You figured there’d be growing pains for the young Green Bay Packers; you just didn’t expect that pain to be so acute at times.
Against the New Orleans Saints, the Pack came out of the gate limping, with miscues and penalties leading to a big first-half deficit. Thursday night, they delivered the single ugliest performance I can remember, managing 21 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes and watching the Detroit Lions exert complete domination on both sides of the line.
There would be no second-half miracle this time around.
The night got off to an ominous start with the news that David Bakhtiari’s season is over after one game. He was placed on IR and had surgery on his troublesome knee this week, with another planned a bit down the road. Whether this signals the end is a conversation for another time, but we know he won’t be back to assist the troubled offensive line in 2023.
It was almost as if this depressing development permeated the entire team. Detroit exposed Green Bay’s two biggest issues this season, running the ball and stopping the run, on a prime-time stage. Aaron Jones was back in uniform, but the Packers hardly used him. The Pack was down 17-3 before he even got to carry the ball. Either they were being very careful with the hamstring, or Matt LaFleur committed coaching malpractice.
After holding up against pretty solid defensive fronts the past two weeks, the makeshift offensive line had absolutely no answers for the aggressive Lions. With Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins out and right tackle Zach Tom playing hurt, there was no room for error. But Detroit’s line manhandled Josh Myers and Royce Newman all night, and Jon Runyan struggled even before he injured his ankle. No one up front had any answers for Aidan Hutchinson and Co. He was in a walking boot after the game.
As frustrating as it is to see Green Bay’s offense completely fizzle, it pales to watching teams consistently run it down their throat. 211 yards on the ground. That is hideous. What’s even more embarrassing? Virtually every one of those yards came before contact. The Pack had zero success getting off blocks and getting their hands on David Montgomery, a fine back but not a guy who should get 113 of his 121 yards before getting touched. It was the first time he’d beaten the Packers in nine tries. I’m guessing he slept well Thursday night.
With an 11-day break before a Monday night game in Las Vegas (Josh Jacobs is counting down the days) and then another 12-day break after that, the team has plenty of time for self-scouting and soul-searching. Plenty of time for Quay Walker to continue his meditation, which is supposed to keep his mental errors in check. His boneheaded penalty on a field goal attempt provided the Lions the dagger.
Four days after a stirring, historic comeback, the Packers find themselves grasping for answers. Can the team find healthy guys on the offensive line and match their opponents’ physicality? Should Joe Barry still be employed when the team returns from the bye?
There’s a long way to go. Still, the Lions showed they are unquestionably the best team in the North, and the Packers have a long way to go to compete with them. Yeah, we knew there would be ups and downs this season. We’re not accustomed to seeing the downs be quite so low.
To add insult to injury, there was entirely too much Honolulu blue in the crowd, soaking up all the fun. That’s what you get when you give the Milwaukee season ticket holders a night game. They sell their tickets, not wanting to return home in the early morning hours. The team must ensure their two Detroit games are afternoon affairs in the future.
I believe the Packers have the talent to figure things out. Do they have the coaching to help them get there? I’ll get back to you on that one.
