The Packers embarrassed themselves in a loss to the Giants. The Packers lost 27-22 in London in a game they were up 17-3. This game felt a lot like the other games but ended in a loss rather than a win. Here are 3 takeaways from the loss.
Packers Embarrassed On Defense
The fact that the Packers embarrassed themselves with this much talent on defense is bad. Jaire Alexander is a top five player at his position. Rashan Gary is having a breakout season and Preston Smith is also feasting on the other side. Kenny Clark is destroyting interior lineman. This is just scratching the surface of the amount of talent the Packers have on the defensive side of the ball. The individual talent is there but the team cannot seem to put it together for an entire game. The real blame tends to fall on the coach.
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s seat was already warm. After the Packers defense was embarrassed in the loss to the Giants, that seat is piping hot. When a coach has this much talent but the unit is not performing, it usually means that there is something wrong with the coaching. There was promise during Barry’s first year as defensive coordinator. However, it seems like it is the same old story for the Packers defense. I am not saying that Joe Barry needs to be fired immediately but something has to change for the Packers defense.
The Offense Had It’s Share Of Problems Too
Overall I thought the offense looked better. They seemed more in rhythm at times especially in the first half. However, the playcalling late in the game is mind boggling. The Packers had the lead for most of the game and yet they refused to run the ball. It wasn’t like the Packers were struggling to run either. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon were running very well. They simply were not getting touches. This was amplified in the last two plays for the Packers where they needed two yards and decided to throw two passes. The Packers embarrassed themselves with the last two play calls. This is another coaching problem.
I love Matt LaFleur. He has had a historical start to his coaching career and his creativity on offense shows in his playcalling at times. However, he has this terrible cycle he gets himself into. The Packers embarrassed themselves today and it showed in the offensive playcalling. He seems to forget that the run game exists and the Packers lose. He says it’s on him and they need to run the ball next week. The following week they run the ball, look great, and win. Then two weeks later we are back to step one. At some point, LaFleur has to remember that he has a great running back tandem that he can lean on.
A Fork In The Road Of The Season
Sometimes losses can be a good thing. If this loss motivates the Packers to fix their issues, then the team will look back on this loss saying that this was where they really focused. However, losses can go the other way as well. The Packers embarrassed themselves in a loss to the Giants and it could send the team into a spiral. It is a fork in the road for the season. How the Packers respond in the coming weeks will shape the narrative of this season.
After the game, Jaire Alexander and others were talking about not panicking unless they lose next week to the Jets. Aaron Rodgers didn’t like that kind of talk and snapped back about it. Aaron Jones had comments about the playcalling late in the game. The vibes of the locker room are not good. The Packers embarrassed themselves in a loss to the Giants and it clearly has affected the locker room dynamic. Hopefully after a long plane ride and a couple of days off, the Packers will have calmed down.
I am an eternal optimist. There were good things that happened in today’s game. The Packers are also 3-2 in a weak NFC. Unless things go catastrophically wrong, the Packers will be in the postseason. Then anything can happen. The Packers embarrassed themselves in a loss to the Giants but it also is just one game. Hopefully the Packers can right the ship and bounce back next week.
For More Great Football Content
Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
