Man, did you see what went down in Minneapolis? The Green Bay Packers, after holding a solid 22-10 lead early in the third quarter, somehow allowed the Minnesota Vikings to rattle off a staggering 29 unanswered points. Yeah, you read that right. Twenty-nine. Unanswered. Points. When the final buzzer screamed, it was a brutal 39-22 loss, and it’s gotta make you wonder what happened to all that offseason talk about closing games out better.
That Second Half Offensive Meltdown Was Brutal
Talk about a gut punch. Matt LaFleur spent the offseason hammering home the need for his team to finish games, but whatever he tried clearly didn’t stick for Week 1. This team started hot, scoring on each of their first three drives. Jordan Love looked good early, slinging the ball around. But then, it was like the offense just hit a brick wall. The protection from the offensive line? Absolutely fell apart. Love’s good start was completely marred by back-to-back late fumbles, all because Brian Flores brought the house with sellout blitzes. Then came a late interception, also partly due to that same lack of protection. To make matters worse, this whole collapse happened against Carson Wentz, who was a backup quarterback subbing in for a concussed Kyler Murray early in the first quarter. Love ended the day with 387 passing yards and two scores to Christian Watson, which was his second-highest yardage total ever, but too much of that came when they were already bleeding out and trying to rally. The running game was practically nonexistent, gaining just 66 yards. And their third down offense? Abysmal, converting only 3-of-12 attempts, while Minnesota converted 8-for-15 and got multiple conversions via penalty. Ouch.
Defense and Special Teams Had Their Moments, But Blew It When It Counted
It wasn’t just the offense. Even the defense and special teams, despite some early heroics, couldn’t stop the bleeding. Jonathan Gannon’s defense actually started with a bang, with Keisean Nixon making a tackle for loss on an Aaron Jones run right on the first play from scrimmage. Then, Nixon picked off a Kyler Murray prayer, forced by a six-man pressure that saw linebackers Zaire Franklin and Edgerrin Cooper rushing, with Franklin coming unblocked right into Murray’s face. That’s the kind of disruptive play you want to see. But then came the penalties. The defense committed penalties on three straight would-be third-down stops during the Vikings’ go-ahead drive. You can’t give opponents freebies like that, especially when the game is on the line. Special teams was a mixed bag too, delivering some thrills with Trey Smack hitting a 59-yard field goal and Bo Melton breaking loose for a 59-yard kickoff return. But Smack also missed a PAT, and the team allowed a 69-yard kickoff return. Ultimately, the team that couldn’t close out games without Micah Parsons late last season showed they still can’t do it to start 2026.
Now, the Packers have to lick their wounds for a few days before hitting the road to New Jersey next week. They’re slated to play the 1-0 New York Jets. They need to figure out how to finish games, and fast, or this season could get ugly early.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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