The Packers own the best record in the NFC North and are the second-best team in the NFC according to winning percentage behind Tampa Bay.
Those are really good things to hang your hat on, but I would argue that Green Bay hasn’t even played its best game yet.
First and foremost, the big boys up front have been iffy at best. The run blocking is ranked 25th in the league and the pass blocking is ranked 21st. Nearly 85 percent of Josh Jacobs’ rushing yards have come after contact, which means that he isn’t seeing a lot of daylight.
The player that leads the team in receiving yards is tight end Tucker Kraft — making his case for a Pro Bowl bid. Rookie Matthew Golden is proving why the Packers electrified the Lambeau Field parking lot on draft night by leading the team in yards per reception at 15.1.
Jordan Love has nine touchdowns and two picks, but has made bad decisions, especially late in ballgames. His footwork remains an issue as his feet are usually not squared up to the target and he needs to trust his legs more — especially with an offensive line that has been suspect so far this year.
On defense, the Packers only have two takeaways, one more than the 0-6 Jets. With Micah Parsons bearing down on opposing quarterbacks, the secondary has to be able to make a play and get a turnover.
And speaking of Parsons, he’s getting held, choked and wrestled by opposing offensive linemen. He is getting frustrated mainly because they aren’t getting called for penalties, but also, his teammates aren’t picking up the slack. Rashan Gary leads the team with 4.5 sacks, but he hasn’t been a menacing presence that opposing teams have to keep an eye on. The same goes for Devonte Wyatt and Lukas Van Ness, who have 2 and 1.5 sacks, respectively. This is the time when those guys need to become the big time players that the Packers always thought they could be.
Then there is the matter of the fourth quarter. The defense has allowed opposing offenses to score on 12 of 18 drives in the final quarter. Over the past three games, the Packers have allowed an average of 18.3 points in the second half.
That’s when you need to tighten up and become stronger as a unit, not melt to the pressure of being physically or mentally tired.
“It’s lining up and doing the same thing you did last play and not getting bored,” said Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs. “Not letting fatigue take over. It’s just depending on each other and trusting each other.”
I don’t think anyone would argue how talented the Packers are. They have world class football players on that roster. The problem is, I’m not seeing that level of play consistently. Love will make your jaw drop one moment and then make a very odd decision on a ball that he didn’t have to throw.
These guys have to realize that petty miscues are not OK. And that comes from coach Matt LaFleur. He needs to set a standard that is above silly mistakes. Instead of going into the waning moments of a game wondering if the Packers will win, he needs to instill why winning isn’t just a fun result — it’s an expectation.
When that starts happening, the mindset will start to change.