The Green Bay Packers were bombarded by boos during their home-opener at Lambeau Field against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, and the reaction in the locker room to the fans’ displeasure with the players’ performance was varied — to say the least.
The most common refrain was one of responsibility, with prominent members of the Packers’ roster acknowledging the home crowd had a right to disappointed as the defense surrendered nearly 500 total yards and the run game produced just 17 yards rushing on nine carries.
Wide receiver Christian Watson, one of the few Green Bay players to produce meaningfully in primetime (seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown), was prepared to shoulder the blame for his team’s struggles.
“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,” Watson said, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “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.”
Tucker Kraft Called Out Packers Fans for Booing Team
Tight end Tucker Kraft, who dropped three passes on the night after recently signing four-year contract extension worth $75 million, had a different take on the situation.
“That’s pretty tough. Like everyone pictures Lambeau Field and not boos. I don’t picture boos. I picture my home stadium,” Kraft said, per Schneidman. “That’s tough. It’s pretty disappointing, especially for a home-opener. It’s pretty disappointing. It is not going to help us win. Like I don’t know what people think — that’s going to rally us or something like that?”
“But that’s — we’re grown men. We’re mentally strong enough, capable enough to get back on the field and play ball,” Kraft continued. “But it’d probably much easier with the 70,000 people behind us rather than opposing us.”
Tucker Kraft Made Packers’ Loss Worse With Tone-Deaf Comments Following Game
Fans and media members did not meet Kraft’s comments with understanding in the aftermath of Green Bay’s 21-point home loss.
“They looked like rock bottom,” Kyle Brandt of “Good Morning Football” said Friday. “Tucker Kraft, the tight end, a guy who I like, a player who I like and a player who almost always says the right thing. But when you have times you’ve never been through before, you start ad-libbing.”
“Good guy. Good player. Just a terrible, terrible take,” Brandt continued. “What you don’t do is say how disappointed you are in the fans. It’s not the fans’ fault that you guys couldn’t block anyone. It is not the fans fault you guys couldn’t tackle anyone. It’s not the fans’ fault that the defensive player you traded everything for is on the sideline. It’s not the fans’ fault that your best running back is in the courtroom.
“Don’t look in the stands. Look in the mirror.”
Packers’ Christian Watson Breaks Silence on Fans Booing During Falcons Loss