The Green Bay Packers’ offense runs smoothly—until it comes to scoring. Then, issues emerge that stall progress.
The Packers have 13 turnovers, ranking 10th-most in the NFL and second-most among likely playoff contenders.
Jordan Love has thrown 10 interceptions, tied for the most in the league.
The offense has accumulated 37 penalties, sixth-most in the NFL, including 19 pre-snap violations (9th-most) and 15 offensive holding calls (8th-most). This year, they’ve already exceeded the total false starts (15) and holds (14) of the 2021 season. They’ve also dropped 23 passes, third-most in the NFL, per SportRadar.
Is there an easy fix? “Obviously not, because it would be corrected by now,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
Turnovers, penalties, drops, and struggles in the red zone and on third downs make Green Bay’s offense as inefficient as a gas-guzzling V-8 engine.
LaFleur said he spent the bye week reviewing Green Bay’s turnovers. Love has thrown at least one interception in all seven starts. After a promising finish to last season, he’s regressed this year with 10 picks in just over six games.
“He’s competing. He’s a competitor,” LaFleur said, following Love’s costly pick-six against the Detroit Lions. “Every situation’s a learning experience. Hopefully, we’ll be better for it next game versus the Bears.”
To make the playoffs in the competitive NFC, the Packers must resolve problems stemming from poor decision-making, flawed mechanics, and weak pass protection.
“We try to analyze each issue,” LaFleur said, noting that Love should consider safer options, like checkdowns or throwaways, under pressure instead of risky passes.
Interceptions aren’t the only concern in Green Bay’s passing game. The Packers’ 23 dropped passes are nearly as many as last season’s total of 29, according to SportRadar. That’s as many as the Eagles (three), Lions (five), Vikings (eight), and Bears (seven) combined—each of whom has defeated Green Bay.
Receivers Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed have been the primary offenders, with seven and six drops, respectively.
“Drops are inevitable,” LaFleur admitted. “But why are they still happening? Are we doing all we can to fix this?”
Despite these setbacks, the Packers are 6-3 and rank ninth in points. To secure a playoff spot, however, they’ll need more consistency, especially with the 49ers only a game behind.
“I think our guys are working hard,” LaFleur said. “There’s room for improvement, which excites me. Winning six games in various ways is a credit to our players’ resilience.
Even when we were down 24-3 against Detroit, I didn’t see any quit. Our defense had strong moments at the end—some consecutive three-and-outs—so there’s a lot to appreciate. We’re just not yet playing our best football, but that’s also encouraging in its way.”
