The Green Bay Packers and their devoted fan base certainly have many reasons to be excited about the immediate future right now. But the team’s last two games have served as a reminder that it isn’t quite time yet to size up its players for championship rings.
On Sept. 21, it lost to the Cleveland Browns, 13-10, after holding a 10-0 lead with under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Browns are a moribund team with lots of problems at many position groups, especially quarterback, and it was an embarrassing loss for a team that was tabbed as a favorite to reach the Super Bowl.
Then this past Sunday, the Packers blew another double-digit lead, this time to the Dallas Cowboys, and came out with a 40-40 tie. They hold a 2-1-1 record and sit in second place in the NFC North behind the Detroit Lions.
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ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter gave a reality check on where the Packers currently stand.
“I think if you’re the Green Bay Packers right now, I think you’re disappointed,” Schefter said. “Last I checked, a couple of weeks ago, we got their offensive lineman talking about unbeaten season. They lose at Cleveland, a game they shouldn’t have lost. Everybody thought they were gonna boat race the Dallas Cowboys. Micah [Parsons] would have multiple sacks. They would just have their way, and they didn’t. This team, at times, has looked dominant, but they still haven’t won a road game.”
Green Bay’s defense, newly endowed by the stunning acquisition of superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons, looked truly dominant to start the season. Parsons has 2.5 sacks through four games, and his presence has freed up defensive lineman Rashan Gary to log 4.5 sacks so far this year. But Dallas found many holes in that defense on Sunday to the tune of 436 total yards of offense.
The Packers have other problems, as well. Wide receiver Christian Watson continues to be out of action after the torn ACL he suffered late last season. Wideout Jayden Reed suffered a collarbone injury during their Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders and underwent surgery as a result. Even worse, left tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks have also been out with injuries of their own.
They still need a legitimate game-breaking wide receiver threat to emerge, especially come playoff time when defenses truly get tight. Green Bay’s current leader in receptions and receiving yards is tight end Tucker Kraft, and having a tight end lead a team in both categories isn’t the best formula for success on offense.
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The squad is currently on its bye week, which is giving it the opportunity to address its issues and get healthier. It will be back in action when it hosts the Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Oct. 12.
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