The 17-Point Meltdown That Cost the Packers Their Week 1 Win

Green Bay blew a 22-17 lead early in the fourth quarter against Minnesota, collapsing spectacularly to hand the Vikings a 39-22 victory to kick off the 2026 season. Seriously, this was a brutal, self-inflicted wound, and it all started with some head-scratching calls from Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

LaFleur’s Fourth-Down Gamble Goes Bust

Can you believe this? Early in the final frame, the Packers were sitting pretty, up 22-17. They had a chance to extend that lead from Minnesota’s 22-yard line on fourth-and-6. Rookie kicker Trey Smack drilled a 40-yard field goal, which would have made it 25-17. Eight-point lead, secured! But wait, there was an offside penalty on the Vikings. This is where things went completely sideways. LaFleur decided to take the points off the board and go for it on fourth-and-1. A QB sneak with Jordan Love was the play call, and guess what? He was stuffed. A virtual measurement confirmed it: Love was short of the sticks. Instead of an eight-point lead, Green Bay was left with just a five-point cushion. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

A Defensive “Cacophony of Errors”

After that disastrous fourth-down attempt, the floodgates absolutely opened. Green Bay’s defense just fell apart, a “cacophony of errors” letting the Vikings march right down the field. It felt like the Packers were going to get off the hook on third-and-11 with a sack on Carson Wentz, but nope, another flag. Illegal contact on Green Bay meant a free first down for Minnesota. Then, on the very next set of downs, Wentz somehow avoided a sack on third-and-3, and Chris McClellan got whistled for a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty. Again, a free first down! These mistakes, one after another, gave the Vikings all the momentum and completely unraveled Green Bay’s early lead.

What a way to start the season, right? Giving up a 22-17 lead and ultimately losing 39-22 shows a complete breakdown in crucial moments. They’ll need to clean up those late-game decisions and defensive miscues fast before Week 2, because you just can’t hand teams free first downs and expect to win.

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.