Three games into the season, the Packers’ ground game isn’t just struggling - it’s dragging the entire offense with it.
Thursday night’s 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons was the low point so far. Green Bay managed only 17 rushing yards in the game, a number that barely sounds real for an NFL offense. MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson each carried the ball four times, and neither made much of an impact.
The bigger issue is that this hasn’t been a one-night collapse. The Packers ran for just 66 yards against the Minnesota Vikings and only 63 against the New York Jets. That puts them at 146 rushing yards through three games, which, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, is their lowest total in the opening three games since 1933.
That kind of start has the Packers sitting dead last in the NFL with 48.7 rushing yards per game. They also have not scored a rushing touchdown, and their 3 yards per carry average lands them in the lower fourth of the league.
The problems start up front. Green Bay’s offensive line has been rough, and Thursday made that plain.
The unit allowed 15 quick pressures against the Falcons, the second-highest total in the league so far, behind only the Packers’ 17 quick pressures allowed against the Vikings. With that kind of collapse in protection, the backs have had almost no room to work with.
Still, the running backs haven’t done enough to cover for it. Lloyd, who drew plenty of attention as a possible boost after Josh Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List, has had a tough time.
He’s basically still in the early stages of his NFL career, so some growing pains come with the territory, but right now he looks lost. His vision has been an issue, and he seems too eager to chase extra yards instead of taking what’s there.
Johnson has looked better in spots, but that hasn’t translated into a consistent enough ground game for Green Bay to lean on.
And for Matt LaFleur, that matters because the run game is baked into everything he wants to do. Since taking over as head coach, he has built his offense around establishing the run, and he brought that up again during Thursday’s game even as the struggles continued.
Without a credible rushing threat, defenses can tee off on the Packers’ offensive line and bring pressure. That’s exactly what opponents have been able to do.
For now, there isn’t an obvious fix sitting in front of Green Bay. The free-agent market doesn’t offer a star answer, and trade options won’t really open up for a while. Breece Hall could be a name to watch down the line, but the Packers need help immediately.
Until Josh Jacobs returns, the Packers are left searching for a solution that doesn’t seem to be there yet.
In Other News...
Tucker Kraft Just Sparked A Bigger Packers Debate At Lambeau
Tucker Kraft did not say anything outrageous after a home game at Lambeau Field, but his comments landed in the middle of a much bigger conversation around the Packers. The tight ends frustration with booing from the stands came as Green Bays recent play has left plenty of fans restless, with the mood around the team shaped as much by disappointment with the overall product as by any one moment on the field.
What makes Krafts remarks interesting is that they touch the nerve of a fan base that expects better, especially when the team is playing at home. The boos are really a sign of broader unease with the Packers recent struggles, along with second-guessing about coaching and management, and that is the part of the story that still hangs over Lambeau as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Road Trip Took An Unusual Turn After Lambeau Game
The aftermath of the Packers Week 3 win over the Falcons took an unpleasant turn for Jordan Loves family when Ronika Stone said her camera and luxury handbag were stolen after the game at Lambeau Field. Stone, Loves wife, said the belongings had been left in a clear bag that security later found, but the two items were gone by the time it was recovered.
Stone has since gone public in hopes of getting the items back, turning what should have been a routine postgame departure into a frustrating off-field story. For Green Bay fans, its a reminder that even on a day centered on football, the details around the stadium can sometimes matter just as much as what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Offense Already Has A Lambeau Problem
The home opener at Lambeau Field turned into a harsh early-season reality check for the Packers, who were beaten 35-14 by the Falcons and sent to the locker room with boos hanging over the stadium. With Green Bay now sitting at 1-2, the offense is already carrying the kind of baggage that usually takes much longer to build, and it has put the team in a familiar spot where every stalled drive feels heavier under the spotlight.
Christian Watson didnt try to soften the mood afterward, acknowledging that the frustration from the crowd was tied directly to how the offense played. For a team that expects Lambeau to be a lift, not a source of tension, the challenge now is straightforward but unforgiving: clean up the offensive issues quickly enough to give fans something better to believe in. [Read more 🡒]