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Key Takeaways From Green Bay’s Loss to Atlanta
Well, that was brutal.
In what was supposed to be a get-right game — home opener, primetime, against an 0-2 team — the Green Bay Packers got humbled 35-14.
It was one of the worst performances at Lambeau Field in recent memory. The Packers were outplayed in all three phases, dropping them to their first 1-2 start of the Matt LaFleur era. "Well, that was a humbling night," LaFleur opened with after the game. "I don't think anybody's pleased about this."
The game actually started about as well as anyone could hope. Green Bay's defense took the field first, and on the fourth play of the night, Xavier McKinney intercepted Michael Penix at midfield. That turned out to be the high point of the evening. The offense followed it up with a three-and-out, and it was mostly downhill from there.
The Packers couldn't string positive plays together for most of the night. The interception was immediately undone by that three-and-out. Later, Matthew Golden hauled in an impressive 45-yard catch, only for it to get wiped out by a holding penalty. The defense forced a three-and-out after Green Bay's first touchdown drive, only for that to get erased by a roughing-the-passer call. They kept getting in their own way, and it kept costing them.
Thursday night was a season-altering game for both teams, just in opposite directions. The Packers look like a team in freefall with no obvious signs of things turning around. They head to Tampa Bay next — a place they never play well — before hosting Chicago the week after. For Atlanta, it was the opposite: a sigh of relief, with signs of life now that they've got a healthy quarterback.
It's still only Week 3, so there's plenty of football left. The problem is there's no obvious fix for what's ailing this team right now. They've got ten days to regroup before Tampa Bay, and there's a lot of work to do in that window. "I think, as a unit, we all have to stick together," Jordan Love said afterward. "I think we always look back to the 2023 season — my first year starting. It didn't start well that season as well, and we started figuring stuff out, started getting rolling, and we got hot."
The hope is 2026 follows a similar arc, but there's a long list of things that need to improve drastically. The Packers were outplayed on offense, defense, and special teams, and the offensive line continues to make life miserable for everyone around it. There was plenty to take away from last night's beatdown — unfortunately, almost all of it was negative.
"There's still a lot of ball out there in front of us," Love added. "No one's throwing in the towel at all. We've just got a lot of work to do to get better as a team and as an offense."
Outplayed in All Three Phases
A lot of the blame will be on the offense, and rightfully so, but the Packers were dominated in all three phases last night — offense, defense, and special teams. Complementary football? Not even close.
Offensively, it was a long, long night. "Right now I don't know what we're doing well offensively," LaFleur said after the game. The offense couldn't run the ball or pass protect long enough to open anything up, and it showed — five of the first six drives lasted four plays or less: punt, touchdown, punt, punt, missed field goal, punt. Green Bay lost the time-of-possession battle 37:05 to 22:55. Love looked rattled all night. The run game got outrushed 242-17. Brutal doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The defense wasn't much better. Jonathan Gannon's group allowed 498 total yards to an Atlanta offense that hadn't even reached the red zone yet this season coming in. The Falcons gained 7.5 yards per play — 10.2 through the air, 5.9 on the ground — and it showed in how hard it was for Green Bay to get off the field. Atlanta scored on five straight possessions at one stretch and converted 6-of-10 on third down. PFF also charged Green Bay with 12 missed tackles. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson and Drake London are both elite players, sure, but this defense looked completely out of sorts after that first-quarter roughing-the-passer penalty.
Even special teams had a rough night. On Daniel Whelan's second punt, he outkicked the coverage unit — Zachariah Branch caught it in his own end zone and still returned it to the 17. Two drives later came the blocked field goal in the second quarter: Anthony Belton blocked in, Jonathan Ford blocked out, and Atlanta’s Zach Harrison ran clean through the gap to block Smack's attempt. To add insult to injury, Atlanta only had ten men on the field for that block.
Offense, defense, special teams — every unit got outplayed, and the fans in the building let them know it. There were several stretches of boos, something this team isn't used to hearing at Lambeau, but unsurprising after three ugly performances. "At the end of the day, it's an entertainment business, so we have to put a better product out on the field if we want to have the fans have our back," Christian Watson said after the game. "Obviously, we like to think that the fans will be there through the ups and downs, but we've got to put out a better performance than that."
Packers defense:
* Gave up 498 yards and 25 1st downs
* 1 QB hit, 0 sacks, and 242 rushing yards allowed
* Allowed scores on 5 straight possessions (3 TDs, 2 FGs) to a team that didn't have a RZ snap in first 2 games
* Worst success rate for Packers in a game the last 4 years
— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) September 25, 2026
The Offensive Line Woes Continue
While all three phases struggled, the offensive line was clearly the biggest issue — again. Anyone who's watched a Packers game this year already knows that. Green Bay is already without Zach Bako-Bewele for the season, and Aaron Banks keeps missing time with injuries. With both out, the unit that took the field last night — Jordan Morgan, Jager Burton, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, and Anthony Belton — had a rough night. Like, really rough.
It's hard to believe this line could've played worse than it did in Weeks 1 and 2, when it already ranked dead last in the NFL in Pass Block Win Rate — but it did. That number dropped to a league-low 16%, per ESPN Analytics. And that's just the start of the ugly stats from last night, so buckle up:
* Atlanta's defense recorded 15 quick pressures against Green Bay, per Next Gen Stats — the second-most in any game this season, trailing only Minnesota's Week 1 outing against the Packers
* 13 of those quick pressures came against four or fewer rushers
* Burton and Monk allowed 16 combined pressures, per PFF
* Burton alone allowed six quick pressures
* Morgan and Belton allowed 10 combined pressures, per PFF
Whether by design or necessity, Green Bay leaned heavily into the pass, dropping back on over 85% of offensive plays. Atlanta knew exactly what was coming and took full advantage—defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich needed to blitz on only 17% of snaps to get home. Simply put, the offensive front got its butt kicked, and the game plan didn't help.
"I don't want to put all the blame on the offensive line," LaFleur said after the game. "There's plenty of blame to go around." He's not wrong. The front office hasn't put enough talent in that room. The coaching staff hasn't developed the guys they have. The players aren't executing. And the play-calling has put the line in tough spots. There's enough blame to go around.
Blame aside, solutions won't come easy either. Green Bay has already run out six different offensive line combinations through three games, and none of them have been encouraging. Banks getting healthy will help, but it won't fix everything. Donovan Jennings, John Williams, Travis Glover — none of them look like the answer. Cordell Volson, who's started 48 NFL games, is sitting on the practice squad, but he's had his own struggles over the years too.
The free agent market isn't exactly stacked. Names still out there include Taylor Decker, Jack Conklin, Jonah Williams, Cam Robinson, and Mekhi Becton. Kevin Zeitler is the name most connected to Green Bay — Bill Huber has reported he's ready to play for the right opportunity, while Easton Butler reported he's seeking around $10 million. As of now, he remains unsigned. The front office needs to kick the tires on one of these guys, and soon.
For anyone hoping for a coaching change, that's not happening. LaFleur was asked about it after the game and shut it down immediately: "I'm not even going to respond to that question."
On the field, the linemen need to play better, but everyone else needs to step up too — Jordan Love included. He admitted afterward there's plenty he can do to help slow down opposing pass rushes. "That's where I can improve at making quicker decisions, understanding coverages, and where I can get the ball out and find completions," Love said. "I have to do a better job of finding completions throughout the course of the game to help us stay on track as an offense and stay out of some of these bad situations."
🎶 Five-hundred-twenty-five-thousand-six-hundred pressures 🎶 pic.twitter.com/R3MGI8GX7a
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 25, 2026
No Run Game, No Offense
The offensive line couldn't keep Jordan Love protected, and a big reason for that is the total lack of a rushing attack. The Packers essentially abandoned the run last night, which made life easy for Atlanta's front seven. Just eight designed runs for a total of 17 yards — an almost unbelievable number.
"Anytime you drop back fifty-some odd times in a game and you have nine rushes, it's usually not going to bode well for you," LaFleur said afterward. Shockingly, it did not. Meanwhile, Atlanta's ground game ran for 242 yards, controlling the clock, moving the sticks, and completely neutralizing Green Bay's pass rush in the process. A stark contrast, and LaFleur knew it. "I think we can all see the benefit of having a strong rushing attack."
The Packers have rushed for 146 yards all season. No, that's not a typo. Per Rob Demovsky, it's the fewest rushing yards to start a season since 1933. Let that sink in. The offensive line isn't moving anyone, and the Kaleb Johnson-MarShawn Lloyd combination hasn't been able to create much on its own either.
"Our run game's got to improve. When you have a solid pass game and run game balancing each other, that always helps," Love said postgame. "Obviously, our run game — I don't know how many rushes we had — but it's something we need to improve on right there. I think that'll help the pass game." LaFleur was also asked how much the lack of a ground game hurts his ability to lean on play-action — before the question even finished, he jumped in with, "A lot."
Green Bay doesn't need an elite rushing attack, but it needs a competent one. This isn't a team with a Bijan Robinson type who can create something out of nothing. The offense needs to find a way to establish just enough of a run game to keep defenses honest. The blocking has to improve, the play-calling could help too, and the backs on the roster need to produce more. Josh Jacobs — even if he does come back — isn't going to fix this on his own.
Filed Under: Packers NewsFeaturedGreen Bay PackersCarter SembGame Recaps
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Carter Semb is a lifelong Packer fan, shareholder, and season ticket holder. He is a contributor for Cheesehead TV and Packers Talk. For commentary surrounding Wisconsin sports, he can be found on X at @cmsemb.
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NFL Categories: Atlanta FalconsGreen Bay PackersTags: Matt LaFleurJordan Love
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