it would’ve been a 16-13 deficit, but it was moot in the end.

Now Enter Carolina

The Panthers enter Week 9 having won 3 of their last 4, however, they are coming off a crushing defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills – another Super Bowl contender. It’s easy to think the Packers could/should do the same, but we’ve seen this team and followed them for too long to know they don’t win the game from the start-to-finish. They doesn’t mean Green Bay can’t put this game away and get backup QB Malik Willis some snaps in the 4^th quarter.

Matchup Matrix

The major matchup to watch – or at least what one would think be the key to the game – is Carolina’s 5^th-ranked rushing attack vs. Green Bay’s 3^rd-ranked rush defense. Carolina had a stretch where they ran rampant over their opponents and it was the catalyst for their 3-game win streak. The Packers have been able to hold their opponents under 100 yards rushing in each game outside of their Week 4 tie in Dallas. The Panthers are averaging close to 140 rush yards and is their primary avenue to victory. If the Packers are able to stifle Carolina’s rush attack, it sets up a scenario where Green Bay could completely dominate this game, much like the Bills did last week.

The Panthers are a middle-of-the-road defense, as you can see ranking between 10^th and 20^th in each category. We know that LaFleur wants to get the Packers’ ground game going and that’s been improving (slowly) since the consistency of the offensive line has improved. This would be a great game to get an early lead and have Josh Jacobs and the ground attack rack up 150+ rush yards, chewing up the clock and icing this game early in the 2^nd half. It’s doable, but should Green Bay hold on to the football and not give away possessions, it’s tough to see how Carolina stays in this game.

That being said, special teams reared their ugly head last week, again (at least 1 holding penalty and 2 missed field goals). Special teams were the primary reason for both of the Packers’ non-wins this season (blocked field goal in Cleveland and a blocked extra point in Dallas).

Other than getting the ground game going, the Packers haven’t created turnovers this season, only generating 4 (ranking in a tie for 30^th)…much of the reason is to the opposing offense not throwing into danger because they’re under duress, quickly, from the pass rush and rather taking sacks or throwing the ball away instead of into danger. Carolina’s QB, Bryce Young, could give Green Bay some opportunities to intercept some passes and improve that statistic as well.

This is a game where one team is far superior than the other, however, if we have learned anything by watching the NFL – never take winning for granted is it’s never guaranteed.

Prediction Time

On the season, I’m 4-2-1 and guessing wins and losses, and 111-71-1 since I began this blog…I’m fairly confident in this game…we shall see if LaFleur can get these guys to play a complete game and improve the running game while generating turnovers.

We all know the BIG story going into tonight’s matchup between the Packers and Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Aaron Rodgers has the chance to join Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady as the only starting quarterbacks to defeat all 32 NFL franchises. Facing his old team for the first time could only be outdone by having this game take place in Lambeau Field…or if it were the Super Bowl.

The Game…

Each of these teams enter Sunday in 1^st place in their respective divisions. Pittsburgh has a decent lead in their division while Green Bay sits atop the best division in football, the NFC North. A loss for either team isn’t brutal as it’s an interconference affair and has almost zero tiebreaking factors for each team. However, keeping the momentum is key and stacking wins is always tough to do in this league – it will be a big/important game for both from that aspect as well as a measuring stick for each team to see where they stand in this extremely competitive league.

While it seems that savvy veteran QBs have wreaked havoc vs. Jeff Hafley and the Packers’ Defense, it’s only situationally. While digging into it deeper, there’s plenty of room for improvement, but the Packers have been able to hold them enough to win 4 of their first 6 games this season, and credit to Love and the offense for forcing a tie when the D got shredded by Dallas giving up 40 points (37 in regulation). Entering this game, Green Bay will see the most-veteran, savviest QB in the NFL; Aaron Rodgers.

Last week the Hafley (and Nate Hobbs) were bailed out by Micah Parsons, who has been nothing short of incredible since his arrival in Green Bay. Parsons had an amazing game (covered in the recap) and will be a focal point of every opposing offense for the remainder of the season. If the Packers can adjust their coverage and play more man vs. zone, the stats say that’ll help the defense as the opposing QB rating when facing man is significantly less than when facing zone, however that could lead to more splash plays which can turn a game upside down. So far, the Packers have shown ways to win close games and be an extremely tough out.

Matchup Matrix

While Pittsburgh is 4-2, their statistical rankings leave quite a bit to be desired…they’re 19^th in total offense and 28^th in total defense. What’s keeping them in games and allowing them to win is the turnover differential, they’ve been able to take the ball away 10 times so far this season (tied for 5^th) and have tossed 5 interceptions, which is uncharacteristic of Rodgers. This doesn’t bode well for Green Bay as they haven’t shown the ability to take the ball away this season (3 total, ranking tied for 29^th).

Should the Packers want to win and control this game, they should be able to move the ball up and down the field and if Love and the rest of the offense can keep the ball from the Pittsburgh D, they should be able to put up some serious points. This looks again like 27 points might be the trick to come out of Acrisure Stadium with a victory.

To assist with the offense, WR Christian Watson has been activated off the PUP list (physically unable to perform) and might make his season debut against the Steelers. Just the threat of Watson’s speed of being on the field will help stretch the defense out, vertically, thus creating more rush lanes for Jacobs and plenty of underneath soft coverage for slant routes and Tucker Kraft, whom needs to see plenty of more targets…he can’t get the ball in his hands enough.

Prediction Time

This has the making of being a close game, and Green Bay just won an uber-close game on the road against a pesky opponent. If Pittsburgh doesn’t get any turnovers (Green Bay is tied for 2^nd in the NFL with only 3 giveaways) I don’t see how the Steelers come away with a victory.

Season: 3-2-1
Overall: 110-71-1

Statistically, Arizona was the better team…all game. In essentially every category the Cardinals beat the Packers:

• 1^st Downs
• 3^rd Downs & Efficiency
• Total Yards
• Penalties
• Time of Possession

The major difference? The field goal drive before half that the offense was able to get into field goal range with only 7 seconds left on the clock. That was a huge momentum stabilizer and put the Packers within a touchdown getting the ball coming out of the half. The 2^nd was the lone turnover in the game. Rashan Gary’s strip sack led to a touchdown and tying the game. This is the prime example of how turnovers can flip a game – putting the lesser-playing team on top. The phrase “the better team lost” applies here as Arizona was the better team on Sunday, but the phrase “(they) didn’t deserve to win” almost never applies as the winning team found a way to score more points, which is the point.

That, and Micah Parsons. The man had 10 QB pressures, 4 tackles for loss, and obviously the 3 sacks. Each sack occurred in a huge situation. The first came on 3^rd & Goal from the Packers’ 8-yard line, holding Arizona to an opening drive Field Goal instead of a Touchdown. The Cardinals opened the game with a 15-play, 59-yard drive that took 7:26 off the clock and set the tone for how they were going to play.

Parsons’ 2^nd sack came with 9:50 left in the 4^th quarter on 3^rd & Goal, again. It kept Arizona out of the end zone once again and they settled for a Field Goal. Giving Arizona a 23-20 lead.

His last sack came on the last drive of the game, on 1^st & 10 from Green Bay’s 26-yard line. It forced Arizona to use a timeout and put them way behind the sticks (making the 1^st down line further than expected to gain with the remaining downs).

Stats Can Lie

While Jacoby Brissett put up a “monster” game, I can make the case that Jordan Love played better. Brissett’s stat line of 25/36 (69.4%), 279 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 110.8 rating. However, he failed to get rid of the ball and took 6 sacks, one led to a game-changing fumble (referenced earlier) while Love was 19/29 (65.5%), 179 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, and a 93.9 rating. Love took 1 sack, missed 2 throws, but when it mattered, he came through. On the final drive Jordan was 2/3 for 22 yards with the 15-yarder coming on 4^th & 2 from Arizona’s 29-yard line. The Packers were well within Field Goal range (having Havrisik nailing a franchise-record 61-yarder right before half). Clutch matters, and Love proved it once again.

Signs of a Good Team?

Green Bay had the yardage advantage of 200 : 23 in the 1^st half only to lead 10-0 at halftime. However, I believe, the Packers are the only team to hold a double-digit lead in every game they’ve played. Aside from special teams disasters and reluctant 2^nd half defense, the Packers could (should) be 5-0.

Speaking of that 2^nd half defense, Green Bay relinquished 18 second half points against Joe Flacco and the Bengals. That doesn’t seem so bad now considering Flacco beat the 4-1 Steelers on Thursday night, and their OL held up against a solid pass rush.

2nd Half Defense MUST Improve

Green Bay has pitched a shutout in the 1^st quarter in all 5 games, and they’ve been the worst defense in the league in the 4^th quarter.

• v Cin – 11 points
• @ Dal – 17 points (incl. OT)
• @ Cle – 13 points
• v Was – 15 points
• v Det – 7 points

That’s 63 points, averaging 12.6 points per 4^th quarter, that’s unsustainable for a team that aspires to win the Super Bowl. Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley, must combat the quick-throw game since opposing offenses realize they can’t sit back and let Green Bay’s pass rush get home. In theory, zone coverage means guys aren’t open quick, but clearly that’s not working in the 2^nd halves of these games.

Offense Seems to be Rolling

Green Bay scored 27 points in each of their 3 home games – that “should” be enough. Jordan Morgan needs to play RG from hereon out, and he’s vastly improved since he’s been playing there consistently. Getting the OL figured out is paramount for the run game, which will help this team in every facet, defense included, by keeping them off the field.

Who Are the Cardinals?

The Cardinals started hot, 2-0, then took the 49ers to the edge losing at Levi’s Stadium 16-15. After Week 3, they had a close battle with (now) 4-2 Seattle and snatched defeat from the hands of victory by dropping the ball prior to crossing the end zone line vs. Tennessee.

As you can see, Arizona is a middle of the road team in almost every statistical ranking, and Green Bay has the opportunity to keep their offense rolling in a dome environment, much like in Dallas. The Cardinals are also terrible at holding onto the football and the Packers need to get on the takeaway train, much like last year. Their offense is too good not to give additional possessions, and this would be a great game for the Packers to increase their takeaways and get some serious momentum rolling.

How Will This Play Out?

The Packers have the advantage in each category, as well as the better QB and Head Coach. If the 2025 NFL season has proven anything, it’s that any team can beat another on any given Sunday. While that’s always been the mantra, it rarely happens. However, the Packers have succumbed to this as they dropped a game against the Browns, inexplicably. Hopefully that along with the tie in Dallas was a wake-up call and motivates this team to finish games. It would be great to see the defense dominate all 4 quarters and restore confidence to the point where us fans were after Week 2. If Love & Co. can establish the ground game early, this would pave a path for the Packers to hang 30+ points again and ideally, cruise to victory.

Prediction Time

Season: 2-2-1
Overall: 109-71-1

Cincinnati Is Terrible

Since Joe Burrow went down with turf toe, the Bengals have become the worst team in the entire NFL. They’re 0-3 with a point differential of -76, scoring 37 points and giving up 113 in that time. If Green Bay is a great team – coming off a bye, at home…should be “easy.”

Cincinnati also has 11 turnovers, and just this last week vs. Detroit (another great team), Jake Browning tossed 3 interceptions, each worse than the last. The Packers must take advantage.

Get Right Game

This is the best opportunity for the Packers to correct all (or most) of their issues that have plagued them so far this season. Coming off a bye after 2 poor team performances, at home, with an chance to implement and gain momentum – against the worst team in the NFL – this is the time!

Cincinnati must be hopeful for Burrow’s return this season as they traded for Joe Flacco this week to buoy the Bengals’ season. Green Bay is all too familiar with Flacco already this season. Although he wasn’t great, he did lead Cleveland to their only victory of the 2025 campaign, and as we all remember, coming at the expense of the Packers.

Matchup Matrix

While Green Bay’s defense after the Dallas game took a hit in the rankings, they should feast on this Cincinnati offense. The Bengals’ offense ranks either at or near the bottom of the NFL in every category, and while Burrow hid a ton of issues, he’s not there any more and Flacco used to be capable, but he still puts the ball in danger enough to not threaten a good defense – just as he did against Green Bay in week 3.

Speaking of their atrocious offense, they rank last in the NFL in rushing and total offense. Green Bay ranks 2^nd in the NFL, still, in rush defense. The Packers should completely control this game from start to finish – especially if the Packers are the team we all want (and think) they are.

Cincinnati can’t move the ball, or score – couple that with their defense being awful, that’s the perfect recipe for domination. Cincinnati’s defense ranks in the bottom third of every major category – Jordan Love should feast in every facet and put up either gaudy numbers or blow this team out, likely both.

Every team has their challenges – the Packers have theirs, obviously – but Green Bay is in good position all things considered to correct the issues.

Correctable Issues?

Penalties are the main contributor to stalling the offense’s momentum. Almost all of this can be attributed to the offensive line and the lack of consistency they’ve had in their starting lineup. Should RT Zach Tom return, that should solidify the unit and get rookie Anthony Belton off the field – although Belton being injured might do that on its own. With OL uniformity, the ground game and Josh Jacobs should improve to the levels they experienced last season and by doing that the entire offensive unit will be back near the top in efficiency in the league.

The issues on the defense??? Well we covered the egregious holding Dallas committed, or allegedly committed that went uncalled – Micah Parsons is still generating as quick a pressure as anyone in the NFL and we’ve seen Lukas Van Ness take a huge step in progression this season. Should this continue and they stay healthy, this defense is one of the top units in the NFL, if not THE top unit. The injury to Devonte Wyatt can’t go unnoticed and the younger players (Brooks, Stackhouse, etc.) need to step up just from a depth perspective. When Wyatt is on the field, he’s the lynch pin for the defense’s run stuffing. Even when healthy, the Packers will need those rotational players to step up and help out much like TJ Slaton did last season – who ironically is now on Cincinnati.

Prediction Time

Season: 1-2-1
Overall: 108-71-1

What “Should’ve” Been a Blowout

The special teams struck again, up 13-0 and a blocked extra point flipped the game on its head. The momentum – along with DT Devonte Wyatt going out – spun to Dallas’ sideline. Give credit to the offense for weathering the storm and continuing the scoring, especially in the 4^th quarter. Dallas was shut out for a majority of the 1^st half, then scored 35 points in the final 32 minutes…unacceptable.

Love Was Great Outside of 2 Plays

While the strip-sack was obviously not on Love, it still can’t happen. Love wasn’t at fault (Rasheed Walker getting beat in < 2 seconds), he’s got to find a way to feel the pressure and keep the ball. The other play was a missed open receiver (Tucker Kraft, I believe), but the overall stat line was extremely efficient, especially once the OL improved the pass protection. Love’s stat line: 31/41; 337 yards; 3 TD; 0 INT; 118.1 RAT. Had Green Bay pushed it, not necessarily the play-calling, but more the urgency (or lack thereof) at the end of OT, Love might’ve finished with 4 TDs and 350 yards…

Also, while complaining about officiating is a losing take, it was egregiously bad. There were countless holds committed by Dallas that went “unseen” and directly led to 21 Cowboys points. Had just 3 of the egregious holds been called (there were at least 4 against Parsons alone), Green Bay wins 37-16, which is about the expected score, but alas, they weren’t and the Packers still should’ve come out victorious.

Outside of Wyatt

Edgerrin Cooper has his worst game a pro. He over-committed on rush lanes, missed plenty of tackles, and seemed a step slow. I don’t think it was due to injury, but chalking it up (for now) as a bad game. There will be concern if this happens again against an awful Cincinnati Bengals team.

Quay Walker – the other Inside Linebacker – had a solid game, again. He was firing rush gaps and playing very aggressively, making tackles in the open field and seemed to be in the right position at the right time, often.

Where Does Green Bay Stack Up?

The rush defense has stayed steady, which is a great sign, but with Wyatt exiting, the pass defense reverted to the Joe Barry-led defense…not a good sign that 1 player seems to have that large of an impact on an entire unit – the same can be said with Right Tackle Zach Tom on the offense.

We’d like to see this defense get back on track, and likely will against lesser offenses coming up. The main concern is to see if this team can string wins together away from Lambeau Field. Currently the Packers are 2-0 at Lambeau and 0-1-1 on the road. If not for the special teams, the Packers would be 4-0 without having put together a complete game. The tie sure felt like a loss, and it should’ve, but in the grand scheme of things, the Packers are in great shape to accomplish everything they’ve set their eyes on at the onset of the season. Just keep winning and things will sort themselves out.