How Bad are the Packers? Week 3 TNF Breakdown
The Green Bay Packers sit at 1-2 on the season and simply have not run a clean operation in 2026.
There is a lot that can be discussed about what has led the Packers to be in their current state. A state where I believe, going back to the offseason, Green Bay is not a playoff team and has serious issues in multiple phases of their team.
From the way the organization handled the Josh Jacobs off the field situation, to how they managed Zach Bako-Bewele's rehab, to the methods of talent acquisition that has led to what can be described as an average roster at best, there is a lot wrong with Green Bay's organization right now.
And it all led to getting utterly dominated, completely blown out, by a team who looked inept through two weeks.
But right now, let's focus on the Packers offense. This is where the heaviest investments lie.
Head coach and play caller Matt LaFleur was extended this offseason.
Quarterback Jordan Love makes $55m a season.
Tight end Tucker Kraft makes up to $23m a season, the highest paid TE in the NFL.
Wide receiver Christian Watson makes over $27m a season.
Wide receiver Matthew Golden was a 1st round pick in 2025.
Left tackle Jordan Morgan was a 1st round pick in 2024.
Center Sean Rhyan makes $11m a season.
It's tough that Bako-Bewele went down, but his replacement, Anthony Belton, was a 2nd round pick.
Enough resources have been invested in this offense to the point where what has transpired through three weeks is more than disappointing. There is no reason this should not be a good unit.
Yes, Bako-Bewele and Josh Jacobs being unavailable hurts. And big 2025 free agent signee LG Aaron Banks has been unavailable as well. And a lot of what will be discussed will have to do with the offensive line.
Maybe you're saying, "well, all of this has to do with talent acquisition, not the offense!"
I suppose this is true, but the two are tied together, no? That's what makes an NFL team, a team. The guys who were paid to play for your organization have to play well at some point.
So, what is the root of Green Bay's problem?
And how easily can we expect it to be overcome, especially when it comes to QB Jordan Love?
The Good
Matt LaFleur's play calling is still quite effective and enjoyable to watch. Most things make sense from a conceptual standpoint, even in the limited ground game.
Sometimes when you watch NFL offenses, things simply do not make sense. Whether it is the play call in a certain situation, the route combinations, the depth and timing of routes on certain down and distances, or the sequencing of the plays. There is nothing more frustrating as a viewer than to have poor play sequencing. Mostly meaning the arrangement of plays doesn't make sense, whether it be the order of run and pass calls, or how playcalls mesh together.
I find LaFleur's play sequencing to be perfectly acceptable. When I watch Green Bay's offense, it doesn't seem off to me. Now, we'll talk about the run game in a bit, and I'd like LaFleur to try and run the ball more, but his play designs are not the issue.
I mentioned all the resources Green Bay poured into the offense. The good news for the Packers is that some of them are paying off.
Christian Watson has looked like a borderline WR1 ever since returning from his ACL tear suffered late in the 2024 season. He has not missed one game since returning, and in those 13 games, Watson has put up: 52 receptions on 84 targets, for 895 yards and 10 TDs.
Matthew Golden did not have a good rookie season from a target share perspective, but has 30(!) targets through 3 weeks this season. Golden's averaging 17 yards per reception through 3 weeks for over 250 yards.
Tucker Kraft is back from his ACL tear and still looks fantastic when it comes to his after the catch and blocking ability.
There are weapons available in the Packers passing game, along with a coach who I believe is a very good play caller. And all of these things will remain true throughout the season.
Concerning
Tucker Kraft is a great player to have, but he's not always accessible as an option in the passing game. The reason for this can be summed up in the fact that Green Bay needs Kraft to stay in to block due to the condition their offensive line is in. It's a vulnerable line and opponents have been blitz heavy, and Kraft is the man who ends up staying in to block.
Kraft frequently not being an accessible target for Jordan Love has contributed to the next concern I have for Green Bay, which is their quarterback.
Jordan Love has struggled immensely to start the season. No matter the category, his numbers are well below average. Especially when you consider Love is typically towards the top of the entire NFL, at least in efficiency metrics.
His stats are one thing, and I'll dive into that in a minute. But the most concerning thing for Love is that he has simply been inaccurate, even in clean pockets. And Love is typically one of the more accurate passers in the NFL. And with the state of the Packers, their $55m QB missing automatic completions is the last thing they can afford. He also appears straight up uncomfortable in the pocket, even early in the game, and when the pocket is clean. Not a good sign.
The only thing I believe you could criticize about LaFleur's play calling is the lack of quick answers in the passing game. Through 3 weeks, Love frequently looks for a quick answer from the pocket, but they are rarely available. Whether due to a blitz from the defense, or Love not wanting to hang around the pocket, even if he should, Love sometimes does not have the option to find a quick answer. Kraft being so elite after the catch should lead to him being this answer, but as we discussed, he's often staying in the backfield to help block.
Some Love stats.
He has attempted the 2nd most deep passes per game, yet is completing just 21% of these attempts. So frequently when Love doesn't have a checkdown option, his answer is to throw to the one on one deep ball, which is rarely open. This is not good for any offense.
The Packers have surrendered the 5th highest pressure rate, at 42.1%. Love ranks incredibly poorly under pressure. He is 25th in CMP%, 28th in passer rating, and 29th in CPOE.
Love has also been blitzed the most per game out of any QB. And those numbers are no better than the under pressure numbers.
The NFL defines a "quick throw" as less than 2.5 seconds from the snap to throw. Love has the most quick throws per game by any QB, and yet his completion percentage is under 60%(worst among NFL quarterbacks).
Jordan Love has been forced to get the ball out quickly, but there are not many quick, productive solutions in this Packers offense.
Green Bay has also not run much play-action, likely due to the state of the run game, which we will discuss in a bit.
The guard spots for Green Bay are of large concern through 3 weeks.
Aaron Banks was given a $77m contract last offseason and has played 1 quarter of football this season. He had lingering injuries last season, but played 14 games. Banks reportedly had knee tendonitis issues in the offseason, which caused him to miss Week 1. He then started Week 2 and left after a quarter with a toe injury. In theory, the left guard spot should eventually be cleared up, especially in the power running game, with Banks back. But will he even be at full health?
In his place, 2024 UDFA Donovan Jennings started Week 1. It went fairly poorly, and when Banks went down again, rookie 5th rounder Jager Burton took his spot. I would not say Burton played particularly well. To be fair to the rookie, it has been a few years since he's started at guard, playing center in his final Kentucky years.
At right guard, Green Bay entered the year with 2024 5th rounder Jacob Monk as the starter. Having to play next to a backup RT will not help Monk, who has looked a bit overwhelmed.
The guards have been rough through three weeks, with pockets constantly collapsing. The hope to hold onto is Aaron Banks returning and playing up to his highest level, and Monk, or other young linemen, improving as the season goes on. I would not be optimistic, but there is a reality where the Packers offensive line is functional by seasons' end.
It's Over
The Packers run game has been absolutely atrocious. As I mentioned above, the run blocking could improve, in theory. But even then, the current state of the RB room will not allow the run game to prosper.
If you wanted to throw on extremely rosy glasses, here's what a positive outcome is for Green Bay: Aaron Banks returns to full health and the right side of the offensive line, RG Jacob Monk and RT Anthony Belton, both improve in their first season starting to average levels of play. LaFleur's run designs still allow for a productive ground game, and maybe Josh Jacobs is released from the commissioners exempt list and eventually returns to play.
Can three out of five offensive line spots go from awful to average and will their starting RB get his charges dropped? That is a lot that has to go right. And even then, Green Bay's run game in 2025 wasn't even average!
The fact that LaFleur felt uncomfortable running the ball on Thursday Night Football, a game that was close until the Packers punted the ball away with 1:02 left in the 3rd quarter, is a bad sign. Here is every rush attempt from Green Bay on Thursday, with the time, down, and distance. Spoiler: the video is only 1 minute long.
Running the ball just 8 times in a close ball game will rarely end well.
LaFleur clearly isn't confident in the run game, and you can tell why.
The run game issues are one thing, but they really are not fully on the offensive line. The O-Line has done some decent work in the limited rushing snaps.
Pass protection is just as big of a concern.
The obvious issues are there, especially on Thursday, where the young guards were repeatedly beat by Atlanta's strong interior rush. Belton was also a liability on Thursday, clearly overwhelmed in his first start.
But arguably the bigger concern, over the straight up one on one pass protection, is the communication issues up front. There are far too many dropbacks where a defender is unaccounted for. The poor communication up front is a reason for a lot of the negative plays on offense. Which makes it so easy for opponents to blitz the Packers with absolutely no consequences. There's always a free rusher. Even when Kraft stays in to block.
The final bit is a good summary of the disfunction of the Packers offense.
The young offensive line is not playing nor communicating well, which encourages blitzers. Tucker Kraft, being the blocker that he is, often stays in to block. But regardless of who stays in, the Packers have one less receiver on a route. And yet, there seems to always be a free rusher. So Jordan Love is getting blitzed, facing pressure, and rarely has an available or productive quick option.
And the lack of a run game also forces Green Bay to stray away from play-action. All quarterbacks see their stats and efficiency rise when running play-action. But Love was naturally one of the best across the league. An easy outlet for the Packers offense is lost due to their run game.
Some of what I have mentioned you may want to chalk up to Matt LaFleur.
Maybe he needs to submit to a more strict philosophy to make opposing defenses respect the run game.
Maybe you hate his overall game management, and that effects the offense as a whole.
But to me, the play calling is fairly sound from down to down. It has not been perfect, but it has only been 3 weeks. LaFleur's next task is finding a counter to the way teams are taking advantage of the Packers. This is an adjustment that is needed to save Green Bay's season.
I was lower on the Packers entering this season. And while some of those concerns were surrounding the offense, I did not expect the more notable issues to be on this side of the ball.
Green Bay should get star defender Micah Parsons back in a few weeks, who will drastically change their outlook. But it will not matter if the offensive operation is not cleaned up. LaFleur and his offensive staff have a mini-bye to figure out what adjustments they have to make to save this unit. How can they support this weak offensive line while not taking away from their top skill options that elevate their offense?
Thank you for reading through the article! If you have any ideas for the Packers, leave a comment below! Or let me know on my Twitter/X, @GridironGoldM_.
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