The Packers’ latest collapse came with a familiar sting: a strong second-half lead, a sudden loss of control, and another finish that left Green Bay staring at the same old problems.
Sunday’s 39-22 defeat to the Vikings followed a pattern that has started to feel all too routine. Green Bay led 22-10 with 5:09 left in the third quarter, then watched Minnesota pile up 29 unanswered points to flip the game completely. In the process, the Packers’ offense stalled repeatedly, ending drives on downs twice, throwing an interception and coughing up a strip sack of Jordan Love.
That kind of unraveling is exactly what has Tucker Kraft sounding the alarm. The tight end, coming off an ACL injury, made it clear he sees the issue as one the Packers are creating themselves.
“That momentum swing was due to our own fault," Kraft said, via video posted to X by ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "We allowed that to happen...
The only people who can beat us are us. That’s it.
"We’re the best team in the NFL, but if we don’t go out there and play like it, no one’s going to believe us."
Kraft caught three passes for 65 yards in the loss, but his message was bigger than his own stat line. Green Bay, he suggested, has enough talent to be dangerous. The problem is what happens when the game turns and the Packers have to respond.
That’s where the frustration around Matt LaFleur and his staff starts to build. The offense has been sharp early, but once opponents adjust, Green Bay has too often run out of answers.
The team’s issues aren’t limited to the sideline, though. The offensive line had a rough afternoon, and Love was sacked four times for 34 yards.
The run game never gave Green Bay much help, either. Without Josh Jacobs, who is on the commissioner’s exempt list, the Packers ran 21 times for just 66 yards and finished with a 3.1-yard average per carry.
Before Week 2, the Packers are left with more questions than answers.
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Packers Fans Have Seen This Matt LaFleur Problem Before
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LaFleur said afterward the team has to do a better job closing games, and the reaction around the league made clear how quickly one loss can turn into a referendum. For a fan base that has seen similar late-game issues surface before, the concern is not just the final score in Minneapolis, but whether Green Bay has already shown a familiar vulnerability at the worst possible moment. [Read more 🡒]