The Packers survived Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but very nearly let another game get away against 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco.
Flacco, acquired by the Bengals last week, made his first start in a Bengals uniform and along the way Sunday orchestrated a drive against the Packers’ defense that bled the first 10:47 off the clock in the third quarter, before ultimately coming up short, 27-18 at Lambeau Field.
Matt LaFleur still worried about Packers struggling to close out wins
Sep 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur looks on during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It is one thing for the Packers to hold serve late against a Bengals team still reeling from losing Joe Burrow to a long-term injury, but still very nearly coughed up the game to Flacco, quarterbacking an offense presumably working with a limited playbook.
Afterwards, Matt LaFleur continued to sound the alarm.
“There were a lot of critical situations where they were able to make a play, and we didn’t, to keep them in the game,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday. “But that is life in the National Football League.”
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur reacts to a play against Detroit Lions during the first half at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
It’s much easier for a team to improve and take steps forward building momentum after a win, or at least more pleasant for the coaching staff and players, but the Packers still have work to do.
The blueprint is there; continue to lean into a physical running game powered by Josh Jacobs and feature Tucker Kraft as rookie speedster Matthew Golden continues to emerge, but the Packers have to find a way to avoid these late-game slumbers that cost them a win over the Browns and wound up producing a tie against the Cowboys.
As the schedule gets tougher, the tests are going to be more daunting than Sunday’s against Cincinnati, but the win over the Bengals could prove to be a learning point and launch pad for the Packers, if LaFleur and Co. can find that killer instinct necessary to put teams away early.
Oct 12, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur, left, shakes hands with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor after the game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images
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