Nothing feels better than starting an NFL season 1-0. There are many reasons for Packers fans to be excited after the Week 1 win: momentum for Thursday’s clash with the NFC runner-up, Jordan Love’s (relatively) clean game, the defense holding the NFC’s reigning best offense to six points (13 total in garbage time), and matching last year’s divisional wins already.
But would you really be a Packers fan if you couldn’t find a negative to panic over? Aha! Guess you have to turn in your fan card!
Packers Have the Lead!
First things first: The GnG got out to a magnificent start. At the end of a 13-play drive that started at their own 17, Love was able to connect on third down to Tucker Kraft for a 15-yard touchdown. Marching down the field in their second drive, Brandon McManus grabbed his first field goal of the year from 34 out.
Finally, while going up 17-3 midway through the second quarter, Love only had to throw the ball twice, once to Romeo Doubs and once to Jayden Reed for a touchdown.
The fanbase should be ecstatic over a first half that produced 17 points. Last year, in all six divisional games, the Pack barely averaged a TD in first-half scoring. Their 6.7 point first-half average hinged on Josh Jacobs’ score in week 18 against the Bears.
As we attempt to erase last season from our memory, Green Bay was looking good Sunday at Lambeau. The slow first-half offense seemed to have faded with this sample. But the inverse?
Don’t Lose it!
A divisional win is huge. After five losses last season, how miserable of a person do you have to be to find negative in a NFC North win? Well, Matt LaFleur is head coach of the squad.
Go on, rave about LaFleur’s one losing season and other cute stats. His weaknesses show in his play calling and poor decision making when it comes to throwing the challenge flag. The guy is 4-13 in his last 17 challenges and Amon-Ra St Brown’s catch wasn’t worthy of that 13th loss. His challenge record rivals Dan Reeves’, who went 4-20 on challenges and lost all nine in one year — the worst in NFL history!
This is not to discredit the Pack’s stellar defense. However, LaFleur’s play-calling with the lead left fans, once again, scratching their heads. A Kraft end-around on second-and-long after your defense gets you the first three-and-out in what feels like forever? Abandoning the passing game when Jacobs had less than ten yards halfway through the third quarter? Make it make sense!
LaFleur isn’t a stranger to vanilla play calls. You know it. Aaron Rodgers knows it. The internet definitely knows it.
Packers Push Forward
This 1-0 start feels REALLY good, and we get to see more Green Bay football soon.
Jordan Love is dealing, and the Packers could be a defense first type of team — wild, right?
LaFleur on the other hand, can’t get out of his own way. He needs to coach a full game against the Commanders or the win against the Lions will scream “Week 1 fluke”. Getting a prove-it win (or just a well coached game for that matter) with a mini-bye ahead will have the Packers soar in everyone’s power rankings, but if last year taught us anything, it has to be won the right way.
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