GREEN BAY, Wis. — Seven factors scored in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles in a loss on “Monday Evening Soccer.” 13 factors the week earlier than in a loss to the Carolina Panthers. Ten factors in a Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
And in each a type of video games, the Inexperienced Bay Packers’ protection held their opponent to 16 or fewer factors, together with Monday’s 10-7 defeat at Lambeau Subject.
No marvel Jordan Love mentioned, “You’re feeling like as an offense you are letting the protection down.”
The Packers’ efficiency in opposition to the Eagles was not solely one of many worst offensive video games in Love’s three seasons because the beginning quarterback, but additionally in Matt LaFleur’s seven seasons as head coach.
“I do know as a protection, they undoubtedly have each purpose to take a look at us and say, ‘What are you guys doing? You guys have to determine it out and assist us out and put up some extra factors,’ as a result of they’re doing an ideal job,” Love mentioned. “It is irritating, however we’ll keep collectively. We’ll preserve the vitality excessive and discover methods to get higher and be higher as an offense.”
If that sounds acquainted, it is as a result of there was the same chorus after the 16-13 loss to the Panthers every week earlier, and after the 13-10 loss at Cleveland in Week 3.
“We’re halfway by way of the season, we won’t simply preserve saying, ‘All proper, we will handle it,'” Packers operating again Josh Jacobs mentioned. “We have to seek out precise solutions to our issues. I actually do not know what these solutions [are]. I really feel like everyone’s obtained to dig deep and have the idea and provides extra. I imply, it is not simple. We will not reside off of what we did final 12 months or nothing like that, we have to be within the second.”
That is the place LaFleur, the offensive playcaller, is available in. He has one 12 months left on his contract and new group president Ed Coverage, who took over in July, has not but supplied him or normal supervisor Brian Gutekunst an extension, in line with sources. Coverage additionally mentioned he would not consider in lame-duck coaches or normal managers.
If LaFleur thinks he is teaching for his job, he wouldn’t say so.
“I will depart that for everyone else to determine,” LaFleur mentioned. “I will simply give attention to the day-to-day … I really feel such as you’re at all times teaching for all the things on this league, you realize? That is simply my mindset. It is at all times been that method. You may’t ever exhale. You bought to at all times be pushing. That is simply my mindset and that can be my mindset ’til they inform me to not coach anymore.”
LaFleur didn’t have many solutions for why the offensive struggled so mightily Monday. Per week earlier, he misplaced maybe his finest playmaker, tight finish Tucker Kraft, to a season-ending knee harm. Towards the Eagles, he misplaced Love’s most-targeted receiver, Romeo Doubs, to a chest harm within the second half, and heart Elgton Jenkins to a fractured decrease leg.
Nevertheless it would not clarify why they struggled to get a lot going within the operating sport, despite the fact that that was the point of interest of LaFleur’s sport plan in opposition to the Eagles. Jacobs carried 21 instances for 74 yards (a 3.5-yard common) and had the one landing on a 6-yard run with 5:49 remaining.
“We’re halfway by way of the season, we won’t simply preserve saying, ‘All proper, we will handle it.’ We have to seek out precise solutions to our issues. I actually do not know what these solutions [are]. I really feel like everyone’s obtained to dig deep and have the idea and provides extra.”
Packers operating again Josh Jacobs
“We needed to attempt to set up the run sport and attempt to construct off of that,” LaFleur mentioned. “I assumed there have been some moments the place we did a good job, however in the end it wasn’t sufficient. It appeared to me that once we obtained in these crucial moments, it wasn’t essentially the primary and second down, it was extra the cash down, third down, fourth down, the place we simply malfunctioned.”
And it would not clarify why the Eagles appeared to know what the Packers have been going to run on their final actual probability — a fourth-and-1 with 1:30 left that the Eagles stuffed and compelled Jacobs to fumble.
“They referred to as it out,” Jacobs mentioned. “We referred to as our play. They [said it’s an] ‘inside zone, it is coming proper right here.’ So I type of like did not wish to run proper there, however you realize … yeah, that is simply the way it performed out.”
Love threw for simply 176 yards, and his 4.9 yards per try was the bottom in any sport of his NFL profession as a starter, in line with ESPN Analysis.
“Not adequate,” Love mentioned when requested how he has been enjoying of late.
The Packers (5-3-1) fell from first within the NFC North to 3rd. In all three losses, they’ve given up 16 or fewer factors. The New York Jets are the one different group that has a number of losses this season when giving up 16 or fewer factors.
“Truthfully, it is simply tremendous irritating,” Packers defensive finish Micah Parsons mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s simply one among them issues, like we will win collectively, we will lose collectively, whatever the final result, and simply being there for our teammates, no matter who’s enjoying higher or which facet is enjoying higher. It is simply vital that we maintain one another up, till they get rolling. When everybody will get rolling, we’ll be a very good group.”
