GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers second-year inside linebacker Quay Walker spoke to the entire team in the locker room shortly after Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
His message, according to cornerback Rasul Douglas? That the loss was his fault. Why? Because on a Vikings second-and-8 from their own 36-yard line early in the first quarter, Kirk Cousins threw the ball right to Walker and he dropped it. In Week 1, Walker pick-sixed Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. In Week 2, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder did the same thing Cousins did and he dropped it. On Sunday, it happened again.
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Cousins found rookie receiver Jordan Addison for 10 yards on the ensuing third-and-8, but kicker Greg Joseph missed a 42-yard field goal later in the drive as the Vikings were unable to take advantage of Walker’s blunder. Preceding the Packers’ fourth consecutive loss, they preached turning opponents over, something they had done a league-low five times through seven games. If anything, a takeaway might give Green Bay’s struggling offense an advantageous field position, or heck, maybe Walker takes it the distance again.
Walker’s miscue and his subsequent taking of responsibility was a microcosm for this Packers season that has veered off the rails, the team is now 2-5. Too many missed opportunities, too many mistakes and too many words without the action to back them up.
“I told him, ‘Bro, it’s not you. It’s all of us, bro. We’re all out there on the grass with you,'” Douglas said, while adding in another answer, “We’re saying sh–, but until we actually do the sh–, it don’t really matter. I’m thinking about it like, bro, I’ve never been a loser in my life. These last two years have been f—–g loser.”
On Sunday, the Packers were losers again in a similar fashion to how they’ve been losers in each of the three games prior.
#Packers CB Jaire Alexander with LOTS of one-word answers to describe today’s loss👇
The main quote?
“I don’t know.” pic.twitter.com/F7kpRYbtyq
— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) October 29, 2023
The Packers failed to score a touchdown in the first half for the fifth consecutive game. According to the Fox broadcast, that’s the longest the Packers have gone without a first-half touchdown since 1988. Green Bay has scored nine points combined in those five first halves, three each against the Lions, Raiders and Vikings and none against the Saints or Broncos.
The Packers didn’t earn a first down until about four minutes remained in the second quarter. Their first four drives resulted in three-and-outs. Green Bay’s defense again did its part, for the most part, and rookie defensive lineman Karl Brooks even blocked a field goal that safety Jonathan Owens returned to Minnesota’s 44-yard line. But no matter what the other two phases do, the Packers’ offense is simply too anemic.
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Rinse. Repeat.
“Well, that was obviously tough to watch,” head coach Matt LaFleur said to begin his news conference. “Just way too many mistakes. Penalties, drops, not being able to convert on third down. Conversely, not getting off the grass on third down. Struggles in the red zone.”
LaFleur estimated that the Packers dropped six passes. They all hurt, but none were more significant than rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks’ brutal drop just shy of the goal line midway through the fourth quarter on second-and-5. What should’ve been a routine catch to earn a first down with the Packers down 14 preceded two incompletions and the first of three consecutive turnovers on downs.
The Packers also committed 11 penalties that cost them 99 yards. According to ESPN Stats & Info, those are the most penalty yards accrued by the Packers in a single game since Lafleur became head coach in 2019. Five of the nine were committed by the offense, two by left tackle Rasheed Walker, who was benched in the second quarter for poor performance in favor of Yosh Nijman, one by wide receiver Christian Watson, one by right guard Jon Runyan Jr. and one a delay of game penalty.
GO DEEPERNFL Week 8 takeaways: CeeDee Lamb delivers for Cowboys, Eagles find a way againGreen Bay’s offense is in shambles no matter what way you slice it, but don’t try to blame it on the unit’s collective youth and inexperience.
“I’m not interested in that,” LaFleur said. “I think that’s an excuse. We’ll never do that.”
Walking off the field together, Jordan Love and Douglas talked about how close they feel the team is. They’re not entirely wrong — losses to the Falcons, Raiders and Broncos have come by a combined seven points — but there seem to be so many little fires that still need extinguishing.
“I feel like the guys that we’ve got, we can put up 30 on people,” left guard Elgton Jenkins said, “and how our defense is playing, I feel like the games don’t have to be close.”
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The defense is holding itself to a high standard despite its recent string of solid performances, with outside linebacker Preston Smith saying the defense needs to play a “perfect game”; Jaire Alexander saying recently the defense needs to keep teams out of the end zone entirely; and Douglas saying postgame Sunday he’s not being a good enough leader.
Running back Aaron Jones was asked for his response to that.
“I love those guys,” Jones said. “They give it their all and it hurts me because I feel like a lot of times, we’re letting them down on the offensive side of the ball. I know they’re just as passionate about it as I am. When I’m not in the game, I look back and I see them — that hurts me. That hurts me … all of us put a lot of hours in. I know those guys are doing everything in their power for us to win a game. We hold a team to 17 points, 14 points, however many points. They’ve been playing really good games. We just haven’t been stepping up on the offensive side of the ball or playing complementary football.”
#Packers RB Aaron Jones was told by @lmhelmbrecht that players on defense are saying they need to step up and be even better.
Jones’ reaction👇
“It hurts me because it feels like, a lot of the times, we are letting them down on the offensive side of the ball.” pic.twitter.com/2NL1VU2ECD
— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) October 29, 2023
The jury remains out on Love, who completed 24-of-41 passes for 229 yards, a touchdown and an interception on Sunday. These deficiencies certainly aren’t entirely his fault, but he categorized his own performance as “pretty average” through eight games.
“I think, obviously, not good enough,” Love began his self-assessment. “It’s been, I think, pretty average to start. We got highs and lows. Myself, it’s too bumpy right now. I need to find consistency in my play where I’m able to make every play, go to the right place with the ball on every play and it’s gotta be more consistent from me and I think that’s where I’m lacking right now.”
Where the Packers find themselves now is as one of the NFL’s worst teams. They’re one game back in the win column of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s plenty of garbage in this league, the Packers included, but it’s not too far-fetched to think general manager Brian Gutekunst will be in a position to draft one of the consensus top two quarterbacks in the draft: USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. If Love continues on this “pretty average” trajectory, taking either of those two guys in the top three would be hard to pass up.
Then again, the Packers also could use Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. or a new starting left tackle (Notre Dame’s Joe Alt? Penn State’s Olu Fashanu?). It’s still only Week 8, but that sound you hear is that of the mock draft machines revving their engines.
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That’s how bad the 2023 Packers have become, and there’s little relief in sight. Some of the players you watched in green and gold on Sunday might not even be available for relief next Sunday; the Packers have stooped so low that they’re in a position to sell ahead of Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT trade deadline.
“This is the ultimate test to see if we are made of something or if this is a complete breakdown,” wide receiver Romeo Doubs said.
Right now, it seems we already know that answer.
GO DEEPERPackers snap losing streak with 20-3 win over Rams behind shutdown defense(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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Matt Schneidman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Green Bay Packers. He is a proud alum of The Daily Orange student newspaper at Syracuse University. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattschneidman
