GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are facing a long list of problems after Thursday night’s 35-14 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons, with struggles across offense, defense and special teams leaving the team searching for answers.
The defeat dropped Green Bay to 1-2 and gave Atlanta its first victory of the season. For the Packers, the performance was particularly disappointing in front of a home crowd at Lambeau Field.
The offensive problems attracted much of the attention, but Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said responsibility for the loss cannot be placed on one position group.
“There’s plenty of blame to go around,” LaFleur said.
Packers offense continues to struggle
Green Bay’s offense has had difficulty finding consistency since the latter stages of its Week 1 game at Minnesota.
The offensive line has been affected by injuries and lineup changes, while the Packers have struggled to establish a reliable rushing attack. That has placed additional pressure on quarterback Jordan Love, who was hit repeatedly against Atlanta.
Love finished with 312 passing yards and two touchdowns, but completed only 28 of 53 attempts and threw one interception.
The quarterback acknowledged that he also needs to improve.
Love said he needs to find more completions earlier in games and avoid situations that leave the offense facing difficult third- and second-down distances.
Injuries have complicated Green Bay’s plans
The Packers entered Thursday’s game without several important players.
The offensive line has been affected by the absence of Zach Bako-Bewele and Aaron Banks, while the backfield is missing Josh Jacobs and the receiving group is without Jayden Reed.
Green Bay is also dealing with the absence of defensive star Micah Parsons, although he is expected to return within the coming weeks.
Bako-Bewele suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury, adding another major challenge for an offensive line that has already undergone significant changes.
The Packers also had a field-goal attempt blocked against Atlanta, creating another concern for a special-teams unit that has experienced similar problems in the past.
LaFleur calls for focus rather than blame
Despite the difficult start, LaFleur said the team must concentrate on improving rather than allowing outside criticism to become a distraction.
The Packers have a longer break following their Thursday night game, giving the players several days to evaluate the performance before returning to practice.
LaFleur acknowledged that criticism will increase after such a poor showing but urged his players to focus on areas they can control.
He also expressed confidence that the locker room can respond to the difficult start.
“We’ve got to get back to work,” LaFleur said, emphasizing the need to identify what the team does well and build from there.
Falcons fans make their presence felt at Lambeau
The result also produced an unusual scene inside Lambeau Field.
With Atlanta controlling the game, travelling Falcons supporters became increasingly vocal during the second half. Chants from the visiting section could be heard around the stadium as Green Bay struggled to mount a comeback.
NBC broadcaster Al Michaels commented during the broadcast on the unusual atmosphere, noting that visiting fans were making themselves heard inside a stadium traditionally known for its strong home support.
The reaction reflected the direction of the game, with Atlanta comfortably controlling the contest after taking the lead.
Pressure builds ahead of Tampa Bay trip
Green Bay now has time to regroup before its next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 4.
The Packers enter that matchup at 1-2, while their offense remains a major area of concern.
Love and LaFleur both emphasized the need for improvement rather than dwelling on the defeat. With injuries continuing to affect the roster, Green Bay will have to find ways to produce with the players currently available.
Thursday night’s loss exposed problems in several areas. The Packers’ next challenge will be finding solutions before those issues become a longer-term problem.
