The Aporia · Packers booed in a Lambeau flop as they get blown out by Falcons in home opener

Packers booed in a Lambeau flop as they get blown out by Falcons in home opener

Read the original at Toronto Star ↗

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APA MLA Chicago

Megargee, S. (2026, September 25). Packers booed in a Lambeau flop as they get blown out by Falcons in home opener. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/packers-booed-in-a-lambeau-flop-as-they-get-blown-out-by-falcons-in-home-opener/article_66a5aaa2-c4ae-512b-9f35-516889df3232.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

In the Packers’ home opener at Lambeau Field, they suffered a significant loss to the Atlanta Falcons, 35-14, despite having a previously winless opponent. The game exposed weaknesses in Green Bay’s offensive line and defense, leading to poor performance from quarterback Jordan Love and limited effectiveness of running backs due to injuries and legal issues affecting key players like Josh Jacobs. Fans booed the Packers during much of the second half as the team struggled with penalties and defensive challenges, raising questions about their prospects for making the playoffs this year.

Written by AI on 2026-09-25, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Michael Penix Jr., who suffered a torn ACL in November 2025, was named the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons against the Green Bay Packers on September 24, just one week after the Falcons' brutal 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons hope that Penix's return will provide a spark to an offense that failed to reach the red zone in their first two games of the season. Penix worked hard during his recovery and is set to play for the first time since November 16, 2025. Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa will back up Penix after missing the first two regular-season games due to an oblique injury. The game, which starts at 8:15 p.m. ET, is streamed exclusively on Prime Video. Despite being winless (0-2), the Falcons aim for their first victory of the season against a Packers team that comes into this home opener with a record of 1-1 following an overtime win over the New York Jets. The game will be played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Written for “Michael Penix Jr Returns Falcons vs P…” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 18 other(s) covering the same event.

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sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 24 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

Toronto Star's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Sports

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articles that frame the event the way this one does

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Publisher

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Who wrote this

Steve Megargee

50 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 As police investigated whether to file charges against Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs following a May altercation with his then-girlfriend, multiple other women contacted them to detail their own allegations against him.

2026-10-31 · mixed framing · Other women contacted police about previous incidents with Packers' Josh Jacobs after his arrest

🔮 But the Panthers couldn’t come all the way back because Green Bay’s defense wouldn’t allow it.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Dominance on defense enables the Packers to make up for their weaknesses elsewhere

🔮 Watson’s injury occurred as he made a 53-yard catch, with Carolina Panthers cornerback Will Lee also getting hurt on the play while making a diving stop.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Packers' Watson goes to hospital with chest injury in 2nd quarter. Then he returns to the game.

🔮 Carolina cornerback Will Lee hurt his hamstring while diving to make a tackle on the same play, and he got carted into the locker room.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Love throws 3 TD passes as the Packers beat the Panthers 27-19

🔮 He was placed on that list after charges were filed against him in August stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Packers' Jacobs says TD celebration that drew criticism was modeled after a gospel song

🔮 Yelich’s tribute after the Brewers’ 4-1 Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays recalled a dramatically different postgame setting two years earlier, when Milwaukee couldn’t hang on to a 2-0 ninth-inning lead and fell to the New York Mets in the decisive game of an NL Wild Card Series.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Yelich pays tribute to Uecker after finally leading Brewers to their first World Series title

🔮 “Maybe when it’s all said and done.”

2026-10-25 · assertive framing · Brewers lefty Aaron Ashby nears postseason scoreless relief record with World Series save

🔮 He couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning Saturday night against a Milwaukee Brewers lineup that specializes in driving up pitch counts and grinding starters into submission.

2026-10-25 · assertive framing · Drew Rasmusssen can't make it through 4th inning as Rays blow 4-0 lead in Game 2 loss to Brewers

🔮 Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had two hits, including an RBI single.

2026-10-24 · assertive framing · Brewers withstand Rays' comeback attempt to win Game 1 of World Series

🔮 Before throwing the first pitch, Yount took off the jacket to reveal a Brewers jersey that included “Ueck” and Yount’s No. 19 on the back Grindle said Yount came up with the idea after the two-time MVP learned he would be throwing out the first pitch at the World Series opener.

2026-10-24 · assertive framing · Robin Yount and Brewers' broadcast team pay tribute to Bob Uecker by borrowing from his wardrobe

Also by Steve Megargee

Other women contacted police about previous incidents with Packers' Josh Jacobs after his arrest

2026-10-31 · Toronto Star

Dominance on defense enables the Packers to make up for their weaknesses elsewhere

2026-10-30 · Toronto Star

Packers' Jacobs says TD celebration that drew criticism was modeled after a gospel song

2026-10-30 · Toronto Star

Love throws 3 TD passes as the Packers beat the Panthers 27-19

2026-10-30 · Toronto Star

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 50 articles by Steve Megargee →

Topics

Atlanta GREEN BAY Green Bay’s Packers Wis.

Subjects

Packers ORG · 7× GREEN BAY GPE · 5× Jacobs PERSON · 4× Atlanta GPE · 2× Green Bay’s ORG · 2× Parsons PERSON · 2× Josh Jacobs PERSON · 1× Micah Parsons PERSON · 1× The Green Bay Packers ORG · 1× Wis. GPE · 1×

Narrative

With a makeshift offensive line struggling to give Jordan Love time to throw or to create running room for Jacobs’ backups, the Packers were embarrassed by the previously winless Atlanta Falcons, losing 35-14 on Thursday night. The Packers (1-2) were booed by the Lambeau Field crowd for much of the second half, and they find themselves at a potential crossroads before the end of September.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-25

🔮 But they couldn’t have expected their home opener to go this miserably.

2026-09-25 · Toronto Star

Packers booed in a Lambeau flop as they get blown out by Falcons in home opener · assertive framing

Claims (24 extracted, 1 hedged)

The Green Bay Packers knew they’d have their hands full early in the season with their offense missing Josh Jacobs and their defense lacking Micah Parsons. asserted

defense → know → Parsons

But they couldn’t have expected their home opener to go this miserably. asserted

opener → expect → ?

they → struggle → September

This wasn’t what team president/CEO Ed Policy had in mind when he signed coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst to contract extensions even after the Packers ended the 2025 season with five straight losses, including a wild-card playoff loss at Chicago in which they blew a 21-3 lead. asserted

they → have → lead

Green Bay has made three straight postseason appearances but looked nothing like a potential playoff team Thursday. asserted

Bay → make → team

The losses of Parsons and Jacobs certainly hurt. asserted

losses → hurt → Parsons

Parsons will miss at least one more game as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 All-Pro season early. asserted

that → miss → season

Jacobs was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after he pleaded no contest two weeks ago to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend. uncertain

he → place → girlfriend

Meanwhile, injuries on the offensive line are hurting the Packers. asserted

injuries → hurt → Packers

Green Bay played without two of its starting linemen after left guard Aaron Banks hurt his toe and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele tore his patellar tendon in a 20-17 overtime victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. asserted

Bewele → play → Sunday

Bako-Bewele, who is Green Bay’s best lineman when healthy, won’t play again this season. asserted

who → play → ?

The Packers have lacked discipline. asserted

Packers → lack → discipline

They committed an NFL-high 26 penalties through the first two weeks. asserted

They → commit → weeks

They led 7-0 on Thursday when Brenton Cox Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third-down incompletion. asserted

Jr. → lead → incompletion

Instead of punting, Atlanta scored a tying touchdown on that series and took control shortly thereafter. asserted

Atlanta → punt → control

One strength for Green Bay the first two weeks of the season was defending the run. asserted

strength → defend → run

The Packers had been allowing 2.9 yards per carry, the second-lowest average in the league. asserted

Packers → allow → league

That changed Thursday. asserted

That → change → ?

Atlanta outrushed Green Bay 242 yards to 17 and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. asserted

Atlanta → outrushe → carry

Bijan Robinson led the way with 194 yards and two touchdowns. asserted

Robinson → lead → yards

Jacobs’ absence leaves the Packers relying on MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson to lead their rushing attack. asserted

absence → leave → attack

Each had four carries Thursday, with Lloyd gaining 11 yards and Johnson 6. asserted

Johnson → have → yards

They were running in place for much of the night. asserted

They → run → night

And LaFleur will have to find a way to get them moving if he wants to salvage Green Bay’s season. asserted

he → have → season