The Green Bay Packers have lost their identity, at least temporarily. One of the most consistently competitive franchises over the last 30 years is a New York Jets collapse away from being 0-3 on the season. Injuries have severely hampered this squad, but even so, fans did not expect to witness their team get thumped in its home opener on Thursday night. The Green and Gold leave Lambeau Field with a 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and land squarely in Rock Bottom.
Now, they will have to pick themselves up and figure out how to play winning football again. A comprehensive reflection period is required.
“Well, that was a humbling night,” head coach Matt LaFleur said, per USA TODAY's Ryan Wood. “Certainly, I don't think anybody is pleased about this. We've got a couple extra days here, and everybody has to take a long, hard look at ourselves.”
The Packers cannot merely replicate Micah Parsons' All-Pro production at edge rusher, or magically heal an offensive line that is missing Zach Bako-Bewele for the remainder of the season, or fully plug in the massive hole in the backfield amid Josh Jacobs' criminal case. Green Bay has certain limitations that it might never resolve in 2026, but this latest performance is simply unacceptable.