Green Bay’s most lopsided home loss in eight years underscored how the Packers must establish some semblance of a rushing attack to have any hope of competing for a fourth straight playoff berth.
asserted
Packers → underscore → berth
“We’re going to get it going,” right tackle Anthony Belton said after the Packers were outrushed 242-17 and outscored 35-14 by the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.
asserted
Packers → go → night
“That’s all I’ve got to say about it.
asserted
I → ’ → it
They haven’t done so thus far.
asserted
They → do → ?
Green Bay’s 146 rushing yards are the fewest in franchise history through the first three games of a season, according to Sportradar.
uncertain
yards → accord → Sportradar
The last time any NFL team had such a low rushing total three games into a season was in 2019, when Cincinnati, Miami and Washington all had fewer than 146 yards.
asserted
Cincinnati → have → yards
The Packers (1-2) are missing three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who 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 → miss → girlfriend
It might not have mattered who was in the backfield for Green Bay.
uncertain
who → matter → Bay
An offensive line decimated by multiple injuries couldn’t create running room for anyone.
asserted
line → decimate → anyone
Green Bay’s nine rushing attempts represented the second-lowest total in franchise history, only behind a 24-14 loss to Miami in 1994 in which the Packers ran the ball just seven times.
asserted
Packers → represent → ball
The Packers’ 17 yards rushing matched their third-lowest single game total ever.
asserted
rushing → match → total
The Packers have just 48 carries so far this year, their fewest through the first three weeks of a season since 1994, according to Sportradar.
uncertain
Packers → have → Sportradar
“We’ve got to continue to work with these guys and try to figure out what we do well, because right now, I don’t know what we’re doing well offensively,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.
asserted
LaFleur → get → what
Atlanta snapped Green Bay’s string of 13 straight home-opening victories.
asserted
Atlanta → snap → victories
This marked the Packers’ worst home loss since the Detroit Lions hammered them 31-0 in their 2018 season finale, Green Bay’s last game before LaFleur’s arrival.
asserted
Lions → mark → arrival
Green Bay’s inability to run the ball isn’t a new problem.
asserted
inability → run → ball
Even with Jacobs on the field last year, the Packers gained just 4.1 yards per carry, their lowest single-season average since 2012.
asserted
Packers → gain → 2012
Since then, the Packers allowed left tackle Rasheed Walker to depart via free agency and released veteran lineman Elgton Jenkins, a two-time Pro Bowl guard who moved to center last year and played just nine games before an injury shut him down.
asserted
injury → allow → him
Green Bay’s offensive line took a couple more hits when right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele tore his patellar tendon and left guard Aaron Banks injured a toe in a 20-17 overtime victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
asserted
Banks → take → Sunday
Banks didn’t play Thursday, and Bako-Bewele will miss the rest of the season.
asserted
Bewele → play → season
That left a makeshift line trying to create running room for MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson, who had a combined 34 career carries before this season.
asserted
who → leave → season
Neither Lloyd nor Johnson did much with the few running lanes that Green Bay’s line created.
asserted
line → do → that
They remain hopeful they can turn this around.
asserted
they → remain → this
“I think we definitely can do it,” Lloyd said.
asserted
Lloyd → think → it
“We’ve just got to put our foot on the gas and go for it.”
asserted
We → get → it
What’s working
Not much.
asserted
working → work → ?
Daniel Whelan landed four of his five punts inside Atlanta’s 20-yard line.
asserted
Whelan → land → line
What needs help
Take your pick.
asserted
needs → need → pick
A defense that had given up just 2.9 yards per carry in its first two games allowed Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson to run for 194 yards.
asserted
Robinson → give → yards
The secondary couldn’t cover Drake London, who had 194 yards receiving.
asserted
who → cover → yards
On special teams, Trey Smack had a potential tying 47-yard field-goal attempt blocked in the second quarter.
asserted
attempt → have → quarter
Green Bay cut its penalty totals to six – the Packers had totaled a league-high 26 in their first two games - but one was an unnecessary roughness call on Brenton Cox Jr. that kept alive an Atlanta touchdown drive.
asserted
that → cut → drive
WR Christian Watson had his fourth touchdown catch of the season. …
asserted
Watson → have → season
WR Matthew Golden had five receptions for a career-high 100 yards.
asserted
Golden → have → yards
The entire starting offensive line featuring LT Jordan Morgan, LG Jager Burton, C Sean Rhyan, RG Jacob Monk and Belton struggled.
asserted
line → feature → Morgan
Burton, a rookie fifth-round pick, was making his first start.
asserted
Burton → make → start
… QB Jordan Love is completing just 52.4% of his passes.
asserted
Love → complete → passes
… Lloyd has just 68 yards rushing on 23 carries this season.
asserted
Lloyd → have → carries
… Johnson has only 38 yards on 12 rushes.
asserted
Johnson → have → rushes
… TE Tucker Kraft was targeted eight times but had just four catches for 26 yards.
asserted
Kraft → target → yards
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
