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Analysis of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1
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Analysis of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1

The Green Bay Packers return from Brazil with an 0-1 record and a major injury question mark at quarterback. Matt LaFleur’s team struggled in the final minutes, made too many sloppy mistakes and ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo to open the 2024 season.

The loss was overshadowed by the injury to Jordan Love, who was hit in the knee on the third-to-last play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. Early indications are that Love injured his MCL and will miss time.

Friday night’s 34-29 loss to the Eagles will be nothing more than a disappointment if Love is okay. If he misses significant time, the injury could change his season.

Here’s what went right, what went wrong, and what it means for the Packers going forward:

What went well?

— Jayden Reed shone like a star. The sophomore receiver turned five touches into 171 total yards and two scores. He looked dynamic, made tough catches and created extra yards with the ball in his hands.

— Josh Jacobs started off slow, but he created 80 rushing yards in the second half, including a 32-yard run, and finished with over 100 total yards. It certainly appeared that Jacobs’ flare as a runner is back after a disappointing 2023 season in Las Vegas.

— The Packers’ defense created three takeaways, including an interception and fumble recovery that put Green Bay inside the Philadelphia 20-yard line and an interception in the end zone that took points off the board. Overall, the Packers were plus-2 in the turnover battle.

— Reserve running back Emanuel Wilson converted four rushing attempts into 46 yards, including runs of 14 and 18 yards on a touchdown drive, and he made a stellar block on Reed’s 33-yard touchdown run. Wilson, Jacobs and Reed all had runs of at least 18 yards, and the Packers finished with 163 yards on the ground.

— While inconsistent on offense, the Packers finished with 414 total yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play.

— Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper tackled a kickoff, stopped Saquon Barkley and made a deflected pass during a blitz.

What went wrong?

— The Packers scored just one touchdown on four trips to the red zone and turned three takeaways into just nine points.

— The Packers had 10 accepted penalties and a few other compensatory or denied penalties. Early penalties killed the offense; late penalties — however questionable — kept Eagles drives alive.

— The passing game created explosive plays, but it was also out of sync. Jordan Love struggled with his feet, leading to some accuracy issues, and receivers slid on breaks and had a few drops. Overall, the passing game created open receivers.

— The pass rush was inconsistently effective. Jalen Hurts was sacked just twice and the Packers failed to disrupt him in key moments.

— The Eagles star power on offense was overwhelming. Barkley produced 132 total yards and three touchdowns, AJ Brown had a touchdown of 67 yards and 119 total receiving yards, and Devonta Smith had seven catches for 84 yards, including a late third down conversion.

— While the Eagles produced an adversity defense on turnovers, the Packers quickly gave up a touchdown on Jordan Love’s interception. The Packers won the turnover battle, but only managed a 9-7 advantage in points on turnovers.

— Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Javon Bullard and Eric Stokes all missed tackles. The Packers also struggled to pass the run on several carries for Barkley, who had a wide-open lane on one touchdown and another huge hole on a 34-yarder in the second half.

— Despite committing three turnovers, the Packers’ defense still allowed 34 points in an overall disappointing opening performance from Jeff Hafley’s group.

What it means

The Packers are 0-1 and now must struggle through a rough opening stretch without Love at quarterback. Fortunately, Love and the Packers know how to bounce back from a poor start — they were 3-6 before picking up steam and nearly reaching the NFC title game last year. Matt LaFleur often talks about dealing with and overcoming adversity during a football season. Well, the Packers return home from a daunting international road trip with a disappointing loss and an injured quarterback. We’ll see what this team is made of — both while Love is out and when he returns.

What’s next?

The home opener is next Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers will likely groom Malik Willis to start at quarterback — which means the offense will have to change drastically to accommodate what Willis is good at and knows how to do within the offense. There’s also a slight chance that Sean Clifford could be the better option based on experience in the scheme. Either way, the Packers need to find a way to win a game or two while Love recovers. The upcoming schedule includes games against the Colts, Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, all potentially winnable games if Matt LaFleur and the Packers can get things right at quarterback.