The Green Bay Packers were, once again, the most disappointing team of the week.
No team was a bigger favorite in Week 9, and not only did they fail to cover the spread, but they couldn’t even win outright against the Carolina Panthers at home.
That’s why Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report dropped the Packers from No. 4 to No. 11 in his weekly NFL power rankings.
“The Packers have now lost two games. In those contests, a trend emerged. The Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, who are limited offensively, both ran the ball well and played outstanding defense. The first issues must be sorted out by Green Bay sooner rather than later, because opponents can shorten games and lessen opportunities for Green Bay. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle accumulated 130 rushing yards during Sunday’s contest. Green Bay will still face Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones Sr. (twice), Jahmyr Gibbs, D’Andre Swift/Kyle Monangai (twice) and Derrick Henry before the regular season concludes. Better play at the point of attack is a necessity,” Sobleski wrote.
The Packers have proven they can hold their own against the best teams in the league, but they also have a worrisome tendency to play down to their opponents’ level.
Of course, the Panthers deserve credit for the win, but one cannot help but feel like the Packers did everything they could to lose this game.
Head coach Matt LaFleur needs to be less conservative with his play-calling, and quarterback Jordan Love can’t make crucial mistakes in big moments.
Perhaps the Packers were caught looking ahead to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who visit them in Week 10.
It may have been a perfect storm and a game they would’ve won 99 times out of 100.
Whatever the case, Green Bay cannot be trusted as a Super Bowl contender if it’s not going to bring its best effort every week.
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