The Packers need a reset in the worst way, and the schedule might be lining up just in time for one.
After a rough 1-2 start, Green Bay is staring at a stretch that could help stop the bleeding. The next two games come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road and the Chicago Bears at home, and both opponents may be down to backup quarterbacks by the time the Packers get there.
That matters because Green Bay just got punched in the mouth at Lambeau Field. The 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons was ugly from the jump, and the offensive issues were hard to miss.
Jordan Love had almost no time to work behind an offensive line that couldn’t hold up, and the run game never found any real rhythm. Even when there were openings, the backs didn’t make much of them.
Now the Packers have to find a response quickly before the season gets away from them.
The Bears situation is the clearest one. Caleb Williams left last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with a hamstring injury, and over the weekend it was reported that the injury is a Grade Two strain that could keep him out for 3-4 weeks.
That puts his availability against Green Bay very much in doubt. Chicago’s options behind him are thin, with Case Keenum listed as the third quarterback on Monday Night Football and Tyson Bagent just getting cleared from concussion protocol after limited practice this week.
Tampa Bay may be in the same boat. Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand against the Vikings, and he is scheduled for an MRI today to determine the full extent of the injury. The Buccaneers are expecting him to miss time.
If that holds, Green Bay would be looking at Tampa Bay’s backup, Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas who beat out Jake Browning for the job during training camp and the preseason.
So while the Packers still have plenty to clean up, the next two weeks could offer exactly what they need: a chance for a defense that has played well overall to tilt the field, create easier games, and maybe give an offense in need of a jolt some room to breathe.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Packers Fans Want Mike Tomlin For A Problem He Wouldn't Fix
The frustration around the Packers has only grown as the losses piled up after Micah Parsons injury, with Green Bay dropping seven of eight and letting several games get away in ugly fashion. Blown leads and a blowout loss have sharpened the criticism aimed at Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst, and when a fan base gets this restless, it is only natural for bigger names to get tossed into the conversation.
Mike Tomlin is one of those names, but the idea of him fixing Green Bays problems does not really fit the reality of the situation. The ties that would have to line up for that kind of move are longshots, and even if they did, the Packers issues are more about what has gone wrong on the field and in the building than one outside rescue job could solve. If change is coming, the more plausible debate is whether LaFleur has earned a reprieve at all. [Read more 🡒]