Packers fans had every right to let their feelings be known after Green Bay’s Week 3 disaster against Atlanta.
A 21-point home loss to a formerly 0-2 Falcons team is the kind of performance that turns a stadium sour fast. On a national stage, the Packers were outgained by 170 yards and held the ball for 15 fewer minutes than Atlanta.
That’s not a bad bounce or one rough stretch. That’s a team getting thoroughly outplayed in its own building.
The reaction around the boos varied inside the locker room. MarShawn Lloyd owned the moment and accepted blame for the poor showing, while Tucker Kraft pushed back against the crowd’s response and seemed to take it personally.
But the bigger issue is not how individual players handled the noise. It’s whether the noise was deserved.
And based on what Green Bay has shown through three games, the answer is yes.
This is a roster that has carried itself like Super Bowl-or-bust is the standard, and for good reason. There’s talent here.
There’s a coaching staff that looks solid on paper. Yet the same problems keep showing up and dragging the Packers down.
Late-game meltdowns. A shaky defense.
Offensive line issues. Injuries.
Thin depth at the skill spots. The list that haunted this team last season is still sitting right there in front of it.
The offseason only solved one of those problems, and that was the kicking game. Trey Smack has done his part, making 5-of-6 field goal attempts so far. Beyond that, the bigger concerns never really went away.
That’s why the frustration in Green Bay feels bigger than a single ugly Sunday. Fans saw the same cracks last year, and they’re still staring at them now. If the team needs a wake-up call, it can’t be surprising that it came from the stands.
And in Green Bay, those stands carry real weight. This is the only show in town, and it’s the only community-owned franchise in major American professional sports. That gives Packers fans a different kind of stake in what happens on the field, and a different kind of right to hold the team accountable when things go sideways.
The front office has given them plenty to question, too. The offensive line was allowed to enter the season in rough shape.
The reaction to the Josh Jacobs situation was slow. Matt LaFleur got an extension before proving he’s not a choker.
And two talented wideouts were let walk without enough thought given to who would replace them.
That’s how a promising roster starts to look like a team that’s trusting its brand more than its fixes. Green Bay still has some encouraging pieces.
Matthew Golden has emerged as a legit WR1 option, the defense has made some exciting plays, and special teams have been much improved from a year ago so far. But those bright spots don’t erase the bigger picture.
Not after a loss like that.
In Other News...
Packers Just Got A Huge Chance To Fix Their Slow Start
A 1-2 start has left the Packers with work to do, and the timing of the next two opponents could not be much better for a team trying to steady itself. Green Bays rough opening has already included a significant loss to the Falcons, so every chance to bank a win now carries a little more weight as the season starts to settle in.
The upcoming matchups with the Buccaneers and Bears may come against backup quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams and Baker Mayfield dealing with injuries. If that holds, it gives Green Bays defense a real opening to tilt the next stretch in its favor, and the Packers could use exactly that kind of help as they look to turn an uneven start into something more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Offensive Line Problem
Green Bays approach to the offensive line has turned into one of the clearest themes of the early roster-building cycle, and Brian Gutekunst kept leaning into it with another veteran addition. After extending Sean Rhyan and restructuring Aaron Banks contract, the Packers also brought in guard help by signing Mekhi Becton, while Laken Tomlinson and Cordell Volson were recent arrivals on the practice squad.
Becton gives the Packers another experienced body to evaluate at a position group that has needed attention, and his background at guard with the Eagles and Chargers makes him a practical fit for the kind of flexibility teams want this time of year. He was also recently cleared from a shoulder injury, which adds another layer of intrigue as Green Bay keeps trying to stabilize a unit that has been a recurring concern. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Offensive Line
The Packers moved quickly this week to shore up an offensive line that needed attention, bringing in Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton as part of a clear effort to add experience and size up front. Becton, a former first-round pick with six years of NFL experience, had worked out for Green Bay before the signing, giving the team a chance to see where he fit before making the move.
To create room on the 53-man roster, Green Bay is expected to place Zach Bako-Bewele and Jayden Reed on injured reserve. It is another sign that the Packers are treating the line as a priority, and the additions suggest the team is still sorting out how best to stabilize that group as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]