Lambeau Field, a place usually buzzing with Cheesehead pride, was a house of horrors Thursday night as the Atlanta Falcons marched in and absolutely embarrassed the Green Bay Packers, taking a 35-14 victory. This wasn’t just any loss, either; it was the first home-opening defeat for Green Bay since 2012, pushing their record to a brutal 1-7 over their last eight games. You could practically hear the boos echoing over the “A-T-L” chants from the visiting fans , and who could blame them? Packers fans showed up tonight looking for one thing: a pulse from the running game. What they got instead was a cardiac arrest.
Eight Carries? Seriously?
Let’s talk about the run game, or the utter lack thereof. Green Bay ran the ball a pathetic eight times for a grand total of 17 yards. Eight times! To put that in perspective, quarterback Jordan Love threw the ball 53 times for head coach and play-caller Matt LaFleur. Add in a sack and one scramble, and you’re looking at an offense dropping back to pass an unbelievable 86 percent of the time. Love was still out there taking unnecessary hits with a minute left on the clock, down three full touchdowns. This isn’t sustainable for any QB, let alone one trying to establish himself. If this is the offensive plan LaFleur has cooked up, Love won’t survive the season doing that. And honestly, LaFleur might not either. The offensive line’s struggles were clear, but the overall approach just isn’t working.
Defense Got Shredded, Offense Keeps Dropping It
The defense, which had looked pretty good coming into this game leading the NFL in yards per carry allowed through two weeks, completely fell apart. Sure, they’d had some red zone issues before, but the Falcons absolutely punished them this time, entering the red zone five times. Atlanta came in with a clear strategy, countering Jonathan Gannon’s aggressive defense with outside zone runs that capitalized on overpursuits. Falcons stars Bijan Robinson and Drake London were unstoppable, combining for a mind-boggling 407 yards of total offense. Even with Michael Penix Jr. making his first start since tearing his ACL last season, the Packers simply couldn’t stop Atlanta’s top weapons. Special teams didn’t escape the disaster either, getting a kick blocked. While Matthew Golden and Christian Watson occasionally delivered explosive plays, Love has definitely played better football, and the drops from Golden, Watson, and tight end Tucker Kraft are a serious problem.
Something has to give in Green Bay. If this team doesn’t figure out how to run the ball and protect their quarterback, it’s going to be a long, gross year offensively. The future for Jordan Love, and perhaps this coaching staff, hinges on a drastic change before next week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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