Packers must fix glaring offensive problem before Week 5 against Bears, and Jordan Love knows exactly what it is
Green Bay ranks 28th in offensive DVOA through four games, and it’s something they can control.
It’s easier said than done, but the Green Bay Packers have to clean up their execution on offense if they want a real chance to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 5 on Sunday. The Packers have been one of the most frustrating offenses in the NFL, ranking 28th by DVOA through the first four games.
The numbers explain why. Football analyst Ian Hartitz shared a stat on X that combines self-inflicted mistakes on offense, including penalties, drops, fumbles, and interceptions per game. Green Bay is the worst team in the NFL in that area, with 12.3 self-inflicted mistakes per game. That’s an absurd number, and no offense can operate consistently with that many errors.
Where the mistakes are coming from
Penalties have been a major issue. Through four weeks, nobody in the NFL has given up more penalty yards than the Packers (344), and they have been especially damaging on early downs. Getting behind the sticks with a first-and-20 makes life extremely difficult for any play-caller, and Green Bay faced several of those situations against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fumbles were also a problem in Week 4, with MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson.
Drops are another reason for concern. The Packers lead the NFL in drops, and that’s a hard way to sustain drives. It’s essentially impossible to be a competitive offense with so many mistakes piling up.
The difference against Chicago
The contrast with the Bears is evident. Chicago has been somewhat average in that metric, ranking 17th in the NFL with 7.3 self-inflicted mistakes per game. Still, that means the Bears commit five fewer of those mistakes per game than Green Bay. Ahead of their “Thursday Night Football” loss, the Dallas Cowboys led the league in that area with 4.5 per game.
It’s not realistic to expect the Packers to suddenly become the Cowboys in that category. But if they can regress to the mean and become an average team, that would be massive.
Green Bay has other problems, of course. There are clear issues in terms of talent and depth, especially along the offensive line and in the running back room without Josh Jacobs. Still, better execution alone would make the Packers a much more competitive team.
Jordan Love believes the offense is close
Right after the win over the Buccaneers last Sunday, Love was asked how far the offense is from being a good unit. The quarterback pointed to execution as the driver.
“Not far at all. I think everybody in that locker room knows that, and it really is just a matter of coming out here and executing on Sunday,” Love explained. “That’s what we have to do a better job of. I know what type of team we are. I know the players we have. So we’re right there, and it just comes down to coming out, executing, and making plays when we get those opportunities. So that’s what we have to clean up and do a better job of, but I have no doubt that we can get better, improve, and be a great team.”
Chicago will play without starting quarterback Caleb Williams, and Tyson Bagent will get the start. The Bears might be somewhat limited in terms of explosive plays on offense, because running back Kyle Monangai might be out or limited as well. Still, Chicago has a strong run game, one of the best offensive lines in football, and a well-schemed rushing attack under head coach Ben Johnson.
So, if Green Bay wants to beat its NFC North rival, the formula is clear. The Packers have to execute better and make fewer mistakes, because that’s what has held them back for most of the first four games.
