Through Week 6, the Green Bay Packers sit atop the NFC North with only one loss and are the current favorites to reach the Super Bowl out of the NFC. So, why are Packer fans so frustrated by the product they see on the field?
Maybe it’s the offense that generated nearly 250 yards in the first half but managed to score only 10 points. Or perhaps it’s the defense that, for the second consecutive game, played lights out in the first half and then couldn’t make a stop in the second half.
Sure, the Packers won a game they pretty much dominated for 60 minutes, but they found themselves in a one-score contest in the closing minutes against a flailing team whose quarterback was playing for its arch rival just four days before the game. Contenders make quick work of teams like this, and Green Bay needed a spectacular pass from Jordan Love to Matthew Golden on third-and-long in the closing moments to allow fans to finally exhale.
Well, actually, fans probably waited to make sure fill-in kicker Lucas Havrisik drilled that 39-yard field goal to make it a two-score game before they exhaled. One thing we can say about the ’25 Packers: They are in no danger of peaking too early. There is plenty to work on, but all the other contenders are saying the same thing at the moment. Remember, the 2010 champs got off to a 3-3 start, and Aaron Rodgers was mediocre through six games before heating up in December and January.
Let’s focus on the positives first. Love was outstanding, other than the red-zone interception on the opening drive. He seems to make one or two head-scratching plays per game, and this one took points off the board. It was a busted play that screamed “Throw the ball away!” but Love tried to make something happen and paid the price.
Other than that, he was brilliant, cashing in with points every time the Packers had the ball in the second half (a whopping three drives) and converting several huge third downs. He’s been spectacular on third downs this season, with an 89.5 PFF passing grade, second in the league, and at 51.5% has the highest conversion percentage in the league.
The Packers finally had their preferred starting five on the offensive line, and it showed, as they allowed Josh Jacobs to cook all afternoon. Despite battling the flu and vomiting throughout the afternoon, Jacobs looked like the 2024 version of himself, churning out yards on the ground and through the air, 150 in all.
Up front, the Packers replaced right guard Sean Rhyan with Josh Morgan, and the difference was obvious. Morgan may be the starter at left tackle next year, but he’s clearly one of their best five guys right now and needs to be a starter somewhere on the line.
Golden was more of a focus, with 102 scrimmage yards and two gigantic third-down conversions. Fans are clamoring for Matt LaFleur to give him more attention. However, the head coach remains steadfast that his stable of playmakers will all have their day, and he will take what the defense gives him on any given week. Speaking of LaFleur, that was his 70th regular-season win. He’s the fastest to do that among all active coaches.
Special teams were also noticeable, mainly because there were no egregious mistakes. There were no blocked field goals, no mistakes on returns, and their sub kicker Havrisik stepped in for the injured Brandon McManus and made all of his kicks. After one punt return, the Packers replaced Golden with Romeo Doubs. Don’t really want to see Doubs back there, but Golden was clearly not a natural. He called a fair catch on his one opportunity when the nearest Cincinnati Bengals were in Ashwaubenon.
The questions about this team right now revolve around the defense. What exactly are they, the dominant unit we saw the first two weeks against talented offenses, or the one we’ve seen the last couple weeks come out of halftime, seemingly unable to get a stop? They allowed just one first down in Cincinnati’s first four drives and then couldn’t stop them in the second half.
Green Bay sacked Flacco only once. Granted, the Bengals were intent on getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible. Still, it was disappointing to see the lack of sacks. And they’re still not generating any turnovers, just two through five games — quite a difference from a year ago.
We’ll wait to hear on the severity of Lukas Van Ness’ foot injury, but it looks like he’ll miss some time. Dontayvion Wicks banged up his ankle, and Javon Bullard suffered another concussion — we’ll await updates on all of these later this week.
Through five games, it’s hard to know what to make of the 2025 Packers. They appear to be a team that plays up or down to the level of competition, and now they will hit the road to face a fourth-place team and a division leader the next two weeks. The offense appears to be hitting its stride. It’s time for the defense to put 60 solid minutes together and show that this is a team built to compete against the best in January.
The Packers don’t need to look like a Super Bowl contender in October, but it sure would be nice to see them stomp on a team they’re favored to beat by a couple of touchdowns. Doesn’t seem like a lot to ask.