Packers must finally confront which problems are real and which are not after disappointing loss that raises bigger questions
It wasn’t the best outing for Green Bay.
The Green Bay Packers are still a good team, Jordan Love is still a good quarterback, Matt LaFleur is still an elite head coach. A single unexpected loss to the Cleveland Browns shouldn’t change what the perception around them is, and it’s important to understand what’s real and what’s fluky.
The best way to reasonably explain a loss without overreactions is trying to find the things that were already a problem even when the team was winning. And this is what we will try here, finding the real, potentially long-term problems of this team.
Special teams
We wrote here two years ago that the Packers hired Rich Bisaccia for the wrong reasons. He had been a good interim head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, but his track record as a special teams coordinator is average at best. And that’s what the Packers’ special teams have been under him, average at best.
This year, the unit had a solid game against the Detroit Lions, showed some problems against the Washington Commanders, and came closer to an implosion versus the Cleveland Browns, including a decisive blocked field goal.
“The unfortunate thing about special teams in general is, when there is a mistake, a lot of times they’re like catastrophic mistakes,” head coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday. “Most of the emphasis, when you’re just talking across the league, is placed on punt, and you’re doing everything you can not to get a punt blocked. Sometimes you can take for granted the field goal block. Bottom line with us, I think it comes down to just being disciplined and trusting your technique and what you’re coached to do on a daily basis.”
The team has several roster spots occupied by special teamers, and the results haven’t justified that investment. Either way, with two open spots after placing Brenton Cox and Jayden Reed on the injured reserve, elevating or promoting players like Mecole Hardman and Kristian Welch could be on the table.
The Packers will simply not do anything drastic at this point of the season, nor should they, but keeping Bisaccia as the assistant head coach and looking for another special teams coordinator could be a future consideration—or at least should.
Run block
For a run-centric offensive style and for a team that has invested so many resources in the offensive line, the Packers’ run block has been beyond disappointing. And it’s not a fluky or new scenario, it was already happening last year.
Through three weeks, the Packers are 29th in PFF run block grade and 19th in ESPN’s run block win rate. In 2024, the team had been 22nd and 23rd, respectively. To make things more complicated, the worst run block grade amongst Packers’ offensive linemen is from Aaron Banks (41.6), a player Green Bay has paid $19.25 million on yearly average to improve the interior—and it clearly hasn’t been the case so far. Elgton Jenkins at center (59.3) hasn’t given the returns expected either in this area.
Individually, Josh Jacobs hasn’t been as efficient of a runner as he had last year, but it’s hard to generate anything when the run block is so underwhelming.
Pass protection was bad against the Browns as well, but run blocking has been a problem for much longer, and it’s likely the real, sticky issue upfront.
Penalties
The Packers were a top 10 team in each of the past two years in penalties against, which is probably caused by the fact that Green Bay has had the youngest roster in football. This year, the Packers once again have the youngest roster, and are tied for fourth in penalties (28). Against the Browns, it was especially a huge point.
The team had had 14 penalties over the first two games, and they had 14 against the Browns alone—including five false starts, two defensive offsides, two pass interferences, two offensive holdings, illegal formation, and ineligible man downfield. It’s hard to win games in those circumstances.
The Dallas Cowboys will present a lighter matchup for the offense, and likely a tougher one for the defense. But despite the matchup, the main priority for the Packers have to be looking themselves in the mirror and stop shooting their own foot so much.
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