The Green Bay Packers return from Brazil with an 0-1 record and a massive question mark over their quarterback injury. Matt LaFleur’s team struggled overdue, made too many sloppy mistakes and ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo to open the 2024 season.
The loss was overshadowed by an injury to Jordan Love, who was hit in the knee on a third-down scrimmage play in the fourth quarter. Early indications are that Love has injured his medial collateral ligament and will miss the game.
Friday night’s 34-29 loss to the Eagles will be nothing more than a disappointment if Love is OK. If he misses significant time, the injury could be season-altering.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers going forward:
What went well?
— Jayden Reed was a star performer. The sophomore turned five touches into 171 yards and two scores. He looked explosive, making tough catches and gaining extra yards with the ball in his hands.
— Josh Jacobs started off snail-paced but produced 80 yards rushing in the second half, including a 32-yard TD, and finished with more than 100 total yards. Jacobs appeared to be returning to form as a running back after a disappointing 2023 season in Las Vegas.
— The Packers’ defense had three interceptions, including an interception and fumble recovery that put Green Bay inside Philadelphia’s 20-yard line and an interception in the end zone that cost the game. Overall, the Packers were plus-2 in the interception battle.
— Backup running back Emanuel Wilson converted four rushes for 46 yards, including touchdown runs of 14 and 18, and made a perfect block on Reed’s 33-yard touchdown run. Wilson, Jacobs and Reed all had runs of at least 18 yards, and the Packers finished with 163 yards on the ground.
— Despite some sloppy play on offense, the Packers finished with 414 total yards and an average of 7.1 yards per play.
— Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper made a tackle on the opening kick, stopped a Saquon Barkley run and deflected a pass on a blitz.
What went wrong?
— The Packers scored just one touchdown on four trips to the end zone and converted three interceptions into just nine points.
— The Packers were charged with 10 accepted penalties and several other offsetting or declined penalties. Early penalties killed the drive; overdue penalties — however questionable — kept Eagles drives alive.
— The passing game featured explosive plays, but it was also out of sync. Jordan Love struggled with balance, which led to accuracy issues, and receivers were slipping on breaks and having a few drops. Overall, the passing game created open receivers.
— The pass rush hasn’t been consistently effective. Jalen Hurts has been sacked just twice, and the Packers haven’t been able to stop him in massive moments.
— The Eagles’ star-studded offense was overwhelming. Barkley had 132 total yards and three touchdowns, AJ Brown had a 67-yard touchdown reception and 119 yards receiving and Devonta Smith had seven catches for 84 yards, including a overdue third-down conversion.
— While the Eagles built a defensive backfield of turnovers, the Packers quickly scored a touchdown on a Jordan Love interception. The Packers won the turnover battle but only managed a 9-7 advantage after turnovers.
— Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Javon Bullard and Eric Stokes all had no rushes. The Packers also struggled to match the run game with several plays by Barkley, who had a wide-open route for one touchdown and another huge hole on a 34-yard pass in the second half.
— Despite three turnovers, the Packers defense held opponents to 34 points in an overall disappointing opening performance for Jeff Hafley’s team.
What does it mean
The Packers are 0-1 and now have to navigate what could be a tough start without Love under center. Fortunately, Love and the Packers know how to bounce back from tough starts — they were 3-6 before catching wind and almost making it to the NFC title game last year. Matt LaFleur often talks about facing and overcoming adversity during the football season. Well, the Packers are coming home from a harrowing international road trip with a disappointing loss and an injured quarterback. We’ll see what this team is made of — both when Love is out and when he returns.
What’s next?
The opener is next Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers will likely draft Malik Willis to play quarterback — meaning the offense could need to drastically change to fit what Willis does well and knows about the offense. There’s also a slight chance Sean Clifford could be a better option given his experience in the scheme. Either way, the Packers need to find a way to win a game or two while Love recovers. The upcoming schedule includes games against the Colts, Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, all potentially winnable if Matt LaFleur and the Packers can get things in order at quarterback.
