After the Green Bay Packers got steamrolled by the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau in Week 3, the easy reaction would be to demand fixes everywhere. But Lukas Van Ness isn’t pushing for a full-scale teardown on defense.
The Packers are 1-2 through three weeks of the 2026 NFL season, and the loss to Atlanta made the problems impossible to ignore. The Falcons beat Green Bay 35-14 in a Primetime game, and the Packers were gashed for 498 total yards, including 242 on the ground.
Bijan Robinson was the center of it all. He ran 29 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and Green Bay never found a way to slow him down. Michael Penix Jr., making his first appearance since a 2025 ACL injury, threw for 256 yards and a touchdown, and the Packers did manage one interception.
Still, Van Ness believes the answer is already in the building.
"Just leaning on the veteran leadership with guys like Zaire and X [Xavier McKinney] that have been through the trails and tribulations," Van Ness aid, per Vince Lovergine. We believe in the guys that we have in this building."
That’s a different story from what’s happening on the offensive side, where Brian Gutekunst has already been forced into a major cleanup. He signed Laken Tomlinson, Mekhi Becton and Kevin Zeitler this week after the line continued to unravel.
The defense, though, is a different case. Van Ness is settling into his fourth season and has put together a strong start with 18 tackles, four tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks. Green Bay also has impact players at linebacker and safety, with Edgerrin Cooper, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Xavier McKinney giving the unit a solid spine.
There are still a few soft spots. Cornerback remains an area to watch, even if rookie Brandon Cisse is going through the usual first-year growing pains, and Keisean Nixon has been productive with one interception, one pass defended, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and 18 tackles.
The interior of the defensive line could also use more pop. Devonte Wyatt has been quiet over the first three games, and veteran Javon Hargrave hasn’t made much of an impact either. The Packers are also still waiting for Micah Parsons to return, and they could use more pressure from the opposite side of Van Ness, whether that comes from Barryn Sorrell or rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton.
For now, though, Green Bay still has the kind of leadership and experience Van Ness pointed to, along with enough talent to avoid the kind of overhaul the offense just went through.
The next chance to show that comes in Week 4 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield will miss the game with a dislocated thumb, leaving Tampa Bay to turn to undrafted free agent rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback.
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