The Green Bay Packers lost their second game of the season on Thursday Night Football to the Atlanta Falcons, but they may have also lost the fanbase in the process, while head coach Matt LaFleur may lose his employment sooner than later if he can’t turn things around quickly.
LaFleur spoke candidly about his team’s struggles against the formerly winless Falcons following the loss on September 24, though he was unable to offer much in the way of assurances or explanations.
“Well, that was a humbling night,” LaFleur said, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. “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.”
Green Bay will next face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida on October 4.
Packers’ Run Game Atrocious Through 3 Weeks, With No Signs of Imminent Improvement
LaFleur went on to say that the team is doing little correctly on offense, which was apparent by the 12 quarterback hits the offensive line surrendered on Jordan Love and the grand total of 17 rushing yards on nine carries the Packers’ run game mustered against Atlanta.
Green Bay’s rush attack has amassed a total of 146 yards across three games, which averages out to fewer than 49 yards per contest.
Starting running back Josh Jacobs has missed the last two games on the Commissioner’s Exempt List following a plea of no contest to two misdemeanors connected to a domestic incident in May. The NFL is still reviewing his case before potentially handing down a suspension.
The good news for the Packers is that if the league does suspend Jacobs, the games he has already missed will count as time served. The bad news is that historical precedent indicates the RB is likely looking at a punishment of six games, which the NFL might increase if it gains access to video of the incident in question.
A judge in Wisconsin ruled on Thursday that the court will not permanently seal the footage, which the victim in the case had requested. Thus, it will be up to the police department that executed Jacobs’ arrest whether to release the video to any interested parties in accordance with the applicable public records laws.
The league is attempting to view the tape before making its ruling in the running back’s case.
Packers Facing Several Major Injuries Across Roster
But even if Jacobs comes back sooner than later, it is hard to say how much that will matter in the grand scheme of things, as the entire Packers’ roster is an injured mess.
Multiple starters on the offensive line are out with injuries, as are wide receiver Jayden Reed and pass-rusher Micah Parsons. Tight end Tucker Kraft dropped three passes against the Falcons, while the defense produced a nightmare showing of its own.
Green Bay surrendered 498 yards to a formerly winless Atlanta offense that was averaging eight points per game coming into Thursday night and had not entered the red zone yet this season. The Falcons walked out with a 35-spot in a three-touchdown win.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur Sends Sobering Message Amid Calls for His Job