GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers entered Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings looking to snap a losing streak and find some answers for their struggling offense in the first half. They got neither.
The Packers did not get a first down on offense until the 4-minute mark of the second quarter. The result was another double-digit deficit.
Green Bay has trailed by 10 or more points in four of their last five games. The lone exception is a loss on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Packers have been outscored 73-9 in the first half since Week 3.
They were able to win one of those games in miraculous fashion but have lost every game since.
The losing streak has ballooned to four games, one shy of last year’s skid.
Coach Matt LaFleur’s message to the team during the losing streak was to keep working.
That work starts with the offense, which scored less than 20 points for the third consecutive game.
Jordan Love has taken plenty of blame for their struggles, but the issues on Sunday were all around him.
“There’s plays that he wants back, but we have to make some plays for him, too,” LaFleur said. “We have to throw better, we have to catch better, we have to block better, and stop having penalties that put us in obvious passing situations.”
The Packers need answers and improvement to come fast, or this season could fall even further off the rails. Here are our grades from the Packers’ 24-10 loss.
PASS OFFENSE
Former coach Mike Holmgren used to talk all the time about scripting the first 15 plays of the game. At this point, it feels like LaFleur scripts the entire first half.
The Packers’ tendency has been to fall behind by at least two scores before finding any semblance of a rhythm.
Sunday’s game against Minnesota was no different. Receivers were rarely open. When they were, Love either missed them or the receivers missed the ball. The second half didn’t start any better.
Love’s second pass attempt of the third quarter was intercepted by Josh Metellus and returned to Green Bay’s 20.
Jordan Addison’s 20-yard touchdown made the score 24-3. Only then, did the Packers find some success on offense.
Love and the receivers connected on one pass over 20 yards on the day. Another trend that has emerged.
Sometimes the receivers were soft at the catch point. Other times, they weren’t able to connect due to Love’s placement of the ball.
Love does have to be better on the deep ball, but guys have to make plays for him too. Aside from the frantic fourth-quarter comeback against New Orleans in Week 3, the offense has been struggling essentially since the fourth quarter in Atlanta in Week 2.
Sunday was no different. Green Bay’s struggled to put anything together on offense. Ten points won’t win many games.
The Packers have to find a way to put more points on the scoreboard. Grade: D RUSH OFFENSE The Packers’ ground game is hard to judge because the first-half offense has been so bad. By the time the offense gets moving, the score is at a point where it’s hard to justify running the ball because the team is trying to get back into the game.
