The Packers had more than one chance to shore up a broken running game, and they passed on all of them.
That decision now sits at the center of a season that could end with the same flaw that was obvious back in training camp. Green Bay is 6-3 after nine games, and the passing game is carrying plenty of weight - the Packers rank second in the league in passing yards per game at 279.7.
But the ground attack has been a dead end. At 68.2 rushing yards per game, they sit last in the NFL, and they’ve topped 100 rushing yards only once all year.
Even the latest game didn’t really change that picture. Kaleb Johnson averaged 4.9 yards per carry, but most of that came on a 34-yard burst. Outside of that run, the offense was still stuck in the same familiar rut.
Josh Jacobs has been part of the problem, too. He turned four carries into five rushing yards, and his play has been trending downward since last season.
The source of the frustration isn’t just production, either. He’s been banged up, has shown poor vision behind a line that can’t block, and was already dealing with the possibility of another suspension after more accusations surfaced.
That’s what made the trade deadline feel like such a missed opportunity. Jacobs suffered a fracture early in the win over the New England Patriots, giving the Packers one more opening to find help at running back. They still stood pat.
Maybe the market wasn’t there. No running back moved at the deadline, and sometimes doing nothing is better than forcing a deal. But from the outside, it reads like a team that never really tried to solve a problem everyone could see coming.
That’s the danger now. Jordan Love is playing the best football of his career, but a one-dimensional offense is a shaky bet in the playoffs. If Green Bay gets knocked out because the same rushing issues that showed up before Week 1 are still there in January, this decision will land right at Brian Gutekunst’s feet.
In Other News...
Packers Face Their Biggest NFC North Test Yet Against Minnesota
The Packers are heading into their biggest NFC North test yet, and the timing could hardly be more important. Green Bay and Minnesota are both in the thick of the division race, with a playoff spot and a little early leverage in the standings hanging in the balance when they meet in a game that should say plenty about where each team really stands.
Minnesotas decision to bring Kirk Cousins back into the fold gives this matchup another layer, especially against a Packers team that has leaned on Jordan Love and a more balanced operation on both sides of the ball. Green Bay has looked sharper as the season has gone along, but divisional games tend to expose every flaw, and this one feels like the kind of test that can either confirm the Packers progress or remind them how thin the margin is in the NFC North. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Face One Big Deadline Question In Tight NFC North Race
The NFC North arms race got a little louder at the NFL trade deadline, but Green Bay stayed put. While Minnesota added quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Raiders, Chicago sent multiple future draft picks to Tennessee for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and Detroit landed safety Andre Cisco from the Jets, the Packers chose to ride into the stretch run with the roster they already have.
That decision leaves Green Bay with a familiar kind of pressure in a division where every move gets magnified, especially with the standings so tight. The Packers will keep leaning on internal development and whatever help is already on the way, with the next few weeks shaping up as a test of whether patience can hold up against the kind of deadline aggression their rivals showed. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Is Getting Rare Praise As Packers Momentum Builds
Jordan Loves latest outing against New England gave the Packers another reminder of how far he has come, and it also brought something quarterbacks do not always get in Green Bay: rare public praise from a teammate. Love was sharp from start to finish, completing 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns while posting a 153.2 passer rating, the kind of efficient, explosive performance that keeps the offense humming and the conversation around him growing louder.
Micah Parsons was among those taking note of the way Love is playing, and the support matters because it comes with the Packers still building momentum around their young quarterback. Love also hit a meaningful career marker in the process, adding another layer to a stretch that has him drawing attention not just for one big game, but for the trajectory he appears to be on as Green Bay keeps stacking wins and confidence. [Read more 🡒]