The Green Bay Packers have displayed they can play winning football in stretches.
Their problem has been making those stretches last long enough.
That worry now has ugly numbers attached to it.
NFL analyst Warren Sharp pointed out on X on Oct. 2 that the Packers have been outscored 57-20 in the second half through three games, producing a minus-37 second-half point differential that ranks last in the NFL.
Sharp also noted Green Bay leads the league with 32 penalties.
-37 point differential
worst in NFL
they also lead the league with 32 penalties
The contrast is eye-popping. Across the first two quarters of their three games, Green Bay has been outscored only 34-33. After halftime, that gap balloons to 57-20. The second-half figure excludes the Packers’ three overtime points against the Jets.
Green Bay was outscored 29-3 after halftime in its 39-22 season-opening loss to Minnesota, played New York even 10-10 after halftime before winning in overtime, and was outscored 18-7 over the final two quarters against Atlanta.
Packers’ Second-Half Slide Keeps Showing Up
The Packers’ opener offered the most dramatic example. Green Bay led the Minnesota Vikings 19-10 at halftime and stretched the advantage to 22-10 in the third quarter. Minnesota then scored 29 unanswered points to close the game, including 22 in the fourth quarter.
Green Bay temporarily flipped the script against the New York Jets.
After falling behind 17-7, the Packers scored 10 fourth-quarter points and won 20-17 in overtime. Jordan Love threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Christian Watson during the comeback, while kicker Trey Smack eventually delivered the winning field goal.
Then came another regression against the Atlanta Falcons.
Green Bay trailed 17-7 at halftime before Atlanta widened the margin to 27-7. A fourth-quarter touchdown from Love to Matthew Golden gave the Packers a brief response, but the Falcons answered again and closed out a 35-14 win.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur opened his postgame news conference by calling it a “humbling night,” per the team’s postgame recap. The numbers made his frustration easy to understand. Atlanta finished with 498 total yards, including 242 rushing, and held the ball for 37:05.
Green Bay, meanwhile, rushed only nine times for 17 yards. Love attempted 53 passes as the offense spent much of the night chasing the game.
Penalties Amplify Packers’ Problems
The second-half scoring gap stands out, but the penalty total makes the early trend more concerning.
An updated RotoWire league breakdown listed Green Bay first with 32 accepted penalties for 276 yards through Week 3. The Packers were the only team averaging more than 10 penalties per game, at 10.7.
Those flags have arrived in different ways. Green Bay committed 12 penalties for 98 yards against Minnesota, then piled up 14 for 133 yards in the overtime win over the Jets. Even the victory came with enough self-inflicted damage to keep the game tight.
The encouraging part for Green Bay is that the season remains young. The Packers have already proved against New York that they can recover late when a game starts slipping away.
But the 57-20 second-half deficit points to a broader issue than a single matchup. Green Bay has been losing the adjustment period after halftime, and its penalty volume has repeatedly made those situations harder to manage.
The Packers get their next opportunity to change the pattern Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For LaFleur’s group, finishing cleanly may matter as much as starting fast.
Packers Hit With NFL-Worst in Multiple Important Categories Following 1-2 Start