Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Seven factors scored in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles in a loss on “Monday Evening Soccer.” 13 factors the week earlier than in a loss to the Carolina Panthers. Ten factors in a Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
And in each a type of video games, the Inexperienced Bay Packers' protection held their opponent to 16 or fewer factors, together with Monday's 10-7 defeat at Lambeau Subject.
No surprise Jordan Love stated, “You are feeling like as an offense you are letting the protection down.”
The Packers' efficiency in opposition to the Eagles was not solely one of many worst offensive video games in Love's three seasons because the beginning quarterback, but in addition in Matt LaFleur's seven seasons as head coach.
“I do know as a protection, they undoubtedly have each cause to have a look at us and say, ‘What are you guys doing? You guys have to determine it out and assist us out and put up some extra factors,' as a result of they're doing an amazing job,” Love stated. “It is irritating, however we'll keep collectively. We'll preserve the vitality excessive and discover methods to get higher and be higher as an offense.”
If that sounds acquainted, it is as a result of there was an identical chorus after the 16-13 loss to the Panthers every week earlier, and after the 13-10 loss at Cleveland in Week 3.
“We're halfway by means of the season, we will not simply preserve saying, ‘All proper, we will handle it,'” Packers working again Josh Jacobs stated. “We have got to seek out precise solutions to our issues. I truthfully do not know what these solutions [are]. I really feel like all people's bought to dig deep and have the idea and provides extra. I imply, it is not straightforward. We won't stay off of what we did final 12 months or nothing like that, we have got to be within the second.”
That is the place LaFleur, the offensive play caller, is available in. He has one 12 months remaining on his contract and new workforce president Ed Coverage, who took over in July, has not provided him or basic supervisor Brian Gutekunst an extension but, in keeping with sources. Coverage additionally stated he would not imagine in lame duck coaches or basic managers.
If LaFleur thinks he is teaching for his job, he wouldn't say so.
“I will go away that for everyone else to determine,” LaFleur stated. “I will simply deal with the day-to-day … I really feel such as you're all the time teaching for every little thing on this league, you understand? That is simply my mindset. It is all the time been that approach. You possibly can't ever exhale. You gotta all the time be pushing. That is simply my mindset and that will probably be my mindset 'til they inform me to not coach anymore.”
LaFleur didn't have many solutions for why the offensive struggled so mightily on Monday. Per week earlier, he misplaced maybe his finest playmaker, tight finish Tucker Kraft, to a season-ending knee harm. In opposition to the Eagles, he misplaced Love's most-targeted receiver, Romeo Doubs, to a chest harm within the second half, and heart Elgton Jenkins to a fractured decrease leg.
But it surely would not clarify why they struggled to get a lot going within the working sport, regardless that that was the point of interest of LaFleur's sport plan in opposition to the Eagles. Jacobs carried 21 instances for 74 yards (a 3.5-yard common) and had the one landing on a 6-yard run with 5:49 remaining.
“We're halfway by means of the season, we will not simply preserve saying, ‘All proper, we will handle it.' We have got to seek out precise solutions to our issues. I truthfully do not know what these solutions [are]. I really feel like all people's bought to dig deep and have the idea and provides extra.”
Packers working again Josh Jacobs
“We wished to attempt to set up the run sport and attempt to construct off of that,” LaFleur stated. “I believed there have been some moments the place we did an honest job, however in the end it wasn't sufficient. It appeared to me that after we bought in these vital moments, it wasn't essentially the primary and second down, it was extra the cash down, third down, fourth down, the place we simply malfunctioned.”
And it would not clarify why the Eagles appeared to know what the Packers had been going to run on their final actual probability — a fourth-and-1 with 1:30 left that the Eagles stuffed and compelled Jacobs to fumble.
“They known as it out,” Jacobs stated. “We known as our play. They [said it's an] ‘inside zone, it is coming proper right here.' So I form of like did not need to run proper there, however you understand … yeah, that is simply the way it performed out.”
Love threw for simply 176 yards, and his 4.9 yards per try had been the fewest in any sport of his NFL profession as a starter, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.
“Not adequate,” Love stated when requested how he has been taking part in of late.
The Packers (5-3-1) fell from first within the NFC North to 3rd. In all three losses, they've allowed 16 or fewer factors. The New York Jets are the one different workforce that has a number of losses this season when permitting 16 or fewer factors.
“Truthfully, it is simply tremendous irritating,” Packers defensive finish Micah Parsons stated. “But it surely's simply one among them issues, like we will win collectively, we will lose collectively, whatever the end result, and simply being there for our teammates, no matter who's taking part in higher or which facet is taking part in higher. It is simply necessary that we maintain one another up, till they get rolling. When everybody will get rolling, we'll be a very good workforce.”
